You can’t look at a newspaper, turn on the TV news, or scan the internet and social media and NOT see it. COVID-19! The corona virus! It’s coming for you! Be afraid – BE VERY AFRAID! Look, I understand the necessity and common sense of trying to contain a virus that currently has no vaccine or cure and has the potential to end lives, but let’s take a look at this from a rational perspective. There’s a lot of disinformation…
For those of you NOT in the know, Daylight Savings Time makes its annual return this coming week. Technically, it occurs on Sunday morning, March 8th at 2:00 AM, which suddenly becomes 3:00 AM. Why? Because we decided it would. For most of us, we’ll move our clocks up the night before (remember, its “spring forward – fall back”). If you forget, you’ll most likely show up at church or work an hour late on Sunday morning. Plus, you’re rewarded…
Believe it or not, 2020 has already brought us to the season of Lent (which begins this Wednesday, February 26th – also known as “Ash Wednesday”). In Christian circles, Lent is the forty-day period leading up to Easter (modeled after Christ’s forty day trial in the desert), where observers are to replicate Jesus’s sacrifice by following a strict lifestyle of prayer, contemplation, and denial in preparation for the coming Easter celebrations (Lent ends on Good Friday – which is on…
I have to admit, the older I get – the more crotchety I have become. I’m not to the point where I sit on my porch and yell “you kids get off of my lawn” while shaking a cane at them, but it’s not too far off. I find that in my daily interactions, I am constantly disappointed in humanity as a whole – so much so that I find my mind wanders to an existence where I fantasize about…
Another Valentine’s Day is upon us. A day for lovers and sweethearts to affirm (or renew) their pacts of devotion and adoration to one another (sidenote – I submitted that last sentence as a Valentine’s Day card to the people at “Hallmark” this year and they turned me down. Their loss.) Anyway, I generally celebrate the holiday by giving out cards and chocolates to my girls (we’re not really “flowers” or “teddy bear” people). Even though it’s a pretty low-key…
I was making my way home from work a few days ago, and due to the one way streets in my city of employment, I am forced to go “around the block” to get moving in the direction I need to go to make my way home (four turns instead of just two). Upon pulling up at a light to turn left, I suddenly saw the driver in front of me stop at the red light, look to his right,…
If you’re a loyal reader of my blog, you’ll know I have an almost unhealthy obsession with the Oriental Trading Company catalog (check the archives for past blog posts). Now, don’t get me wrong, the Oriental Trading Company provides a wonderful array of cheap tchotchkes and doo-dads for any school, church or social organization, but it’s the religious offerings that never fail to fascinate me. Each year, the creative minds at OTC come up with a new line of weird…
As you may recall, back in December I revealed that I had started following a whole-food, plant-based diet. This was primarily for health reasons (as opposed to ethical ones), and since then, folks that know me (or read this blog) have not been shy in asking about my progress. Yes, I’ve heard all of the “vegan” jokes. “How do you know if someone is a vegan?” Don’t worry, they’ll tell you. “What does a vegan zombie eat?” GRRAIIIINNS! “How many…
I have to admit, one of the many reasons I enjoy living in Maryland is for the chance to experience the four seasons. There’s truly something to like about each one, from the flowers of spring, the warm weather of summer, the beautiful colors of fall, and even the snows of winter. Snow? Yes, I said snow. Although I’ll be the first one to gripe about road conditions, shoveling the driveway, idiotic drivers, and the overall hassle of dealing with…
I had the good fortune of attending some live performances over the holidays, and I’ve got to tell you something – most of America should just stay home. Now I’m not going to sit here and claim I have never done anything wrong when out in public in my lifetime (child, please), but I do like to think that my parents and extended family raised me right. There are certain areas of common sense, manners, and decorum that were instilled…