"The Enemy Within"

The idea of an “enemy within” is so gut-grabbing and scare-mongering that it has been used many times for book titles. The title has been used for an entire haunted house full of closet enemies. I would like to nominate yet another candidate for this menagerie of enemies.  It involves a mortal threat to our democracy. It is the combined result of a confluence of corrosive forces, and bad actors – an imperfect storm. What needs to be changed?  The answer is, all of the above.  

 

What the Republican Tax Package Means

The deep purpose of the current (Fall 2017) tax package, poorly disguised behind a smoke-screen of bald-faced lies, is to benefit the rich at the expense of the poor -- and the middle-class, and future generations.  Those of us who already benefit the most from our society will pay less taxes (in some cases billions of dollars less), while taking benefits away from the rest of us.


T’was the Night Before Christmas and Not Santa but the Midwife Delivers the Present

T’was the night before Christmas in the rural countryside outside of Powell, Wyoming, located near picturesque Montana and Yellow Stone Park. Two young sisters Emerald, age 4, and Beverly, age 20 months, were asleep downstairs, in a room furnished just for them in their two- story home, while their dad, Nate, and pregnant mom, Brittany, were upstairs also asleep. In the living room was a Christmas tree wonderfully decorated, its branches sheltering the presents that Santa Claus had brought the two young girls.


The Evolution of “Zoon Politikon” (The Political Animal)

Aristotle, it seems, got it right.  Politics may have played a key role in human evolution as the classic primate pattern of male dominance hierarchies shifted to a pattern of consensual leadership for common goals and collective action.


Beyond the Manger

My best friends in the third grade were twin sisters, Annette and Arlene Frier.  They told me that Chanukah was not a big deal. I believed them. Their father was a Rabbi.  

I was brought up to believe in Baby Jesus. I had a Catholic mass card imprinted with his face aglow under a mass of blonde curls and a halo. In my child-like wonder, I recognized myself in that face.

Forgive me, but I didn’t see a fundamental...


Holiday Entertaining Made Fun and Easy

Is the whole family coming over for the holidays? Or perhaps you'd like to share some festive cheer with your neighbors? Now's the time to start planning. Here are some helpful tips to make your holiday fun, easy and relaxing!!

Stock Your Pantry Get ready for hosting with a well-stocked pantry and freezer. Must-haves include quick, no-cook appetizers; basic baking ingredients; spices and marinades; and...


Good Works and Feeling Good

When I was asked to write about “Good Works”, this term was unfamiliar to me. In doing a Google search, I discovered this related to “doing something good for others” within the Christian faith.Interestingly, it’s a concept that applies to faiths and cultures all over the world.What motivates us to do something good for others?

 I want to share something that happened to me recently that may illustrate a couple reasons that...


From Tacoma Two Museums Exhibit Asian Immigrant History

Two museums within a block of one another in the vibrant Museum District of Tacoma, Washington, have current exhibits that provide illuminating historical context for the hot-topic conversation around how the United States should treat its immigrant populations. On display at the Washington State History Museum are works created by a Japanese artist incarcerated at the Minidoka War Relocation Center during World War II. “Witness to Wartime: The Painted Diary of Takuichi Fujii,” runs through January 1, 2018.