Sri Lanka is an ancient civilization, dating back 30,000 years. The island off the coast of India in the Indian Ocean is a mix of many cultures, Sinhalese and Tamil the predominant ones. After a recent trip there, it seems amazing the transformation I witnessed. I first visited the country back in 1998 when it was in the middle of …
After a series of deaths among my group of friends over the last few months, recently we escaped to the mountains of northern Georgia for a few days to refresh ourselves, and to remind that the earth has a way of renewing—it’s called Spring—that allows us to bury the wintry chills and recall the wonders of all that surrounds us. …
Speaker of the House John Boehner has invited the Israeli Prime Minister to address Congress. He’s entitled to invite anyone to speak, but when he does not coordinate these invitations with the executive branch of the U.S. government, the world grows infinitely more dangerous. Countries around the world often look to the United States for its leadership and counsel on …
Speaker of the House John Boehner has invited the Israeli Prime Minister to address Congress. He’s entitled to invite anyone to speak, but when he does not coordinate these invitations with the executive branch of the U.S. government, the world grows infinitely more dangerous. Countries around the world often look to the United States for its leadership and counsel on …
What happened in Burkina Faso (the country formerly known as Upper Volta until 1984) at the end of October is a rarity in Africa. Not that a ruler tried to usurp more power. That’s standard operating practice for much of the continent. But when Blaise Compaore tried to change the constitution so that he could be elected president again (after …
Some people are reacting with extreme opinions about what Ebola means for the United States. Some are saying we should ban all travelers from Africa. Others are advocating quarantine for anyone suspected of carrying the virus. Our global village can no longer stop residents from moving from one corner to another. The Great Wall of China is a remnant of …
Recently I replaced an outside light at my house with a motion detection one. When the light stayed on much of the time, when nothing seemed to be moving within its range, at first I concluded that something needed to be adjusted. I changed the range settings and the time settings. Still, the light came on far more often and …
In the 1700s in Europe, communities of nuns appealed to Saint Joseph to help them find land for a convent. They did this because in the New Testament, Joseph—the carpenter father of Jesus and husband of Mary—had to move multiple times to protect his divine son. Joseph knew something about moving, and especially moving under pressure. Thus, the nuns felt …
An old friend from high school had on his bucket list to do “The Bourbon Trail” in Kentucky. Although I have enjoyed bourbon for much of my life, I had never heard of “doing” The Bourbon Trail and was intrigued by what it might mean. Here’s what the Kentucky Distillers’ Association says about it: “In 1999, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association …
Although he starred in many movies, for me Robin Williams was never better than as the teacher, Mr. John Keating, in Dead Poets Society. It was a role that allowed him to play off all of those eccentricities that he brought to any performance, but which was striking in matching the parallel message of a film that said, “Beware the …
