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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The sight of an American, stricken with the Ebola virus, transported back to the U.S. for care has reminded many Americans that Africa is part of our world, much as many of us might choose to ignore it. The decision by the Peace Corps to evacuate Peace Corps...
A friend and I attended a production of Godspell* in Memphis recently. It’s a show about how individuals from all walks of life, drawn together by the singular sayings of a modern Jesus, coalesce into a new-born community united in ensuring that no one feels alone or...
In the United States the federal minimum wage has not been increased since 2007. That's a problem. We live in a market economy. People “vote” with their dollars. When so much of the population has fewer dollars to signal its wants and needs, the market can’t get it...
The Peace Corps is revamping its application procedures. So many potential volunteers started the application but abandoned it after the bureaucracy took so long to finalize assignments. In 2014, people can’t wait more than a year to learn if they will be accepted,...