“That’s one small step for (a)* man, one giant leap for mankind.”

— Neil Armstrong, from the moon’s surface; July 20, 1969

If you’ve read the pages of this site, you know I believe words matter–what we say and what we write matter. Sometimes, however, words alone are not enough. A phrase is not enough, even when painted on streets, buildings, yard signs, and protest signs. Such is the case for the […]

“Sometimes up, sometimes down; my life’s so uncertain with you not around.”

–from “Come See About Me,” by the (other) Supremes; 1964

In their infinite wisdom, our Founding Fathers created the Supreme Court, its duties enumerated in Article III of the U.S. Constitution. The number of justices on the Court has varied from 5 to 10, but has been set at 9 for over 150 years. It is, of course, the highest […]

“It is no use saying ‘we are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.”

– Sir Winston Churchill

If you’re like me, you hope that “wear a mask,” “social distancing,” and “flatten the curve” are phrases that disappear from our vernacular sooner rather than later. I’m going to give you my take on this year’s shutdown, but with one disclaimer and one caveat before I begin. […]

“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.”

–Lou Gehrig ( July 4, 1939 farewell speech)

Okay, a little less serious topic this week, except for those of you who love the game of baseball as much as I do. Professional baseball has had a tough year. First, it was the revelation that the Houston Astros, long suspected of cheating, actually used high tech cameras to steal […]