Archives

September, 2016

15 September
A Hawk Squares off Against Two Squirrels!! No, really – not a political metaphor!

This extraordinary standoff between a red-tailed hawk and two gray squirrels took place in Mount Ranier, Maryland (just outside of Washington, DC) in September 2016.
Read More »

23 January
DC in the Snow – A Photo Essay

Photos of the nation’s capital during the snowstorm of January 22-23 2016. Snow removal at the Capitol after everyone has gone home Friday. These cherry trees along the Tidal Basin will be blooming in 2 months. The Jefferson Memorial from across the Tidal Basin. Walkway next to …
Read More »

1 December
I Brake For East African Runners

I spend some of my free time in Washington DC’s Rock Creek Park, bicycling or hiking. This slender gem winds its way through the northwest sector of the nation’s capital for five miles, following the aptly named Rock Creek. Heavily wooded, the park is a haven for urban hikers and …
Read More »

20 October
The Solo Traveler: Friends Made, Friends Lost

When traveling solo, I try to meet and speak to other travelers. There are so many genuinely nice people from many nations doing this. Some of these little friendships end with an exchange of contact information – some don’t. One example: I met the 2 German couples at a bus …
Read More »
7 October
Facial Recognition Apps of the Future – An End to Public Privacy

Usage of facial recognition software, which identifies a person by his or her facial features, is spreading throughout the government and commercial sectors. Federal agencies and police departments are using it to identify criminals and threats to national security. Facebook, which has an enormous trove of photographs, provides it …
Read More »

5 August
Takeaways from the Killing of Cecil the Lion

Unless you live in a cave without Internet, you’ve probably heard about the killing of a lion named Cecil in Zimbabwe last month. The hunter who dispatched Cecil has been identified as Bloomington, Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer. The Zimbabwean government claims that the lion was lured off of the …
Read More »

30 July
A Death in Baltimore – One Year Later

August – Three-year-old McKenzie Elliott sits on a neighbor’s front porch in Baltimore. She waits excitedly for her stepfather. It is a sweltering day and he will take her swimming. He is late – traffic is bad. A car stops at the corner of 36th St and Old York Road. …
Read More »
27 July
Robots, Big Macs, and the Fight for $15

This month, a hotel staffed almost entirely by robots opened in Japan. The robots at the reception desk include a human-like “female” robot that bows and blinks her eyes and a likewise polite English-speaking dinosaur. Robots perform other functions at the Hann’na Hotel (which means “strange hotel” in Japanese) normally …
Read More »
9 July
Why Government Should Get Out of the Marriage Business

The recent decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) mandating legalization of same-sex marriage has changed the legal definition of marriage that has existed since well before the nation’s founding. In broadening the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples, the court majority cited the due …
Read More »

25 June
The Rug

We were thirsty, the three of us. And hungry too. Jilli, petite and erudite, had come from class and, being a ‘dammer, had arrived on her bicycle. Tiger, tall and athletic and incurably mischievous, was restless. She had spent the afternoon in Vondelpark making new friends, 2 and 4-legged. Tiger …
Read More »
22 June
QuickThoughts: Charleston Shows its True Colors in the Wake of the Church Shooting

The reaction of the people of Charleston to last week’s mass shooting at the city’s Emanuel AME church, particularly in the faith community, has been nothing short of inspiring. The killing of 9 worshippers at the church by an apparently deranged white supremacist young man has shocked the city. Predictably, …
Read More »
12 June
Get Out of Your Information Box

The popular adoption of the Internet and cable television as sources of information in the past 30 years has revolutionized the way that the average person receives news. Before the 1980s, the available sources of daily news were limited to newspapers, radio, and broadcast television. Many small towns had a …
Read More »

24 May
How Falling Music Sales Could Improve the Quality of Live Performances

For at least the past 50,000 years or so, humans have entertained themselves and others with music and singing. Up until about 100 years ago, those artists good enough to perform for a living made their money by, well, performing. Only since the advent of recorded music have performers had …
Read More »
12 May
Respect Should Flow Downward In A Hierarchy As Well As Upward

Below I describe a personal experience that illustrates an important principle that relates to any hierarchy. I attended the hour-long Executive Council meeting as a stand-in for my boss. The invitees were a collection of VPs and high-ranking directors, and today the conference table was full. I was in note-taking mode; my only …
Read More »
7 May
By-the-Numbers Handicapping Guide for the 2016 Presidential Election

Want to know who will win the 2016 presidential election? It may be useful to look at recent electoral history for clues. Here are 5 tendencies that may suggest a certain outcome: 1. After one party has two consecutive terms in the White House, the following election almost always goes …
Read More »