George Washington’s Single Act Saved the US
Today’s WSJ came with a op-ed piece by Thomas Fleming, an excerpt from his new book called “The Perils of Peace: America’s Struggle for Survival After Yorktown,” in which the author credits George Washington for a single act that he says saved the US. It was difficult time, at Christmas […]
The Anger of a Taxi Dispatcher on a Rainy Night
Last night I had a job to do at 1o:55 pm. I hate having to stay up that late, and as I sipped wine at 7 pm I thought that I’d better not have another since ugh, I have to drive to Northampton to meet the bus. My son Sam […]
Congregation Amazes Itself after $50 Gifts
My eyes were misty when I finished reading an AP story by Helen O’Neill about a pastor who both stunned and challenged his congregation by handing out $50 to all of them with a caveat: They had to use the money to raise funds for the church. The parable of […]
Cats Prowl the NYC Bodegas and Keep Rats Away
The New York Times today had a piece about working cats who help out in delis and small bodegas all over NYC. The store owners say they’re invaluable, patrolling the aisles looking for rats and mice. The problem is that the health department has laws against keeping cats and other […]
What Makes a Really Good Party?
What makes a party? What is it that makes you talk about it excitedly the next day? I think you can tell it’s a good party when you hug everyone who walks in. Like each person is worthy of that level of affection, they’re the ones you’ve missed, or haven’t […]
Tor Tells the World About Malmo’s Bo01 Area
Today I met a man who spends his days meeting with people and officials from all over the world. He’s Tor Fossum, the Project Manager of the City of Malmo’s Environmental Department. He talks again and again to visitors from the UK, China, the US and others from around the […]
The Ultimate Collection of Cool Stuff in Skurup
Bengt Almquist wasn’t sure what the English word was that describes his vast collection of machines. “Gadgets?” Well, sort of. I’d say it’s more like a thousand assortments of things. At the Johanna Museet, he’s got walls full of typewriters, including models from the 1880s before they came up with […]