Living in a post 911 world I imagine that many readers might think that traditional religions offer a more immediate and present danger to us than the type referred to in the title. If you read a daily paper or watch any news on t.v. there is no shortage of stories featuring absolutely lethal fundamentalist … Continue reading Secular Religion: Jesus For the Faithless
Musings
Nothing In, Nothing Out
I am, by trade, a pediatric echocardiographer. Practicing for more than twenty years now, I have come into contact with tens of thousands of kids. No small percentage of them have been either college age or college bound high schoolers. During their examination I try and put them at ease by discussing, amongst other things, … Continue reading Nothing In, Nothing Out
Mindful Dressing, Mindless Culture
A while back (April 30th), the New York Post ran a piece focused on mindful dressing. For those blissfully unaware (as I was) of this new bit of societal mishegas, mindful dressing is all about the impact that that our choices in apparel have on us. Apparently it involves someone known as a fashion mentor. … Continue reading Mindful Dressing, Mindless Culture
The Song and…
Driving home today I caught about half of "The Long and Winding Road" on the radio, and experienced the wave of vague melancholy that I'm prone to when listening to the song. Part of that is the movement of the melody between tonic (E Flat major) and it's relative minor (C). The lyrics also play … Continue reading The Song and…
Willie And Joe: A Life In Words
My mother turned eighty nine a little over a month ago, and it is not going well. Age has hit her in most of the ways it can; diminished in all capacities, the already considerable psychological issues of her younger life exacerbated to cartoonish proportion. I suppose there are people who manage to get older … Continue reading Willie And Joe: A Life In Words
Driverless Cars Can’t Be Any Worse Than Brainless Drivers
Recently, I have become aware of an increase in concern regarding the inexorable move towards automation. Surprisingly more of this kind of talk seems to be centered on the potential perils of self driving automobiles as opposed to job displacement via robotics. I understand the odd, eerie feeling that the thought of not seeing a … Continue reading Driverless Cars Can’t Be Any Worse Than Brainless Drivers
Without Limits
As we begin to move into spring I find my self in an oddly cheerful place. Stay with me, I know how that sounded. Spring is, for most of us, a time of rebirth, life, possibility. I understand all that, and to some extent share in that sense of hope. Being of eastern European heritage, … Continue reading Without Limits
Twitter, Guns, Abortion and My Friend Sam
When this blog was first suggested to me it was made clear that in order to build an audience I would have to become active on social media. That thought was not particularly tempting. I didn't really know all that much about it and didn't have an overwhelming desire to find out what I was … Continue reading Twitter, Guns, Abortion and My Friend Sam
You Had To Be There
As someone who's spent his life with passions more or less equally divided between art and sport I've come, as I've aged, to feel like I walk a line dividing two factions who frequently view the other as deficient in some way, if not of lesser moral fiber. Most of the people I've met who've … Continue reading You Had To Be There
The First Time, Again
The other day at work my friend Eric and I were discussing musical moments that had a significant effect on us. The magic of a first hearing was the conversational staple. A pleasant few minutes, and then back to work. Later in the day I realized that I had (inadvertently) lied to him. About pretty … Continue reading The First Time, Again
