Author Archives: Jim

Remembering computers in the Stone Age

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Jim

I don’t think about my computer, at least not consciously, because it’s integrated into my life almost seamlessly: my calendar, checkbook, photo album, newspaper. Best of all, it’s an extension of my mind that allows me to express myself almost … Continue reading →

Posted in Idle Ruminations | 6 Comments

Veterans Day and Chicken Marengo

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Jim

On this Veterans Day, I bypassed the free meals many restaurants offer to veterans and instead made my favorite Veterans’ Day feast: Chicken Marengo. Chicken Marengo illustrates one of the best qualities of servicemen everywhere: the ability to improvise, adapt … Continue reading →

Posted in Sea Stories | 1 Comment

Where’s Adlai when we need him?

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Jim

I turned off the TV after the fourth negative political ad in two minutes and thought of Adlai Stevenson. Not many people still remember him: He died in 1965 after serving as governor of Illinois, running for president unsuccessfully in … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | 2 Comments

When cops are Rambo and soldiers are Barney Fife

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Jim

One positive outcome of the race riots in Ferguson, MO, may be a fresh look at the over-militarization of law enforcement. It’s about time. Deployment of SWAT teams by local police departments has been increasing for decades, often unnecessarily and … Continue reading →

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Neither Catholic nor Jewish

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Jim

I grew up as a member of a religious minority: a Protestant in a Catholic neighborhood. In those days the Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side was mostly Irish. Although my family claims Scottish ancestry on my father’s side, our … Continue reading →

Posted in Idle Ruminations | 2 Comments

Confessions of a home improvement addict

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Jim

I live in an ideal location: five minutes from Home Depot. Even though my house in Albuquerque is not a fixer-upper, I just refinished the faux-Spanish exterior woodwork, am preparing to paint the garage doors and have done lots of … Continue reading →

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The VA crisis: one veteran’s perspective

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Jim

I was dismayed to hear about widespread problems at Veterans Administration hospitals of veterans being denied medical care because of bureaucratic malfeasance. And I was a little surprised because my experience as a VA patient has been overwhelmingly positive. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | 2 Comments

Climate change and hot air

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Jim

It’s official: Climate change has left the realm of science and is now a full-blown political ideology. That’s unfortunate because climate change is real, and there are some commonsense solutions that are likely to get lost in the political hysteria. … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | 1 Comment

Rio Grande opera

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Jim

I spent a pleasant afternoon at the opera last Sunday, enjoying Opera Southwest’s performance of Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers in Albuquerque. In June, the season begins at the Santa Fe Opera and I’ve already ordered tickets for two performances. I … Continue reading →

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Politically incorrect solutions for practically everything

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Jim

How to stimulate the economy Since President Obama is unwilling to grow the economy by approving the Keystone Pipeline, increasing U.S. energy production or relaxing some of his new regulations on business, he should double down on his most successful … Continue reading →

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