No matter what happens in Tuesday's elections, support for wealth taxes keeps growing. Its justification is based on the idea that the very rich owe all of us something, and taxing their fortunes is collecting on that debt. We're told their success fuels inequality and that it's selfish of ...
Last week, I went to the funeral of a friend's 100-year-old mother. It was sad, and I will sorely miss her, but the service was not tragic. In fact, it was uplifting, a lesson on a life well lived. What impressed me at the service was hearing her friends describe how she'd become a passionate student, collector and supporter of contemporary fine craft, including works in glass, ceramics, wood and fiber art. I don't always see eye to eye with Bill Gates, but I do agree with what he said here: "You don't really start getting old until you stop learning." Dorothy never did grow old. ...
How many "Dan Sullivans" does an election need? One would seem plenty, but Alaska is going to the polls with two "Dan Sullivans" on the ballot -- one the sitting Republican U.S. senator in a nip-and-tuck battle to save his seat, and the other a random guy whose only discernible purpose in ...
"We will always protect Social Security, Medicare!" says President Donald Trump. That would be nice. But when I look at these programs' balance sheets, I don't see how he's protected anything. Both Social Security and Medicare are on track to run out of money. Politicians mostly ignore ...
No part of our culture seems to be untouched when it comes to changes in etiquette, general kindness and compassion. Including driving. Research doesn’t show that people are worse drivers. It does indicate, though, that driving culture has changed. And it shows up many times when I’m on ...
A few days ago, my wife and I sat and watched Neil Young sing "Old Man," a song written decades ago by a young man who looks at an older one and recognizes himself. I have heard it many times over the years, but this time it landed differently. I am closer now to the old man in that song than ...
