Saint Valentine's Day 2018 (Article) - 2/21/2018 1:47:10 AM
Bravo for taking a unique approach to celebrating Valentine's Day!
Saint Valentine's Day 2018 (Article) - 2/14/2018 7:12:28 AM
Thank you for the stirring article on St. Valentine's Day and why we should celebrate even if it means celebrating alone. I agree.
Fortunately I have three Valentines in my life right now that make my living worthwhile. I am giving them each something special today to show my appreciation.
Ron
Friendship and Adversity (Article) - 1/20/2018 3:32:44 PM
It is sad that some feel the need to disrespect the beliefs of others and desecrate the symbols that represents another person's beliefs in such a way. I hope that whoever destroyed this gift of friendship realizes how wrong their actions were, and hopefully feels at least some remorse. Sadly, it takes all kinds to make a world, and to make the world what it is today; a place where a person can lose their life because of what they believe, or because of their choices in life style. We can only hope that somehow the world wakes up and figures out that we were given free choice for a reason.
Friendship and Adversity (Article) - 1/20/2018 10:29:19 AM
I hate to see artwork and destroyed by religious or political hatred. And you are right, friendships are harder to break than symbols of friendship. While I never engaged in being a penal, I did form friendship with others around the world through college and some of those friendships have lasted until today though we very seldom get in touch with each other over such great distance.
Ron
2017--Phew! (Article) - 12/29/2017 7:34:39 AM
A great insight into why, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
Ron
Happy Birthday! (Article) - 11/18/2017 10:07:06 AM
Good for you! Happy Birthday!
Ron
Social Media--The Good Bits (Article) - 11/3/2017 9:34:43 AM
What you are describing is the global village predicted by Marshall McLuhan. A poor person's gathering place where comments can be viewed worldwide and commented on. There certainly is a lot of room for abuse, but also a lot of room for enlightenment. Where before discussions of prominence may have only taken place in the sidewalk cafés of Paris and other European cities and the bars of New York, Chicago and other places in America. Mostly with elites doing all the discussion.
While Twitter still is somewhat of an exception, seemingly catering only to the rich and powerful, social media gives the poor a voice.
This is the only social media site that I frequent. I fear that going to any of the others will cut into my writing time more immensely.
Ron
Good News (Article) - 10/5/2017 8:31:18 AM
I agree wholeheartedly with you. One of our problems today is everyone's instant access to information worldwide. Anything drastic is within our purview within minutes. We are just getting used to it and haven't quite figured it out yet… All this access (excess?).
Putting things in perspective, the 1900 Galveston hurricane took 6000 lives. The 1906 earthquake in San Francisco resulted in the complete burning of the city. Likewise the Chicago fire and fires in many large and small cities nationwide when everything was wood and lighting was candle, kerosene lamp, or gaslight. And the Peshtigo fire claiming 2500 lives. Tsunamis in Indonesia and Japan. Finally the massive death tolls in war with the greatest being World War II at about 40 million people.
None of these are world ending events. The low death toll in recent floods, fires and hurricanes is a clear indication that we are better prepared to handle disasters that ever before.
Ron
Your Lips are like Wine...But! (Article) - 8/30/2017 1:37:04 AM
If it sounds too good to be true--it probably is! You seem to read right through these people. Complete trust is not something one relinquishes on social media. Best wishes moving forward.
Your Lips are like Wine...But! (Article) - 8/28/2017 6:36:48 AM
You have been targeted. Exactly why I don't do chat rooms, dating sites, or Facebook. I learned long ago that many people on the Internet are somebody else. You are describing the worst kind of predator.
Unlike you being pursued by females or their impersonators, the ones that I've heard about are young ladies of foreign background working hard here in the US who have been scammed by men who claim to love them if only they will lend them money. One woman I know of lost her entire retirement account and then refused to report the scammer from Africa posing as someone from New England to the FBI, probably because of her illegal immigration status.
Ron
A Novel Book (Article) - 7/25/2017 7:19:11 AM
Congratulations on this book. With so much misunderstanding about what spies do based on action oriented thriller, Blockbuster, ultraviolent movies, and what PTSD really is, your book not only will be a good read, but informational as well. And from the quality of your writing that I have read, I believe it will be very well written. I would like to be one of those that, when I get the chance (very rare these days), have read it and given you a review on all the places where you sell the book.
I have been following, unfortunately, rather late, The Americans. It is set in the 60-70s with a Russian spy couple posing as travel agents in Washington DC. The extreme violence, lying, secrecy and mixed emotions of the couple and what they have to do makes the story very realistic and probably very similar to what Soviet spies have actually gone through. Chilling to think might have really happened.
As I read, I began thinking that my mole in my American Mole trilogy, operating in deep cover and service to the United States, suffered PTSD during down times in his long, 20 year service over the loss of loved ones.
I hadn't thought of myself as having PTSD until reading this article as well. But I did suffer years of depression after my paralysis because of the loss of friends (actually acquaintances) who couldn't connect with me the way I was after the way they did before. Also, all the misconceptions about what I was capable of by employers and superiors who were quite ignorant of my abilities and seemed not to want to learn.
Will be looking forward to the posting of The Sydfield Spy here soon.
Ron
Loyalty (Article) - 7/10/2017 1:10:07 AM
An interesting subject to ponder, and you make a good point for questioning loyalty when it encroaches on one's well-being and principles.
Loyalty (Article) - 7/5/2017 6:38:34 AM
Very insightful and a very good subject to discuss at this time. There probably is a reason why loyalty and royalty are similar. In order for tribal leaders and kings to get their subjects (objects of use?) to fight and die for whatever greedy, depraved, or ridiculous thing they want to do, they usually demand absolute loyalty. Severe punishments for anyone who is determined to be, "disloyal." By its very nature, critical thinking is a disloyal process.
In the TV drama, Turn, this past week, when a group of Washington's soldiers left camp to go to Philadelphia and demonstrate to Congress for backpay they had not received, he had 10 of the "leaders" executed by firing squad and required the members of the so-called mutiny to do the executing at very short range. I have no doubt that incidents like this actually happened.
Ron
Ranting (Article) - 6/12/2017 12:17:51 PM
I know one thing. You must be a lover of bacon. I am and had three slices with my egg this morning. Tomorrow I will have high-fiber cereal laced with blueberries, but I will crave bacon.
I take it you are on social media. I have found that perhaps the worst to give advice are the ones that try to force their advice on you… Particularly if it is religious. There is something about religious conversion that makes people very pushy when it comes to spreading their gospel. You are right to avoid them at all cost.
I won't give you any advice except to say, please pass by the bacon when you get on a buying binge in the kitchen department, and applaud you for getting your stuff back. We all need stuff, even stuff we don't need. ;-)
Ron
You Revisited (Article) - 4/9/2017 8:29:45 AM
You are so right. The data shows that Americans, in general, are robbing Peter to pay Paul just to live and are struggling every day to keep from dropping from the job market altogether. Since welfare cannot cover ends, it is most easy to slide into crime. I have to, like you laud the troubled souls who try their best against almost insurmountable odds, just to make a reasonable living in our society. It's really a shame that the very rich won't do more than use their tax protected wealth to promote their targeted charities.
Ron
The Gift of Laughter (Article) - 3/7/2017 11:05:43 AM
I believe there is medical evidence that laughter cures a number of ailments, including psychological. Whenever my 92-year-old mother calls (her choice, she is deaf) she is now giggling over any little inconsistency in her, otherwise, boring existence in assisted living.
You seem to be a little bit upset about the zany videos on YouTube. But as I recall, when going to the movies, or even on early TV, we all looked forward to those silent, but sometimes with laugh soundtracks pratfalls and other sight jokes by comedians like Charlie Chaplin and the Three Stooges. Many of the funny movies had a very sad premise. We laughed like crazy at very violent cartoons carrying out wishes we like to see… "Cat got your tongue." Literally.
Ron
Duet for Three Mimes (Article) - 2/19/2017 12:08:58 PM
I found your article very well researched and pleasant to read. I find clowns to generally be very sad people, often hiding hurt as a result of, perhaps, being bullied or other childhood troubles. They use a persona of the clown to disguise the hurt and try to do good, bringing laughter. Unfortunately, recently, as you have pointed out, clowns have received a very bad rap from a few bad actors like John Wayne Gacy.
Comedians are not far from clowns. But many of them end up to have fantastic lifespans like George Burns and Bob Hope. Unlike most clowns, they also can get rich.
I recall catching up with my professor from the University Wisconsin, Dr. Gerry Nadler, a student of Lillian Gilbreth (Cheaper by the Dozen) and an advocate of systems theory that led to improving production by reducing the number of workers and increasing automation. His ideas were popular in Japan and later came to the United States. When I called him, now emeritus from USC in the early 2000s, the first thing he told me was… "I hope I did no harm." That struck me as strange. But from today's perspective with so many jobs lost and never coming back, his consulting years where he often recommended ways to reduce workforce probably haunted him. Why even Trump can't bring those jobs back home today.
Ron
Saint Valentine's Day 2017 (Article) - 2/14/2017 8:07:31 AM
So well said. We do often focus on bad things. I am greatly disturbed about how we argue over ignorance and triviality and don't pay attention to the great danger we are rapidly heading toward. And our propensity to belittle our brother and sister humans without giving them a chance to express themselves in ways that we will find very much like our own.
So, a very happy Valentine's Day to you, as well. May you find a way to prosper in the coming year like I have.
Ron
Are You Aware? (Article) - 2/2/2017 10:52:28 AM
Thank you for your article. We all need to be educated about situations like this, often hidden, but manifest themselves in antisocial ways.
That one time I received a bunch of notes that read, "What's a person like you parking in a space like this?" I would place those notes on the windshield of cars that I saw parking in disabled parking spaces by self-important people who thought they could get away with using those convenient spaces without being noticed by the likes of me. By the way, although I was having great difficulty walking, I never parked in those spaces until it became absolutely imperative.
Ron
Home To Roost in 2016 (Article) - 12/20/2016 7:56:35 AM
In spite of your PTSD, I find your writing to be very stable and cogent with a wonderful sense of understanding your condition and communicating it. You are spokesman for so many that can't.
Ron
I Like String (Article) - 11/8/2016 6:41:22 AM
I like your string theory. Unfortunately the physicists are already using the term. ;-)
You certainly have described the situation in a nutshell. Unfortunately, life becomes less simple all the time. As a result, we are all ignorant of some things that are going on and have to rely on others to determine what is right or not. I'm relying more on Google, Wikipedia, and Snopes to try to determine the truth and avoid all of the gossipy chitter chatter conspiracy flip flap that the Internet is now full of. We have to be reminded that dirty campaigns and bad presidents are in our history and we survived.
Ron
I've Fallen In Love (Article) - 10/13/2016 9:54:14 AM
A wonderful writing tip. I would go further to say that a writer should fall in love with all of his/her characters, giving them life with careful reflection on each one, good or bad.
Ron
Renaissance (Article) - 9/29/2016 6:56:17 AM
I am enjoying your saga toward your Renaissance. I hope that you meet with more Surprises than Disappointments. As I read your description of a Disappointment, I couldn't help thinking of a presidential candidate. ;-)
Once while arriving late and desperately trying to find housing to study for my doctorate, I was offered a motel room. I found the place so depressing, I would not even want to stay there more than one night.
Ron
Renaissance (Article) - 9/28/2016 11:30:26 PM
May you continue to heal and evolve into one of those Surprises.
Hello! Hooray! (Article) - 8/22/2016 5:50:01 AM
A clearly literate and uplifting chronicle of your struggle with PTSD and the circumstances you are in. Yes, the best friends are often the quietest. May your upcoming move east pan out much better than the other moves. Look forward to what happens there.
Ron
Who Can Look Upon This Face (Poetry) - 5/21/2016 2:32:39 PM
A beautifully classically written piece...
A joy to read,,,.!
Diana...
Who Can Look Upon This Face (Poetry) - 5/19/2016 3:16:16 PM
It reads like a classic, full of memorable praise for the "face" of the bloom and for its Creator God.
Connie
