Let’s start with a 10,000-foot look at our capitalist system. Clearly, the U.S. economy is considered the best in the world. It is twice as large as any other country (it’s China!) …

If you’ve read any of my previous columns, then you probably recall my strong interest in music. I find it one of the things that really makes life truly wonderful. Music, as an art form, …

I am a relatively recent transplant to the West Coast. I was born and raised in the northeastern U.S. So these observations are based on living the dream in the Pacific Northwest. Most East …

I’ve been trying to figure out how the world’s economic system works. Nothing too strenuous! Here’s what I’ve come up with so far. Quantitative easing (when central …

As I have not offended a sufficient number of people this week, I thought I’d write about two sports, both of which I play badly: tennis and golf. Tennis: I occasionally played tennis as a …

Let me start right off by saying I’m no longer a fan of air travel. Why? Simply because in the past 15 years or so, they’ve managed to dehumanize the entire experience. Let’s …

I define the silly season as the time between about now and the election this November. Why silly season? Because if you actually parse the words coming from candidates in both parties, you will see …

Now is not something I would normally write about in midsummer. We occasionally get lowland snow in our area. If it happens I get up early to shovel our driveway. We happen to live on a private …

I was watching “Field of Dreams” the other day. For those of you who might not have ever seen this Capra-esque film, I find among the best moments are when Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), …

There is a word I really like. It is tenacity. I’m sure most of you already know what this word means but in essence, it means “don’t give up.” I genuinely think this …

We all get tongue-tied every so often. I’ve looked into some of the worst examples of this. My neighbor was changing the oil in his car, and he would just dump the used oil down the rain …

"A cynic knows the price of everything but the value of nothing.” – Oscar Wilde (Noted Irish playwright – " The Picture of Dorian Gray " ) What was Wilde talking …

In the over 4 billion years of the age of the Earth, many species have evolved. But almost as many have disappeared from existence. In fact, over 99% of the species that have ever existed on Earth …

About a month ago, I discovered that somehow I had been hacked on my home computer. Now I have a highly recommended anti-virus program for which I pay an annual fee. In addition, I have a contract …

The upcoming Independence Day holiday brings with it the excitement of celebration and the age-old tradition of fireworks displays. However, in Mukilteo ordinance (MMC 8.04.020) prohibits the sale, …

For this week’s column, I thought I’d write about the general types of people one comes into contact with during a lifetime. I always think of the famous Barbra Streisand song …

Hopefully, most of those reading this can recall their grandparents. The other day I was reflecting on one of Woody Allen’s constant themes. It is present in every one of his movies – …

If there is one thing that a consummate New Yorker takes in stride, while most residents in the rest of the world would simply freak out, it’s riding the New York subway. Let’s …

I was thinking about our diets, both east and west coasts, as well as what others around the world eat. East Coast vs. West Coast: Food trends can start anywhere in the U.S. California comes to …

I just finished re-reading a book called “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. It is one of many books about the world around us that most of us are not aware exists. I also just finished …