Call me a citizen — So you’re not interested in politics. But politics is interested in you. That’s a version of a saying often attributed to Leon Trotsky, except with the word “war” replacing “politics.” I did a little fact-checking, which revealed that maybe the saying originated with Trotsky and maybe it didn’t. Either way, the truth of it holds — for both war and politics. It…

We’d love to have you with us, here in the middle class — Bill Gates is giving away his money On a recent Twitter thread, he announced that he’s giving another $20 billion — yes, that’s billion with a “b” — to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Bill and Melinda are no longer a thing, marriage-wise, but they continue to co-chair their foundation. With their new gift and Warren…

I’m interviewed on a podcast! — I’ve hyped Crow’s Feet previously One, because I think its positive, honest, anti-ageism theme is important — and two, because I’m one of its producers. And in this episode, I’m the guest interviewee! Warren Turner, another member of the Crows Feet team who is both a skilled writer and a lovely gentleman, is the host. …

Three lessons from my denim jacket — I’ve had this jacket for over 35 years In clothing years, that makes my denim jacket a bona fide elder. But it would be wrong to call it a vintage jacket. It’s not some quaint item from a bygone era that gets trotted out and worn for nostalgia or as a period piece. My denim jacket has been…

The existential weirdness of a night at the airport — I’m the person who boards your flight last Or, close to last. Not because I overslept or missed a connection from another airline or I couldn’t find the right gate. I’m what the airlines refer to as “non-rev” or “space available” or, in civilian parlance, a standby passenger. It’s a perk of being the parent of an airline…

Even though I haven’t left it I’ve felt unsettled about my homeland since 2016 There were intimations of unease even long before that; waves of disquiet and dread during the second Bush administration as it used the national tragedy of 9/11 as an excuse to plunge us into a baseless war for oil in Iraq. …

There’s a new podcast in town and you don’t want to miss it — Mark your calenders, folks Crow’s Feet: Life As We Age is, in my never-humble opinion, one of the best publications on the Medium platform. It’s consistently high-caliber — clear and lively writing, with thought-provoking, worthwhile, and sometimes hilarious content. …

Could I be living in a simulation? — This is too good to be true I write this as I’m sitting on the patio of our corner lot, gazing out at the linden trees and honey locusts that reach from opposite edges of the street to touch their leafy tips, shading the sidewalks. …

Cows are inclusive, horses are elitist. I am not making this up — As awareness rises, plenty of schools have switched mascots Since the early 1970s, as American institutions of higher learning have recognized the insensitive and downright racist nature of their mascots — which so often denigrated Native Americans — they have ditched those symbols in favor of more benign ones. Marquett University commendably abandoned its odious “Willie Wampum” mascot in…