Recently, a small item surfaced in Google News that caught my attention. This article was about a group of scientists from Yale who had just completed what amounts to a census of the world’s trees. After several years of work involving researchers from around the world, the team came up with an estimate of just over three trillion, or about […]
Continue readingCategory Archives: Pearls of Wisdom (Commentary)
Personal musings and reflections about this and that
Turn, Turn, Turn
With the passing of the autumnal equinox yesterday, the calendar officially turns from Summer to Fall, as is customary this time of year. And so even as we continue to perspire we begin to consider, faintly, the possibility, of open windows, long sleeves, and–dare we think it–sweaters and jackets. On the strength of a cold winter followed by epic spring […]
Continue readingA Life in Full
When a great man dies, it is as though a library has burned –Author unknown I was saddened to learn of the death of Oliver Sacks, the great author and neurologist, by cancer on August 30. He was eighty-one. Saddened but not surprised, as he had been ill for some time and had rapidly declined in recent weeks. Dr. Sacks […]
Continue readingBorders and Boundaries
There was plenty of room. In fact, the whole eastern side of the island would have made a good anchorage. But the lobster boat from Yarmouth wanted that spot, right there, less than thirty feet away to port. Why was anyone’s guess. It was a much larger boat than ours, and had it swung at anchor on this windy day […]
Continue readingThe Day the World Changed
We aren’t going to make it in time; I’m sure of it. Departure time crept up on us, it took longer to get going than it should have, and now we are running seriously behind. The convoy departs at eight am, sharp, we have been informed, and we are further advised to be at least 30 minutes early. This is […]
Continue readingThe Perfect Clarity of True Belief
Recently, I posted an essay in this space on the very topical issue of climate change, a subject I happen to care about, and on which I have strong opinions. I did this with some minor reluctance because the subject is a hot-button issue, and my opinion, though well-reasoned, is not exactly mainstream. It was at least theoretically possible that […]
Continue readingA Really Inconvenient Truth
The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false face for the urge to rule it. H.L. Mencken The cartoon, by Chan Lowe of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, titled “A GOP Thought Experiment,” shows an Earth floating in space, completely covered with water. The caption reads: “If global warming floods the planet but nobody is around to […]
Continue readingIn the Shoes of Others
In any business serving the public, over time you accumulate regulars, people who for some reason glom onto you and come back again and again. Regulars form the backbone of a sustainable business, and in the long run they can make or break you. Most you are happy to see. After all, they wouldn’t keep coming back if there hadn’t […]
Continue readingBlue Water, Red Metal
One by one, the four diesel engines of the Royale Queen spring to life, breaking the quiet chill and signalling imminent departure. With this sudden sonic interjection, the assembled crowd snaps to attention and assumes queue formation, eyes forward, ready to roll. With a nod and a quick gesture the chief mate signals for boarding to begin, and the passengers […]
Continue readingJourneys and Destinations
You hear it first, well before you see it, a sound unmistakable and unforgettable, and for you one of warning. And then you feel it, a cool, drenching mist that hovers like a fog, while all around you moss-covered rocks and trees drip with condensation. You realize that it is very near. Beyond the screen of spruce and fir, cliffs […]
Continue readingThank you, Mr. Cranky
It is axiomatic that you cannot please everyone. And if you have any doubts about the truth of this, try going into business for yourself. No matter how hard you work, no matter how good a job you do, it’s not going to be enough for some people. So sooner or later you will find yourself staring at a bad […]
Continue readingIn Praise of Sexual Dimorphism
Because I am basically a serious (Read: boring) person, I tend to gravitate to serious (Again: boring) forms of diversion. Things that would drive others to drink or commit acts of mayhem out of sheer desperation I find fascinating. For example, my reading list is heavy with scholarly histories, essays, and philosophical ruminations on obscure topics. I enjoy discussing the […]
Continue readingDeath of the Hired Man
My first meeting with Steve, some twelve or thirteen years ago, was not exactly auspicious. I was out in my front yard one afternoon when he wandered up and, apropos of nothing, offered his services. He was thin to the point of gaunt, had long and greasy hair framing a haggard-looking face, an unkempt beard of biblical length, and was […]
Continue readingThe Road not Traveled
I hadn’t intended to go that way. A series of delays had put me behind schedule and I was overdue back to the shop. So to save a few precious minutes I had planned to turn north on Westgate where it joins Slaughter, and take that lightly traveled road all the way to Stassney or maybe Jones before cutting over. […]
Continue readingMy Brother’s Keeper
For more than twenty years, the house directly across the street from my south Austin home has been a rental. Over the years the standard-issue two-story tract home of maybe 1800 square has seen many tenants, more than I can recall. Most do nothing to get my attention, and they usually don’t stay for more than a single lease. I […]
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