Category Archives: Essays

The Lethal Details Left out of “Oppenheimer”

By Dan Chasan in the Post Alley Newsletter – (Independent Writing and Editing Professional. Harvard University. Vashon, Washington) The blockbuster release of the popular film Oppenheimer gives Americans a chance to re-visit the complicated history of this nation‘s development, testing, and use … Continue reading

Posted in environment, Essays, Government, Law, Military, Morality, Movies, War | 2 Comments

To Be Happy, Marriage Matters More Than Career

Ed note: It’s hard to disagree with Brooks, but he really doesn’t address our age group in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. It isn’t uncommon that unconscious ageism leaves us out of the equation considering what may make us happy. … Continue reading

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Here’s Why AI May Be Extremely Dangerous—Whether It’s Conscious or Not

Here’s Why AI May Be Extremely Dangerous—Whether It’s Conscious or Not By Tamlyn Hunt in the Scientific American (thanks to Ed M.) “The idea that this stuff could actually get smarter than people…. I thought it was way off…. Obviously, I no … Continue reading

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Lindsey Graham and Elizabeth Warren: When It Comes to Big Tech, Enough Is Enough

By Lindsey Graham and Elizabeth Warren Mr. Graham, a Republican, is the senior senator from South Carolina. Ms. Warren, a Democrat, is the senior senator from Massachusetts. The digital revolution promised amazing new opportunities — and it delivered. Digital platforms promoted social interaction, … Continue reading

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Here’s How to Fix Downtown: Better Parking and Tax Breaks

Ed note: How about this article with a contrarian view!! By Dick Lilly in the Post Alley Newsletter A few months back my friend Alec Fisken (now passed away) and I were picking our way through downtown on our way … Continue reading

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If Loneliness Is an Epidemic, How Do We Treat It?

Ed Note: This article raises the question about our dealing with loneliness at Skyline–either our own or of others. If you have thoughts about this, please reply. Better yet speak to a member of the Caring Committee. By Eleanor Cummins and Andrew Zaleski … Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, Caregiving, Essays, happiness, Kindness | 1 Comment

Marjorie Taylor Greene compares Biden to FDR, LBJ. Thanks for the free campaign ad!

Thanks to Jim S. Rex Huppke        USA TODAY       Far-right Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene might have accidentally realized Joe Biden is a good president. The predominantly ludicrous lawmaker from Georgia did Biden an unexpected – and surely unplanned – solid this weekend in … Continue reading

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Beware of the Medical Industrial Industry’s Incentives

Ed note: In the 1970’s I was interviewed by a medical group in Seattle and was told I could become their “thyroid guy!” I was confused because I was note trained in endocrinology, but that made no difference. They’d just … Continue reading

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Canada Offers Lesson in the Economic Toll of Climate Change

Wildfires are hurting many industries and could strain households across Canada, one of many countries reckoning with the impact of extreme weather Thanks to Mike C. By Lydia DePillis in the NYT Canada’s wildfires have burned 20 million acres, blanketed Canadian and U.S. … Continue reading

Posted in Climate, Economics, environment, Essays, Health | 1 Comment

France Is on Fire

By Harrison Stetler – opinion in the NYT Mr. Stetler is a journalist who writes about French politics and culture. Sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter  Get expert analysis of the news and a guide to the big ideas shaping the … Continue reading

Posted in Essays, Government, Guns, Law, Race | 1 Comment

Juneteenth

by Heather Cox Richardson Tomorrow is the federal holiday honoring Juneteenth, the celebration of the announcement in Texas on June 19th, 1865, that enslaved Americans were free.  On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his Army of Northern … Continue reading

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Meditation and resilience – The Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain Media is an independent production company that aims to help curious people understand the world, and themselves. Our host and Executive Editor Shankar Vedantam has been reporting on human behavior and social science research for more than 25 … Continue reading

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Inside the Complicated Reality of Being America’s Oldest President

Inside the Complicated Reality of Being America’s Oldest President By Peter Baker, Michael D. Shear, Katie Rogers and Zolan Kanno-Youngs in the NYT There was the time last winter when President Biden was awakened at 3 a.m. while on a trip to Asia and told … Continue reading

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By David Brewster in Post Alley/Seattle A disturbing, Seattle-relevant story in the New York Times traces the exodus of highly educated employees from “superstar cities.” Seattle and other expensive coastal cities are definitely on the list, and the story notes the loss of magnetism … Continue reading

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Thoughts on Mother’s Day

by Heather Cox Richardson – (Thanks to Pam P.)

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In Berkeley, a Library Protest Is a Fight for Anthropology in an A.I. Age

Thanks to Mike C. By Tim Arango May 2, 2023 in the NYT BERKELEY, Calif. — To kick off homecoming weekend last fall, the University of California, Berkeley, held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new data sciences building, known as the Gateway. At … Continue reading

Posted in Advocacy, Education, Essays, History | 1 Comment

Thoughts from Emerson

Ed note: I’ve just ordered the book, Three Roads Back by Robert D. Richardson. Have any of you read it? It’s about how Emerson, Thoreau and William James responded to the greatest losses of their lives. Please comment! “Write it … Continue reading

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DOCTRINE OF DISCOVERY RENOUNCED

From Ed Marcuse – April 4, 2023 Last week,3 under history’s first Latin American pontiff, the Vatican development and education offices renounced the Doctrine of Discovery1.  This papal doctrine was used to justify colonization in the name of Christianity and came to be part of … Continue reading

Posted in Essays, History, Justice, Law, Religion, Social justice | 1 Comment

London Lonely Girls Club gains thousands of new members

Thanks to Pam P. By Jess Warren – BBC News Almost 20,000 women living in London have joined a club tackling loneliness since pandemic restrictions ended. Holly Cooke founded The London Lonely Girls Club on Facebook in 2018 after moving … Continue reading

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Recyclable? Try Refillable. The Quest For a Greener Cleaner

By Susan Shain in the NYT — Thanks to Mike C. Every week, Angela Espinoza Pierson looked at her recycling bin — filled with detergent jugs, shampoo bottles and clamshell containers that once held strawberries — with mixed feelings. Sure, it … Continue reading

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Why Do We Change the Clocks, Anyway?

The twice-yearly ritual has roots in cost-cutting strategies of the late 19th century. A bill to make daylight saving time permanent has re-emerged in Congress. By Alan Yuhas in the NYT Hello. You may be here to learn when is daylight … Continue reading

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When do the privileged feel like victims? When others seek equality

Thanks to Marilyn W.  By Naomi Ishisaka Seattle Times columnist It seems whenever I write about structural power and privilege, people who benefit most from those systems respond that they are now victims of an unfairly stacked deck. A few weeks … Continue reading

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The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Notes from Heather Cox Richardson (thanks to Pam P.)

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Thoughts about heroes

by Heather Cox Richardson You hear sometimes that, now that we know the sordid details of the lives of some of our leading figures, America has no heroes left. When I was writing a book about the Wounded Knee Massacre, … Continue reading

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Shakespeare, lost socks and the laundromat

Being curious about the coming availability of artificial intelligence (AI), I logged in and signed up to use ChatGPT. It’s a forerunner demonstrating some of the possibilities of massive databases that can be put to use – both good and … Continue reading

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