Archive for June 2022

A Latin proverb that I’m especially fond of is this: “Fortune favors the bold.” It’s sometimes translated into “Fortune favors the brave” or “Fortune favors the strong” but these are stupid translations. Bravery and strength are lovely assets, but it’s easy to see yourself lacking in both qualities. But being bold is something anyone can…

Back in 1984, Special K launched a new advertising campaigning asking consumers, “Can you pinch more than an inch?” It suggested that if you could pinch more than an inch on your waistline, you needed the assistance of Special K to lose that unsightly weight. The commercials featured loved ones, coworkers, and even strangers pinching…

In at least a dozen states in America, a 13 year old girl can now be brutally beaten and raped by her own father then forced to give birth to her own brother. Ask a Republican lawmaker if this is true and they will never answer with a simple yes because even they know how…

I don’t like the phrase “dad joke.” The phrase “dad joke” has been around since 1987 but gained in popularity in 2008 when it was used repeatedly on a popular television show in the United States. In 2019, Merriam-Webster added the phrase “dad joke” to the dictionary. I know a lot of dads. Most of…

As Harry Potter walks to what he believes will be his death in the final book of the Harry Potter series, he thinks long and hard about life and death. Author JK Rowling writes: “Every second he breathed, the smell of the grass, the cool air on his face, was so precious: To think that…

Students at Seattle Pacific University handed rainbow pride flags to their college president and bigoted evildoer Pete Menjares during their commencement ceremony last week instead of shaking his hand in protest of a school policy that bars the hiring of LGBTQ people. I love this. Just imagine this bigot’s reaction to reaching out to shake…

In the debate of time versus money, simply ask yourself this: Would you rather be 91 year-old Warren Buffett, whose net worth exceeds $124 billion, or yourself? I suspect that unless you’re close to Buffett’s age, you’d choose yourself, because time is almost always far more valuable than money. Similarly, I like this graphic a…

When Charlie’s Cub Scout troop announced an evening at the Norwich Sea Unicorn’s game at Dodd Stadium, I was not excited. I hoped that Charlie had not heard the announcement or did not care to attend. We live about ten minutes from Dunkin Donuts Stadium, home of the Hartford Yard Goats. The stadium is brand…

Someone posted this photo on a Facebook page dedicated to my hometown of Blackstone, Massachusetts. Along with it was an image of the back of the photo, which listed the people in the photograph. Included in this bunch is my great grandmother, Hilda Dicks. Can you guess which one? She’s standing front row center. Dark…

The students at Nativity School, a predominantly Black Catholic middle school in Worcester, MA, resoundingly expressed their wishes back in January 2021: They wanted to fly a Black Lives Matter and a Pride flag over their school to signal inclusivity. More than a year later, however, Bishop Robert McManus of the Diocese of Worcester told…