tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78787214532567455992012-02-16T07:23:30.873-06:00An opportunity to explore the big -- and little -- issues of America today.Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.comBlogger1691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-37563479085349786192011-12-31T08:49:00.000-06:002011-12-31T08:49:07.613-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Ann and Bill Moser!Our year in review:January:  Both of us sign up for free (to senior citizens) Drawing I at Prairie State Junior College.  We are old enough to be the professor’s parents, of course, and grandparents to the rest of the students in the class. We don’t feel that old! Ann is writing a cookbook. Bill swims a mile three times a week. Ann does

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-61476237847131399652011-10-03T17:48:00.000-05:002011-10-03T17:48:55.724-05:00

     When I was a young married adult, my wife, son, and I used to visit my Great Aunt Lyda (pronounced Lie- dee) in Uniontown, PA.  She was my grandmother’s sister on my father’s side, born in 1883, and never married (she remained a maiden lady, a curiosity these days).       Aunt Lyda was well educated, having attended college.  She taught a couple years until her sister, my Great Aunt Sadie,

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-60834542191479334742011-05-24T15:25:00.001-05:002011-05-24T15:28:28.469-05:00

Memorial Day was not designed as an occasion for mattress sales, which unfortunately seems to be the way we celebrate most national holidays in the United States lately.This year I am calling attention to the late Cpl. Everett Heber Wade, my wife’s uncle.  He was declared Missing in Action on November 30, 1950, a day my wife remembers because her grandfather called her mother with the news that

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-59449078969329986002011-04-29T09:49:00.004-05:002011-04-29T09:52:46.115-05:00

First my disclaimers:1.  I consider myself a reasonably devout, greatly flawed, Christian.2.   I attend church regularly. 3.  I have close friends, relatives, and chosen family of various faith communities: Christians, Jews, Buddhists - and atheists.  I also know and enjoy the company of people who are Hindus and Muslims.  I respect the beliefs of all these people.4.  I have friends, family, and

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-35491313358188305852011-04-19T09:00:00.001-05:002011-04-19T09:10:43.889-05:00

When I turned 65 I got some old age perks. In my previous post I explained how I want to be treated as an old person, and that includes discounts or free stuff if it's available.  My enthusiasm for free stuff and discounts has to do with being cheap more than being old, let me make that clear.  Just don't condescend or patronize me. One of the old age perks is that I'm not paying close to

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-78841437453030540192011-04-13T11:06:00.000-05:002011-04-13T11:06:10.769-05:00

Old people in our society are purported to be revered, but I’m finding we are not.  I don’t want to turn this into a rant because I’m not Andy Rooney, don’t have the eyebrows, and don’t want that kind of a reputation. But I am going to offer some suggestions about how to deal with us seniors. First treat us as you would anyone else.  We have the same parts you have, they’re just more experienced

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-68903381157440919262011-03-24T10:36:00.001-05:002011-03-24T10:39:47.110-05:00

I am a member of the local elementary school foundation, which raises money to fund special events in the schools.  Teachers apply and the Foundation153 provides grants.  It’s pretty simple - except we have to raise money to fund the grants we make.We raise money with three major events each year:      *a 5K “Fund Run,”      *“Pastapalooza,” a spaghetti dinner followed by a concert from the

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-38554617100543652002011-03-16T11:45:00.000-05:002011-03-16T11:45:36.090-05:00

I have to admit that I’ve had it.  Too many people fail to respond to invitations.In the past we’ve used the standard R.S.V.P., French for “respond please.”  That didn’t work, and we received somewhat better results with R.S.V.P. or else.  A few more people let us know that they would or would not be coming with the added or else.A few years ago, Shannon gave us a birthday party and used “R.S.V.P

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-53639233390462664972011-03-12T11:19:00.000-06:002011-03-12T11:19:08.066-06:00

Each year as Lent rolls around I think about what I’m going to give up.  A sign of penance and all that.  Last year I gave up crude words, and I was pretty good at it - but only for Lent.  But the habit didn't take.  As soon as Easter rolled around, the rude words popped right back into my speech.  I don’t sound like Gordon Ramsey, but I am sometimes a pretty close second.  This year, I’m giving

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-44562414239015021052010-12-13T11:07:00.001-06:002010-12-13T11:07:08.457-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! When we remember the past year, we realize our lives are comfortable - almost to the point of the mundane.  We didn't travel much - a couple local trips mostly - and stayed at home doing ordinary things.  The best part of our lives is seeing the good things that happen to the people we love. Our highlights first: Ann joined a couple of groups and has made a

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-83921676137465370892010-12-13T11:06:00.000-06:002010-12-13T11:06:20.733-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! When we remember the past year, we realize our lives are comfortable - almost to the point of the mundane.  We didn't travel much - a couple local trips mostly - and stayed at home doing ordinary things.  The best part of our lives is seeing the good things that happen to the people we love. Our highlights first: Ann joined a couple of groups and has made a

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-60826561241512222432010-09-28T11:16:00.001-05:002010-09-28T11:20:28.692-05:00

I enjoy television - too much - but what I like best are the shows on On Demand because I can watch them without commercials or having to stop and zip through the commercials if I use the DVR.One of the shows Ann and I both enjoy is Undercover Boss.  It’s really a pretty cheesy formula:  The corporate giant gathers his administrative staff and tells them he’s going undercover in the company to

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-84520809273865975282010-08-31T11:30:00.000-05:002010-08-31T11:30:33.780-05:00

 I would like to start a new writing group populated with serious writers. I am willing to meet on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday evenings; or the group could meet mornings, afternoons or on weekends. By serious writers, I mean people who write on a regular basis and think carefully about what they write, as well as what they  read.  Serious writers read widely.  Serious writers write regularly

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-62095867855837772092010-08-01T10:08:00.002-05:002010-08-01T10:08:34.945-05:00

Most of the people I know speak in shorthand.  We use inside jokes with our close friends or turn a person's name into an act, like pulling a Brenda, whatever that means.  In our texting, something I haven't mastered yet, writing emails or on social networks we use computerese shorthand. Often we use acronyms without even knowing it.  An acronym is a word formed with the first letters of the

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-31846391640168213022010-07-21T12:00:00.001-05:002010-07-21T12:09:01.952-05:00

Mark Twain in his Adam’s Diary, talks about how the names of things came to be.  Adam credits Eve, whom he somewhat resents for taking over his privacy and independence.On Tuesday, the second day, Adam writes:  Been examining the great waterfall. It is the finest thing on the estate, I think. The new creature calls it Niagara Falls-- why, I am sure I do not know. Says it LOOKS like Niagara Falls

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-76051106693417224522010-06-08T10:06:00.002-05:002010-06-08T10:22:15.161-05:00

I need some sponsors, and I’m open to just about any and all takers. Everyone seems to be sponsored in America, and there’s no reason for me not to join the game. A lot of sponsors rely on product placement to hawk their goods, like Coke™ and Ford™ on American Idol. Not to mention all the prominently displayed products you see in movies and television shows these days. This is nothing new,

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-81947184907026501502010-05-25T10:42:00.002-05:002010-05-25T13:34:07.279-05:00

I used to think that all the world’s problems could be solved by using one of two solutions: lobotomy or sterilization. I have, in my old age and (I hope) increasing wisdom, come to the conclusion that while lobotomy and sterilization might be justified in certain instances, I need to add two other solutions to the repertoire. Those are the extreme head-on collision on the expressway, only

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-43182834870702989392010-05-11T09:56:00.005-05:002010-05-11T10:37:38.843-05:00

We are sad today. I took Stella to be euthanized.Stella was a beautiful dog, and a smart one. When we went for walks, she pulled a little even on her Gentle Lead, but she always stopped at corners before we crossed streets. I trained her to do that so she wouldn't run into the street if she escaped from her leash. When we turned, I could tell her left or right (once I figured it out) and she

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-26789148532754416892010-05-07T11:26:00.003-05:002010-05-07T11:50:13.782-05:00

Sunday is Mother's Day, a bittersweet day that we try to avoid, like Father's Day. Our son Daniel, our only biological child, died in 1993, and our mothers are both gone too. It's not exactly a happy day for us. ExceptOur good friend Tim, whose parents died while he was in high school, gave us his two boys a dozen years ago to be grandparents to. We love David and Jonathan dearly, and have

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-45379116511495890232010-05-03T10:06:00.003-05:002010-05-03T10:48:46.782-05:00

When we were young and foolish and filled with optimism and promise, we bought a run-down Queen Anne house in Joliet, built in 1892, also filled with promise.We subscribed to Old House Journal, and tried not to 'remuddle' it, but I'm sure that despite insulating walls and ceilings, removing paint from all woodwork in the downstairs, refinishing the maple floor in the kitchen, adding electric

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-39723320857238080792010-03-15T08:51:00.008-05:002010-03-15T12:04:37.617-05:00

It's been too long since I posted a blog, and I can tell some of you keep checking because my counter keeps going up. Thanks for your continuing support.I've been busy with a new novel and that's where my energy is going. At this point I have only about fifteen thousand words. Usually by this time in the process, my characters are sitting on my shoulder telling me their stories, but that

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-78144070072653742052010-02-19T17:42:00.005-06:002010-02-19T17:53:01.323-06:00

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS: A friend sent this along to me. I can't think of a reason to disagree. I am posting this on my blog for everyone - and that includes conservatives, liberals, and everybody in between. We may disagree on a number of issues, but a friend wants to promote a "Congressional Reform Act of 2010". It would contain eight provisions, all of which would probably be strongly

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-87788500536988798542010-01-09T10:33:00.005-06:002010-01-09T10:52:01.084-06:00

Ella-mentarySweet Ella M. Paul Isn’t Ella at all. She’s Ellam, Which rhymes with canteloupe (or muskmelom). It’s ella-mentary, my dear Ellam.Monkey See, Monkey DoElla likes animals in the zoo: Giraffes, lions and tigers -- bears too. Monkeys pose in a mirror. Ella laughs and they spy her When she plays monkey-see-monkey-do!The PartyWhen Ella visits Aunty Shan She plans a party if she can With

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-76386904013619293762009-12-17T16:25:00.003-06:002009-12-17T16:33:06.264-06:00

My friend Myron Boyajian wanted to post this as a comment but space doesn't permit it, so I am giving him full rein. All italics are mine. Here's what he had to say:Your December 9, 2009 post hit home with me. I have seen the erosion of civility and I am disturbed by it. True civility and respect for another person have been replaced by slovenly manners, dress, speech, and thinking. We see

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-9980551572024555802009-12-15T09:20:00.004-06:002009-12-15T09:35:28.463-06:00

We wish all the blessings of the season, whether it be Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza, the Solstice, or whatever. In order to be green, we are posting our Christmas Letter. JanuaryInauguration Day We attended an Inauguration Celebration at Flavor with a lot of friends. “Say it loud: post-racial and proud!” (From our lips to God's ears!) We also celebrated the anniversary of Bill’s broken ankle.

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-17595044862879861452009-12-09T12:01:00.002-06:002009-12-09T12:06:16.726-06:00

I think it’s time we started a New Civility. Rudeness and incivility have been the standard for politics for the last few decades. Who can forget the George H. W. Bush ad that used Willy Horton to terrify the middle class? He wasn’t the first candidate who used scare tactics, of course, but he was one of the most effective. And it got him elected. Since then, politics has become more and

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-48122434171484965722009-12-03T08:26:00.003-06:002009-12-03T08:41:42.268-06:00

I had a birthday yesterday. It wasn’t a milestone although the older I get, the more I believe that every birthday is a mile stone. Our former daughter in law had a tradition of asking the rapidly aging person at dinner, “What wisdom have you learned, now that you are a year older?” No one asked that yesterday, but I still thought about it. Here’s my wisdom after my close to six and a half

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-38270141894018649422009-11-11T08:08:00.001-06:002009-11-11T08:12:28.179-06:00

Today is Veterans’ Day. In 2004 we were on Gibralter on November 11. At 11:11 our guide stopped everything and we stood in silence for two minutes. The First World War, the horrible War To End All Wars, came to an end at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. It slaughtered about half of the young male population of England, and in honor

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-8908549133108872392009-11-03T08:02:00.003-06:002009-11-03T08:08:22.434-06:00

I was a Shoe Tree. Ann dressed as a French Maid.As always, feel free to comment below.

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-17857620599091841202009-11-02T11:14:00.002-06:002009-11-02T11:21:24.970-06:00

Halloween has come and gone, and with it the frantic messages from Those Who Know Best about devil worship, paganism, impending planetary chaos, and general going-to-hell-in-a-hand-basket of those who celebrate and enjoy the holiday. I think Halloween is fun. It used to be more fun when I was a kid, but that may have to do with the fact that I was a kid. I kind of think not, however. When I

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-380603431701460252009-10-26T08:53:00.007-05:002009-10-29T07:56:29.584-05:00

Ann and “Vlad” outside the castle.There is no such thing as bad publicity. Some of the best remembered figures in history weren’t nice people, but they were well known. Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one. Stalin said that one death is a tragedy, but a million is a stastic. Both Charles Manson and Rasputin

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-42802977434474358962009-10-18T15:08:00.006-05:002009-10-18T15:38:11.072-05:00

Derek, Jo, and HerselfProud Grandpa and EllaProud Grandma and Ella.Ella HerselfI frequently am impatient. I want things to be better than they already are. I want life to improve.We went to Denver last week to see Derek's new baby, our new granddaughter Ella, who will be 10 weeks old on Tuesday. It was a great visit. I got to hold her, feed her and I didn't have to change her. I learned I

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-6875977837844594042009-10-11T15:22:00.003-05:002009-10-11T15:30:19.968-05:00

I don’t have a sports gene. I don’t know why it skipped my generation, although it’s possible that it never really existed in my family. My father used to turn on football games so he could nap on the couch. If we changed the station or turned off the television, he’d wake up immediately and say something like, “I was watching that!” I never understood how commercials didn’t interrupt his

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-91114024130762807172009-09-30T10:58:00.001-05:002009-09-30T11:01:36.076-05:00

We use cloth napkins. Always. For breakfast, lunch and dinner. Generally, they are finger towels of terry cloth, absorbent, big enough to wipe your hands and face on, and easily washable. No ironing. We have dozens of them. When we have fancy guests we use linen, generally monogramed, hand hemmed, double damask, sixteen-by-sixteen-inch napkins my great-grandmother made shortly after her

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-18874726357482267182009-09-19T10:31:00.001-05:002009-09-19T10:32:49.362-05:00

Today is Ann's birthday. I can't say how old she is, but she's not old enough for Medicare yet.Shower her with greetings by commenting below, and I'll pass them on.

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-57161978984293487202009-09-19T10:17:00.003-05:002009-09-19T10:30:01.275-05:00

Too many ideas in the public discourse have become reduced to slogans and sound bites. That leaves no room for any kind of thoughtful discussion. When thought ceases we are left with heat rather than light. Whose fault that is becomes a matter of discussion, one, no doubt, that would produce, ironically, more heat than light and yet another series of sound bites. Instant communications

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-33163193338386494472009-09-11T11:39:00.004-05:002009-09-11T12:43:40.540-05:00

I believe in natural consequences. They are akin to Newton's Third Law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reactionWhen Daniel, our son, was little, we employed natural consequences. We told him what would happen if he disobeyed. He could choose to disobey and take a punishment - or not disobey. It was pretty easy, and we tried to make the consequences fair and 'organic.' They

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-62353162409764183492009-08-27T08:38:00.006-05:002009-08-27T09:20:23.531-05:00

The other day I was waiting for my imac tutorial at the Apple Store and ran into my cousin Jerome. We chatted a while and then he looked around and shook his head. "What have we come to?" he asked. "We are so dependent on computers and gadgets that we've lost our work ethic." I would like to say I raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue, but I can't raise one eyebrow. Both of mine

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-5980268930260953812009-08-25T08:27:00.003-05:002009-08-26T08:35:41.658-05:00

I think it’s time we had some Constitutional amendments. I can think of many issues we need to address in these United States. This list is not exhaustive by any means. First, let’s think about the right to privacy, which is not stated explicitly in the Constitution, but has been interpreted from the Ninth Amendment, which mentions “other rights being retained by the people.” That’s pretty

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-65607175931911797152009-08-15T16:31:00.003-05:002009-08-18T22:53:55.466-05:00

When I was very young, perhaps seven or eight, well over fifty years ago, I read in my Jack and Jill Magazine a story about a kid who was born in the nineteen hundreds and lived through the landmark of the turn of the Twentieth Century. I wondered if I would live that long, being too old to be a baby boomer, although I didn’t think about that, and if I would live through the turn into the

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-11814167496353672182009-08-05T10:50:00.002-05:002009-08-05T10:57:11.136-05:00

What are you wearing? Whenever he called, my friend Bobby would ask that instead of saying hello. Bobby was a brilliant man beset with demons, a charming, charismatic person who was an inspiration to a generation of high school kids in the Sunday School class he mentored, an addictive personality who damaged himself in slow suicide until he was murdered by his equally damaged lover who

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-23695413611474786082009-07-31T11:10:00.003-05:002009-08-01T11:54:12.553-05:00

I am back from Vermont and the Olympic Peninsula and a couple writing conferences. The hiatus is over. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose: the more things change the more they remain the same. Here we are, once again (still?!) in the midst of political infighting. And the people who need services that the government provides are the ones who suffer. In Illinois, for example, the

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-65013324020588227292009-06-11T00:03:00.002-05:002009-06-11T00:07:27.911-05:00

I am really busy this summer and will resume blog posts  in August.  Thanks for your support in the past.  I'm looking forward to resuming my blog in a couple of months.In the meantime, Beyond Telling, by my friend Jim Churchill-Dicks, is a wonderful read.  You can access it to the right, underneath my photo.  Check out also J. Miller Rampant, which has a link there too.Have a great summer!

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-64653698678768754632009-06-06T11:57:00.001-05:002009-06-06T11:57:42.787-05:00

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-34527348542323585932009-05-24T16:51:00.002-05:002009-05-24T16:55:24.260-05:00

Each year we celebrate Memorial Day.  The real Memorial Day, set aside to honor Civil War dead, is May 31. [Surprise, it wasn’t designed as yet another holiday to have a ^%$#&@* mattress sale!  Not that I have strong opinions about that.] As the Civil War receded in history, other wars claimed their victims, and the collective memory dimmed, Memorial Day became a day to remember all the

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-75535659605546677292009-05-23T07:47:00.003-05:002009-05-23T08:01:01.723-05:00

I got a semi-interesting email this morning,which I'm posting below.  I suspect the Nigerians have gotten such a reputation that they no longer are able to bilk cash from unsuspecting old folks and the fake bankers in Hong Kong have taken over.  I'm not following up, of course, by involving myself with Mr. Cheng.  And I've deleted his email address although if you really want it, I'll send it to

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-66535811221891567952009-05-20T10:25:00.003-05:002009-05-20T10:53:39.863-05:00

I am tired of people trying to censor ideas because they don't agree with them.I don't agree with plenty of people, but I let them speak.  Voltaire said, "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."  I'm not so sure that I'd die for something trivial, but I still believe that people have the right to say things I don't want to hear.I don't want to hear,

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-89192787783889941012009-05-10T09:03:00.003-05:002009-05-10T09:07:57.552-05:00

Our lives have been in chaos because of electronics the past couple of weeks:  The internet has been out.  We finally figured out it was the router, got it taken care of, and we're back on line.  I used to say I hated having the electronic leash, and I still do, but I have a little more respect for it these days.  In any event, I'll be getting a couple of entries out early this week.For those of

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-3162568113286492802009-04-29T11:56:00.002-05:002009-04-29T12:05:04.230-05:00

There has been a lot of discussion about the death of newspapers recently.   The younger demographic (younger than I am is practically everyone) gets their news from the internet and television.  But I also have contemporary and older friends who have CNN on constantly - or CNBC, MSNBC.  They don’t read newspapers. [I should probably explain that I have a minor in journalism - a very old minor

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-29570868655145402012009-04-29T11:03:00.001-05:002009-04-29T11:05:24.355-05:00

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-33437872934041949742009-04-20T11:09:00.002-05:002009-04-20T11:09:43.465-05:00

Congratulations to our friends Dale and Valerie, who just became grandparents - again - of a beautiful boy!

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-50711214348093005672009-04-19T14:46:00.002-05:002009-04-19T14:59:15.936-05:00

The First Amendment of the Constitution has come under fire of late from a lot of different places.It says: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.I am particularly

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-75227714837779855762009-04-16T12:45:00.002-05:002009-04-16T12:50:23.764-05:00

According to the Chicago Tribune this morning tax protesters yesterday had a field day with tea bags. They said that the government wastes our tax money, and President Obama is to blame.I quite agree that we have too much waste in government. I wish this were something we could blame on Barack Obama. But it’s not. The political parties in the United States have worked at getting reelected by

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-75046865468918095312009-04-12T07:56:00.003-05:002009-04-12T08:24:47.171-05:00

Traditional ritual met modern communications last night when we attended the Great Easter Vigil, a service dating from First Century Christians.And I have to confess that we opted to go to mass last night, which begins by lighting the Paschal Candle from a fire outside and then processes into the church (complete with High Mass incense, torchbearers, a crucifer, that is, a person who displays a

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-22897862252894332292009-04-02T08:08:00.003-05:002009-04-02T08:27:34.643-05:00

I first read/heard this poem by William Blake when I was a freshman in college in an English lit survey. The professor came in to class and took attendance, started to read this aloud and then started to weep and left the class. This was the same guy who believed that JFK's assassination was perpetrated by white supremacists. On the day of my first final in college, the day JFK was shot,

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-17991215343334625252009-03-30T11:06:00.001-05:002009-03-30T11:09:58.342-05:00

I’m beginning to think that medical science has gone too far, that we live too long. This has to do with two things: the state of the economy and my knees.I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my knees, which makes it painful to walk, to run (hah! I haven’t run in years), even to sit quietly in a confined space like a car or my seat at the opera. But this is NOT an organ recital, nor is it

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-46577813986151143042009-03-18T11:41:00.004-05:002009-03-18T12:45:59.137-05:00

I went to my last opera of the season last night. Actually, it was two, neither of which had I seen before.Last night's were Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci. They were really bleak with a lot of lovers getting killed by jealous husbands. But the music was absolutely enthralling. They were sung in Italian with English super titles, which means the words are projected on a screen at the top

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-60021979222060340132009-03-16T12:02:00.003-05:002009-03-16T12:12:35.142-05:00

Former Vice President Dick Cheney was on the tube yesterday spreading fear that Obama Administration policies leave us unprotected. Sounds like the recent presidential campaign again, doesn't it?"There is no prospect" that Iraq will return to producing weapons of mass destruction or supporting terrorists, Cheney asserted, "as long as it's a democratically governed country, as long as they have

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-22434371665538335582009-03-10T11:33:00.003-05:002009-03-10T11:37:30.264-05:00

I’m tired. I’m really tired.There are a couple of reasons. We moved my daughter Shannon’s stuff out of her boyfriend’s, make that ex-boyfriend’s, home on Friday. Yesterday my son Derek and his girlfriend JoAnn visited from Denver. I love Shannon and Derek dearly (and I think JoAnn is terrific but I’ve only met her twice. So far so good). Those two events made me tired, but a good tired.The

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-61610004728152508802009-03-02T12:39:00.002-06:002009-03-02T12:51:38.748-06:00

Twenty-five random things I’ve learned over the years. 1. As an English teacher I learned - and tried to teach - the difference between your and you’re, its and it’s, there, their, and they’re, to, two and too. 2. Most people (and dogs) can be trained, but few truly are educated.3. Even dogs respond to the difference between lay and lie.4. If I don’t do something now, and if I wait long

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-46499124001719270502009-02-24T15:35:00.002-06:002009-02-24T15:47:19.933-06:00

This weekend, for reasons totally irrelevant here, my daughter Shannon and her two dogs Happiness and Ozzie Bearcame to live with us. This has entailed sacrifices, of course. I no longer have my own bathroom, but since there are several in the house, that’s minor. I can’t lie around anymore in my underwear, and body sounds are now taboo. But these are also pretty minor. And the sacrifices on

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-18031080435135583892009-02-19T12:39:00.002-06:002009-02-19T12:42:26.752-06:00

Illinois deserves to be represented by two viable senators. Dick Durbin isn’t going anywhere in the near future apparently, but Roland Burris is turning into yet one more ginormous embarrassment for the state.I’m sick of it. All the issues that need to be taken care of are ignored because Roland Burris is turning into the same kind of publicity hound as Rod Blagojevich did. His personality has

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-75098020191653478472009-02-08T10:28:00.002-06:002009-02-08T10:34:51.140-06:00

I can't help it. I love this video. And she has a beautiful, clear voice.

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-17433252324571638882009-02-08T09:34:00.002-06:002009-02-08T09:40:15.087-06:00

I have been sucked into facebook. I still have a myspace account, but it seems to be no longer fashionable, and facebook is somehow more user friendly and immediate. Twitter is the new thing, but so far I have resisted.I’m just having too much fun on facebook - even though I don’t fit the demographic. It’s aimed at 20 somethings, but I’m finding that it pulls in a lot of people older and even

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-18605352450140592952009-02-04T16:03:00.002-06:002009-02-04T16:07:18.664-06:00

I just received an interesting email from a friend of mine exhorting me to click for a free mammogram for a woman who couldn't afford one.The Breast Cancer Site requires 45,000 clicks for each free mammogram, I suppose the underlying supposition being that you might also go to one of their sponsors, which pays to advertise on the site.I checked it out on snopes.com and discovered it is true. You

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-39312458754320792642009-01-27T08:29:00.002-06:002009-01-27T08:34:51.074-06:00

Yesterday our governor, Rod Blagojevich, who is currently both under indictment and in the process of being impeached, appeared on national television news programs to plead for his job.He hammered the same message to every question his interviewers asked: He is innocent, the rules of impeachment prohibit him from calling witnesses, and he won’t resign because it would disgrace his

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-64700666784308257332009-01-19T11:46:00.006-06:002009-01-21T08:33:55.574-06:00

Happy Martin Luther King Day!If I were in charge there would be NO mattress sales "honoring" Dr. King, which in fact trivialize the importance of his life. Rather, students would be in school to honor his commitment to education, and workers would be at work to honor his commitment to working people of all colors.Our last hymn in church yesterday was "Lift Every Voice and Sing", which suddenly

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-56170169361085649622009-01-13T10:55:00.005-06:002009-01-13T11:35:52.511-06:00

Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago recently sent out a letter to its patients. Wait, can I anthropomorphize a hospital? I guess I can. Let me start over.Northwestern Memorial Hospital recently sent out a letter to its patients informing them that because of a shortage of radiologists, women should make appointments for their mammograms ten months in advance.I talked with Rich, a

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-15216246810392481482009-01-04T08:21:00.000-06:002009-01-04T08:22:33.537-06:00

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-10048282778088911862009-01-01T09:43:00.002-06:002009-01-01T10:04:12.426-06:00

I hardly ever make new year's resolutions because I seldom keep them and I hate to feel like a failure.This year I am making some exceptions, however. In addition to making a couple resolutions for myself, I have resolutions other random people need to make. I'm sure I'm being hypocritical, but it's so much fun.Rod Blagojevich: I will stop looking in the mirror at my hair, forget the special

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-45966146965032168432008-12-21T09:05:00.003-06:002008-12-21T09:10:16.491-06:00

I have a hard time with Christmas because it's less than two weeks then to the anniversary of Daniel's death. Since he died, the holidays have been a count down of sorts to the anniversary, although that has eased over the years. The holiday specials on television like A Christmas Carol are frequently too much for me to bear, so I turn them off or find a good mystery I can get lost in. That

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-71429809424803780712008-12-15T07:40:00.005-06:002008-12-15T07:47:24.371-06:00

Several people, particularly my friend Valerie, told me they expected a comment about our current, corrupt governor. Here it is:Rod Blagojevich, indicted governor of Illinois, is an arrogant asshole, corrupt, vain, and not smart enough to curb his tongue when he knew the feds were listening in on his telephone calls.How's that Valerie?Please comment below.

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-90033016167943857332008-12-10T10:38:00.001-06:002008-12-10T10:48:26.889-06:00

Last night I saw Porgy and Bess at the Lyric Opera, their first production of the work.Composer Geroge Gershwin required that all productions of Porgy and Bess be sung by black singers. The acting and the voices were beautiful, soaring, true, clear. The staging was very interesting and the music is familiar and singable, despite being truly Twentieth Century with its typical discordant notes.

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-42465768755796632362008-12-05T12:02:00.001-06:002008-12-05T12:07:09.786-06:00

Merry Christmas, Dear Friends!In lieu of a Christmas letter, here’s a recap of our year:January Bill breaks his ankle and makes a nest in the family room. Friends bring meals, walk dogs, visit - and haul his ass upstairs a couple of times a week for much needed showers. Ann waits on Bill with complete devotion and unflagging energy.February More of the same, except Ann tires of the routine

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-41217605983720626582008-11-28T10:52:00.004-06:002008-11-29T08:43:22.393-06:00

I just finished reading Torches n’ Pitchforks, an independent student literary journal sponsored by a friend of mine, Jim Churchill-Dicks, who teaches in Prineville, Oregon. He is a fantastic person as well as a fantastic teacher.The students contributing to the journal have a lot to say, and as he commented, “If the standardized test scores told the whole story, they would say that Crook County

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-42402535993841824032008-11-27T08:39:00.004-06:002008-11-29T08:46:46.664-06:00

I hate to have my picture taken. I’m already too fat, and the camera puts on 10 pounds. Or so they say.But I had my picture taken a lot yesterday afternoon in front of the Art Institute while Ann and I participated in the Free Hugs Campaign, and so did Ann. I hope you accepted my challenge and did your own Free Hugs wherever you were.We took the noon train downtown, and even on the train heard

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-43063652577537151602008-11-25T08:09:00.004-06:002008-11-26T08:16:13.307-06:00

Thanksgiving is Thursday, and it is a time to reflect on what we are thankful for - besides too much to eat and too many football games on television and too many dishes to wash.I have a lot to be thankful for, beginning with family: My wife of 41 years, Ann. My son Daniel who died almost 16 years ago, but is still with us in our hearts. It is amazing to me that he has been gone almost as long

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-45607794232098695462008-11-19T11:29:00.007-06:002008-11-25T08:14:26.839-06:00

Thanksgiving is coming up and certainly we as Americans have a lot to be thankful for.Despite the economic turndown (crash?), we still have a lot to offer, and I have a suggestion that won’t cost anything except a trip to your local downtown area. Ann and I are a part of the Free Hugs Campaign, and we’re going to “demonstrate” for the first time Wednesday afternoon, the day before Thanksgiving,

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-83127840872255852582008-11-05T11:38:00.002-06:002008-11-06T07:00:37.358-06:00

I sent the out blog below Congratulations America! as an email before I decided to post it. I received a lot of responses, which seems interesting to me because the counter shows that people check out my blog on a pretty regular basis, but they hardly ever leave comments - it's probably too cumbersome a process to write a comment. I am printing (without permission, forgive me) some of the

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-41303935639767205242008-11-05T10:32:00.003-06:002008-11-05T10:39:32.276-06:00

CONGRATULATIONS, AMERICA!I am walking on air this morning, to coin a phrase. We are seeing a change in our country, a change in the way the world will view us, a change from the politics of fear to the politics of hope.I was downtown at the Opera last night and caught the tail end of the Obama Rally on my way to the train home. The air was electric with cars and taxis honking their horns,

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-39339081205372150332008-11-04T07:50:00.001-06:002008-11-04T07:51:59.131-06:00

As you know I am an Obama supporter. But that is neither here nor there when YOU enter the voting booth. The important thing is:If you haven't already voted, VOTE!

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-14158907529742032512008-10-29T11:20:00.002-05:002008-10-29T11:24:48.758-05:00

I don’t watch much television advertising. That isn’t to say I don’t watch television. Like most Americans, I probably (probably nothing!) watch too much.And like many people in this land of too much plenty, we have a DVR that I’ve learned to use. It’s easier than a video recorder, but I learned to use one of those too.The advantage of the DVR is that it records programs - we have the

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-20369812032063473482008-10-29T10:48:00.002-05:002008-10-29T10:53:00.364-05:00

I love to hear from people who read this blog, and I occasionally do. I hope that you enjoy what I write, and that I don’t come across as too much of an Andy Rooney curmudgeon. I regularly check the counter on the right hand side of the blog to see how many people stop for a look, but I never know who the lookers are unless they mention something to me in person or comment.I have heard from

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-49881763300984382352008-10-19T15:10:00.002-05:002008-10-19T15:16:35.942-05:00

I’m a big believer in second chances, probably because I have received so many of them throughout my life.My biggest second chances occurred after my son Daniel died at 19 in an accident in January of 1993. A couple years later, Derek and Shannon, whose biological father left when they were not yet in school, chose me their dad; and then my friend Tim gave us his two sons, Jonathan and David, to

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-66007560922629961712008-10-13T11:44:00.005-05:002008-10-14T11:58:57.393-05:00

Here we go. Again. Preaching hate. How can the McCain campaign in good conscience and with any kind of honor create a lynching atmosphere at its rallies and in its campaign in general?Shouts of traitor follow, naturally, the declarations by the second runner up in the Miss Alaska contest that Barack Obama associates with known domestic terrorists. Her behavior is totally irresponsible and

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-5582267723495553712008-10-10T10:05:00.001-05:002008-10-10T10:05:58.351-05:00

This is an example of our "Hermes" at work. Oh, to be 16 and this talented!

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-5196915836878119982008-09-29T15:46:00.002-05:002008-09-29T15:53:17.799-05:00

I can’t tell you how much I enjoy being a grandfather, especially the grandfather of a sixteen-year-old young man.In the spirit of fairness, I must also point out that I adore the college sophomore, David. And while I’m (we’re) getting to know Alexa and Grayson, the new members of our family, we love them more each day.Jon is a junior in high school, one of my favorite ages when I taught English

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-38287568084570216912008-09-29T15:19:00.001-05:002008-09-29T15:24:36.439-05:00

I’m wondering if we could bail out the economy by selling Alaska? Of course, there’s no possibility we would or should give away the huge natural resources of such a beautiful and wild part of the United States. If we sold it to the Russians or the Chinese or probably any other country, we’d end up being the great loser. In the distant, Starwars-ish future we will no doubt find a way to

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-78663992001188909282008-09-22T08:42:00.004-05:002008-09-22T08:48:59.212-05:00

Every spring we find a bin of sprouted potatoes in the pantry, and every spring we find a place in the garden, dig a trench, cut the potatoes into pieces, each with its own sprout and throw them into the ground.This year we put them next to the asparagus, where last year the beans got tromped by the dogs racing back and forth along the fence barking at Monk and Mordecai, the large black dogs

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-12242943603961923292008-09-15T08:20:00.005-05:002008-09-16T08:16:55.829-05:00

I realize that this is the silly season, that politics create strange bedfellows, and any other cliche about the upcoming presidential race you can think of.I also realize that I am guilty of putting down Sarah Palin in particular, but also John McCain. And about a year ago Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton by suggesting that they have jobs in the Senate they were elected to that didn’t involve

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-59981178911110382792008-09-08T08:49:00.000-05:002008-09-08T08:50:13.372-05:00

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-19318350626243520612008-09-03T08:36:00.005-05:002008-09-03T08:39:07.924-05:00

I have been watching at the Republican Convention and have the same comments about it that I have about the Democratic Convention: C-Span offers coverage without comment and we are (ostensibly) intelligent enough to make up our own minds about what politicians (a word which can be, but is not necessarily, pejorative) have to say.Again, feel free to comment below.

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-24709285173843055052008-09-02T08:16:00.004-05:002008-09-02T08:41:07.033-05:00

10.  You can show that family values and feminism are not mutually exclusive.9.  You're a green candidate, although in your case that means untried, untested, and possibly thoroughly un-vetted.8.  Pretty is as Pretty does.7.  The "Fourth Branch" of government, so-named by the current vice resident, allows you to decide what your duties are - like cooking moose hotdogs and nursing your baby at the

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-64778622016438512652008-08-31T11:06:00.005-05:002008-09-03T08:36:07.858-05:00

John McCain has named Sarah Palin, the Republican governor of Alaska, as his vice presidential running mate.  I have heard a lot of people describe this choice in different ways:  cynical, smart, practical, insulting, anti-feminist, risky, and a joke.I'm not sure which this decision is, and I tend toward cynical although it may turn out to be a very smart decision.  Sarah Palin may well pull the

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-40216477569544745552008-08-27T11:23:00.002-05:002008-08-27T11:26:47.137-05:00

In yesterday's posting, I didn't mean to sound as if I am against people expressing their opinions. I have no problem with that in most cases. And I am considered a loose cannon when it comes to opinions - for proof, read on:My problem is that all too often the news media act as if opinions are more important than facts. Our local newspapers, the Chicago Tribune and particularly The Chicago

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-4341436554488471022008-08-26T11:17:00.004-05:002008-08-27T08:28:06.927-05:00

N.B. Many of my political prejudices show here and since I'm heading toward my dotage, I get to take many tangents to express them.The Democratic Convention in Denver is well under way at this point, and I watched some of it last night with the same kind of concentration lots of people devote to the Olympics. I watched the Olympics for a while - the first week - but got tired of the same sports

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-70322081109213877682008-08-19T09:59:00.002-05:002008-08-19T10:09:51.527-05:00

Nine-eleven. November 22, December 7. These are all dates that people of my pre-Baby Boomer generation and older remember. These are national anniversaries, all tragedies. We all know nine-eleven, the day Al-Qaeda attacked the World Trade Center in New York City, the most recent of the terrible anniversaries. Most of us do not recognize it as the date of chosen son Tim’s birthday, however.

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-77956261066948134582008-08-02T10:52:00.007-05:002008-08-02T11:05:24.782-05:00

Today is the big day: Tim, our grandsons' dad, is getting married to Karen, one of my former students. That sounds surprising, but it isn't. Some of my former students are in their middle to late fifties at this point. Karen, of course is not. She is considerably younger than my early students. And just for the record, she is younger than my middle students.This week has been a whirlwind of

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-73430651027075924112008-07-18T19:46:00.005-05:002008-07-18T23:13:27.522-05:00

Every time I travel, I check out whether or not I’d like to live there. I’m currently at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, Washington, and this is a great place to visit.The fort sits on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound. Across the bay is snow-covered Mt. Baker. At the bottom of the bluff is a wide sandy beach, a long boardwalk and pier out into the Sound that houses a maritime museum.

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878721453256745599.post-36963013215309300732008-07-03T15:09:00.002-05:002008-07-03T15:19:47.272-05:00

I’m home from Vermont in time to rest up for the Fourth of July Independence Day celebration – and another gigantic spate of mattress sales. I just don’t understand how selling mattresses – or having any other kind of sale - has anything to do with patriotism, unless we consider capitalism gone wild a way to express our love for our country.In any event the neighborhood has been pretty calm –

Bill Mosernoreply@blogger.com2