There was a curious letter to the advice columnist, Dear Abby, in today’s paper. People living in a condo, which means in close quarters, use their fireplace as a heat source for their living room area. A neighbor with severe respiratory problems has asked them to stop burning, which has put a strain on what we presume is their friendship. They asked for advice, and Abby gave it. Give up the fireplace and get an electric heater if you need it, because you’re causing a serious health hazard to your neighbor. She’s quite right, of course. Condos represent communal living, whether we like it or not. I’m guessing that the folks with the fireplace like the ambiance that a fire in the fireplace creates, and they’re reluctant to give it up for that reason, because a fireplace is a notoriously inefficient way to heat a room. We sometimes forget that our wants, likes, and behaviors can have an impact on those around us, unless we’re living on a mountain top in a cabin by ourselves, or in prison in solitary confinement.
Continue reading “Am I Bothering You?”Month: October 2025
Pumpkin “Issues”
There is, in the weekend comics, an amusing commentary in the strip, “Zits”. It features the Duncan family – mother, father, and Jeremy, their teenage son. In this particular strip, Jeremy is walking through the house, seeing a pumpkin display on the dining room table, along with pumpkins on bookshelves, under lamps, everywhere. Going outside, the house is lined with pumpkins – the front steps, the walkways, even up on the roof and around the chimney. Jeremy tells his mother firmly that she has “pumpkin issues”. Yes, indeed. It’s that time of year, and judging by the displays some folks have, they too have pumpkin “issues”.
Continue reading “Pumpkin “Issues””Advanced Citizenship 201
This is a bit more serious than my normal blogs, but from time to time, I feel I need to express them. Protests across the region and the nation this past weekend have really got me thinking about where our country’s leadership, and our core values, are going. The “No Kings” movement is rapidly evolving into an effective counterbalance to MAGA, which, while still a force, appears to be seeing its support crumbling around the edges. The world is becoming more complex, and for citizens in a democracy, it goes without saying that the voters and the candidates they choose must be as well. I was listening to an interview recently of a supporter of the current administration. His views and his responses give us an insight to how the president’s supporters think. For example, he stated that cities are becoming ‘safer’ because National Guard-essential soldiers (without training in law enforcement, one might add)-are patrolling the streets. He also feels ‘safer’ because undocumented immigrants are being deported at a rate with no precedent. Again, he believes the message that “undocumented” equals criminal. He thought the economy was doing well, probably because he looked older, perhaps retired, and doesn’t particularly care what’s happening in the workforce, where unemployment is low but climbing. He may or may not care much about climate change, food safety, or medical research, perhaps he may think he won’t live long enough to see the results of cuts in the development of those sectors.
Continue reading “Advanced Citizenship 201”Goodbye, Hyacinth. We’ll miss you.
Although she’s been seen only in syndication for the last thirty years, Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced, as she so frequently corrected, “BOUQUET”) was the ultimate in pretention. Constantly striving to reach into an imagined social hierarchy, she was thwarted and embarrassed by her circle of family and neighbors at almost every turn.
Continue reading “Goodbye, Hyacinth. We’ll miss you.”
I'm Thinking...No! 