Going Back
By Ashleigh Brilliant   |   January 14, 2025

Most of us these days, by the time we may be considered grown up, have lived in more than one place – sometimes in several different places, even in different countries. In a way, this can give a different meaning to what we call “Home” – despite the once popular notion that there is no […]

Thinking Over Dover
By Ashleigh Brilliant   |   December 31, 2024

Allow me to share with you some thoughts and memories about a place called Dover, a town on the south coast of England. As you may know, it’s the closest land to France, across the English Channel which, at that geographical point, has the name of the Strait of Dover. The Channel between the two […]

 

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News
By Ashleigh Brilliant   |   December 24, 2024

Until the era of electronic communication, getting word of happenings in other places (to say nothing of instantaneous moving pictures in color) used to be a long, slow process. News could travel on land only as fast as the fastest runner or rider. A man living in California might get a letter from his brother, […]

Live Long and Prosper
By Ernie Witham   |   December 24, 2024

“Pass the salt, willya?” “I swear if you keep using that much salt, you won’t live to see 130,” my wife told me. “I hope you’re wrong. I want to see the great-great grandkids graduate.” I cleared my throat.  “Oh no, you’re not going to sing again are you?”  I strummed my air guitar. “Imagine […]

Medical Insurance Violence?
By Robert Bernstein   |   December 24, 2024

The recent murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson raises several Big Questions. Under his leadership, UnitedHealthcare’s profits increased from $12 billion in 2021 to $16 billion in 2023. At the time of his death, the company was the largest health insurer in the United States. One way their profits soared? Denial of payment for lack […]

A Child’s Christmas in Tripoli
By Jeff Wing   |   December 17, 2024

Christmas day of ‘68 began like most days; with a guy bellowing singsong prayers in the dark from a mosque somewhere just off base. The mounted lo-fi bullhorn gave the already mysterioso liturgy a surreal 1930s radio feel – think “Libyan Rudy Vallee” if that helps. If that doesn’t help, I get it.  Though we’d […]

Good Luck
By Ashleigh Brilliant   |   December 17, 2024

One of my favorite stories is about an antiques expert who, one day, while driving down a country road, stops at junky-looking store. Before going in, he notices, in the entrance-way, a cat drinking from a saucer. The cat doesn’t interest him – but what does is the saucer, which, he can tell immediately is […]

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  • Time and Tide and Nick
    By Jeff Wing   |   December 10, 2024

    The “Holidays” show up every year. If Life seems cyclical that could be – in part – because we live on a spinning ball, if you can imagine. So it’s December. Again. The year-end hullabaloo (to generalize) always gets me thinking about the throngs of people, the millions of hidden lives, the unsurfaced stories that […]

    Revolutionary Educational Mastery?
    By Robert Bernstein   |   December 3, 2024

    You have probably heard of educator Salman Khan and his Khan Academy. I recently attended a talk he gave for UCSB. Khan had been a hedge fund analyst. A good family man, he wanted to help his cousin Nadya with her math back in 2004. He tutored her over the phone and was able to […]

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    Freedom and Sanctity
    By Jeff Wing   |   November 26, 2024

    Tony Soprano: You know we’re the only country in the world where the pursuit of happiness is guaranteed in writing? You believe that? Bunch of $%@! spoiled brats. Where’s my happiness then? Dr. Melfi: It’s the pursuit that’s guaranteed. Tony Soprano: Yeah… always a $%@! loophole, right? A dear friend asked me once; “Jeff, do […]

    Do You Care?
    By Ashleigh Brilliant   |   November 26, 2024

    “Care” is an interesting and rather flexible concept. As a noun, it once had a very negative meaning, which today we would equate with “worry.” There was a song about “dull care” whose lyrics go back to the 17th century, and show how both “care” and “dull” have changed in meaning. The song starts by […]

    Getting Stuff Done?
    By Robert Bernstein   |   November 26, 2024

    There is no single explanation for the popularity of Trump. But one thread is that he can “get stuff [sh-t] done.” Supporters (MAGAs) don’t care about his long history of cheating people out of their money, his talk of “grabbing pussies”, or even that he violently tried to overthrow an election. “He gets stuff done.” […]

    Sin and Skin
    By Ashleigh Brilliant   |   November 19, 2024

    You probably know Cole Porter’s songs that say:  “I’ve got you under my skin.I’ve got you deep in the heart of me.So deep in my heart that you’rereally a part of me.” And that other verse: “Night and dayunder the hide of meThere’s an oh, such a hungryyearning burning inside of me.” I must confess […]

    Time Trials
    By Ernie Witham   |   November 19, 2024

    Except for the overly loud, vapor-spewing Southwest jets, flying-lesson prop planes doing multiple touch-and-goes, and that obnoxious Osprey that sounds like two helicopters in a weird sexual entanglement, it’s nice being close to Santa Barbara Airport.  Even though we had a 6:23 am flight, we knew we could be at the airport in less than […]

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