No Wonder They’re so Confident, I thought — French women. The phrase connotes images of sophistication, savoir faire and understated beauty. They don’t wear tons of makeup or baubles. They smoke and eat fatty cheese. They talk in husky voices like Edith Piaf. Whatever they do, they are sexy. Those are all stereotypes, of course. I’ve been to…

Debating what is selfish in my situation — About three weeks ago I collapsed; turns out I had a brain tumor. They did surgery, removed the tumor and now I’m recovering. The tumor was a stage IV brain cancer. It has metastasized. Since mobility is an issue, a friend is looking after my German Shepherd Snowy. I miss…

He hooked Ukraine up with Starlink but he doesn’t want nuclear war — People are angry at Elon Musk. What else is new? This time it’s because he wants peace between the Ukraine and Russia. So here’s the question — would it be better to escalate until we have a full-fledged nuclear conflict? With millions of people dying? How does this help anyone? …

Focus on our common humanity, not our differences — I’ve been in accidents and had strangers help me. One time, my vehicle got stuck in a perilous place and several burly men showed up to carry it to safety. I was very grateful to them. You know what they didn’t do? They didn’t ask me about my political affiliation…

It’s no longer science fiction but reality — How realistic was the movie Armgegeddon? According to MIT professor Richard Binzel, not very. He’s the inventor of the Torino scale, which assigns a 10-point scale to asteroids. Most of them are in the zero to one range — so they are tiny. However, in 2013, a 60-foot meteor that…

It depends… — When I was an undergrad, I knew a guy who ran marathons. He was in amazing shape. He sorta looked like Opie from The Andy Griffith Show — red-haired, wide-eyed, and sweet, but with the body of superman. He was buff. He didn’t just run, of course. He also did…

Heartbreak, devastation, and caring for neighbors — Hurricane Ian devastated Fort Myers, Florida. This link to the New York Times provides maps, video, and photographs documenting the damage. It’s heartbreaking. So far 74 Floridians as well as 4 people in North Carolina are known to have died, but as rescue efforts continue, more bodies may be found…

He is strong when I am weak and He gives me hope — I try to have a quiet time every morning. The world is still quiet and still. Depending on when I wake up and the season, I might sit on my front porch and watch the sunrise during this time, and listen to the birds sing. I am in tune with…

And what were the worst storms in the state’s history? — Yesterday while sitting in the waiting room before my chemo treatment, I noticed all eyes were fixed on the TV monitor, which was set to the Weather Channel. The devastation in Florida was astonishing. There was an 18 foot sea surge in Port Charlotte. Fort Meyers was devastated. A friend…