Sober reflections
Whenever I write about my parents (Dad is 92, Mom is 83), I get a larger-than-usual number of comments from readers. Many identify with me as the “adult child” trying to help my parents cope. Others identify with my parents and what they are going through at that moment.My January column generated a particularly large number of comments, some of which I want to share with you.... READ MORE
Reporter for a day
I’ve been a publisher and editor since my wife and I started the Beacon newspapers 24 years ago. Still, it’s a rare thing these days when I actually “report” on anything myself.During the quiet days at the end of 2012, as I was reading about the fiscal cliff negotiations and Congress was being called back into session over New Year’s Eve weekend, I had a... READ MORE
To be or not to beâ¦
As we approach the New Year, our thoughts are generally forward-looking: We think about New Year’s resolutions, wonder what changes the coming year will bring, and think about what we have to look forward to.On the other hand, we also are likely to see the popular image of Old Father Time passing on the baton to the newborn New Year. The image suggests, as does much of our culture,... READ MORE
The time is ripe
We’re told the need to address our federal budget deficit (over $14 trillion and growing by $4 billion a day) is about to push us over a “fiscal cliff” that would send us back into recession or worse.Among the many steps Congress is being urged to take to cope with this crisis is the modification of Social Security.Does one have anything to do with the other?Certainly not, ... READ MORE
Creating a show about aging parents
Soon after my last blog post about the dearth of older characters on TV and realistic story lines for them, I interviewed Amy Lippman, creator o the YouTube show, “Ruth and Erica.” The show, which is presented in seven-minute snippets, follows 40-something Erica, played by Maura Tierney (currently also in the CBS hit “The Good Wife”), who is grappling with... READ MORE
Appreciation time
It’s definitely feeling like fall around here. And with Thanksgiving not far away, autumn always feels like a good time to think about appreciation.I have a number of things to be thankful for this fall, not the least of which is our staff here at the Beacon. And apparently I’m not the only one who thinks they are doing a wonderful job.In the last month, three national newspaper ... READ MORE
Blowing in the wind
In the 1930s, dust clouds roiled a mile high and more than 100 miles wide across the Great Plains, visible on the horizon hours before the black blizzards descended on towns and decimated farms.“It looked like the end of the world,” said Cal Crabill of the wall of dust that would plow into his Colorado farm near the Kansas border. “It looked like a mountain range moving... READ MORE
Must-see TV?
The fall season of TV kicked off in earnest this week, with dozens of new and returning shows vying for couch potatoes everywhere. I must admit with the shorter days and cooler weather, TV can be alluring on fall nights — especially after last parting with your favorite characters on a warm spring evening months before. But the other night I started thinking: Just how many of those... READ MORE
A town hall meeting to promote health reform
The White House convened a “town hall” meeting on June 11 to answer questions about how the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as healthcare reform, is helping seniors.A panel of experts, including Kathy Greenlee, assistant secretary for Aging in the Health and Human Services Dept. and Jonathan Blum, deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services... READ MORE
Maximizing a maxim
One of the aphorisms I’ve been partial to since childhood says a person should “live each day as if it were your last.”Though I’ve liked and remembered the maxim, I only recently found myself wondering what it really means. Perhaps getting older (and attending more funerals) has started to make the concept more thought provoking to me.On first blush, it sounds... READ MORE
