Let’s talk about taxes. Everybody hates taxes. Well, that’s not entirely true. What we hate is PAYING taxes. We don’t mind them so much as long as somebody else has to pay them. As Ben Franklin quoted, taxes are as inevitable as death, and just as necessary. Let’s face it, nobody wants to die, but can you imagine how over populated we would be if medical science were able to do away with death? It would be a very crowded world. And if there were no taxes our nation would come to a standstill. Without taxes we wouldn’t be able to pay for traffic cops and teachers and librarians...

It is, of course, Mother’s Day. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it in some way. This is a particularly difficult day for my wife, Becky who lost her Mom in 2006. It was four years ago on the 4th. We cannot exist without mothers. The fact is, we wouldn’t exist without mothers. I said this once before, mothers are the image of God on earth. Mother’s have the amazing ability to give life. And, having given life, look upon their children, their creations if you will, with a love that transcends all understanding. This is not to put down fathers in any way....

I was thinking about how much time I spend watching television the other night. And I thought how weird the extra-terrestrials would think it that our race of somewhat sentient beings sits in front of a box that makes pictures hour after hour. And then I thought to myself, “Myself,” I thought, “I guess we just like stories.” We like to watch stories. We like to hear stories. We like to tell stories. As soon as we get together with our friends and loved ones, we start telling stories. Anyone who has been married or even part of a family knows that you will hear the same stories...

Well, we just came back from our annual trip to Big Sur.  With the economy being what it is, I’m not sure we’ll be able to go again next year.  I hope we can.  It would be sad if we couldn’t  go.  We’ve been going up there now for twenty-three years.  We just love that place. For those of you who don’t know California, Big Sur is an area in the Ventana Wilderness about thirty miles south of Monterrey.  Monterrey is the setting for one of John Steinbeck’s most wonderful books, CANNERY ROW.    At one time Monterrey was the capital of California, back when we used to belong to...

Gather round children and I will tell you the sad tale of Lloyd Loar. Lloyd Loar was a genius when it came to designing stringed musical instruments. Today his instruments sell for in excess of $100,000. His F5 Mandolin, manufactured by the Gibson Company is the veritable Holy Grail of mandolins. Lloyd Loar was a modern day Stradivarius. Lloyd was born in 1883. He loved physics, geometry and music. After high school he went to study music at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio. Prolific on five musical instruments, Lloyd focused on the mandolin because that was what people wanted to hear. It...

On this day, April 1st, in the year 1621, Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoags signed the first peace treaty between Native Americans and white Pilgrims, feeling certain that the white people meant no harm to Indian peoples. Moreover, also on this date, back in 1789, the newly established United States House of Representatives held its first full formal meeting. Thus, on this date, Congress was born. Is it any wonder they call it April Fools’ Day? Many people wonder about the origin of this famous holiday dedicated to the great human tradition of playing practical jokes on other people. According...

I was listening to one of those radio stations where I like to park myself now and again in order to listen to a program about the paranormal. This particular night, the host had an expert on alien abductions on the show. He was explaining everything about the aliens we needed to know, and you know, if there are aliens living here, I want to know about them, that’s for sure. So I decided to listen for awhile. I found out some interesting things. There was enough of interest to induce me to go exploring the subject a little deeper. And you, dear Reverbians, are the beneficiaries of...

I used to spend a lot of my time being pissed off. And, before I venture further, I would like to address the dangling preposition in the previous sentence. Once upon a time, it was the mark of the poorly educated to end a sentence with a preposition. It just wasn’t done. Modern Grammarians (those people from Grammaria), realizing that language changes, have begun to allow this to some degree. There are others, who refuse to surrender to this new fangled allowance, and prefer to create hopelessly convoluted awkward sentences in order to avoid using a preposition with which to end...

Today, a few days after his birthday, we honor the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But forty years after his murder his message is lost in the icon of King. Many of us have the day off. People will say kind words about him. Mattress stores will have their holiday sales for people of all colors can now sleep together in peace. People will talk about his dream, but very few people know what that dream was. Martin Luther King was far more complex than the man who stood in Washington D.C. and revealed his dream to the thousands upon thousands standing in hope there. His dream went far beyond racial...

Another in the popular Pat Robertson series: –Hello, Mr. Robertson.  I would like to have a word with you. –What?  Excuse me?  Pam!  PAM! –Your secretary cannot hear you, Mr. Robertson. –Pam!  What did you do to my secretary, you ni… –Now watch your mouth, Mr. Robertson.  I would advise you to keep a civil tongue, if you know how to do that. –Now look you.  I don’t know who you are, or what you’re selling, but you better get your ass out of here before I call security.  And put out that pipe!  There’s no smoking in this building! –You can...