by Laurie Rigelhaupt The Trump administration poses a danger to our wildlife. H.R. 1897 is an anti-wildlife bill sponsored by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R- AR). If passed, it would erode the protections of the Endangered Species Act (passed in 1973), affecting thousands of creatures and their habitats. Wolves, panthers, bears, otters, manatees, loggerhead sea turtles,…

by Paul Hope Why do we get angry? Anger can often be a legitimate response to feeling threatened or mistreated. When we experience this sort of anger, we can take steps to seek redress. This can be as simple as asking for an apology. However, sometimes anger is experienced in a deeper, more intense, and…

by Norma Vavolizza Cognitive dissonance can be hard to deal with. As in… Horses are beautiful animals— intelligent, loyal, and the stuff of legend. They’re also subjected to widespread abuse when they’re raised for the racetrack and return on investment. I have been to tracks many times, mostly as a horse lover and for the…

submitted by George Berger “I can do no other than be reverent before everything that is called life. I can do no other than to have compassion for all that is called life. That is the beginning and the foundation of all ethics.” – Albert Schweitzer

by Aura Fontaine There is strong evidence that AI rob people of a joyful life, not as a result of loss of employment, although this is a very real and pressing concern, but by decreasing the motivation for creativity and human problem-solving skills. Each of us, regardless of age or occupation, experiences joy and satisfaction…

by Burton Feinberg “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven … A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” So says the Book of Ecclesiastes. Certainly, we know times of hate and war. But after a…

by Norma Vavolizza A recent poll taken ahead of our upcoming midterm elections identified three top issues for swing voters: taxing the rich, Medicare for all, and the banning of surveillance pricing. “Banning what,” you say? It was news to me, too. But in the age of AI, not surprising. For those of us outside the loop – surveillance…

by Eric Albert My friend’s adorable grandson likes to brag that he is “four going on five.” A clear acknowledgement, a gleeful expectation of aging. But as the years go by, that happy anticipation often becomes far less pleasant. Indeed, aging sometimes fills us with discomfort, and even dread. To many, aging can be a…

by Eric Albert My mind wanders – to outer space. It doesn’t often go there. In most ways, I’m a realist: what is, is; what you see is what you get. But it seems that news programs, the internet, and newspaper and magazine articles are more and more exploring the possibility of other worlds, new…

by Paul Hope The essence of a society is its membership. How do we define membership? What commitments do members make to themselves and to each other? Some religions extend membership primarily to the offspring and converted spouses of current members, creating what is called an “ethnoreligion,” or a group whose religious and ethnic identity…