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…

by Norma Vavolizza Here’s an interesting statistic: 85% of all fire departments in the U.S. are either entirely or mostly volunteer, and they often operate on very modest budgets. That’s according to the National Volunteer Fire Council. Also interesting to note: private equity firms are buying up companies that produce things that fire departments need.…