Musings 03/26/23
My father who had to quit school to help care for his blind brother when they were orphaned used to say to us when we were growing up, “You may wind up being smarter than me, but I know more than you.” Views: 303
You’ve Been Played
When we were kids, one of the most demeaning experiences you could go through was “being played.” “Being played” means being fooled, being “chumped,” or someone taking advantage of you. It often involves someone that you trust. It was even worse than people snapping and joking about your mother or family. But those were situations
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More Than A Dreamer
It was a typical Thursday, April 4, 1968. That evening was no different than any other weekday in 1968. I was 12 years old and enrolled in a school program for intelligent and gifted children whose existence acknowledged what should have been obvious, Black and Puerto Rican kids are smart too. Unfortunately, what came along
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Don’t Change That Channel
I am approaching the 4th anniversary of my retirement, and I have been grappling with something for the past two years. Finally, it was not easy, but I have come to terms with this situation. I have accepted the fact that I am a “Novoleiro.” But, you say, what is a Novoleiro? A Novoleiro is
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Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
Lions, and tigers, and bears, Oh my! It’s that time of year again, and in the spirit of Halloween, the Republican Party has trotted out its tired but successful bag of frightening tricks just in time for Election Day. The menu items very rarely change. The themes are always the same. Let’s scare the ****
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Red Light, Green Light 1,2,3
The current hatred and disdain for immigrants displayed by those that are anti-immigration is not a new situation. Immigration has been one of the most rancorous political issues in American politics. The saddest part is that many of the arguments made by anti-immigration people are misinformed, disingenuous, or hypocritical. “Give me your tired, your poor,
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Motown Forever
I am the proud owner of over 30,000 songs in my digital library. I acquired this collection over 55 years, with genres ranging from Acapella to Zydeco. I have spent countless hours listening to artists ranging from A-Ha to Warren Zevon. After a lifetime of listening to music, today, I still worship at the altar
You’ve Got A Friend?
One of my favorite quotations is from Harper Lee, who wrote: “To Kill A Mockingbird.” She said, “you can choose your friends, but you sho’ can’t choose your family, and they’re still kin to you no matter whether you acknowledge them or not, and it makes you look right silly when you don’t.” Political parties
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The Numbers Game
As a young boy and through my early 20s, I was as devoted a sports fan as you could find. I could break down rosters and spit out baseball, football, hockey, and basketball statistics as easily as reciting the multiplication X table. As years ticked off and adult responsibilities confronted me, I began to distance
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (When You Want It)
Disclaimer: This article does not support the promotion of gun use. It was mid-November 1965 and the perfect time to start lobbying for what I wanted for Christmas. It was more than one month after my birthday and before my mother and father made their bedroom “Fort Knox “secure. That’s where they kept all the
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