steinharterm

4 dogs

The above photo is of my wife (thankfully she never reads my blog so won’t yell at me for posting her photo) and two of our four dogs. During Thanksgiving we adopted a new pup, Gracie. She’s the black and white one – maybe some corgi, maybe some jack russell, who knows, who cares. SheContinue reading “4 dogs”

What is conservatism?

I was speaking with a friend of mine (who is still a friend) who asserted that he was planning to vote for Donald Trump “because he’s a conservative.” I decided not to explore what he meant by that but I ponder it now, assisted by Heather Cox Richardson’s book “Democracy Awakening: Notes on the StateContinue reading “What is conservatism?”

Why people vote for Trump

I am not voting for Donald Trump for President. I didn’t last time and wouldn’t consider it this time, for many reasons. I like nothing about this man. My reasons for not voting for Trump are not the subject of this post, however. I do know people who are voting for him and so IContinue reading “Why people vote for Trump”

Finally!

I turned 65 last month. I am now eligible for Medicare. Rather than being depressed about aging, I am thrilled. I cancelled my $1400/month Obamacare bill from Connecticare and signed up for medicare immediately. It’s crazy that in this country you have to wait until you are 65 to get reasonably priced (certainly not free)Continue reading “Finally!”

I think she’ll win

I read an article in the Economist recently about how Kamala Harris is an excellent candidate, but questioned whether she can govern well. It worried over her experience with international affairs, her track record with the economy and immigration, etc. I have thought about this and there are some valid points. I then thought someContinue reading “I think she’ll win”

Best Retirement Gig Ever

My youngest child is an outdoors-minded kid. Actually, all of my four children love the outdoors, which is rewarding for us all, but this one is ALWAYS outdoors. He’s not had an indoor job since he graduated from college (is that an indoor job?). Like everyone in my family, he loves Maine, especially the littleContinue reading “Best Retirement Gig Ever”

He’s just so grumpy

There are many reasons not to admire (much less vote for) Donald Trump. He lies – about everything, apparently. He’s pretty clearly racist. He’s all about himself, to the point of being more of a mob boss than a politician. He basically is a cult leader, giving “permission” to so many people who don’t careContinue reading “He’s just so grumpy”

Doing the right thing

The book I am reading now is An Unfinished Love Story, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. She must be one of my favorite authors and this is her latest book. It is a ‘personal history of the 1960s’ in the USA, based on her own experiences and particularly those of her husband Dick Goodwin, who wasContinue reading “Doing the right thing”

Feed my empty heart

These are a few words from the latest book I am reading, Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It’s a beautiful book, and in the chapter I am on now she reminisces about how empty her heart felt when her daughters went off to college, and she tried to avoid coming home to an emptyContinue reading “Feed my empty heart”

Cuba

This is my second post in a row inspired by an extraordinary book. This book is Cuba: An American History, by Ada Ferrer. Ferrer is a professor at NYU and is Cuban. This book taught me more than I have ever learned about this island. It is a lively read, great stories about the personalities,Continue reading “Cuba”