A Life-long Love for Space Travel

There is not much I find heartening these days, what with a needless war, a president whose Easter “greeting” was to use the F-bomb in a demented post, gasoline prices skyrocketing, and a feeling of dread that is hard to shake. One of my first thoughts each morning, besides “Man, I really need to pee,” is “What fresh hell awaits us this morning?” As I told a friend the other day, when I think it could not get any worse, it does. I do count my many blessings — good health and a loving family are highest on the list. What I find truly special lately is the Artemis II mission, which...

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A Shoplifting Epidemic, and a Postcard to Democracy

PHILADELPHIA — The City of Brotherly Love also seems to be the City of Light-Fingered Gloves. Walk into almost any pharmacy, and you'll see expensive items locked up. Customers must press a button on each display to summon an employee with a key to retrieve, for example, a bottle of Tylenol. My Beautiful Mystery Companion and I noticed this on a recent visit to an academic conference where we both gave presentations. We had just left the famous Reading Terminal Market, one of the country’s oldest and largest public markets. It’s a great place to stroll and enjoy locally sourced produce,...

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