Author Archives: Jim

Tough love for unions

Posted on March 29, 2015 by Jim

Unions are commemorating the 104th anniversary of a tragic factory fire that triggered an historic campaign for workplace safety. It’s a reminder that organized labor deserves credit for much of the workplace progress of the 20th century – and how … Continue reading →

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Confessions of a weather snob

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Jim

Albuquerque got an unusual six inches of snow last night. The skiers are ecstatic, the city is paralyzed and I get to annoy my neighbors once again with tales of my hometown of Chicago. Yes, I’m a weather snob. While … Continue reading →

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From the ringing briefcase to the iPhone

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Jim

I finally broke down and got an iPhone a year ago. I carry it when I’m out and about, but most of the time it sits on the kitchen counter. Some days I don’t use it all because my retirement … Continue reading →

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Internet history: when the modem played polka music

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Jim

It’s easy to take the Internet for granted. I keep in touch with friends on Facebook and check random facts online the moment a question pops into my head. My generation may be among the last to remember what life … Continue reading →

Posted in Idle Ruminations | 2 Comments

Remembering computers in the Stone Age

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Jim

I don’t think about my computer, at least not consciously, because it’s integrated into my life almost seamlessly: my calendar, checkbook, photo album, newspaper. Best of all, it’s an extension of my mind that allows me to express myself almost … Continue reading →

Posted in Idle Ruminations | 6 Comments

Veterans Day and Chicken Marengo

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Jim

On this Veterans Day, I bypassed the free meals many restaurants offer to veterans and instead made my favorite Veterans’ Day feast: Chicken Marengo. Chicken Marengo illustrates one of the best qualities of servicemen everywhere: the ability to improvise, adapt … Continue reading →

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Where’s Adlai when we need him?

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Jim

I turned off the TV after the fourth negative political ad in two minutes and thought of Adlai Stevenson. Not many people still remember him: He died in 1965 after serving as governor of Illinois, running for president unsuccessfully in … Continue reading →

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When cops are Rambo and soldiers are Barney Fife

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Jim

One positive outcome of the race riots in Ferguson, MO, may be a fresh look at the over-militarization of law enforcement. It’s about time. Deployment of SWAT teams by local police departments has been increasing for decades, often unnecessarily and … Continue reading →

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Neither Catholic nor Jewish

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Jim

I grew up as a member of a religious minority: a Protestant in a Catholic neighborhood. In those days the Austin neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side was mostly Irish. Although my family claims Scottish ancestry on my father’s side, our … Continue reading →

Posted in Idle Ruminations | 2 Comments

Confessions of a home improvement addict

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Jim

I live in an ideal location: five minutes from Home Depot. Even though my house in Albuquerque is not a fixer-upper, I just refinished the faux-Spanish exterior woodwork, am preparing to paint the garage doors and have done lots of … Continue reading →

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