Author Archives: Jim

January at the gym

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Jim

It’s the first week in January and I am delighted that the gym in my over-55 community is not crowded.  I’m not a big fitness buff, mind you. Fitness, yes; buff, hardly. I began hitting the gym regularly when the … Continue reading →

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Student loans: Now we’re all in debt

Posted on September 5, 2022 by Jim

The debate over President Biden’s student loan forgiveness is just what we needed: yet another divisive issue. It’s the largest unilateral spending decision by a U.S. president. I’m waiting for the pundits to praise it as a triumph of democracy. … Continue reading →

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Credibility is not rocket science

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Jim

I’ve been watching with bemusement as one American institution after another loses its credibility with the public. Fewer people believe much of what they hear from authority figures and I can’t blame them. I’m interested in this because I spent … Continue reading →

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Confessions of a recovering opinion pollster

Posted on June 20, 2022 by Jim

When I get curious about a controversial political issue (okay, that ‘s redundant) one of the first things I do is check the public opinion polls. That’s because I’m a recovering opinion pollster. One of the most satisfying jobs in my public … Continue reading →

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Turning around a local economy

Posted on April 5, 2022 by Jim

Two years ago I built a new house in an over-55 community in Los Lunas, just south of Albuquerque. Los Lunas is the fastest-growing town in New Mexico and the development is exciting to watch: new industry, hundreds of new … Continue reading →

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Russian tanks and Elvis

Posted on March 22, 2022 by Jim

Instead of listening to music in the morning, I’ve been turning on the TV to see the latest news from Ukraine. The war is compelling: horrifying and inspiring at the same time. Everyone hopes and prays for the triumph of … Continue reading →

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Don’t know much about history

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Jim

I’ve been scratching my head over the controvery about teaching critical race theory in schools. Whatever the hell critical race theory is, it’s clear that politicians want to either mandate it or ban it. I see this as an opportunity … Continue reading →

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The American dream in four walls

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Jim

I’ve always been interested in houses: fixed up a couple of old ones and built a new one last year. Home ownership has been a major factor in middle-class wealth accumulation and upward mobility in the United States and certainly … Continue reading →

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Flashback

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Jim

One of my dark-humor quips in recent years has been: I hope our government learned the lessons of Vietnam. And built an embassy in Afghanistan with enough room for multiple helicopters. That stopped being funny when I saw the TV … Continue reading →

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Lou Grant is dead

Posted on September 7, 2021 by Jim

The death of Ed Asner last week at age 91 prompted TV stations to resurrect clips of the actor’s most memorable role: Lou Grant, the crusty news editor on the Mary Tyler Moore Show from 1970 to 1977 and the Lou Grant show from … Continue reading →

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