Category Archives: Idle Ruminations

The Confederates are back

Posted on February 17, 2025 by Jim

I’ve been a Civil War buff for years. I spent childhood summers with grandparents in Corinth, MS, visited the Shiloh battlefield and briefly wore a Confederate cap as a kid. Since I retired to New Mexico I’ve enjoyed reading about … Continue reading →

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DEI’s out. Now what?

Posted on February 4, 2025 by Jim

With the stroke of a pen, President Trump wiped out a massive government bureaucracy that promoted diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Even more important, he rescinded President Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 executive order establishing affirmative action programs for hiring and promotion.  … Continue reading →

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Government goes up in smoke

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Jim

Watching Los Angeles burn on live television, dismaying as this is, may be a turning point. What we’re seeing is not just a wildfire, but a century of trust in government going up in smoke. Most of us grew up … Continue reading →

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Disruption comes to Washington

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Jim

Watching the transition to President-elect Trump’s second term is shaping up to be my favorite spectator sport. Trump was elected on the promise to clean up the federal government and, true to form, is appointing cabinet members who promise to … Continue reading →

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My new ride is a technology trip

Posted on January 1, 2024 by Jim

Buying a new car used to be an exhilarating experience: gleaming metal, that new-car smell and the sensation of commanding a more capable machine. I’m finding it a little more complicated. My first new car in 17 years is an … Continue reading →

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The old headquarters building

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Jim

They’re renovating the building where I spent most of my career. The former Illinois Bell Telephone headquarters in downtown Chicago was sold some years ago. It’s about to re-emerge as an updated office tower and just landed a law firm … Continue reading →

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Communicating during a strike

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Jim

In 1968 I celebrated Labor Day in the middle of a strike. I was hired by Illinois Bell Telephone’s public relations department when I got out of the Navy in April of that year, shortly after a five-month strike began. … Continue reading →

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The drama of the HOA

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Jim

I joined a growing trend three years ago when I sold my sprawling house in Albuquerque and built a smaller home in an active-adult community in nearby Los Lunas. Folks my age are living longer than previous generations and active-adult … Continue reading →

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The hidden promise of artificial intelligence

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Jim

Futurists and science-fiction writers have been warning us about artificial intelligence for years. Movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey advanced the notion that computers eventually will be smarter than we are and ultimately will take over. Open the pod bay doors, Hal. … Continue reading →

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St. Pat’s in the desert

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Jim

One of the few things I miss about my hometown of Chicago is St. Patrick’s Day. Even though my ancestry is Scottish and Hungarian, every Chicagoan is Irish on St Pat’s Day and that’s what makes it special.  Not that … Continue reading →

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