Dance of the Porcupines

Dance of the Porcupines

Collective nouns are one of the most delightful components of the English language. A collective noun is a word that describes a group of something: a herd of elephants, a pack of wolves, a gaggle of geese, a choir of singers.  We hear those examples rather...
Plastic Love

Plastic Love

For 43 years, Ken and Barbie were the perfect polyurethane couple.  Sure, four decades is a mind-numbingly long time to go steady.  But everybody assumed that Ken would ultimately get his act together and pop the question. Then suddenly, in 2004,...
Gentle Starts, Soft Landings

Gentle Starts, Soft Landings

The military readiness of America’s armed forces is described by the Defense Readiness Condition, better known as the DEFCON scale.In 1959, as military and political leaders grew increasingly anxious about the potential dangers of the Cold War, it seemed wise to craft...
You Poor Thing

You Poor Thing

When it comes to love relationships, our culture assumes that big moments are a big deal.That’s what we see on the screen. Humphrey Bogart tenderly wraps his arms around a weepy Ingrid Bergman and she surrenders her heart.   A real man ought to embrace...