Is the oft heard complaint that the US government is too big valid? No and yes. Some parts are too big; some parts are too small, measured by my values and the priorities I favor. — When one considers the merits of the thesis that the United States government is too big, its relativity is apparent. The United States of America is the fourth largest of the world’s 135 countries in square miles or kilometers.¹ It is the third most populous country in the world.² Its…

It seems to be working. Sit less. Move more. Elevate legs often. The other guesses I tried didn’t succeed. — For months, my needing frequent and long daily naps put me way behind accomplishing anything, including getting Medium essays and articles written. I’d nap from three to five times per day, including after every meal, each nap lasting from nearly an hour to more than three hours. I think I…

In my 20s AND 30s, I worked a lot of minimum-wage, dead-end jobs. Even after subtracting on the job time, commuting time, sleeping time, routines of daily life time, and time for hobbies, entertainment, and socializing, I was able to contribute quite a few hours per month to one or…

And why I’m moving most of my HubPages articles, edited and updated, to Medium — Like Medium, HubPages provides a web platform for posting articles on various topics plus runs a suite of publications (a.k.a. niche sites), each of which publishes articles that fit its purpose and meet its standards. At one time (long before Medium), HubPages was the most successful such site on the…

As I neared, attained, and lived adulthood, I didn’t so much disregard, or rebel against, the rules and mores I learned in childhood as reinterpret them. — I was in the Cub Scouts when I was aged 8, 9, and 10. I was in the Boy Scouts when I was aged 11, 12, and 13. I was in the Explorer Scouts when I was aged 14 and 15. Early in those scouting years, I memorized the Scout…

“The times they are a-changin’” — Since autumn 2018, at her invitation, I’ve been living at the Bainbridge Island, Washington, home of my niece Lura. I voluntarily pay rent proportionate to my means to use a detached guest bedroom with a half-bath. Lura’s son Andrew has his living quarters in the garage. He is currently on…

This anecdote began as an attempt to respond to the article “What To Do When 60% Of 12 Year Olds Can’t Read Or Write” by Joy Stevens. The Medium system refused to post my response and insisted that I turn it into a Story. So, I sent just a short paragraph of praise as my response to Joy’s article. The rest of my response is below. — In the fall of 1967, I was a substitute teacher in Chicago. I had a 1964 BA in English, and I had taken and was taking night school education classes. I was in charge full-time of a 7th grade class while the regular teacher wasn’t working, for I forget what…

with a personal reflection: “Everyone Needs a ‘Why’?” — Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek is a thought-provoking and inspiring 2009 book. …

Type 1: The Perfectionist A type 1 needs to always be right. The type 1 cat shown below is demonstrating the right way to hide.