A New Year Request Mel Goldberg The new year says, “Stop wishing for peace.” And I understand that the act of not killing each other is as easy as making coffee and pouring it in to a mug, and we could have had it if we wanted it enough to make it happen. The new

We were in a 36-foot LCVP, Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel, about a mile from a beautiful island, Okinawa, in the dark blue water of the Pacific Ocean. The LCVP was tied up to the side of an APA, a 492-foot Auxiliary Personnel Attack ship. An APA can transport 1500 troops and all of their military devices necessary

Shortly after WW2 the Cold War with the Soviet Union began. A key factor for the USA and other western nations in keeping abreast of what was going on in the Eastern Bloc countries was the use of very sensitive radios. These radios were used for electronic intercept (ELINT), signal intercept (SIGINT), communication intercept (COMINT),

Listen to the Nightbirds Sing The thirteenth-century Sufi poet Rumi knows what is required of us at this holiday season: No more words…Stay quiet like a flower.So the nightbirds will start singing. The nightbirds – a symbol of our deeper self; that which understands even beyond our conscious being, that there is more to our

My new neighbor likes to cook. I do not. She also likes me. That combination makes me the frequent recipient of Nancy’s culinary gifts delivered in decorated bowls and colorful baskets. The other day she appeared at my door with two hot-out-of-the-oven herbed biscuits on a plate painted with roses, and a large container of

My closet rattles. One door is slightly ajar. Something is being batted about on the floor inside. A paw is visible now and then when it comes close to the bottom edge of the door. Once a nose with white whiskers peeks out, then shoots back in like a jack-in-the-box. My tiny new kitten was

The azaleas were in voluptuous, vibrant purple bloom. Roses nodded heavy heads of scarlet and pink, glossy green leaves set off the rosy colors. Melissa traipsed around the garden, marveling at how well her ornamental flowers were doing this year. Her intense attention to prevention of mold and insect infestation was finally reaping rewards. Her