Author Archives: Denise Donaldson

“Off the deep end,” is an apt description for much of life in this third decade of the 21st century.  Actions and behavior that would have been unacceptable in polite society fifty years ago — or even earned one a stint in a mental health facility — have become normalized these days, to one extentContinue reading “The Craziness Spectrum”

There are probably a server farm’s worth of bytes floating around out there now about the incident in Hollywood a week ago (for reference, see any news or gossip outlet).  The bottom-line fact of the matter is that a famous, wealthy man perpetrated violence on another man as the whole world looked on, and thusContinue reading “Our Violent Culture”

Aldous Huxley was right, even from the perspective of ninety years ago.  He understood how governments work, and Brave New World was a masterpiece delineating his perceptions.  In his fictional realm, soma was the drug of choice, a heavy-duty hallucinogen with no adverse side effects, save that some people desired to disappear permanently into imaginaryContinue reading “Bread, Circuses, and Metaverse”

During a nine-day period over the holidays, Los Angeles police officers shot six people, killing five, including 14-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta.  None of those people had a gun; most were doing nothing provocative; Ms. Orellana-Peralta was hiding in a dressing room.  In response to this carnage, the cry from the left comes:  “Defund the police!”  Now,Continue reading “The Message IS the Message”

Dear God, How Did We Get Here? Representative Massie family Christmas photo I’m not a conventionally religious person.  In fact, I don’t consider myself religious at all, but rather, I think of myself as spiritual, with an idiosyncratic set of beliefs based on my life experience.  One of those convictions is that, in a vaguelyContinue reading “A Question…”

In December, 1994, we signed the loan papers to buy our house.  It had been a bumpy road to get that loan.  When I’d called our bank, the loan officer there had asked a few screening questions.  Yes, we had steady jobs.  No, we weren’t deep in debt.  I hit a brick wall when heContinue reading “Too Poor, and not Poor Enough”

Although Thanksgiving is not strictly an American holiday (some 15 other nations celebrate a “gratitude” tradition in one way or another), still, the date and circumstances of the Pilgrims’ first observation are, of course, unique to our nation.  It is indeed fitting that we take a day to show appreciation for family and friends, alongContinue reading “The American Way [?]”

I guess it’s somewhat comforting that Congressman Paul Gosar was censured for posting an animated cartoon online showing a character attempting to kill Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and swinging two swords at President Biden.  I mean, that’s one small victory for civility, anyway, although it rings just a bit hollow when his fellow Republicans (with twoContinue reading “Where Does It End?”

Last Thursday, November 4, 2021, the paper of record headlined its issue by lamenting the “surprising” losses that the Dems suffered in the Tuesday elections.  Evidently, the blue party hadn’t expected to lose the governorship of Virginia, along with several significant down-ballot races.  Alarm bells are already ringing about next year’s midterms, they said.  MyContinue reading “What They Deserve”

If you’re not an animal person, nothing in this post will resonate with you.  However, if you’ve ever had the honor and privilege of caring for a beloved companion of any species or breed, you will have seen more than one example of the story I’m about to relate. Marko came to us purely byContinue reading “An Indomitable Spirit”