Help save environment and a few bucks, too

July 9, 2023

My husband and I stood for quite awhile outside the gorilla enclosure at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park during our visit there last month. We were fascinated by members of the gorilla troop’s interactions with one another. Six-year-old Leslie, the youngest, was especially entertaining as she scrambled through the large green and rocky setting, swatting at another young female, Joanne, with a tree branch and hiding in a hammock to further taunt her. As Leslie darted throughout the enclosure, she also whipped a blanket that a safari park volunteer said belonged to the youngster’s ...

‘Caving in’ was among our best decisions ever

July 2, 2023

It was 14 years ago when my husband and I planned a weekend trip to New York City, and my parents eagerly agreed to keep our sons while we were gone. We drove the kids to western Pennsylvania to drop them off at the home where I grew up. At the time, my dad’s beagle had recently ...

Revisiting dangers of spread of ‘fake news’

June 18, 2023

“Fake news” remains the battle cry against mainstream media, particularly, I suspect, by those who either aren’t daily consumers of news or by readers or sources who don’t particularly like unflattering news reports. Such reactions aren’t new. I remember them occurring decades ago when I was still a cub reporter. But the term “fake news” is relatively new, coined and made popular by former President Donald Trump. Also new, relatively speaking, is the way in which actual fake news stories — the kind that aren’t reported by reputable news sources, that is — spread ...

Prince’s lawsuit questions media’s methods

June 11, 2023

I often have conversations with well-meaning callers offering news tips they believe could lead to a good investigative story about someone they think is doing something, well, shady. Sometimes I might agree. But sharing a story with the public requires so much more than just a news tip or a hunch. It requires independent verification and conversations (or honest attempts at conversations) with all parties involved. What “tipsters” often don’t understand is journalists, unlike law enforcement, do not have subpoena power. We can request information from private people or ...

Is AI future closer than originally thought?

June 4, 2023

I was in high school when “The Terminator” movie was released. I didn’t go to the theater to see the movie. I’m not a fan of action movies nor science fiction. Years later, when I was dating the man I eventually would marry, we were switching around TV stations in search of something good to watch when, suddenly, there it was. The minute I heard the excitement my then-boyfriend exuded about “The Terminator,” I knew immediately what I’d be watching for the next two hours. If you’ve never seen it, the Terminator is a “Cyborg assassin” disguised as a human ...

Reflect, respect heroes we’ve lost this Memorial Day

May 28, 2023

Monday is Memorial Day, a day that many Americans think of largely as the start of summer. The weather forecast is beautiful, and now that we have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, we once again will be able to participate in large gatherings like local parades and picnics, along with ...