One of the benefits of having writing as an avocation is that it allows one to vent on a variety of subjects.  In so doing, one not only shares one's thoughts but also has the opportunity to clarify them to oneself by putting them out where they can be seen.  Here's a partial view of my mental landscape – essays that have, for the most part, been composed specifically for this site.  (Some earlier essays appear in the "Essay Archives" section.)

	Why the Older Generation Is Grumpy We don't complain because that is what old folks always do but because there is good reason to be distressed.
	Children in Charge We are surrendering control to children who are out of control.  Is this the kind of society that we want for them?
	Public Education: The Downward Spiral If our dysfunctional public schools are going to improve, we need to revise our distorted views of education.
	Banks and Usury Credit cards constitute possibly the greatest scam since the snake persuaded Adam and Eve to bite into the forbidden fruit.
	Seasonal Reflections A look at some of the ways our approach to the holidays makes them less than joyful – but not the usual tirade against materialism that one might expect.
	Thanksgiving 2007 Thanksgiving is lost in Halloween-to-Christmas extravaganza.  Let's take time out for it.
	The Internet Revolution An appreciative look at one of the fastest and most influential developments in human history.
	The US Flunks High-Speed Internet The United States ranks fifteenth globally in adoption of broadband access.  This article examines the situation.
	Who's Gabbier - Men or Women? A study shatters the myth that women talk more than men do, but we wonder about something more important – Is anybody listening?
	You Called Me What? The widespread use of simplistic labels leads not only to stereotyping but also to misconceptions and discord.
	Technology Shopping Shopping for a new laptop inspires some reflections on the process of shopping for technology.
	On Teaching: A Personal View Some thoughts about the art of teaching, both in and out of the classroom.
	The Great Credit Card Scam Issuers of credit cards (i.e., banks) are ripping us all off in one of the greatest legalized scams of all time.
	Bad Business A critical look at what current business practices mean to employees and customers.
	The Good Old Days? The only thing I can say for certain about the good old days is that they are old.
	Close the Schools We propose the ultimate solution to the problems with American education.  Our tongue may be in our cheek . . . or it may not.  You decide.
	Learning to Cheat . . . and Not Much Else When "helping" kids with homework becomes "enabling," we do more harm than good.
	Creative Vocabulary On the light side, a few suggestions for additions to the English language.
	Going Digital . . . and Loving It Some information and personal experience that may be encouraging to people (especially older folks) who are afraid to try the latest technology.
	Happiness Isn't Normal A new book confirms that we curmudgeons may not be abnormal after all; the Pollyanna optimists with their unrealistic expectations are.
	Reform Our Schools -- Make Them Fun! We offer some modest proposals for making schools "funner" – as some students want them to be.
	The Intelligent Design Debate We advance the idea that scientific views and religious views need not be incompatible.
	Webshots We recommend a great site if you're interested in downloading photos or in sharing your own photos with friends (are the public).
	Merry Whatever The debate about whether to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" is much ado about nothing of significance.
	Christmas Thoughts - Fragments A holiday essay somehow wouldn't shape up, but I preserved a few thoughts anyway.
	Reviving Thanksgiving We suggest that Thanksgiving should be more a day in its own right and less a kickoff for the orgy of conspicuous consumption.
	The Demise of Responsibility A critical look at a society in which every man is an island, and nobody is accountable for anything.
	The Spoiled Generations What's most amazing in a world of technological marvels is that we are no longer amazed, rarely satisfied, and never grateful.
	Thoughts of War #2 - Thirty Months Later In a follow-up to an April 2, 2003, article, I reflect again on the hazards of seeking simplistic solutions to complex problems.
	High-Speed Internet: Our Country Falls Behind It is time for our nation's leaders to recognize the importance of high-speed Internet and to take steps to promote widespread deployment.
	A History of Advertising in the Year 2020 In the year 2020, we recount the history of Advertising from its early years, through the Great Crash (when it was nearly abolished), to the Great Awakening (when it came to be not just a medium but a way of life).
	Life's Lesson Book The author may never have had a wise thought in his life, but he has had the good fortune of knowing people who have.  These are some of those thoughts.
	Kindness to Animals The curmudgeon, who views humanity in a less-than-flattering light, believes that treating other species humanely may ennoble us.
	Could We Have Some English, Please? The case for demanding that people who come to live in the United States be able to speak the English language.
	On Revising and Editing Not how to revise and edit but why it is important for correctness, understandability, and style.
	Why Johnny and Jane Can't Read - Part 3 The third and final essay in this series suggests some of the general steps that may be taken to teach Johnny (and Jane) how to write.
	In Search of Quiet A reflection on the effects of noise and the blessings of quiet.
	Years of Purposeful Sloth As life starts to wind down, I start to wind up.
	Our Complicated Lives An old poop, who loves his technological toys, still finds fault with how complex life's "conveniences" have become.
	Embrace Cluelessness Contrary to everything I've been taught, I reflect on the value of realizing that I know almost nothing for certain.
	Why Johnny (and Jane) Can't Write - Part 2 This part of the series endeavors to explain why writing is important.
	Writing to Think The writing process starts with thinking, but sometimes we must write to discover what we are thinking.
	The Great Pronoun Debate When the antecedent is a singular person of undefined gender, the pronoun he is "sexist," and they is grammatically incorrect.  What are we to do?  This essay proposes an answer.
	Conspicuous Consumption More than 100 years after Thorsten Veblen coined the phrase "conspicuous consumption," we consider this phenomenon in an increasingly affluent society.
	Why Johnny (and Jane) Can't Write - Part 1 First of several parts, discussing the issue of literacy (with respect to writing) in our nation's schools and colleges.
	When Disaster Strikes Thoughts inspired by the tsunami that struck Asia on Dec. 26, 2004.
	A New Year's Reflection on Life As we approach a new year, I consider some of the lessons learned from wise men and women whom I've had the good fortune to know.
	A Reflection on the Holidays A look at how to maintain balance when our heads are saying, "'Tis the season to be frantic."
	How Prescriptive Should Grammar Be? An attempt to bridge the gap between an authoritarian view of grammar (in which rules are sacred) and a democratic view (in which usage determines the rules).
	Animal People A discourse on what it means to be an "animal person," containing some anecdotes about critters I have known.
	Learn . . . or Leave Why schools should summarily expel troublemakers and, yes, slothful students as well.
	Sweating the Small Stuff How and why, in the quest for a serene and tranquil life, I have become insane.
	An Agnostic's Faith This essay presents the paradox that disbelief constitutes a kind of belief and that the agnostic is as much engaged in a spiritual journey as is the true believer.
	Challenge: An Educational Dilemma An exploration of the question:  How do we compromise between lowering standards so that we can meet the less able students "where we find them" and maintaining standards that challenge even the most able students?
	The "Diversity" Facade Presenting the opinion that what is called "diversity" is in fact the promotion of practices that are dangerous, deleterious, and discriminatory.
	Searching the Web The curmudgeon is mystified by why students can't locate simple facts, and he suggests how they might.
	Every Writer Should Choose His Pronouns Carefully Why the use of "he or she," "him or her," and "his or her" is misguided and why we need to reinstate "he," "him," and "his" as gender-neutral pronouns – an essay that will offend those who want to "liberate" language from sexism.
	Fast-Forward Everybody seems to be on the run.  This essay takes a sardonic look at our frenetic lifestyle.
	The Function of Grammar An essay stating why grammar is important, what purpose it serves, and why the "anti-grammarians" are a threat to civilization.
	The Great Self-Service Boondoggle Based on a column by Ellen Goodman, some reflections on what self-service means to us – and to the people whose jobs we are doing (free of charge).
	Customer Disservice American businesses give us, the customers, a choice between bad service and worse service.  This essay discusses what we might do to stem the tide of "cynical, customer-be-damned business practices.
	Grammar: Why? A dialogue between the Grammar Curmudgeon and the Linguistic Anarchist, in which the Curmudgeon attempts to explain why "proper" English is important.
	Thoughts of War My view of the war in Iraq, in which I firmly resolve not to take a position except to assail those who are firmly taking positions.
	The "Liberation" of Language An essay observing a trend toward "linguistic anarchy" in which whim and ignorance promote substandard usage and thus sabotage the basis of and reason for language.
	The End Justifies the Means An ironic look at cheating among today's students (often enabled by adults who should know better), wherein the end justifies the means.
	Like, I'm Getting Tired of It, Y'know A lighthearted look at a word without which many people would be struck dumb.
	Five Thousand Words or You Die The case for concise writing, inspired by my students' amazing ability to say in 500 words what could be said in 50.
	Inner Sense An inspirational piece about the experience of recapturing the innocence (inner sense) of the holidays.
	In Defense of Solitude A meditation on why, even though we are "social animals," we need to spend time alone.
	The Necessity of Reflection Some thoughts about the importance of taking the time to think in a world that offers little time to do so.
	September 11, 2001 Composed a few weeks after the attack on the Trade Center, this essay tries to express the inexpressible.

See the "Essay Archives" section for additional essays.

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