The essays in this “blog” are the result of a lifetime of observation. For a long time now I’ve been probing the arguments for this or that position vis-a-vis the issues of our time – looking for the essential points, the critical “levers” upon which arguments turned. Eventually I began to see the issues in ways that weren’t being expressed. So I started writing down my thoughts, and now – in my retirement years – I’m electing to share them with whomever might be inclined to read them. These essays, for the most part, address topics that are not “topical”—that is, that are not grounded in the events of the day, or even of the year. I’m not trying to contribute to the vicious cut and thrust of today’s political, social, religious, cultural controversies. I want to dig into the deeper, more long-term aspects of issues that will not be resolved and will not go away. I want to share my thoughts with people who think, and maybe get some intelligent conversation going.