Mazda North American Operations P.O. Box 19734 Irvine, CA 92623-9734 Attn: Customer Assistance Center January 10, 2011 Dear Mazda- My 1995 Mazda 626 (DX) just hit 300,000 miles and all I can say is, “Thank you for such a fantastic car!” When I originally purchased this car in Lincoln, Nebraska, I had no idea […]
Freedom, in the modern American teenager vernacular, came to me 20 years ago. By freedom I mean, of course, high school graduation. Finally, my own man…FOR REAL! Well, at least sort of. I can almost recall the elation at the prospects which lay before me. I had plans…and alternate plans too…one way or another, things […]
It is a well known myth that while fires destroyed the great city of Rome, the emporer Nero sat on his rooftop playing his lyre and watching the flames engulf the heart of his empire. Whether true or not, the image persists and the popular saying “Nero fiddled while Rome burned” is readily applied to […]
I haven’t read a newspaper, perused a blog entry, watched TV news, or listened to any talk radio since August 30th. I have little to no idea about what has been happening in Iraq, Congress, or around the world. For me, it’s almost as if time stopped two and a half weeks ago, and ever […]
Sometimes, in our collective efforts to expose all that is wrong with the world, our country, and our government in particular, we lose sight of all that is right. This past weekend, I was reminded in many subtle and some not so subtle ways that despite the problems facing us globally, beyond the morass of […]
At one of my favorite websites, Bring It On, I have recently been privileged to have heard the thoughts and experiences of some wonderful women on the topic of abortion. Pia, Miz Bohemia, and Shayna have all written brilliant and touching essays on the subject. I thank them for their candor and bravery in sharing […]
As the father of a young child, I am often dismayed at what passes for family entertainment these days, at least insofar as the mass media is concerned. Finding television shows that are not laced with violence, gratuitous sexual innuendo, foul language or rude behavior is almost impossible. Listening to the radio in the car […]
Every week, I receive a handful of solicitations in my mailbox from organizations seeking a donation. They send me pre-printed address labels, greeting cards, calendars, and other assorted goodies in an effort to guilt me into sending them some money. And several times a month, I get phone calls from other organizations asking for a […]
It is not an understatement to say that raising children is the most important job most of us will ever have. More than just making sure our kids survive to adulthood and beyond, the task of raising children to become responsible citizens has a direct, cumulative effect on the state of our societies. If we […]
