In my new home, I have Robins again but not Cardinals. I have new birds like Night Herons and Brown Thrashers. And still have Blue Jays and Grackles and sparrows.

If interstellar alien species do live on or visit Earth, my speculation is that they are from a hotter planet and are waiting patiently for us to terraform our planet for them. Hopefully they at least give us a thank you.

When I rescue a wasp from inside the house and set it free outside, I always enjoy feeling the kick as it pushes off from the glass and flys up into the sky.

I always encouraged spiders in my life and home, but as I prepare to move, I see that the bottom of all my furniture is full of spider eggs and cobwebs.

Weird to think my father almost became a child soldier. Born in Germany the same year Hitler came to power, they came to collect him to fight the Americans, but my grandmother chased them off. The Americans came too quickly for the Gestapo to get involved. Of course my Dad never told me this.

Didn't talk until I was 5, or at least I was told. I don't remember it, but it does allow me to date certain childhood memories, like my obsession with drawing telephone poles. I saw faces in them. One road were Archie characters. My parents forbade me to draw them. I still remember 50 years later.

Iris Chang was a good friend of mine from college, and I'm remembering her today and how I read about her death on Google News 20 years ago. I miss her. May the light of God shine upon her.

For "I Claudius" fans, we have passed from King Log to King Stork. Hopefully Britannicus' prediction is wrong that the Republic is not coming back

Nothing makes me doubt reality as I see it more than when I am the only one driving forward when the traffic light turns green.

Just deleted Twitter and thought I'd introduce myself. I am about to complete writing my first book and have a day job. I'm in the midst of a move that will take some time, so don't expect to hear from me much for a while.