Author: Jim Richardson

Now that the Supreme Court has decided that same-sex couples can also enjoy the rights and benefits and responsibilities of marriage, some of the far religious right seems to have resorted to the same tactics used by a stubborn toddler at the dinner table who refuses to eat peas. I empathize with those who are… Continue reading Gay Marriage

Even though I’m a son of the South, born and bred, and normally quite proud of that fact, I do admit that there are often things that good ole boys from the south do that embarrass me no end. Waving the confederate flag around and wishing for the “good old days” is one of those… Continue reading The Brouhaha concerning the Confederate Flag

A lot of the press seems to be in a hoo-ha over the controversy surrounding Dr. Oz. I’ve never trusted the guy, and in fact have put him in the same category as those loud mouth late-night shills that try to sell you miracle polishing cloths for your car, or those funky exercise things that… Continue reading Dr. Oz – what I want to know

Today, Ted Cruz announced his candidacy for President. It’s no secret that I tend to be a bit more liberal than those who might support Mr. Cruz, but I do try and be somewhat objective when I look at the field of people who want to be our next leader.   It strikes me somewhat… Continue reading And so it begins

Throughout much of 2014, the news has been dominated by the riots and protests generated over the death at the hands of a cop of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. These protests were exacerbated by the further deaths of Eric Garner in New York and Ezell Ford in Los Angeles. Add in the death of… Continue reading One Bad Apple

A few years ago, the company I worked for decided it might be a good thing to install a few AED devices around our campus. AED stands for Automatic External Defibrillator. If you’ve watched those TV shows with paramedics that put paddles on a person’s chest and shout “Clear!” and then shock someone, then you… Continue reading I saved a life

Ok, like most gay men today, I’ve known that I liked boys forever. Like, from first grade forever. For the most part, I don’t think a first grader actually knows what that means in a sexual manner, they just know that boys are more fun, boys are more interesting, and girls are just yucky. That… Continue reading Ask a Homo

Our world today is filled with news outlets like CNN or FOX or MSNBC that run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are so many news outlets now, that it is hard to get away from news, and all of it seems to be bad. Dominating news in just the past few… Continue reading History and Memories

I can certainly understand how many parents view the world today as a horrible place, where unsupervised children are subject to kidnap, torture, rape or murder. I think it is largely a byproduct of our 24-hour news channels, who cover the most minute of details of every crime committed anywhere, just so they can fill… Continue reading Helicopter Parenting

60 days ago, I tossed a letter on my boss’s desk as I dashed by his office on the way to the coffee pot. He looked up at me with a slightly annoyed look and inquired as to what it might be. As I retreated toward the mid-office kitchen coffee pot, I responded to him… Continue reading Retirement!

I read a really well written article by Josie Duffy this morning on GAWKER, and I couldn’t help but notice that underneath the pain a thread of hostility bubbled, just barely detectable. I am not unfamiliar with racism.  A child of the south, I grew up in a time and place where the last vestiges… Continue reading Circumstances

I had a sort of mini-epiphany the other day, probably something that I may have had years ago had I a college education with classes in philosophy. I’m sort of like The Scarecrow when it comes to education, I have no college degree, and am always thinking that maybe someone else who thinks about things,… Continue reading Regular People