Dear Friend and Reader: There is an idea going around that the economic crisis is the result of the misconduct of markets, banks and financial institutions, and that the solution will come from the government providing relief or taking action. Like all lies, there is an element of truth here. Banks have been reckless. Enormous, … Read more
Imagine you’re sitting in a restaurant with a group of your friends, and a discussion about a potentially sensitive subject comes up. A few of your friends express their views, and you decide to take a turn, something you don’t usually do. You speak your mind and the room goes chilly. There are stares in … Read more
Dear Friend and Reader: When I get into a habit of staying in my photo studio, I’m isolated from television (and surrounded by art), and somehow my life is different. Besides not being blasted with advertising, I am relieved of the burden of a non-stop barrage of that which is supposed to scare me, for … Read more
By Eric Francis Aries (March 20-April 19) The sad truth is that most people will act not based on what they want or what they think is right, but on the supposition of what they think their friends might think. You can afford to stay centered on your own values, or your own message to … Read more
Dear Friend and Reader: In the late Sixties, shortly after the last series of Saturn-Uranus oppositions, a song called “The Weight” was included on the first album by The Band. Though it got plenty of airplay in its first years, it was never top-40 a hit for the original artists in the United States. But … Read more