J. Davy Crockett III

You'll never meet an "average" person. Oh sure, someone might be referred to as "average", but no one ever sees himself as average. Every person is unique.  Certainly, there are some commonalities, but each human being is made up of the genetic hand he or she has been dealt, along with life's experiences, environment, culture, religion. etc. Some individuals excel in life and stand out, others live their lives in "quiet desperation" as spoken of by the poet Thoreau.

Recently, the digital world of cyber space was rocked by the latest offering from Apple, as Steven Jobs, the legendary founder of this iconic company, unveiled the new tablet computer called the iPad.

Have you noticed that some words fairly drip with intensity and descriptiveness? Even the very sounds of these words help convey their meaning. You know the kind I mean. Words like snap, boom, sizzle, or fizzle, words like expunge, lunge, whack, and whirl. Interesting, you might say, but not very significant. Yet, words do have an impact.

As a news hound, that is, one who follows what is happening on the world scene, I am often struck by the lack of civility in political discourse, news reporting and in daily interaction between people in all walks of life. There is a strident tone, a hard edge in many—if not most—exchanges that involve differences of opinion. Whether it is on the floor of Congress, in the chambers of Parliament, in countries large and small, contention seems to be the spirit of the times.

The sounds, the smells, the colorful lights and decorations; folks being thoughtful and remembering the poor, good feelings all around; what could possibly be wrong with any of this? Short days, cold, long nights can use some brightening up and some cheerful activities, so "Just leave me alone" the devotees to Christmas might say to those who decry the celebrations of the season.