Photo Galleries
A Year of Photographs
Charles Cottle — I have had an interest in photography for many years. Although a few of my friends have known of this interest, most of the people I have known were unaware. About the end of June, 2020 I began thinking about this and decided to send about twenty of my friends a photo taken by me every day. As I was then 74 years old, I thought it was time for my friends to know a little more about me before I passed on. I decided to send out one photo a day for about three weeks and be done with the project. . . . Continue reading
Philosophy and Religion
The Moral Poverty of Western Philosophy
Charles Cottle — In the western world we are children of the Enlightenment, that period of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Western Europe in which the philosophical and scientific outlook that most of us hold today was established. The view that is prevalent today, certainly in the United States, contains many contradictions and inconsistencies that are difficult, if not impossible, to defend in rational argument. . . . Continue reading
Books and Literature
Whither the United States?: A Review of “Tailspin” by Steven Brill
In the past year and a half numerous articles have been written about how the novel coronavirus pandemic in the United States has highlighted the different economic situations of racial minorities, the poor, the middle class, and the economic elite. In the mainstream press one finds article after article about how life will change after the pandemic and how the pandemic has caused many to . . . Continue reading
Hummingbirds from San Miguel de Allende
For the past few weeks I have been in Mexico visiting my brother who lives here. I noticed that on his porch he had several hummingbird feeders that seemed to be pretty active. So, I decided to try to take a few photos of the hummingbirds. Continue reading
Books Recently Read – Fall 2018 to Fall 2019
Below are a few short description of books I have read recently. I have grouped them into fiction and non-fiction categories. This past year I joined a couple book clubs at the Hedberg Library, our excellent public library here in Janesville, Wisconsin. Most of the fiction listed below comes from the book clubs. I want to thank Nikki Bolka and Beth Webb, the two librarians . . . Continue reading
October 25, 2019
America the Beautiful?
The United States Department of Customs and Immigration has recently demonstrated unbelievable cruelty to children and families at the southern border of the United States. Here is my offering for this year’s 4th of July celebration. Continue reading
July 4, 2019
Art, Photo Galleries, Travel
48 Hours in Budapest: A Photographic Essay
In May 2017 my brother Jim and I traveled on a tour of central Europe. The major cities on the tour included Budapest, Vienna, Prague, and Berlin. The first city on the tour was Budapest, Hungary. Featured here are my brother’s photos of the major architectural sites that one can visit in only two days in Budapest. I have also included a few photos of . . . Continue reading
21st Century Politics and Life, Politics and Economics
Do Tips Belong to the Employees Who Receive Them?
It appears, thanks to a Trump administration initiative, that the lives of many tipped employees in restaurants may soon get much worse. On December 5, 2017 the U.S. Department of Labor filed a request to rescind several regulations imposed on employers by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Under an executive order issued during the Obama administration, businesses with tipped employees (restaurants, hair salons, parking . . . Continue reading
Politics and Economics
What is the Relationship between Corporate Tax Rates and Job Growth?
The central component of the tax reform plan now in the U.S. Congress is a major corporate income tax cut from 35% to 20%. Critics charge that the plan is primarily a tax giveaway to corporations that will enrich corporate elites even more, increase the national deficit, and pass the costs along to the middle class. As Republicans move toward passage of the plan, they . . . Continue reading
Snapshots 