Author Archives: mikemullooly

Vol 21. November 10, 2021 This year, when we sit down to a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner, our mouths salivating over stuffing and cranberries, let’s remember a quote from Jack Kerouac, “Unleash your knife and fork, and you’re no better than a bug on Buddha Mountain.” The reason humanity has instituted the practice of prayer beforeContinue reading “Thanksgiving on Buddha Mountain”

Vol. 20. October 5, 2021 “Suddenly, Last Summer” is a 1959 Southern Gothic mystery film based on a play by Tennessee Williams. The plot centers on a young woman (Elizabeth Taylor) who has witnessed the traumatic death of her cousin. The dead man’s wealthy mother strenuously tries to suppress the truth about her son’s violent demise atContinue reading “Suddenly (or Gradually?) Last Summer”

Vol. 19. September 1, 2021 The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan came faster than anyone expected. Elapsed time from the fall of the first provincial capital to the cave-in of Kabul was 9 days flat. Why did Afghanistan collapse so quickly, like a house of cards? Endemic corruption, a long history of dependence on foreign assistanceContinue reading “Freedom for Afghanistan?”

Vol. 18. Bonus Issue. August 1, 2021 Milwaukee hasn’t felt this good in 50 years. After waiting five long decades, Milwaukee Bucks fans everywhere tasted the sweetness of winning an NBA championship. The ebullience was palpable. Tens of thousands of cheering fans packed the Deer District on the evening of July 20, then lined theContinue reading “We Did It Baby!”

Vol. 18. August 1, 2021 All summer long, Buddhist wisdom has been oozing off the courts, out the gyms and from the pools of our athletes. It’s time to shine the Buddhist spotlight on these pearls of wisdom and incorporate them into our own championship endeavors. The basic message gets inflected, but the wisdom says theContinue reading “Wisdom from the Wide World of Sports”

Vol. 17. July 5, 2021 Shortly after the Declaration of Independence was signed, sealed and delivered to King George of England, Patrick Henry reflected on the consequences. The Founding Father said, “The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers and New Englanders are no more. I am not a Virginian, but an American!” Before July 4,Continue reading “Duck Boat to Identity”

Vol. 16. June 8, 2021 Amy Poehler had a great opening line for a commencement speech. To a raucous crowd at Harvard in 2011, the comedienne said, “Friends, Romans and countrymen: Lend me your beers.”  Steve Jobs was a bit more sober. For a commencement speech at Stanford in 2005, the Apple founder offered graduatesContinue reading “This Year’s Commencement Speaker: The Buddha!”

Vol 15. May 8, 2021 When asked if she did any household chores like spring cleaning, comedienne Phyllis Diller put it this way.  “Housework can’t kill you, but why take a chance?” Yes, my friends, it’s that pesky time of year when we throw open the windows, vacuum the carpets, dust the shelves and cleanContinue reading “Spring Cleaning”

Vol. 14. April 9, 2021 In April 1896, the poet A.E. Housman took a carriage ride in a woodland park. He captured the beauty of the moment in verse. Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide. One hundred andContinue reading “Cherry Blossoms”

Vol. 13. March 10, 2021 Bob Dylan put the pandemic in perspective when he sang, Every step of the way, we walk the line.  Your days are numbered. So are mine.Time is piling up. We struggle and we scrape.  We’re all boxed in, nowhere to escape. Time indeed is piling up. One year in captivity.Continue reading “The Timeless Time-Out”