Travelers’ Tales gave a Best Travel Writing Solas Award to my story “Driving Lessons” in the category of “Family Travel: The best story about traveling with family of all generations—or journeying to discover roots.” My story won a Bronze Certificate. It’s such a treat to go to an awards list an find one’s name […]

Eric Maisel will tell us more about how his new book Ten Zen Seconds relates to connection later in April, but here is an overview of his approach. –JGR
Riehlife: Tell us a bit about Ten Zen Seconds.
Eric: Ten Zen Seconds gives you a simple but powerful way to reduce stress, get centered, and […]

When Pop, 91, got his credit card bill this month, his thoughts were inspired by those glimmering promises of billionaire futures they offer along with the free checks. He started to think about other futures we are borrowing against in relationships, the economy, and the environment. –JGR
NO TOMORROW
by Erwin A. Thompson
No need to worry that […]

My niece Diane Thompson, attorney for Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc., also did an interview with Steve Tripoli of NPR’s “Marketplace” on the subprime lending issue/predatory lending (listen here). They also used a snipet of it to promote the show.
We’re all really proud of her. Pop and I sat in the […]

Philip and Carol Zaleski have done a marvelous thing in Prayer: A History…they have brought prayer to our doorstep and into our bedroom, back to the kneeling rug of childhood.
From the book jacket:
“This landmark book presents prayer in all its richness and variety throughout history, across traditions, and around the globe. Focusing on extraordinary […]

“The Soul of A New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa by Marcus Samuelsson in gracefully introduced by Desmond Tutu and enhanced by photographs by Gediyond Kifle. Just think! 200 recipies from all over the continent, with insightful commentary completing our pleasure.
Here’s what Samuelsson says about “Palaver Sauce”: [In West […]

The Wall Street Journal online also quoted Diane Thompson
Regulators Scrutinized In Mortgage Meltdown
By Greg Ip and Damiam Paletta
Federal regulators, meanwhile, have tended to focus more on the solvency of the institutions they oversee and less on individual consumer complaints. The case of Dorothy Smith, a 67-year-old from East St. Louis, Ill., illustrates how hard it […]

Last night I watched a PBS documentary “THROUGH DEAF EYES” which is a must-see and one I hope could be shown every year. There’s so much to learn here about deaf history and culture. But, also, there’s so much to learn about the formation of culture (mainstream and sub-cultures) and language. Here’s the official description:
THROUGH […]

My niece, Diane Thompson, has been in demand recently as the issue of subprime lending rises. She was quoted in this article from the NY Times. I’ve clipped out the excerpt below, but you can follow the link on the red text to read the entire article.–JGR
For Some Subprime Borrowers, Few Good Choices
By VIKAS BAJAJ
Published: […]

Last night I watched The Secret with a group of friends that meet for spiritual discussion. Since The Secret carries so much buzz, I was happy to see it and find out how well this film presents the Law of Attraction, ancient wisdom for modern times.
I loved its humor and laughed out loud several […]