it is pretty easy to get caught up in the vitriol spewing from each political party during these back to back weeks of party conventions.  We heard how one candidate is a fear monger and the other can’t be trusted.  We are told that it is a dark night in America and conversely that America is the greatest country on earth.  It is the job of the political conventions to paint their candidate in the light most favorable while casting the opposition candidate as…

A fog formed over the western shore of Lake Michigan on Saturday halting all marine activity.  Shortly after, there was thunder high up and off in the distance towards the southwestern sky.  The thunder was something I had never heard before.  It was incessant, roiling continuously for a full forty minutes.  It felt as if I was sitting nearby a giant roller-coaster with a never ending stream of cars rumbling past. 

 I recently…