Economists coined the term "bubble" to describe an economic cycle characterized by rapid expansion followed by a severe contraction. The greatest examples of the phenomenon have been dubbed "manias," of which the tulip crazes in Europe in the 1630s are a prime example.  At one point, the cost of a tulip soared to 10 times the annual income of the average skilled worker.

There is a great divide between liberals and conservatives. Dennis Prager in his  book "Still the Best Hope" explains the marked differences between the two. The author contends the gulf has widened because the last two generations of Americans have failed to teach their offspring the attributes of the American value system.

Dennis believes the problem is that most Americans cannot identify these values. They cannot pass on what they do not know. He contends the Left’s domination of education, especially at the higher levels, and the nation’s mainstream media outlets are largely responsible for the demise of these values.

My wife and her girlfriends celebrated a birthday by taking a recent tour of the Hill Country, ending at the Canyon of the Eagles, and leaving me free for the day.

I decided it was a perfect time to check out Netflix to see if there was something worth watching. The movie "Seven Days in Utopia" starring Academy Award-winning actor Robert Duval as an eccentric rancher living in Utopia, Texas, caught my attention. The 2011 film didn't win any awards and was generally panned by mainstream critics.

A benefit of retirement is having more time. Working, raising children, attending their activities and paying for their education left little time for personal interests.

I cannot remember a television series I was able to follow on a regular basis during that time. I was only able to watch reruns after the 10 p.m. news, including "Cheers." Later, the addition of new channels to cable created more opportunities for me.