Recommendations August 2026
Unusual things: Jeff Ankiney gave me the complete set of the “Master and Commander” series by O’Brian when I retired eight years ago. I finished volume 24 this Spring. Thank you Jeff. This series takes you to another time and place, is good for the vocabulary, and has lots of medical points.
I attended and provided first aid at “The Canoe Journey” this August—when Native American tribes travel by canoe (and honestly, by freeway also) from Alaska to Puget Sound for a jamboree, this year at the local Nisqually reservation.
I purchased an insurance plan from the Neptune Society—In short, for about $3000 you have lifetime insurance tied to a card you carry. If you die anywhere in the world, the 1 800 number on the card will have the society take charge, arrange a cremation, locally, and your remains, in an urn will land at the designated home address.
I resolved a double billing problem through Peacock streaming. No small thing. Via PayPal, Roku, and Peacock itself, there are chatboxes, protocoled problem “fixers” that don’t work very well, but no person with which to register the problem. A month went by and no one would address or reverse the charge. I used Chat GPT which suggested I reach Peacock directly by going to their Facebook page. I did this, noting similar complaints already registered, but got a response to message privately and within 24 hours, got my refund. Welcome to the modern world……or not—to people my daughter’s age, Facebook is antiquated and tainted!
Books—The Cure for Women by Reeder
How the Irish Saved Civilization by Cahill
Short Story: The Yellow Wallpaper, by Gilman
Streaming- Hulu: FURIOUS—not for everyone but I am loving it.
LUCKY on Apple
Articles—
The advent of reading transformed society, and its decline will bring about changes of the same magnitude, @rosehorowitch writes. Can America—and civilization—survive the postliterate era? https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/08/reading-crisis-postliterate-age/687618/?gift=RHIHwDyV4tP8qginvSeC4kf3KG5FKG1lpLgA2skwpLg&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social
An editorial on confronting the Federal budget deficit, realistically — https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2026/08/24/social-security-medicare-insolvency-is-coming-here-are-solutions/
Music: King Harvest: The Band
I Want the World to stop: Belle and Sebastian
I Never talk to Strangers: Bette Midler and Tom Waits
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