The variety of essays included in this volume were written as serious histories, some as would-be editorials never submitted, and some for family as memoirs. The criterion for inclusion was the notion that each contains one or more thoughts that might be of general interest. The essays deal with famous empires, the historiography of the FHA, the Federal Reserve, monetary excess, regional cooperation, excessive managerial compensation, estate planning, particle physics, religion, cooking for two, and appreciations of my sisters, my wife, and our beloved dogs. Plus just for fun I've thrown in a few poems, hoping these too will be found entertaining.