David Bouchier

It has been said, rather too often, that in the past year we have been living through history. But we live through history all the time, as long as we live at all – we have no choice. Even the supposedly dull 1950s were history. We had the imminent threat... See more

Here we are again, on the brink of the new year, peering over the edge and trying to guess what will happen next. The more uncertain the future becomes, the more eager we are to predict it, and the less likely we are to succeed. From interest rates to epi... See more

’Tis the season for parties. We may be anti-social for the rest of the year, but between Thanksgiving and New Year, we feel the urge, or even the compulsion, to go to parties – and to even give one. Parties are hard work for the hosts, and even more for t... See more

Everyone loves a gift. That's why “Free Gift” is such a common advertising offer. A free gift sounds good. Even while the rational part of our brain tells us that the cost of the free gift must be added to the price of the product, the phrase still has a ... See more

This past weekend, the Village of Port Jefferson on Long Island hosted the 29th annual Charles Dickens Festival, celebrating the extraordinary Victorian author who more or less invented the modern Christmas, with all its charms and excesses. The sounds of... See more