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Changing Times Affect Spiritual Activity   When I was first introduced to church services as a child, the experience was special. It was a quiet occasion, with the organist playing beautiful spiritual hymns. The priest would speak in either English or Latin, depending on the [ Continue to post page ]

  The Advantages of Audio Books By Bob Branco   With technology changing rapidly, there are more and more resources for audio books. As we all know, many people can’t read printed text for various reasons, yet they still might want to sit back, relax, and enjoy their [ Continue to post page ]

  Abortion, Right or Wrong By Bob Branco   As I write about this topic, keep in mind that I am speaking as a Christian. There has been so much debate about abortion, and I certainly will try not to add to it. As far as I’m concerned, a fetus has life. Unless the [ Continue to post page ]

The Gun Control Debate By Bob Branco   It might be my imagination, but there seems to be an increase in mass shootings throughout the United States. In the past 10 years, these shootings seemed to have been occurring more frequently than they were 20, 30 and 40 years ago. At [ Continue to post page ]

  Has Comedy Changed on Television? By Bob Branco   If you are old enough to remember what television was like 30, 40, or even 50 years ago, ask yourselves if television comedy shows are as humorous today as they once were.   I have been listening to comedy [ Continue to post page ]

  Texting While Driving By Bob Branco   People love to text. That’s obvious. It is a fast and convenient way to communicate with smart phones, as well as other forms of modern technology. It is wonderful. As is the case with other recent inventions, I’m totally amazed [ Continue to post page ]

  Does Virtual School Work By Bob Branco   I always believe that when we are educated, we should be in the same room with the teacher. This type of direct personal contact is very beneficial. It worked for me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. For one thing, you [ Continue to post page ]

My Perkins School Reunions By Bob Branco   In the year 2000, 23 years after I graduated from Perkins School for the Blind, I had a brainstorm about reuniting all my friends from that era.  I was very curious to know how everyone was doing, so I decided to plan a dinner in a [ Continue to post page ]

Once a week, my friends group dines out at a local restaurant. Most of the people in my group are either blind or have other disabilities which prevent them from driving. As a result, we have to pay drivers to take us out because public transportation doesn't run too late. We don't mind [ Continue to post page ]

On the next edition of my podcast, In Perspective, Al and I will be talking about aging and how we feel as we get older. Does reaching a certain age bother you? We will also be asking a very interesting question. If we had to go without one of our senses, which one would we not want to [ Continue to post page ]

If you are having problems listening to my podcasts here on the site, J. S. Web Solutions has figured out a way to solve your issue. Using a different player, my designer set the mp3 to auto play when the visitor arrives at the site. The player controls are built in to the browsers, so she [ Continue to post page ]

Dear Blog Subscribers,   As some of you may know, my podcasts are now accessible to all of my blog subscribers. I would like to know if you are able to play the podcasts successfully. Recently, I received two reports from individuals indicating that they couldn't find the play [ Continue to post page ]

  The Importance of Tipping By Bob Branco   Tipping is a very important custom in this country. Many waiters and waitresses try very hard for the money they make, and as far as I’m concerned, tipping is an expression of appreciation.   While many people tip [ Continue to post page ]

Our Native Language By Bob Branco   We’ve often heard that the United States is a melting pot, meaning that we are a combination of many cultures coming together as one society. I understand why this is happening. History defines it quite well. With that said, I’ve always [ Continue to post page ]

  The Dangers of Online Dating By Bob Branco (Originally published in Word Matters, www.ernestdempsey.com)   It seems as though every time we turn around, there is an ad on television about online dating. The ad asks single people to apply on a dating site where [ Continue to post page ]

The Dangers of On Line Banking By Bob Branco (Originally published in Word Matters, www.ernestdempsey.com)   In today’s society, we are encouraged to do much of life’s activities online, such as shopping, banking, filing income taxes, registering your car, and more. We put [ Continue to post page ]

The Unemployment Rate in the United States is Deceiving by Bob Branco   I really believe that when the United States reports the unemployment rate, the figures are very deceiving. There are a lot of people who are of working age that the statistic doesn't take into [ Continue to post page ]

  Have Labor Unions Been effective By Bob Branco   I understand very well why labor unions were created. People who perform hard labor have as many rights as anyone else, and they needed to voice their opinions. What better way to do it than through an organized [ Continue to post page ]

  Has Comedy Changed on Television? By Bob Branco   If you are old enough to remember what television was like 30, 40, or even 50 years ago, ask yourselves if television comedy shows are as humorous today as they once were. I-Love-Lucy   I have been [ Continue to post page ]

  Racial Discrimination in America by Bob Branco (Originally published in Word Matters, www.ernestdempsey.com)   I honestly believed that when Barak Obama was elected in 2008 as our first Afro-American President, it would mean the end of racism as we knew it. After [ Continue to post page ]

  Racial Discrimination in America by Bob Branco (Originally published in Word Matters, www.ernestdempsey.com)   I honestly believed that when Barak Obama was elected in 2008 as our first Afro-American President, it would mean the end of racism as we knew it. After [ Continue to post page ]

My Father’s Legacy (Originally published in Matilda Ziegler Magazine)   For several decades before his passing in 1996, my father was working on his own brand of trivia, which he incorporated into a game. He ran tournaments in local taverns, homes, and anywhere else people [ Continue to post page ]

What was it like growing up blind? How did it feel going away to a special school at the age of 12? What was it like living in the "cottages" at Perkins School for the Blind? These are just some of the questions that Robert Branco answers in his book, My Home Away from Home . Legally blind [ Continue to post page ]

Micromanagement in the Medical Profession By Bob Branco   I don’t know how it is in other parts of the country, but where I live, I have noticed a trend in the medical profession which I find rather interesting and unnecessary. Think about your first visit to your new doctor [ Continue to post page ]