Dr. Melvyn Copen

In loving memory of Mel

A gathering, celebrating the well-lived life of Mel Copen was held on Friday, March 23, 2012 in the Council Room of The University Club at One West 54th Street, New York, New York 10019 from 2:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be directed to a nonprofit fund established by Dr. and Mrs. Copen to stimulate cultural and economic growth in Sedona area communities. Tax-deductible donations for the “Mel Copen Vision Fund” may be made to the Sedona Village Main Street Partnership, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, in care of the Thomas Graham Law Office, 50 Courthouse Court, Sedona, AZ 86351-7425. … [Read More...]

The great American circus: 2012

The great American circus: 2012 By Mel Copen February 13, 2012 © Mel Copen, February, 2012 It’s fascinating to watch the Republicans struggle to pick a candidate to run against President Obama. It would likely be equally fascinating if the shoe were on the other foot. It’s a great circus that many Americans, despite their disgust with the whole process, find amusing. A good analogy can probably be found in the world of “professional” wrestling. Everyone knows that it’s phony and fixed, yet people turn out by the thousands to enjoy the antics of the performers and often get sucked in to the point that they forget what it really is. The first thing one notices is the negative statements that each candidate applies to the others. Each is labeled … [Read More...]

It’s a wonderful world

It’s a wonderful world By Mel Copen January 22, 2012 © Mel Copen, January, 2012 In addition to the monthly Big Park Council President’s letter that I have been writing for the “Villager” for the last two years, I also write a bi-weekly column (now in its 13th year) that is carried on web sites here in Arizona, in Georgia (where we have a second home) and on many sites. The articles for the “Villager” have been specifically oriented to the Village and the greater Sedona Area. The others deal with broader issues and have not been community specific. This one departs substantially from prior patterns. First, I am combining the two columns into one. Second, it deals with a specific community, starting with the greater Sedona area, extending to … [Read More...]

New Years – a moving target

New Years – a moving target By Mel Copen December 26, 2011 © Mel Copen, December 2011 New Years is a time for reflection. So I thought I would update an article I wrote about New Years Day about a decade ago. In reality, there is nothing special about January first. It’s the day after December 31 and the one before January 2. Its only tangible element is that it comes 365 days (or 366 in a leap year) after the last New Year’s Day celebration, recognizing the period of time that the earth makes a complete circuit around the sun while spinning on it’s axis approximately 365 ¼ times.. The selection of a date could have coincided with any point on the earth’s orbit. But it truly is nice that it falls on a holiday. In a way, it’s kind of … [Read More...]

Resuscitating the USA

Resuscitating the USA by Melvyn R. Copen November 21, 2011 © Mel Copen, November 2011 Yes, we are still alive and kicking! There’s a lot of life still left in this Nation, but we are ill, very ill. We face many challenges, not the least of which is a dysfunctional leadership structure that doesn’t seem to understand the nature of the problems and has neither the will nor the integrity nor the common sense to address them in a constructive manner. I want to focus on one aspect – possibly the most critical of all – building positive expectations for the future by creating jobs. Ours is a consumer based economy. More than 70% of what happens, economically, in this nation, is based on consumer attitudes towards the future. It becomes a self fulfilling … [Read More...]

The good old daze?

The good old daze? By Mel Copen October 31, 2011 © Mel Copen, October, 2011 I’ve often written about a concept from the world of physics that fascinates me: entropy. One simple definition is that “things left to themselves tend to disorder (or ‘chaos’ if you prefer).” It requires outside infusions of energy to restore order. The concept seems to apply to almost everything from an expanding universe to the appearance of your front yard. But what happens the energy that is added contributes to further chaos as it seems to, if one extends the concept to political systems or, in the case of this article, to the wonderful world of electronics. I am convinced that young people must now carry a new gene that not only makes them comfortable with chaos, but gives … [Read More...]

Education by the numbers – a failing grade

Education by the numbers – a failing grade By Mel Copen October 19, 2011 © Mel Copen, October, 2011 Educationally speaking, we are in a mess! And as one who has spent much of his career in higher education, the situation is especially painful. Merriam Webster’s first two definitions of the word “education” are: 1: the action or process of educating or of being educated; also: a stage of such a process b: the knowledge and development resulting from an educational process 2: the field of study that deals mainly with methods of teaching and learning in schools The first is gobbledegook – which, unfortunately seems to characterize much of the debate and substance related to today’s educational efforts. The second seems comparable to Gracie … [Read More...]

One step at a time

One step at a time By Mel Copen October 2, 2011 © Mel Copen, October, 2011 These days, many Americans have lapsed into a feeling of despondency, helplessness and pessimism toward the future. This is a great nation, and all the ingredients for continued greatness are still here. But many challenges and lack of faith in the government to deal with them, both domestically and abroad have, for many, eroded faith in the future. Some of the important elements include: the need to generate job opportunities, the weakness of the housing market, the inability to obtain loans, the crazy gyrations on Wall Street, the growing gap between the rich and the poor, and the many problems that have been ignored or glossed over by Congress too engaged in infighting and battling with … [Read More...]