Photo by Ed Ortiz The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt was a great read—slightly boring at times, but the subject is too important to let that stop you from reading it. Haidt doesn’t have the writing touch of Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted and Poverty, By America, but he lays out the facts about the … Continue reading Book Review: The Anxious Generation
Reading to Grow: Nurturing the Self and Connecting with Others
A week or so ago, I read an essay titled "What self-help books tell us about ourselves” in The Economist. After reading the article a couple of times, highlighting parts, and writing notes, I realized that I wanted to share my thoughts—not only about self-help books, but about reading in general. The article presented the … Continue reading Reading to Grow: Nurturing the Self and Connecting with Others
Book Review: On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft
"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”— Stephen King, On Writing Photo by Ed Ortiz I have seen many movie adaptations of Stephen King’s books over the years—The Shining, Carrie, IT, Pet Sematary, just to name a few—but the only … Continue reading Book Review: On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft
How Labels Undermine Faith and Fracture Community
I was debating whether to write this post, but I’m going to follow my gut and share this commentary because it reflects what is happening in this country. If people are not discerning about what leaders are saying, their words can continue to lead us into dangerous territory. This is somewhat of a Christian commentary, … Continue reading How Labels Undermine Faith and Fracture Community
Book Review: The Hardest Job in the World – The American Presidency
Photo by Ed Ortiz It’s interesting to learn how the office of the president of the United States came to be and how it has changed over time, mostly due to Congress’s neglect. I have been reading about the Founding Fathers and the important documents they produced that have guided this country. So when I … Continue reading Book Review: The Hardest Job in the World – The American Presidency
A Year of Reading with Community and Purpose
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your family, loved ones, and friends. Mine was peaceful and quiet, and I did a lot of reading, but I also found 12 hours to watch the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns. If you are in the United States and … Continue reading A Year of Reading with Community and Purpose
What’s in the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy—and Why Everybody Is Talking About It
My last post ended with the following question: “Does the new National Security Strategy mention anything about Russia and investing more resources in Alaska?” After reading the new U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) a few times, I can tell you that Russia is mentioned about 10 times, mainly in reference to how Europe needs to … Continue reading What’s in the 2025 U.S. National Security Strategy—and Why Everybody Is Talking About It
Alaska or Greenland? Why America Is Looking in the Wrong Direction
There was a lot of talk not too long ago about Greenland and whether the United States should take over that country and make it the 51st state of the nation. The U.S. has a robust military presence there, and this is not the first time our country has tried to acquire Greenland. In 1946, … Continue reading Alaska or Greenland? Why America Is Looking in the Wrong Direction
The Relationship Recession and the Rise of Singlehood
There is a trend lately of offering money to women to have babies as a way to solve the declining natality rate. After decades of maltreatment against women at home and in the workplace, schemes like offering money—ideas mostly proposed by men—will not solve anything. I don’t know about you, but if I were a … Continue reading The Relationship Recession and the Rise of Singlehood
“Third World” Is Outdated—and Dangerous: It’s Time to Change How We Speak
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I heard the term “Third World” quite a lot. I think this is one of those expressions that needs to be erased from our vocabulary, since there is only one world, and all countries belong to it. Using that term promotes discrimination and disdain toward people living in countries with fewer … Continue reading “Third World” Is Outdated—and Dangerous: It’s Time to Change How We Speak