Discussions between people, especially political discussions, often go off the rails because each person begins with their own set of facts and truths seeing each as absolute. But what if facts can be fluid and truths can be relative? The issue then should not be hopelessly debating each person’s facts but understanding why their facts … More Facts are Fluid and Truths are Relative
It’s not that the comedy isn’t funny- it often is. Rather, it’s that’s the end of the story. It will never change anyone’s political positions because the audience is already aligned with the left. The likelihood of influencing a conservative in the audience to change their political opinions is vanishingly small. First, there would need … More Why I don’t like left wing comedy
The Constitution was drafted in a world vastly different from our own—sparse in population, slow in communication, and fearful above all of monarchy. The Framers promised that the new office of President would be tightly bound by checks and balances, “much inferior” to a king, and forever accountable to the people. Yet more than two … More The Framers Warned Us About Kings.
“If a faction consists of less than a majority, relief is supplied by the republican principle, which enables the majority to defeat its sinister views by regular vote. It may clog the administration, it may convulse the society; but it will be unable to execute and mask its violence under the forms of the Constitution. … More The Devolution of the United States Government
Living in Bubbles I have always found utility in living within bubbles. Long before Australopithecus introduced bipedal locomotion, I suspect its precursors discovered that small-group living offered clear survival advantages. It’s not a stretch to imagine that these early tribes had shared worldviews that differed from the tribe across the holler. These bubbles—tight-knit groups—provided security … More The “Bubblefication” of Society
The transition to younger families in Royal Pines is the natural evolution of a neighborhood. It is that turnover, the Panarchy, that keeps our neighborhood vital. But, as there are fewer and fewer original owners, the story of the neighborhood is told less frequently. Knowing the history of the Royal Pine Estates gives context to … More A Unique Neighborhood: The History of Royal Pine Estates
I know I’m a little late to this game, but I recently read Seneca’s essay, On the Shortness of Life, and was struck by how his message continues to be as relevant today as it was when he wrote it nearly 2,000 years ago (AD 49). Unfortunately, in all those years it seems most of … More When ambition and avarice distract from living a life
Distractions have always been a part of life and humans have generally found ways to cope with them. But the number of distractions that we encounter each day has grown at a frightening rate over the last decade. It was only 30 years ago this month that the first website made its debut on the … More A life less distracted
Imagine it’s a quiet evening and you’re watching TV with a close friend and someone starts banging on your door. You get up and open it a crack and you think you recognize the man as a distant acquaintance. He pushes open the door and starts arguing with you about politics. Even though you barely … More Cell phones dominate our existence and gave us Trump and the insurrection
“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.” George Bernard Shaw My incredulity of the absolute devotion of Trump’s supporters and my inability to understand it continues to haunt me. I’ve wondered if their unwavering allegiance is attributable to the differences in neurophysiology or maybe it’s Trump’s adroit ability to manipulate them by … More Does magical thinking define humans? Vitamin C and Trump’s zealots.
Confronting Mediocrity 