[October 5, 2024] Show your respect. Respect is like the lubricant in a car engine that allows the pistons to continue firing. Without it, everything would come to a screeching halt. The Golden Rule is a practical application of the idea of respect; it tells us that we should treat others like we would like to be treated.… Read More »
[October 4, 2024] The psychological impact of the Cold War on kids and adults is immeasurable and likely deeper than anyone imagines, for good and bad. And those kids like me were confused as to exactly what that meant. As it has been called since the late 1940s, the Cold War was an outgrowth of mistrust, superstition, and… Read More »
[October 3, 2024] As one who studies military strategies, the history of warfare, and how people develop successful ways of running a commercial business, I collect stratagems to help better remember ideas. Today’s stratagem is taken from “The 36 Strategies” and is called Point at the Mulberry and Curse the Locust. Of course, this strategy’s name is a… Read More »
[October 2, 2024] “See you in Hell.” That was the message from most Middle Eastern countries, emphatic and joyful at the news that the Lebanese group Hezbollah leader was killed last Friday in an Israeli air strike. These are my sentiments exactly. Some people need killing, and Hassan Nasrallah was one of them. Let’s be blunt. Nasrallah was… Read More »
[October 1, 2024] Now that Halloween is coming shortly and with an election coming up, it would be appropriate to take on the frightening topic of politics influencing organizations. A question often asked is whether leaders allow politics to influence their organization’s mission and values. It’s a question often addressed at the most senior levels in nearly every… Read More »
[September 30, 2024] Recall from the Old Testament the story of Moses as he wanders in the desert with his Israelites, who are recently freed from slavery. The desert is not such a good place to be, and we read that the Israelites were squabbling, and they went to Moses to adjudicate on their behalf. At this point,… Read More »
[September 29, 2024] A long-running theme in the analysis of how poorly Middle Eastern militaries performed on the battlefield is reviewed in an article by Norvell de Atkine titled Why Arabs Lose Wars. The most common reason given is culture, but de Atkine believes such thinking can lead to false conclusions. “As these examples suggest, when culture is… Read More »
[September 28, 2024] Dogs are great. It does not matter whether the dog can follow commands, learn tricks, or retrieve a ball. The problem that folks tell me about often is that their dog is just dumb. Maybe they’re hoping for a magical cure, but I have to tell them that, for them, having a dog is good… Read More »
[September 27, 2024] I’m back with another great book telling the stories that need telling about dustoff pilots in the Vietnam War. The first book was “The Helicopter Whisperers, Vol I” by Phil Marshall, which I reviewed here on Monday (see link). Today, I will highlight COL Doug Moore’s book “A Bullet Through the Helmet” and, yes, the… Read More »
[September 26, 2024] As I look back from my late adult years, I’m now more appreciative of my Mom for pushing me – as a skinny little tike – outside the house to play with my brother and my friends. And also for her to restrict how much time I could spend watching television. The weather was unimportant,… Read More »