[January 18, 2022] In the iconic holiday movie, A Christmas Story (1983), a young boy named Ralphie is harassed by local bully Scut Farkus and his toadie Grover Dill. Spoiler alert, Ralphie figures out how to stop bullying and live his life as an innocent kid, having fun with friends and loving his family. The more serious topic… Read More »
[January 10, 2022] It’s a fact; I was a wimp before joining the U.S. Army. My upbringing was not at fault. I grew up around combat veterans, had a good formal and religious education, and had plenty of freedom to fish, hunt, and camp. I had plenty of opportunities but not enough challenges. Sure, I had dirty jobs… Read More »
[January 2, 2022] I’ve always been fond of saying that working under a bad leader is an excellent way of learning what not to do. Conversely, we can learn from the best leaders as well. Successful leaders share similar policies and leadership traits, while failed leaders follow their own path. “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family… Read More »
[December 31, 2021] Reading is essential for reasons that are too well known to discuss. But I will make an observation about many younger folks I’ve worked with over the years. Many say to me, “I don’t read.” And I believe them because I also see them falling behind their peers in work, family, and social settings. At… Read More »
[December 30, 2021] The destruction that alcohol can wrought upon the human body and mind is telling from the lives destroyed. Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship where people come together to solve their drinking problems.1 That’s it … simple mission and a reasonable success rate with a program that works. A good childhood friend often gives me advice… Read More »
[December 19, 2021] If you never heard of Clint Smith at Thunder Ranch, then you are probably not interested in guns or how to use them properly. Clint Smith is the Director of Thunder Ranch1 in Oregon, where he teaches firearm tactics, self-defense and freely gives his opinions on a variety of topics. He is one of the… Read More »
[November 22, 2021] Portland State University has a problem and it’s a problem of a self-inflicted variety; the worst kind. Portland State has slowly drifted into the realm of illiberalism and it stinks … according to Peter Boghossian, a professor who just resigned his position that he held for a decade. Here is his letter to the Provost. … Read More »
[November 21, 2021] Brearley, it’s a private all-girls school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It costs $54,000 a year and prospective families apparently have to take an “anti-racism pledge” to be considered for admission. Gutmann chose to pull his daughter, who has been in the school since kindergarten, and sent this missive to all 600 or… Read More »
[November 19, 2021] The 2022 Winter Olympics are scheduled to begin February 4, 2022, in Beijing, China and the neighboring Hebel province. Communist China is a repressive, totalitarian state that uses slave labor, genocide and aggressively destroys the economy of various nations, to name a few. The U.S., in the Biden Administration, has chosen to exercise poor leadership… Read More »
[November 16, 2021] In 2012, China formally adopted an idealistic set of 12 “core socialist values” at their 18th National Congress.1 This set of values, not unlike core values I’ve written about here in my blog, attempt to set the stage for how citizens of China see themselves in relation to citizens of other nations and among themselves. … Read More »