[September 21, 2020] I admit it, I love dogs. My life began with my trusty Cocker Spaniel “Rusty,” and we were inseparable. Dogs have a special connection with humans, a meta-story that tells of great companionships. But today, I’m talking about another story. This is about how leaders are chosen. I’m calling it the pick of the litter… Read More »
[September 20, 2020] Warfare has always been present in our human species. And despite the terribleness of the battlefield, humans have, in fact, learned some terrible lessons. And thus, there has been broad agreement on laws of warfare established to prevent atrocities and unnecessary death. Unfortunately, there still are times when these agreed-upon laws of warfare are violated. … Read More »
[September 15, 2020] If we were to look at one example of violence incited by leaders, the most notorious in the past century is Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, carried out on 9-10 November 1938 by the paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party.1 The pretext for the attacks was the assassination of a German diplomat in… Read More »
[September 17, 2020] Yesterday, at about 2 pm, my website crashed. The reason is unknown. What we do know is that it destroyed two days worth of posts. I will re-post the articles but reader comments have also disappeared. My apologies for any inconvenience. One of my readers suggested that the “Internet Secret Police” may not have liked… Read More »
[September 10, 2020] Laid out before us was a bounty of food and drinks, all in honor of our visit to Honduras. Our advanced party had been sent to determine the needs of our local military counterparts in their war against illegal (and very dangerous) drugs coming across their border from Nicaragua. Our soldiers were going to eat,… Read More »
[September 4, 2020] Look at those people in the world that we admire most. Often, these are sports figures; people on a team that possess a positive attitude, which are good sportsmen against the competition and can lift up others. While these folks work for their own personal aim to be the best they can be, there is… Read More »
[September 1, 2020] Showman, huckster, and circus businessman P.T. Barnum is famous for being part of America’s entertainment industry. He is a legend now, more than 150 years after his exploits. Yet, deviating from his traditional methods of entertainment, in 1850, Mr. Barnum brought the greatest opera performer in the world from Europe to the United States. This… Read More »
[August 27, 2020] It’s been too long since I posted a “good habits” article. A reader suggested that I get my “ass in gear” and restart this mini-series. A few weeks ago, we took our Boy Scout troop out on their annual summer camp. One of our Scoutmaster’s requirements was that the scout’s get up early. “Lose an… Read More »
[August 18, 2020] One of the most iconic battles of the U.S. Civil War occurred in August of 1864 at the Battle of Mobile Bay. It may have been the most dramatic moment of the naval war, comparable to Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg. It was during the battle that Union Admiral David Farragut commanded his ships to attack… Read More »
[August 14, 2020] In 1987, Maj. Gen. Aubrey “Red” Newman published his best leadership book. It is called “What Are Generals Made Of?” It is, of course, highly recommended. In it, Gen. Newman discusses several good points about senior leadership. One, in particular, I took a liking to his book and what he would do differently to be… Read More »