News from New York City: Anti-Semitism?

By | September 15, 2014

[September 15, 2014] The news was alarming to the very tolerant New York City residents. ‘The city that never sleeps’ has seen an increase in the number of violent attacks, vandalism, and harassment of Jews, especially in Brooklyn – a borough within the city. New Yorkers pride themselves on being able to get along with just about anybody.… Read More »

Leadership: The Names We Use

By | September 15, 2014

[September 15, 2014] When I was a Battalion Commander and not elegant in the use of the English language, I learned a few things. Yes, it’s true my grandmother told me that I should learn quickly so “other people don’t pay a price for your ignorance.” I once mistakenly called a Platoon Leader the name Commander. The former… Read More »

CBS Sports Network Rejects “Political” Ad

By | September 14, 2014

[September 14, 2014] It should not be too surprising that some ads get rejected due to their political nature. Some ads are, frankly, lacking in good taste and are intellectually insulting. Stations that advertise have policies that cover this type of advertising. This past week, CBS Sports Network rejected an ad that had a 4-year-old little girl saying… Read More »

Pope Francis on World War III

By | September 14, 2014

[September 14, 2014] In his visit to an Austro-Hungarian Cemetery of World War I dead, Pope Francis decried war as an instrument of greed, power, crime, and destruction. “War is madness …” he said. At Redipuglia Italy, the war memorial entombs 100,000 Italian soldiers killed in battle.   The Pope spoke about those who died in WWI and about… Read More »

You Can’t Demand Respect

By | September 13, 2014

[September 13, 2014] Every lieutenant in the Army remembers his first company commander. In these pages I occasionally refer to my experience with this first-rate nincompoop I had as a commander. Part of learning to be a good leader sometimes means getting a bad example – an example that tells us what not to do. That was my… Read More »

5 Things Successful People Do

By | September 12, 2014

[September 12, 2014] Actually six! Sorry, but I couldn’t help adding a sixth to a very good article on success. The 5 things successful people do are also those things that leaders do. The author wrote that that there are five things that successful people do “that others don’t.” I’ve listed his five below and added my sixth… Read More »

Reading List (Update)

By | September 12, 2014

[September 12, 2014] Lately I’ve been re-reading S.L.A. Marshall’s 1978 book on men in battle. Long ago my copy went missing but my neighbor who was an Air Force veteran loaned me his first edition red-bound book. My neighbor is not only a veteran but as a young man emigrated from Italy. Being in his 80s, he had… Read More »

Remembering 9-11

By | September 11, 2014

[September 11, 2014] Wherever you live, whatever you do, regardless of your needs and wants, you have been affected by what happened on September 11, 2001. There is not a person in the world that has not been impacted by that day. Today we remember those killed, the unknown heroes, and the families of the victims … just… Read More »

Leadership and Grand Strategy (Part 3)

By | September 10, 2014

[September 10, 2014] Tonight the U.S. President will announce his grand strategy on the security threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Since the address to the U.S. public is tonight, I will have an analysis tomorrow. A preliminary analysis can begin today with what we do know. There are some formalized steps that must… Read More »