[August 22, 2019] The mythic traditions of our ancestors continue to reverberate in our society today. The classic hero is the knight that kills the dragon, rescues the maiden, and lives happily ever after. The idea that the hero slays the dragon is symbolic of what all humans’ value; to be free from the destructive chaos of the… Read More »
[August 16, 2019] Something is going on that most folks in the West don’t know much about, nor seem to care. In Hong Kong, officially a “special administrative region” of China,1 there are large protests that started with a new Chinese law allowing citizens in violation of the law to be extradited to China for trial. Initial protests… Read More »
[August 15, 2019] I’ve written a great many articles on moral courage and have highlighted a number of men and women who show what courage means. What I have not done is write about a beauty queen. Today, my blog post is about Miss Iraq Sarah Idan.1 She earns my respect for posting a picture of her with… Read More »
[August 6, 2019] For several years, my interest in the fundamental nature of leadership has only strengthened and reinforced by reading the 2011 book Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow.1 What stood out for me was the discussion of Benedict Arnold and his betrayal of the United States when he joined the British cause in the American Revolution.… Read More »
[August 5, 2019] Sergeant José Hernandez, part of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Division, yelled to his teammates that he was about to blow up a large cache of 155mm artillery rounds found hidden by Iraqi insurgents. It was early August 2003, and the main ground war was over, but the fighting has just begun. Fire in the Hole,… Read More »
[August 2, 2019] Junior leaders quickly learn valuable lessons when put to the test. One of the first things they learn is to be ready when called upon; Boy Scouts call this “being prepared.” I learned it at 12 years of age when I got a job milking cows at a neighbor’s house, and I wasn’t ready. We… Read More »
[July 29, 2019] She spoke in a clear but hushed voice. Gloria was born a Polish Jew in the early 1930s. This past weekend, I was invited by a friend to a small township historical society event to see war reenactors from the Revolutionary War to the Vietnam War. It was a good thing I attended the event.… Read More »
[July 27, 2019] It has been a busy time over the past few months so today I’ll be posting about events that I don’t have the time to get into during the week. Foreign affairs is the topic of the day. Protest rallies in Venezuela as the electric grid fails (again). Socialism is a failed socio-political-economic system. Echoing… Read More »
[July 22, 2019] This is my third article on Scout Camp; where I attended this past week (see the other two here and here).1 Today, I’ll write about the challenges our senior boys had to overcome and, using their own words, explain how they prepared themselves (or not) in advance of camp. Young boys don’t have the relevant… Read More »
[July 19, 2019] This article is the second in a short series on leadership lessons from a Scout Camp. Back on June 22nd, I asked six basic questions [see link here]. Our Scout Camp has gone through several stages of learning; much of it having to do with the leader psychology of young boys. One question I raised… Read More »