For those familiar with just war theory, it is very much an important component to civilized behavior. The concept reaches back to antiquity. But the first clear expression of it was from Saint Augustine. He believed that while the immediate resort to violence should be avoided, God has given government the power to Read more…
Despite all the circumambient dysfunction and trouble we see today, I’m taking a break from all of it to update you on happier news. My publisher, the University Press of Kentucky, has announced that my latest book, Yanks in Blue Berets: American UN Peacekeepers in the Middle East, will be released for publication Read more…
This week we learned that the President of the United Sates had decided—by fiat—that any student earning under $125,000 a year who also has an outstanding student loan debt will not be required to pay it in full. Never mind that some people have already paid off their student loans. They clearly should have delayed Read more…
If you are like many other people, you have come to the realization that the political divide we now witness in America is toxic. E pluribus unum (out of many one), our national motto, in many ways is just a dusty old Latin phrase engraved on emblems and printed on our money. Divide Read more…
There’s lots of wisdom concerning the consequences one might suffer when acting out of anger, seeking revenge, or exacting retribution from someone whom you are certain deserves it. The Book of Proverbs is replete with warnings about anger. Here are a few. A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up Read more…
Loyalty is an important virtue to me. I’d bet it’s important to you also. When I think of loyalty, I recall the first time I took an oath to the Constitution of the United States. I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United Read more…
This has been a great week to get away. Temperatures along the Gulf Coast have hovered in the upper eighties with a few pop-up thunder storms. As predicted, our grandchildren have kept us busy. But we’ve had great fun cooking in, playing games, and refereeing squabbles between the kids. Yep, that occurs occasionally. On Read more…
So, tomorrow we depart for our trip to Rosemary Beach, Florida in that state’s panhandle. We stayed there last year with our son John and his wife Erika and grandkids Isaac and Abby. We loved it. In fact, we loved it so much that before we left, we reserved a place for this Read more…
I recall what it was like to take my first shower in five months. Standing under a warm flow of clean water feeling the layers of sand roll off of my head and back was bliss. I had almost forgotten what a luxury that was. Sure, I took “field baths” in the desert, Read more…
I am not an energy expert. Certainly, no more than the next guy who pumps gas into his car and notices that it’s twice as expensive as it was two years ago. Yep, I don’t like it one bit. You don’t either. And of course, politicians really don’t like it because we don’t. But if I’m an Read more…