Engaging Life with Courage and Intelligence
A post with a historical reference
The following is a continuation of an earlier video on the demise of the KKK in Indiana in the 1920s. This one focuses on the trial but leaves out many details. Essentially, Madge Oberholtzer was a very decent, independent-spirited young woman whose life was cut short by the actions of the Grand Dragon of the…
It is possible to pursue truth and entertainment simultaneously, but they are usually mutually exclusive. The following video is about three men from the 19th century who time-traveled to a 21st-century coffee shop in an American small town to discuss truth and entertainment. Postscript: I converted Honest Abe into a cartoon character because the current…
For those clueless about baseball, Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese player, delivered the most outstanding single game in baseball history. On October 17, 2025, he pitched six scoreless innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers and hit three home runs. His fastballs topped 100 miles per hour, and all three of his home run blasts were over…
America’s darker impulses seem to be rising after years of relative calm and stability. Today the drumbeat of aggressors and bullies is louder than the peacemakers. The following is a YouTube video that highlights the slow but apparent drift of America towards a more warlike posture towards not only foreign countries and foreign people, but…
How has America become so divided? Social media is a key element. Greedy social media executives lust for our clicks and attention, so they calibrate their algorithms to reward anger, resentment, and excitement. Coupled with the power of media algorithms is rage farming. What is rage farming, you ask? Well, it is a lot like…
Neural networks…that sounds pretty geeky! It may sound geeky, but it is at the heart of how the universe works, particularly for all humans. Around 1984, a physics professor at Brooklyn College told me I should study “neural networks.” I was then an associate vice president responsible for academic and administrative computing, and I thought…
In honor of the memory of one of the world’s greatest primatologists, Jane Goodall, we examine the creatures that have been watching us for hundreds of thousands of years. Dr. Goodall devoted her entire adult life to studying and promoting the preservation of life on this planet. Her particular expertise was in the study of…
It is impossible to imagine a US administration that makes so many blunders. It would be polite to say that they are rookie mistakes. However, after a decade of ruling over the Republican Party, they can no longer use that excuse. To summarize one of the biggest economic blunders in American history, please listen to…
For the first time, colleges can now pay athletes directly—up to roughly $20.5 million per school annually, with future increases expected. This is a historic shift allowing athletes not only to profit from endorsements and sponsorships but also to receive revenue-sharing from their institutions. If you have tired eyes, you may listen to this web…
Most of us thought conservatives wanted to keep or conserve the world more or less as it is. The dictionary definition is “Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values.” Until recently, conservatives had the reputation for being somewhat dull but reliable,…