Engaging Life with Courage and Intelligence
The self-described genius has another challenging task. In addition to stopping the Russian war with Ukraine in one day (any day now) and putting all immigrants with tattoos into an El Salvadoran prison, Trump has to teach penguins how to do math. Trump imposed new tariffs on every island, inlet, floating iceberg, and country (except…
There are many reasons why Tesla’s market value has dropped like a rock in a lake. Many believe that Musk’s childlike techno-libertarianism and the predictable reaction of people around the world are the primary causes of Tesla’s sudden decline. However, I think that is just one factor. The Tesla truck has become the laughingstock of…
When I was a young, impressionable lad, a visitor to my Sunday School class gave us a little inspirational talk meant to elevate a small group of impressionable young boys. I will never forget what he said about selecting friends. He said, “Seek out people who are honest, humble, and of good character.” This one…
While Trump befriends America’s enemies, his tariff wars convert friends into enemies. The headlines are filled with the growing animosity from Canada, Mexico, and Europe. However, let’s not forget our friends in Asia. Japan is currently selling U.S. Treasury bonds in reaction to Trump’s tariff war. So, why do you think we should be concerned?…
Many books document the aftermath of countries and cults that fail spectacularly. The scenario should be familiar to everyone: A charismatic leader convinces his cult followers that they have mighty, secret powers or standing in the world. He convinces them that their unique beliefs will allow them to triumph in the afterlife, the current life,…
Arrogance really comes from insecurity, and in the end our feeling that we are bigger than others is really the flip side of our feeling that we are smaller than others. Desmond Tutu While some of James Bond’s movie scenarios involved undercover spying with foreign governments, several involved spying on rouge, power-seeking entrepreneurs. One of…
Ostensively, Elon Musk purchased Twitter because he thought it was silencing the voices of his right-wing causes. Elon said he believed in “radical free speech,” meaning no voice should be silenced. He noted that Twitter management and the Deep State were violating the sacred American tenet of free speech. He apparently had already sided with…
On March 18, 2025, President Trump made the White House an automobile showroom for Elon Musk’s Tesla EVs after Tesla lost more than 40% of its market value. When was the last time a President of the United States made an endorsement and became a spokesman for a commercial product? I cannot think of a…
Elon Musk and his Tesla design team have become adamantly against using radar sensors or LIDAR to allow a Tesla to drive independently. To quote Elon, “LIDAR is fricking, expensive and unnecessary.” However, as Tesla’s competition now realizes, LIDAR is necessary for many reasons. Relying solely on visual information is dangerous at 30 mph, 60…
When my genealogical research began, my first inclination was to focus on my Y chromosome and surname. While researching the arrival of my 7th great-grandfather from the Spanish Netherlands, I noticed his wife’s maiden name was Rapalje. I found the name interesting but was more interested in my direct male ancestor. Years later, I returned…