No one disputes that addiction is a growing problem. The rate of growth is alarming and calls for solutions are becoming more frequent and louder. These solutions are often framed under a public policy umbrella. My views on public policy have changed substantially since addiction has affected our family, but only because I've taken the time to research it more thoroughly. It is understandable, but unfortunate that a healthy knowledge of the subject is missing from public opinion. This is … [Read more...] about What I’ve Learned About Drug Addiction
The Wrong Question Distraction: You’re Being Manipulated
COVERT POLITICAL TOOLSUsing covert tools has and probably always will be used in politics. It's unfortunate, because the fact that they're covert implies deception of one sort or another. Sometimes they involve misinformation, sometimes outright lies, and other times they're more subtle. This is about one of the more subtle ones which I refer to as the Wrong Question Distraction. My premise is that political debates are often shaped to get the public to argue about the wrong things, all for … [Read more...] about The Wrong Question Distraction: You’re Being Manipulated
Alienable Rights
We had a hell of a good ride, but it's finally over. The only consolation is that its end came about slowly and largely without a great tragic, violent event. It is time we acknowledge that our Constitution has failed. It simply does not work. We can stick our heads in the sand or spew volumes of political speak to try to convince ourselves it isn't so, but the facts remain. We broke it and very likely we will be unable to repair the damage we've done. I won't point the finger at any particular … [Read more...] about Alienable Rights
A Story-Book Ending and an Idiot Dad
(REPUBLISHED FROM AUGUST, 2012)I learned something very important from my youngest daughter yesterday. Probably a lot more than she would think.She is 18 and moved away to college last week. Her passion in life has always been riding horses and showing them. She began showing horses when she was 7 years old. Every year, she has competed in numerous horse shows. Each year, the World’s Championship Horse Show is held in Louisville, Kentucky, near our home. She has entered … [Read more...] about A Story-Book Ending and an Idiot Dad
The Psychology and Economics of Prosperity
If you've ever had a class in psychology, you know about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. It's actually an interesting model to describe human behavior, but I it can also be used as a model to describe what ails us as a country.This concept has been used to describe individual human behavior for decades. In general, it suggests that humans rise to higher levels of priority in their lives only after they achieve and sustain the lower levels. It's a fairly simple concept and despite the volumes of … [Read more...] about The Psychology and Economics of Prosperity