Important Note:
Opinions are fun. My friends tell me I am someone with lots of opinions and that's fine since I don't get mad at others when they disagree with me. In this same spirit I am interested in hearing yours views as long as you are able to share your views without boiling over. I look forward to hearing from you. I tend to write in the form of short essays most of the time, but contributions do not need to be in this same format or size. Some of the content here will date itself pretty quickly, other content may be virtually timeless, this is for the reader to judge.
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Why the Battle of Dunkirk Matters
Posted at: Oct/22/2017 : Posted by: mel
Related Category: Historical Insights,
Historians tend to document and teach about war and its campaigns in terms of its greatest battles and prizes. Not surprising therefore, when learning about World War II (WWII) history in the European theater we talk of the second Battle of El Alamein, the Battle for Sicily, the Battle of Stalingrad, the Normandy landing, the raid on Ploesti, the Battle of Arnhem (Operation Market Garden) and the.....read more…
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Critical Thinking at Risk
Posted at: Oct/16/2017 : Posted by: mel
Related Category: Society, Watching America,
Colleges in America have been special places for a long time. Parents, when first looking at their newborn infant almost immediately establish an aspiration for their children to attend a university at some point in their future. While a college path is not for everyone, there are some key benefits that have traditionally been garnered during the pursuit of a college degree. Among these benefit.....read more…
Protesting the National Anthem
Posted at: Oct/12/2017 : Posted by: mel
Related Category: People, Politics & Gov, Watching America,
There has been a lot of media noise recently about professional athletes protesting the national anthem. The response to these protests have ranged from Presidential tweets to calls for boycotting the sporting events of these athletes. Others say the anthem itself is racial. Regardless of your personal stance, nothing creates controversy more than snubbing national symbols. Colin Kaepernick,.....read more…
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How to remember the Las Vegas massacre
Posted at: Oct/06/2017 : Posted by: mel
Related Category: Perspectives, Society, Watching America,
I began my Monday morning the same as most, a glass of juice and a few pills that seem to be more and more a part of daily life as I accumulate years and candles on my cake. The television was on in the background and I quickly became aware that something tragic had happened consuming all the broadcast. Now focused on the news I learned that there had been a mass shooting in Las Vegas the previou.....read more…
The not so United States
Posted at: Jun/07/2017 : Posted by: melmann
Sometimes the best understanding of something is from the outside looking in. While recently in London I had a number of conversations with the hotel concierge. As is expected with his title, he helped find the right restaurants to dine at, arranged some special tickets and helped in locating key sites and attractions. We also had a couple of insightful conversations. In his role as a concierg.....read more…
Crazy Judah
Posted at: May/03/2017 : Posted by: mel
America’s first working steam locomotive was pioneered by a wealthy New Yorker named John Stevens. However, because Steven’s locomotive was never named, never carried passengers or cargo, and least of all never went anywhere except in a small circle in Hoboken New Jersey, it and his name have managed to fade from popular history. Nevertheless, Steven’s 1815 model inspired many imitators. In a s.....read more…
Dealing with choice
Posted at: Apr/12/2017 : Posted by: mel
Related Category: Behavior, People, Society,
Despite the content from our 7/24 news cycle, the world that most westerner’s live in has unquestionably gotten a lot better. People live longer, are wealthier and more secure than ever. Medical care is readily available along with primary and secondary education. Never before in human history could anyone have imagined that obesity would be a problem except for an elite few. While undeniably p.....read more…
What makes a perfect parent?
Posted at: Apr/04/2017 : Posted by: mel
There are lots of things that all of us attempt to do not just well but perfectly. High on this list is the art or task of parenting; raising our children. To this task we look to our personal experience and the families we were raised in and the families we knew growing up. Learning by example is a great tool, but in this era of self-help books we are also blessed with a wealth of books publis.....read more…
Be careful who you blame
Posted at: Mar/15/2017 : Posted by: mel
Related Category: Politics & Gov, Watching America,
With the conclusion of the 2016 Presidential election now a part of history and Donald Trump in office for more than a month, many are still asking how this could have happened. There are a host of theories circulating. Some have proposed that this means the Electoral College is no longer viable. Some folks want to point to voter fraud and there are a few who are sticking to the notion that “th.....read more…
Trying to define 2016
Posted at: Feb/09/2017 : Posted by: mel
Related Category: People, Perspectives, Politics & Gov, Society,
We are 5 weeks into 2017, so it seems only fair to look back and try to access or define 2016. Definitions by their very nature need to be short to be effective and understood. In a dictionary, definitions are seldom more than 8-10 words in length. Sometimes a year is best described by a new word added to our lexicon, in this case I have settled on an old word that has taken on a new emphasis. 20.....read more…
