Category: Life & Personal Reflections
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Two Wars, One Generation: Why Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans Deserve Proper Recognition
For more than twenty years, American service members fought across two completely different battlefields: Afghanistan and Iraq. A lot of us — myself included — served in both. But the way our awards are structured, you’d think those deployments were all part of one single conflict. Anyone who actually fought in them knows that’s not…
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Forcing Humans Back into the Driver’s Seat: Why AI Abundance Needs Accountability, Not Complacency
Science fiction has long painted automation as humanity’s ticket to abundance. With artificial intelligence and robotics advancing rapidly, some dream of a society freed from survival labor, where human creativity and purpose flourish. But that dream won’t simply arrive. If anything, our current trajectory—defined by public complacency, concentrated ownership of technology, and fragile governance structures—could…
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Season’s Greetings from Life After Door Kicking
Merry Christmas and happy new year. If you celebrate something else I hope that goes well for you.This year reminded me that survival isn’t the same as living—and that clarity usually shows up after the noise fades.To everyone still sorting through the wreckage of bad systems, bad years, bad decisions, or inherited lies: you’re not…
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No, You Don’t Have to Force December
I get the desire for cheer in December. I really do. The winter solstice gives us the shortest day of the year. The world tilts and shrinks the light. Things go gray. Cold sets in. It’s only natural we’d want to fight that back—with lights, with laughter, with plans, with cheer.We’re not wrong to want…
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Two tales one city
Do you have a favorite place you have visited? Where is it? Picking a “favorite” place isn’t easy. You’d think I’d say Las Vegas since I grew up there, but that’s home, not a getaway. I’ve taken a few California trips, and I’ve technically “been” to Germany and Ireland—if airport terminals count as cultural experiences.…
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The Luxury of Forgetting: How Comfort Has Made Us Fragile
Before we dive in, let me set the scene: I had a whole December lineup planned—light, festive, easy reading. Been ready since Halloween; I had the idea right after doing true crime for October, just to keep things cozy and low-key and avoid bumping into politics or mental-health vibes this month. Then the lineup disappeared.…
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Speaking extemporaneously
This is something I didn’t write so much as find —the pen just moved, and I followed.Sometimes the mind drags you through chaosjust to remind you what clarity costs.These words came from that place. — Sometimes this dream feels like a nightmareIntrusive like a sledge, like I’m having night terrors,and I just can’t back up…
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The Gordian knot of healthcare.
What’s a topic or issue about which you’ve changed your mind? For most of my adult life, I supported the idea of free healthcare. It sounded humane — civilized, even. No one should go broke because they got sick, right? I still believe that in principle. But after living under a socialized medical system for…
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