America’s 250th Birthday – and What Some Couldn’t Bring Themselves to Celebrate

July 4, 2026, marked an extraordinary milestone: the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States of America. For a quarter of a millennium, this nation has stood as history’s greatest experiment in ordered liberty. It has endured wars, depressions, assassinations, pandemics, social upheaval, and countless political storms. Yet through it all, the American […]

Have you ever found yourself saying, “I know I saw that somewhere…”? Maybe it was a website you visited yesterday. A brilliant idea you jotted down in a document. A statistic someone mentioned during a Zoom meeting. An email you glanced at but forgot to save. You know it crossed your screen—you just can’t remember […]

I deliver a presentation entitled Navigating the Storms of Life. It has been one of my most requested presentations over the years, and I’ve had the privilege of sharing it with audiences in several countries. The “storms” I discuss in that presentation are, of course, metaphorical. They include things like loneliness, financial setbacks, conflict, disappointment, […]

Building Your Power of Expression Malodorous, adj. Pronunciation: mal’ōdərəs Meaning: This word is to be used to describe anything (or anyone) possessing an unpleasant odor. If spoiled roast beef wreaks, it could be said to be malodorous. If you are walking into a Paris subway and right in front of you is a man who […]

Welcome to the latest installment of Uncommon Sense. I am pleased to bring you issue #358 and enlarge your understanding of a number of important matters. Check it out: I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about. . . thinking. The Self-Development column spells out two distinct approaches to using your thinking skills to […]

Most people own a camera. Fewer people own a telescope. Fewer still know when to use each. One of the most useful mental skills you can develop is the ability to switch between what I call Wide-Angle Thinking and Close-Up Thinking. Both have value. Both have a purpose. The problem is that many people use […]

I have spent a good deal of time over the years criticizing Leftism, not because I enjoy political combat for its own sake, but because I believe the modern Left increasingly finds itself at odds with many of the values that have historically allowed Western civilization to flourish. Before proceeding, let me define what I […]

The results are in: my students from the previous semester gave some very positive feedback: “These past classes truly left an impression on me. They helped me discover things about myself and raised many thoughtful questions. I felt like I gained clarity about what I should and should not do if I want to grow […]

I have been fortunate to count DB among my friends for nearly forty years. Three years my senior and trained in both the arts and the sciences, she is a brilliant communicator—smart, opinionated, deeply principled, and an endlessly engaging conversationalist. We see the world very differently, which is one of the reasons our friendship has […]

Building Your Power of Expression Bawdy, adj., n. Pronunciation: ‘bôdē Meaning: As a noun (which is uncommon), bawdy refers to humorously indecent talk or writing. As an adjective (more common), bawdy refers to anything dealing with sexual matters in a comical way. Usage: “Her work is characterized by irreverence and bawdy humor.” “This group regularly […]