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It may not always seem that you are in control of your life, but the truth of the matter is that you do have a startling amount of control over your life. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond to what happens to you. Today is December […]

As I discussed in both the Self-Development column above, and in the Shameless Plug segment below, I completed my goal for 2024 of writing my first book, The Leftist Hydra: How the Progressive Left is Undermining Western Civilization. The book itself has a chapter near the end that summarizes my views of how Leftism is […]

In an earlier era, I was very committed to giving out (and mailing) Christmas cards. I saw them as an opportunity to make a small difference in the life of the person receiving one. Over the years, I’ve gotten lazy in that operation. I give out very few, if any, Christmas cards. It’s not that […]

Building Your Power of Expression Germane, adj. Pronunciation: jərˈmān Meaning: When something is said to be germane, it is relevant to the topic under consideration. Conversely, if something is said to not be germane, the claim is being put forth that what was just said is irrelevant to the subject at hand. Usage: Your point is […]

People sometimes have their favorite quips to throw out at a moment’s notice. This can happen in many different scenarios: casual conversations, pick up lines when meeting members of the opposite sex (men are usually the guilty ones here), sales pitches, political pitches, you name it. The problem with pre-packaged pitches is that they lack […]

The wife of a close friend of mine, JB (a close friend in her own right) is really disappointed in the recent presidential election results.  Thus, she asked me to address the question: Why is it that so many Christians voted for this loathsome, creepy, villainous character, Donald J. Trump?  (She didn’t word it quite that […]

By habit, we often greet each other with the question, “How are you doing?” or some variation thereof (“How are you?” “How are things going?” “What’s going on?” What’s been happening lately?”) We generally don’t ask such questions with absolute seriousness. We’re just being polite. In many instances, we don’t really care how the person […]

Building Your Power of Expression Effusive, adj. Pronunciation: əˈfyo͞osiv Meaning: Any time you are expressing feelings of gratitude, praise, approval, or offering compliments in a way that is unrestrained, deeply heartfelt, or over-the-top, you are being effusive. Usage: She received quite an effusive welcoming upon her return. I couldn’t help it; I gave them effusive praise […]

Running circles around the competition is not all that difficult, truth be told. And I can summarize it in one word: Service! If you create a dynamic, a culture, where service to customers is outlandish, you’ll clobber the competition. Nordstrom has done it. The Ritz Carlton has done it. And you can do it, too. […]

I don’t like being wrong. At least not habitually. Yet I still reflect on Einstein’s pithy saying that “I am not interested in being right; I am interested in knowing whether or not I am right.” But here is something I hope I am wrong about. Donald Trump wasn’t hated by a large portion of […]

In covering a topic this sensitive, I begin by offering a faith-based perspective which comes from my Latter-day Saint community and theology, and I do so to get it out of the way as a sort of preface, because this journal entry is not predominantly about that – not about religion or faith or theology […]

Building Your Power of Expression Compunction, n. [usually used in the negative] Pronunciation: kəmˈpəNG(k)SH(ə)n Meaning: A compunction is a feeling of guilt or moral scruple that prevents or follows the doing of something bad. Think of it as a feeling of anxiety arising from awareness of guilt. It could also be thought of as distress of […]

There are several key elements for maintaining optimal health. Many of these elements are obvious and involve the human body. Flexibility, which can be maintained through regular stretching, is vital. Muscular strength is also key, and can be enhanced through resistance training, such as calisthenics or weightlifting. Very important is cardio-vascular fitness, which can be […]

“I say this in the most disrespectful way possible. I don’t care if you are my family. I don’t care if you are my friend. I don’t care if we have been friends our entire lives. You can literally go f*ck yourself if you voted for Donald Trump. If you are so sad about your […]

While I’m sure 4th Grade teachers in our public or private schools would not find their 9-year-old students amusing if said students were mouthy, disrespectful, and sassy, (and I concur with the teachers), I actually find a little sass somewhat amusing in the real world. While I would not tolerate disrespectful sass from subordinates in […]

Building Your Power of Expression Schema, n. Pronunciation: ˈskēmə Meaning: Aside from its technical use in the fields of logic or philosophy (especially in Kantian philosophy) a schema most generally refers to a representation of a plan or theory in the form of an outline or a model of some kind. If I developed a new […]

We all can learn something from chess masters: Chess masters set themselves apart from other players of this most difficult of games in several ways. To name one example, a true chess master has a vast understanding of what is called “Opening Knowledge.” This has to do with the many variables involved in one’s opening […]

In the previous issue (see Issue #317) I discussed the notion of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Opponents of Donald Trump consider the notion of TDS to be an unwarranted smear. I actually believe it to be a real phenomenon, an example of mass hysteria on an unprecedented scale. I’ve pointed out many times that the masses […]

We are flawed by nature. We make mistakes. We do wrong. We hurt others. We are sometimes selfish and self-centered. Some of us are even narcissistic at times. We make fools of ourselves. We say cruel things. We utter unwarranted insults. We are quick to judge. We sometimes take things that are not ours to […]

Building Your Power of Expression Emaciated, adj. Pronunciation: əˈmāSHēˌādəd Meaning: When a person (or an animal) appears to be abnormally weak and thin, especially when due to illness or a lack of food, that person (or animal) could be said to be emaciated. We’ve all seen people or animals that have been neglected and are thus […]

Astute readers will notice the title of this column is in quotation marks. Who am I quoting? I’m quoting Rahm Emanuel, former Chief of Staff for President Obama, and later the mayor of Chicago. Mr. Emanuel once said, “Never let a crisis go to waste.” While I have serious issues with Mr. Emanuel’s likely intent […]

We’ve all heard the term Trump Derangement Syndrome. Allow me to explain how it works. First, let me say that for the upcoming election, I will not be casting my vote for Kamala Harris. I won’t explain in detail here why I will not be voting for her; suffice it to say I believe that […]

This is hard to talk about and I really don’t wish to divulge too much, but I need to point out that the more I interact with people (and I do interact with lots and lots of people from all walks of life and in very different circumstances and venues) the more I am noticing […]

Building Your Power of Expression Ameliorate, v. Pronunciation: əˈmēlyəˌrāt Meaning: To ameliorate is to take something bad or undesirable and make it better somehow; to make more tolerable. Usage: Take this medicine, as it will help ameliorate the pain. His reforms did much to ameliorate living standards. Although this environment is in utter disarray, it will […]

One day I was in a large ballroom at a hotel in San Antonio, Texas. I was preparing for a workshop I would be delivering in about 2 hours from that moment. I had a task to complete: I had prepared 220 copies of a 16-page handout – one per attendee – and I needed […]

In the previous two issues of Uncommon Sense, I have used this column to turn our attention to the Biden-Harris administration’s open border policy. In issue #314, I tried to think like a terrorist and speculate on what might have gone through the mind of a typical terrorist at the new reality of the open […]

There is a quote from a book I wished to use for this article. But I am frustrated because I can’t readily locate the quote. I wished to locate the quote so I could better understand the context of the quote. The quote is as follows: “. . . but perhaps he might gain internal […]

Building Your Power of Expression Droll, adj. Pronunciation: drōl Meaning: This word describes something that is curious or unusual in a way that provokes dry amusement. Usage: He was notable for his unique brand of droll self-mockery. No, I didn’t do the chicken dance or anything so droll. Nick is very droll; he’s got a very […]

We live in truly amazing times. If you are located in any part of the Western World, and perhaps almost anywhere on earth, it is astonishing to consider the nature of the society in which we live. Opportunities for formal education, informal education, the chance to read amazing books and other writings in other formats, […]

Ever since Donald Trump left office in January 2021, our southern border has been, for all intents and purposes, wide open. While it is true that neither President Joe Biden nor Vice President and “Border Czar” Kamala Harris have ever candidly stated the obvious, which is that the border is open by design, that in […]