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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 […]

I met Linda in 7th grade. We became close friends in high school, as we were both singers in a vocal jazz group called The Harmattan. We were also close friends in high school because her boyfriend, Andy, was my best friend in high school. After high school (and after she and Andy went their […]

Building Your Power of Expression Risible adj. Pronunciation: ˈrizəbəl Meaning: Something that is capable of causing laughter. The word describes something that is amusing or worthy of laughter, often because it is absurd or ridiculous. Usage: The comedian’s risible performance had the audience in stitches. His risible attempts at dance moves made everyone at the party […]

I was thinking just the other day about phone books. Some of my younger readers may be clueless about what I am referring to. Prior to cell phones being ubiquitous, we had landlines in our homes and in our offices. Right now, I don’t recall when I stopped using a landline in my home, and […]

Sometimes it pays to try to understand your enemies. When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were elected to the presidency during the 2020 election, the moment they got the keys to the White House in late January 2021, they immediately embarked on a project to do pretty much the opposite of whatever it was that […]

I recall an episode from my past, perhaps 30 or so years ago, I was in a grocery store in the Los Angeles area. Standing near the front of the store, right near the check-out lines, I saw several employees of that store talking frantically with each other. There must have been two or three […]

Building Your Power of Expression Paean n. Pronunciation: ˈpēən Meaning:A paean is a rich word loaded with meaning and energy. The word can refer to a song of praise or triumph, such as the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah, or the National Anthem (“The Star Spangled Banner”) of the United States. Additionally, a paean can be […]

I had an unforgettable lunch some years ago in London. The venue was the popular restaurant called the Hard Rock Café. Since that London excursion, I have had lunch in the Hard Rock Café many times in many cities around the globe, from Sydney to San Diego, from Melbourne to Miami, from Barcelona to Baltimore, […]

It is an interesting undertaking to understand American Conservatism. People often throw the term around with only minimal understanding of what constitutes conservatism. I recently reviewed a speech on the subject by John Fonte of the Center for American Common Culture, a division of The Hudson Institute . Allow me to offer a quick summary […]

Judgment is a very important topic, and a lot of people have strong feelings about it, mostly negative feelings. Two Aspects of Judgment One aspect of the word involves the notion of exercising good judgment, as in making smart decisions or assessing situations with wisdom and intelligence. That’s a positive aspect of judgment. The opposite […]

Building Your Power of Expression Pining, pine n. Pronunciation: pin ng Meaning: To pine is to yearn for something with deep intensity – especially something that is unattainable. If a person longs for the return of something (e.g., a person, an earlier state of affairs, etc.,) they could said to be pining for that thing from […]

There is something to be said for distinctiveness. What sets one car apart from another car? Or, adding some granularity into the equation, what makes a Lamborghini different from a Ferrari, or a Bentley from a Rolls Royce? What makes an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max distinct from a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6? What makes […]

Sometimes it is instructive to merely make passing mention of the continued madness that is Leftism. Let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane to see the Left-wing trends and happenings that point to a growing erosion of decency and normalcy, shall we? The Supreme Court ruled that former President Donald Trump does have some […]

Abraham Lincoln once said “The better part of one’s life consists of his friends.”  Hard to argue with that. Sitting just the other day with a great friend (SE) whom I first met back in 1996, I was reminded that while truly great individuals are not common, they are out there. It’s up to me […]

Building Your Power of Expression Specter, n. Pronunciation: ˈspektər Meaning: Although this word originally referred to a ghost, which for some people is scary enough, the meaning of this word has expanded to encompass anything that is widely feared as a possible unpleasant or even dangerous occurrence. Usage: The direction you are suggesting may well lead […]