Category: Memoir

The world’s major deserts span across different continents and climate zones, each with distinct characteristics. There are hot deserts. The Sahara in North Africa is the largest hot desert, covering much of the northern third of the continent. The Arabian Desert stretches across the Middle East, while the Thar Desert lies between India and Pakistan. In North America, the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Mojave deserts cover parts of the southwestern United States and Mexico. Australia’s Great…

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Like half of the people in America (and perhaps the world), I am somewhat systematically reprising the movies of Robert Redford in the wake of his sad, but not so untimely death at age 89. According to IMDb, Redford has 82 acting credits to his name and 10 directorial credits. Of those acting credits, 50 were movies in which he acted (as opposed to narrated or for a series episode or two). I shouldn’t really…

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At what point is dialogue more harmful than helpful? Dialogue is fundamental to healthy political discourse, though it faces significant challenges in practice. Here’s why it matters and what makes it difficult. Political dialogue serves as the primary mechanism for peaceful conflict resolution in democratic societies. When people with different viewpoints can engage constructively, they can find common ground, develop nuanced solutions, and maintain social cohesion despite disagreements. Dialogue also helps prevent the kind of…

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I just saw the New York Times mornng news summary and one phrase caught my eye. It said that based on extensive discussions with Americans, they were mostly saddened, but not surprised about the Charlie Kirk assassination. On Wednesday evening, our two nephews were over for dinner. Nephew Will, who is suffering from a serious neck injury, said that while the shooting was deplorable, he was surprised it hadn’t happened sooner given the rhetoric of…

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