The most common approach to conflict resolution is to start with facts we all agree on. Those seem to be evaporating in the face of disinformation campaigns by all sides. One fact should be easy — we’re all human, and have the same fundamental needs: food, shelter, love, respect. But even that obvious fact fails […]

All our political systems started out as searches for the best leaders, and fairness in apportionment of resources. The best hunt organizer would easily become the hunting band’s leader, and his authority would undoubtedly prevail in the sharing of the spoils. And similarly with leaders in other areas of expertise. Until one didn’t share the […]

My take on a recommendation of my son, the film 500 days of Summer — The Art of Love (and Friendship?): emotionally pleasing communications from understanding and acceptance of discrepancies between expectations of an event and its actuality based on differing responses to the continually changing inputs of life.   Preferring one person over another […]

Only laws needed: no violence or threat of violence against person, property or truth. Secrets arise from transgressions of law or morality, and are almost always meant to advantage us over someone else less “in the know”. The value of a secret may be measured in the pain one is willing to endure to maintain […]

The point of literature: a search engine for equity I’ve been conducting a rather intense and thoroughgoing review of the principal themes of literature in the last couple of years, at least as it shows up in television and movies.  It seems to me the point of most of our literature is to explore the […]

My son has been suggesting for some time now that I contact actual scientists about my search for physics which better explain our universe.  Finally I have found one edge of a larger community of such maverick thinkers in the annual contests of Max Tegmark’s Foundational Questions Institute. The first contest essay I read last […]

My son just started at University of Chicago last month, so we are now empty nesters.  A sudden change which emphasizes that this is an opportunity, even a requirement, to redesign our lives.  I feel particularly lucky in having for a model my son Stefan, who taught himself while in high school how to continuously […]

The recent disclosure by Edward Snowden of some of  the extent of the NSA’s information collection system has drawn unwelcome attention to the scope of governmental disinformation policy. I think a case can be made for the notion that this outrage is an example of society evolving in a healthy direction, away from secrets and […]

I sent my son an article recommending a good habit: starting your day half and hour earlier, on the theory that the extra time used well and regularly in the most effective and productive segment of the day would pay off like coumpounding dividends over the course of a lifetime. Actually, he had already adopted […]

Corporations don’t have natural citizen rights, like free speech. Congress shall make no law excepting itself or its members. No member of congress shall serve more than 14 years. Change the electoral system to a more rational and fair voting system.