Why Radicals and Pragmatists Need Each Other
“A man who does not have something for which he is willing to die is not fit to live.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr. "Politics is the art of the possible" ~ Otto von Bismarck [...]
Life after Facebook: Why I finally quit social media for good
For billions of us in the world today, social media has become an integral part of our lives. Whether we use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or all of the above, these apps are sending dozens of [...]
A “Post-Truth” Election Year: Propaganda, Conspiracy theories, and Trump’s “Big Lie”
2020 has been the most surreal year of many of our lives. As if things weren't already weird enough, we now have the fear and confusion of living through a global pandemic to contend with. [...]
The Vegetarian Experience in Jeollanamdo, Korea
This piece was also published online and in print in the January 2020 edition of Gwangju News in South Korea. If you are interested in reading my other published works, please see the portfolio section [...]
Why U.S. citizens abroad need to vote in the midterm elections
This article will be published in of Gwangju News under the title "Why U.S. citizens in Korean should vote in the midterm elections." But this applies equally to all U.S. citizens abroad. You need to [...]
Music for the Journey #1: Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews, Pete Seeger, John Mayer, Ben Howard, Xavier Rudd & Mickey Hart
It is early September here in Nampyeong. For those of you who don't know, this means it's desk warming time for those of us who work at the English town, which starts its programs on [...]
The promises and pitfalls of English as an international language
In our day to day lives, the language that we speak is, most often, something that falls firmly into the background of our consciousness. At most moments, we are not even conscious of the fact [...]
Reflections on an unconventional “life on the road”
"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emerson's Essays I begin with these words from Emerson because they capture [...]
It’s true: I suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome
I have a confession to make to all of you. I suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). It's been nearly fourteen months, and I still can't get used to the sound of "President Trump." Every [...]
On Freedom and Security
At first glance, this may look like an article about the familiar political debate surrounding civil liberties and national security issues. That, however, is a topic for another day. Today, I'm interested in talking about [...]