Looking back at life is like reviewing a multi-dimensional series of chapters organized by changes in location, career, and perhaps most vividly, family. One chapter in my own life, as organized by family changes, has been open for nearly twenty two years: having children at home. I’ve loved this chapter so much. Being part of…
Immigration has a curious history. For the vast majority of human history over hundreds of thousands of years, our identity was “hyper-local”, defined by our family units and thus our tribes. Geographic location was much less relevant as we roamed and migrated in search of natural resources and protection from seasonal weather and predators. But…
We were taking a walk near the Pacific coastline when, crossing a bridge over an estuary, we noticed a solitary fisherman navigating his way barefooted through the rocky shore and into the ocean. All of the other fisherman were clustered together on a nearby pier; our fisherman stood apart and away from the majority. All…
In the past year, many of us have come to realize the profound impact that advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) may have on technology and likely on society as a whole. Yet, what might still be underappreciated is the significant influence such breakthroughs could have on our comprehension of the fundamental nature of humanity, articulated…
It’s our first winter in rural Summit County, Utah. I’m certainly used to the scenes of snow after spending the last quarter of a century living in Park City. But I’m not used to the serene but rustic sights, sounds, and scents unique to the mountain-valley countrysides of Summit County. The setting was was so…
As those who’ve known me for some time will understand, mass media has long troubled me. Having been raised in rather socially-minded circles, as a young student of geopolitics, I grew up appreciating how mass media was a critical and dangerous weapon capable of convincing “the masses” of just about anything: it could divide a…
Today, I had a conversation with some young people (late teens/early twenties) who had incredibly strained relationships with their parents. First, it was strange to realize that I was inclined to step in and represent their parents’ absent perspective (I guess I’m officially a parent). But, second, the conversation was incredibly enlightening to me as…
As I approach age 50 and recollect 30 years of post-childhood lessons learned, I recognize a pattern I’ve lived through a few times. I’ve learned that times of economic expansion have tended to teach me fallacies. It was easy to think I was a good bet-taker when every bet paid off. Until it didn’t. Since…
While our attention, motivated by media headlines, is focused on rising inflation, I humbly believe there is an equally high risk of a deflationary shock to the economy in the coming months and quarters. I worry that it is such a shock that could trigger the next recessionary cycle. Let me explain my thinking. Yes,…
I have paid a high price over the past six years. I used to think of myself as a sometimes flawed but generally well-intentioned person. Those who knew me well would agree that, even though I was (and still am) very ambitious, I was paradoxically not competitive at all. I felt that I had few…
Against the Herd 