In a survey of worst fears, public speaking was second only to death. Many years ago, Dr. Ralph C. Smedley recognized the need to overcome this fear. In October 1924, a group of men led by Dr. Smedley met in the basement of the YMCA in Santa Ana, California. Their purpose? To form an […]
Another Boring Budget Cycle
Everyone likes to complain about taxes. It is one of the great underrated spectator sports. But few people do anything about taxes. Very, very few people take the time to study a budget. Budgets are dull, confusing and require a couple of hours to understand. Those who read a budget figure out pretty quickly that there is not much discretionary […]
General Parvez Musharaf is more effective in his uniform
President General Parvez Musharaf without uniform will become an easy pray to the forces of extremism and ignorance currently struggling to gain power through bullet, ballot and Islam, in Pakistan. General Parvez Musharaf as chief of Pakistan armed forces and as President of Pakistan is an effective weapon against forces of extremism and ignorance, the […]
Flying American
In “Leaving Las Vegas” a man succumbs to massive amounts of alcohol. It was a movie, a rather sad one at that. Recently, I was starring in my own version of “Leaving Buenos Aires”, it also had liquor, it had despair, it had tears and frustrations. Only … a movie it was not! It was […]
The Lighthouse
It rested softly in her hands, aged and frail. “Do you want to open it now?” asked Angela. Her brother shook his head and looked toward the black cockatoos brutally pruning the eucalypts by the creek. The land sloped down from the house, overgrown shrubs crowding around what had once been an expanse of lawn. […]