There seems to be so much that has gone wrong in our world today. The leading causes of death are suicide, medically assisted death and opioid overdoses. Children are confused about gender, so many young people are involved in street gangs, middle aged people struggle with mental health issues and so many old people are … Continue reading What if an epidemic of friendliness broke out?
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Is technology dehumanizing us?
The Machine Stops, by E.M. Forster depicts a future age in which technology is able to supply all our needs. People live in individual underground compartments, all their needs are supplied by the all-encompassing machine at the push of a button. Direct person to person contact is unheard of, having been replaced by electronic means … Continue reading Is technology dehumanizing us?
He gave his life for others
Last Friday a young Muslim in France, inspired by jihadist propaganda on social media, was moved to action that he thought would glorify Allah. He hijacked a car, killing one man in the process, drove to Trèbes, a town of 5,000 in the south of France and ran into a supermarket shouting Allahu Akbar (God … Continue reading He gave his life for others
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And man, this clever fellow, seems to have become sleepless in order to invent ever new instruments to increase noise, to spread noise and insignificance with the greatest possible haste and on the greatest possible scale. Yet everything is soon turned upside down: communication is indeed soon brought to its lowest point with regard to … Continue reading No comment needed
The pursuit of happiness
Times are tough for writers today. Every writers' group and every writers' conference tells us that no publisher will even look at a book manuscript unless the author has an impressive "writer's platform." That would consist of a blog with at least 10,000 followers and a similar presence on Facebook and Twitter. And then there … Continue reading The pursuit of happiness
Changes, changes
I was maybe eight years old when Dad bought me a bicycle. He knew that he was only going to be able to buy me one bike, so he bought a sturdy full size bike and fastened blocks to the pedals so I could reach them. It was too big for me to mount in … Continue reading Changes, changes