“The practice of democracy is not passed down through the gene pool. It must be taught and learned by each new generation.” – Sandra Day O’Connor Sandra Day O’Connor was honored yesterday during a funeral at the Washington National...
On Empathy And Compassion, Concerning Passengers Of Size
My Southwest Airlines post earlier this week concerning passengers of size triggered some interesting reactions so I want to take a moment to discuss the matter further, with a focus on what empathy and compassion actually look like. How...
Schumer Delivers “Fellow Travelers” Speech
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D – NY) recently delivered a powerful speech on the Senate floor condemning antisemitism and invoking “fellow travelers” in a historical and poignant way. As we end the week, I want to highlight key...
JFK’s Last Flight
This week marks the 60th anniversary of the death of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Did you know that JFK’s final flight occurred less than an hour before his assassination and...
A Turbulent Thanksgiving Is An Opportunity For All Of Us
Today I am setting aside the “sides” of conflict to simply reflect upon blessings and direct our attention toward a prayer for peace and deliberate pursuit of reconciliation. A Turbulent Thanksgiving, A Gentle Reminder We lived in a messed-up...
105 Years Later: My Reflections On World War I
In a turbulent world, today marks the 105th anniversary of the end of World War I. The wars currently in progress brought to mind a piece I wrote five ago on the Great War and what followed. My original...
Pathetic: Twentysomethings Bark Orders At Their Mother In Hotel Dining Room
I cannot resist commenting on this…and do so as an admonition to parents everywhere–myself included–that we must take the time to raise our children well from a very early age. A foundation of consistency and accountability at an early age...
Facing The Reality Of Evil: The Essence Of Travel
Some of the most poignant moments of my travels over the years have been facing the reality of evil. A new Israeli website invites us to do the same in the context of the Hamas massacre against Israel. Travel...
I’m Homeless And Living In Hotels…
As we reach the end of the week, I thought I’d take some time today to share what is going on in my life and explain some of the drama I have recently hinted about in other posts. In...
I Stand With Israel. There Is No Other Option.
The geopolitical situation in Israel is complex. It always has been and likely always will be. But there is no moral complexity in condemning terrorists who deliberately target civilians or the repugnant creatures around the world who believe that...
Flooded Subways Of New York City Are A Sad Reflection Of Our Priorities
A fierce storm dumped massive amounts of water in New York City, overwhelming much of the city’s infrastructure, particularly the subway system. It’s a sad reflection of our priorities and an embarrassment to the richest nation in the world....
Depressing: Attending Church In Malta
I attended church in Malta at the beautiful St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral in Valletta, an Anglican house of worship. It was a sad reminder of the future of Christianity in our postmodern world…or at least mainline Protestantism. Going To Church...
Hurricane Klint: My Horrible Week In La La Land
Folks, it has been one heck of a week here in Los Angeles. I’m not looking for your pity, but let me tell you about Hurricane Klint. Hurricane Klint, A Rough Week In Los Angeles I already mentioned the...
Independence Day 1863: A Reflection on Gettysburg
I ran the story below on July 4, 2013 on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Another decade has passed and I find it all the more timely that we reflect upon the US Civil War and...
Why People Risk Their Lives For Adventure Travel
The sad demise of the five men exploring the Titanic wreckage in a submersible two miles below the Atlantic also brings out another interesting dimension of travel: there is reason to believe that each person onboard would have weighed...
The Death Of A Notorious Blog Reader
Regular readers of Live And Let’s Fly may have noticed a prominent voice in the comments section has been absent for the last several weeks. That is because he killed himself. His death is a sad testament of the...
America The Beautiful
The United States of America is an imperfect experiment, but a beautiful one. Let’s not lose sight of that, especially today. America The Beautiful – My 2023 Memorial Day Reflection On Saturday, I gathered at a friend’s house for...
My Thoughts On The Coronation Of King Charles III
My six-year-old son Augustine and I sat transfixed this morning from my home office in Los Angeles, watching the coronation of King Charles III. How the world has changed since a four-year-old boy named Charles watched his mother’s coronation...
Easter Monday: Friendship, Betrayal, And Forgiveness
Today is a holiday in much of Christendom known as Easter Monday. What can Easter teach us about friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness? Friendship, Betrayal, And Forgiveness In The Context Of Easter One highlight of Eastertide for me is the...
Out Of Control Tipping: Enough Already!
I am tired of tipping for service that does not go above and beyond baseline expectations and I am even more tired of being guilted for not doing so. Thus, I’m throwing down the gauntlet and scaling back my...
