To the surprise of those on the left, even as President Trump is being impeached for the second time, he very much can control the future of his movement and the legacy of his Presidency. He along with all of us should take a deep breath and look for opportunity where for the last 8 […]
Category: John Livingston
Lest we Forget
The common bond that has held Americans together of all races and Nationalities since the landing of the Mayflower has been our common faith in God. The rules that govern our civil and personal relationships and interactions are grounded in concepts of the NATURAL LAW whose principles date back to the Bible through Calvary, Augustine, […]
The Reason for our Troubles
In his famous speech in 1862 at Philadelphia’s National Hall, Frederick Douglas stated, “that nations, not less individuals, are subjects to the moral government of the universe and that. Persistent transgressions of the laws of this Devine (United States) government will certainly bring national sorrow, shame, suffering and death.” C. S. Lewis showed in THE […]
A Pincer Maneuver
A “PINCER MANEUVER” in battle occurs when two forces meet each other and one deploys the strength of force toward both flanks of the enemy, hoping to envelop and surround the enemy cutting off supply and logistical support. It can be dangerous if the enemy being enveloped can rapidly break through the middle of the […]
“All happy families are alike. Each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” “It was the best of times and it was the worst of times… It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness”. The opening lines for Tolstoy’s ANNA KARININA and Dicken’s TALE OF TWO CITIES could easily be […]
Time to call out the Bigots
I would like to file a complaint with the Idaho Human Rights Commission against the administration of Boise State University and The State Board of Education. My complaint would be that the single most important diversity program at that institution has been marginalized and harmed over the past two years by the actions of authorities […]
Fast Freddie and Fake News
FAST FREDDIE FARREL was a fraternity brother of mine. He was a genius. A double major in physics and chemistry he went on to teach at MIT. Freddie only had to read or hear something once and it was committed to his memory forever. Freddie also thought he was a great basketball player. He was […]
The Pandemic and Priorities
No matter what the project—a business venture, a scientific experiment, government funding of grants or infrastructure, or one’s own family, it is always wise to take a deep breath and look at what our original goals were, and to see if we are marching toward those goals, see what changes need to be made—adopt and […]
Fake News is the ‘Second Team’
Thanks to our great President Donald Trump the “fake news” has been exposed for being the scandalmongers and pamphleteers that they really are. Since the beginning of our country the press has looked upon the freedom they enjoy under the 1st Amendment as a license to instigate and advocate partisan positions. This is exactly the […]
In 1998, Peter Bernstein wrote a book entitled THE REMARKABLE HISTORY OF RISK. It was part mathematics, part history and part psychology. The basic takeaway for me was twofold: 1. That risk is individual and based on experience and information 2. That the very process of avoiding risk—risk mitigation, can lead to unintended consequences that […]
Keep Your Eye on the Ball
“Keep your eye on the ball” were words my father would say to me many times during his life. When a fork in the road was presented to me academically, professionally, or with a decision about my family, he always wanted me to stay true to my principles and never forget about the end game. […]
Go to any sporting event and you hear fans shouting at the referees or umpires about “bad calls”. People who played sports know that it isn’t the calls that are made that most influence the outcome of a game, but the calls that aren’t made. The strike on the outside corner of the plate in […]