Just a reminder: when crossing language and cultural differences, sarcasm can be construed as truth or as lies rather than satire. Be cautious —say directly and literally what you mean when using the Internet to avoid translation errors.

Who are the influencers in your life from whom you have learned significant values and lessons in 2025? What are the values and principles you want to share with meaningful people in your life in 2026? Peace, love, and grace to you all!

A boy fought a bully who tried to take the boy’s bike, a boy fell through the frozen roof of river, the boy jumped from the 3rd story of a burning building to show 10 others they could survive, the man flew for the USA in 3 wars, the man took in homeless relatives, the man loved—My dad: 1918-2007.

18 years ago this hour a great man pulled his final breath. He taught his children to be honest—unless we were dealing with the enemy. He cautioned us to tell the “public truth” but withhold the “private & family truth” that was nobody’s business but ours. Daddy flew into his beloved stars at 12:41.

A lifetime observation: A coward-bully with power or authority will manipulate or coerce others into doing bad acts so the demander can deny responsibility later for evil deeds. Refuse to do for another what you believe is wrong, harmful, immoral, illegal, or unkind. Protect your reputation.

For our sakes, let’s ask medical professionals what we need to make our healthcare systems more cost effective. Let’s cut insurance & pharmaceutical company profits somehow. Let’s give tuition support to medical students in return for their contract work in rural & disadvantaged areas. Other ideas?

Just ask anyone living in Ukraine, Gaza, Middle East, Africa, Central and South America if emotions are confined to Psychologist Paul Ekman’s 6 universal emotions: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust. So much more to our human experience than 6 emotions. Empathy may be inadequate.

Beware of those who sharpen their fears into weapons to threaten, attack, stab, and cut others. Watching your back is not enough—watch the future in the present moment.

To the competent: you will be punished with more and more responsibility and expectation! Channel your energy and challenge your resilience. You will accomplish goals others can only imagine.

The Kaleidoscope Lesson: When you look through the device, you see reflections of colored shards in an intricate pattern. When you share it with another person, the pattern shifts into a new one. Such is truth. All patterns are true. Share your pattern so we can see more of the whole of truth!

It is so easy to accuse someone of not listening when the receiver asks questions to understand the speaker’s point. After all, the speaker understands the point and expresses it, so how come the receiver does not understand the point? A speaking, listening, or processing problem? Could be any!

Today I am thankful for Ukraine’s courage, persistence, innovation, resilience, and fortitude. They fight for their democracy and for democracy in the world. They fight for peace with self-determination. They fight against bullies in russia and the US administration.

As a child of a US Navy aviator, I grew up knowing the value of character, integrity, and patriotism. Sen. Capt. Mark Kelly exemplifies those principles. Yes, careers are jeopardized by refusing illegal orders. Yet, the opposition against threat and intimidation demonstrates a needed determination.

Rejection hurts. The pain centers in the sternum, making it difficult to take a deep breath. Whether a child or an adult, wanting someone or something that does not want you back causes injury— psychological, physical, or moral. In the course of healing the sting, a person either grows or withers.

Words can speak intent and insight. Words can state heritage, advantage, and courage. Words convey illness and wellness. Words can cause pain, panic, and paralysis. Words can be unforgiving or forgiving. They can empty you or empower you. Choose them with heart and mind. Your world is your word!

When I was a child, my mom recited, “Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words will never hurt you.” Only partially true: words can be powerless and temporary, yet sometimes they are powerful and permanent. Words can injure, inform, or inspire. More on words to come….

As a professional dispute resolution provider, I continue to study domestic relations. Two insights around divorce: grief is relentless and children are “divorced” too. Mediation helps people resolve parenting plans, scheduling, financial divisions, property settlement…. Therapy relieves some pain.

Stitches or a scar? I’d ask my kids after a small injury that question. They always answered “scar!” It was a badge of honor & a great story. My kids were raised in dirt & snow—playing frontier, racing downhill & over “thank-you-ma’ams,” & flying through the air on bikes or skis. No internet then.

How do you react when someone discounts your feelings or experiences? These are the two expressions that are totally yours, whether they are shared with anyone else. Discounting them is condescending, demeaning, and insufferable. To deflate the discount ask the discounter to share their thinking!

AI is really “Automated Information”—artificial in the sense it can be true & factual information or it can be false & fictional information or a combination. AI has no integrity or conscience. AI creates through implanted associations & algorithms. No regulations? Accountability? Ethics? Really?

If you can afford it, send a donation to a veterans group, a food bank, or a mental health agency today. Celebrate and support those who have served to keep democracy secure in the world. Vote whenever and wherever you can to do the same.

Behind every veteran is a circle of family (members by birth and invitation) who missed them and were scared for them when the service members were deployed. Thank the veterans and their families! Embrace the day.

Dad received orders to move to another USN base. He sold our house in one state, rented another house in another state. A week later his orders changed. He canceled the rental, honored the sale. We were “homeless” for a month. We 8 went on vacation in a tent and old war barracks. Fond Navy memories!

Making statements, giving ultimatums, blaming another party, refusing to listen—not productive! Start asking questions about the other’s experiences and thinking on the issue at hand. Seek the “interest” behind the “position.” Address that interest to find common ground.

The US Supreme Court is an arbitrator in effect. Litigation takes time and consumes vast funds. Experienced, independent mediators are needed to give Americans a chance to be heard and resolutions to be reached. Faster, cost-effective, and lasting agreements are the result.

In the late years of the past century, “How to Handle Difficult People” was a popular public seminar for business managers. All the strategies required rational people having rational behaviors to work together. One or more parties who are irrational cause escalated conflict, impasse, or violence.

Bill Eddy, esq., has identified 5 high-conflict personalities: borderline, sociopath (anti-social), histrionic, narcissist, and paranoid. Too many characteristic behaviors of those extreme personalities are at play in the government shutdown. Blaming, threatening, manipulating, stonewalling….

Political surveys that I receive in emails ask for my valued opinions and my donations. If I do not give, I get a reminder to “complete the survey”! It seems I have to pay to have my views count. Do we not care about those who cannot afford to donate to political entities? No tax deduction either!

“I might lose my soul in imagining,” posted Gene Rowzee on 7 November 2025. This was regarding his thoughts of Customs & Border Protection and Immigration & Customs Enforcement employees’ unconscionable acts. I believe I understand and feel what he means. Power without accountability harms people.

@jennymadden90.bsky.social Thanks for following me. I love malamutes! Have had more than 10 of them—so beautiful, strong, protective, loving, and howling!

Reviewing wardrobe and accessory possibilities for upcoming events… Kimonos, Kenyan beaded jewelry, a silver squash blossom necklace, A beret, camouflage… Is wearing an animal print the ultimate cultural appropriation?

Years back I read a book on quantum physics—yeah, I impressed myself, too! I wanted to understand my physicist brother better. My insight: what I thought about in poetry, he studied in theory. Not so different after all. Our vocabularies carry different jargon, yet understanding is possible!

“Just be concise and get to the point.” That’s what my seminar participants often say as their primary complaint for business communications. No one has the patience in a busy world to read or listen too long. My tip: begin with your audience’s “point” (their perception) before making your point.

@fred.myatproto.social All is well here. You?

Recently, I taught a corporate class in speaking and presenting. Do you find yourself becoming anxious over “ah, um” expressions? Think of those sounds as the brain humming between thoughts. Concentrate on the thought content that follows the hum transition!

Many people cope with unpleasantries by denying and avoiding. Our government officials are doing that now. The only way to resolve disputes is to face them—and each other. Face to face and voice to voice. Ask, listen, seek understanding, and create small agreements to arrive at lasting resolution.

Too often we judge others through our ignorance rather than knowledge. Keep asking questions and listening. Then ask more questions. Curiosity will bring us closer to understanding. Use both your heart and your mind. THEN accept, select, or reject!

TV and movies often have a high-pitched musical score that enhances emotionality and buries the dialog. Actually, that provides a metaphor for discerning the truth in news: we have to differentiate among background noise and foreground nonsense and significant sense! So pay attention, All.

Fear can paralyze or energize. How do you respond to fear? Avoid it or embrace it or decimate it? Think through times you have experienced fear. What do you plan to do differently or similarly the next time? Fear lives among us. Deliberate now to act later!

Updates matter. Thank you for your dedication and courage! Ukraine will prevail. The Western world must advocate and donate! Please help.

Silence speaks louder in approval than in disapproval! Be clear about your silence, and your speech.

On this important day in the Middle East, please remember Ukraine is still fighting for its peace! Donate what you can to Ukraine’s efforts to save democracy in Western Europe and the world.

Can you imagine how satisfying it was yesterday for me when the blue and white flashing lights behind me on the highway were from a string of race car drivers, signaling me to get out of their way. Down the road, a state police officer had the red, green, yellow, blue cars lined up on the shoulder!

US Military from Viet Nam suffering from Agent Orange (and their offspring!) and first responders in 9-11 rescues/recoveries with chronic ailments should, indeed, receive medical treatments on behalf of the American public they served. I do NOT understand what the issues are! Let’s care.

Years ago, my mom and I argued over Christoper Columbus. She had learned in school that he discovered North America. I told her that Amerigo Vespucci did. She was very angry with me! We were both wrong. Asian ancestors of American Indigenous People “found” our land. Celebrate uncovering truth.

What would happen if all the highly qualified leaders and experts who have been fired by the current administration banded together into private companies to lead America and charge the government for the expertise that is needed after all? They could become richer than administration loyalists!

How about this? To run for POTUS, you must be 45 or older (life experience!) and younger than 78 at conclusion of your second term (if you are lucky enough to have one); pass a civics test with minimum of 90%; recognize photos and names of 50 or more world leaders; pass a psychiatric exam. Thoughts?

Recently, I read an article that explained vertical morality and horizontal morality. It seemed as if morality is an “either/or” choice. Either following God/head of a group as the decider of morality or treating others well for the sake of community is the choice? What about “diagonal morality”?

What keeps our court system from immediately investigating wrongfully convicted people (estimated at 1%) when DNA proof, proof of coerced witness testimony, and new evidence emerge?New trials in these situations would be less costly than life incarceration or execution. Save lives, admit wrong!