Tag: politics
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Cobra Kai, Miyagi-Do, and the Danger of Believing Your Way Is the Only Way
One of the more interesting things about Cobra Kai is that it was never really about karate. It is about philosophy. More specifically, it is about what happens when people become so committed to a way of thinking that they stop questioning whether it still serves them. On one side, you have the teachings of…
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The Roller Coaster of the 2020s: Unraveling and Re-Weaving Society
The first half of the 2020s will be remembered as a decade that didn’t tiptoe in. It barged through the door, knocked over the furniture, and dared us to pretend everything was fine. Many of us walked into 2020 with vision-board optimism, only to find ourselves saying, like the Friends theme song, “No one told…
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Manic Monday: Of Bears, Buses, and Beltway Blunders
It’s just another Manic Monday, as The Bangles so perfectly sang, and today, the internet is buzzing louder than a coffee grinder at dawn. Between viral Starbucks hysteria, government shutdown drama, and promises of “free” everything in New York, you’d think it was a full moon. Let’s start with the latest caffeine craze. Starbucks has…
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It’s Still the Economy, Stupid: A Gen X Reflection on Cycles, Struggle, and Survival
In 1992, James Carville,Bill Clinton’s campaign strategist, coined a simple yet powerful phrase that would echo through the decades: “It’s the economy, stupid.” It was a blunt reminder that no matter how complicated the political noise gets, what matters most to the average American family is the cost of living, job security, and whether bills…
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The Algorithm of Outrage: Not Every Headline Deserves Your Peace
We live in a time where outrage is currency. Social media feeds us headlines designed to spark emotion, arguments, and clicks. The more heated we get, the more the algorithm wins. But here’s the truth: not every headline deserves your peace. Parasocial Relationships and the Illusion of Intimacy With the rise of social media, we’ve…
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The Shift from Liberalism to Identity Politics
I’m 51 years old, a Gen Xer who grew up believing in liberal ideals. For most of my life, I thought I understood what it meant to be a Democrat: fighting for fairness, standing up for the underdog, and pushing for progress. But over time, I began to see a shift. For me, the change…
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From Trauma Bond to Fractured Trust: A Nation’s Lament
I still remember September 12, 2001. The day after the towers fell, we were all glued to our televisions, hearts heavy, eyes swollen, minds trying to grasp the horror of what had just unfolded. It was trauma bonding on a national scale. For a fleeting moment, grief bound us together. Flags waved from porches. Strangers…
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Throwback Thursday: What Are Words For?
Last night, my husband played Words by Missing Persons, and it was a blast from the past. I honestly feel like I haven’t heard it in forever. But this time, instead of just bobbing my head to Dale Bozzio’s wild vocals and new wave synth, I actually listened to the lyrics. And it hit me—forty-plus…
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Throwback Thursday: From Cedar Point to Social Security—Gen X and the Retirement Time Bomb
The year was 1992. June. Just one day after I graduated high school, my father dropped me off at Cedar Point, Ohio’s crown jewel amusement park, to begin my first real job as a restroom attendant. Potty Patrol wasn’t glamorous, but it was honest work. Minimum wage: $4.25/hour. My housing and food were deducted from…
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Wednesday Wisdom: Navigating Economic Uncertainty—A Recession or Just a Bump?
Wisdom for the Week: The economic climate has been a hot topic, and it’s hard not to notice the tension in the air. We’re feeling it in many places across the country—Las Vegas, for example, often feels the effects of a recession before the rest of us. And right now, we’re seeing the familiar signs:…
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Made in America (Once Upon a Time): A Youngstown Kid’s Take on Trade Wars and Steel Town Ghosts
I was raised on the clang of steel and the scent of molten metal—before that scent was replaced by silence. My dad worked at one of the mills in Youngstown, Ohio. A man of grit and calloused hands who wore his hard hat like a crown. We didn’t have much, but we had pride—because what…
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Why Legacy Media Is Dying: The Power of Truth in Independent Journalism
In recent years, a seismic shift in public trust has rocked the media landscape. Legacy media, once the gold standard of information, is now struggling to remain relevant. The reason is simple: they’ve lost the trust of the people. Instead of presenting balanced narratives, they seem to thrive on division, wielding politics, religion, sexuality, and…
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