(Originally published March 2013 in response to the fallout from his infamous National Prayer breakfast speech):

Dear Dr. Carson,

As a moderate progressive, I disagree with much of your social and political perspective, but your personal story and prodigious achievements in medicine are nonetheless inspiring. I agree that everyone would do well to foster productive discussion without venturing into disparaging and accusatory rhetoric. That said, I do believe your public...

Greetings everyone and Happy Monday!

Hope everybody is doing well. You know, in recent weeks I had been reflecting on my past military service in the United States Coast Guard with a certain measure of tenderness and pride, perhaps even sentimentality as well. One of the best decisions I ever made, without question, and certainly one of the experiential “pillars” that you could say comprised a good chunk of the valuable perspective, insight and character that makes me who I am...

Hi friends,

Seems that Synchronicity has stricken once again. Several days ago I had been planning to write a post about genius. And, voila! One of the world's foremost geniuses in history has just ascended into the celestial realm.

Regarding the concept itself, though, I wanted to explore the essential nature of genius and the way in which it tends to find manifestation in the realm of externality. My working interpretation has always been that genius is not so much...

When I was 14, I was suddenly intercepted by a pair of cops on the street on my way to the corner store one evening to pick up a few snacks and toiletries. I was wearing shorts and a black hoodie at the time, nothing out of the ordinary. The cops drew their guns at me, slammed me on the hood of their patrol car, cuffed me and did a full search. After asking them what was wrong, they responded, "Your momma didn't whip your ass enough that's what's wrong boy. Where's the weed"!? Seeing that...