DISCUSSING PUBLIC POLICY, POLITICS, CREATIVE WRITING AND LITERATURE
One of the most important things in life is to appreciate all that God has granted us. We must be grateful. In the haste and hurry of life, it is easy to forget the blessings that fill our lives. The days present many needs and wants, and people work towards pursuing those desires and fulfilling…
We are never alone because we are always with our mother. Mothers give birth and bring us to life, and to Mother Earth we return. Because mothers are the reason why we exist, we should celebrate mothers every day. And yet, society compels us to choose a date for the exchange of gifts, cards, flowers…
This week, I received notification from my podcast publishing platform that I have reached a milestone. That milestone is the release of the 100th episode of my podcast—Explore and Engage with Anam! I started podcasting in 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. As many people were staying inside their homes that year and in-person interactions were…
It was shocking to learn, from the information released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, that history scores of American students have dropped over the course of the coronavirus pandemic. Without learning about the past, it is not possible to have a successful future. Therefore, students must have a strong focus on history. There…
The sun rises and sets, but the prices of goods and services in this economy only keep rising. Since the start of the Biden administration, people have experienced inflation. Initially, some called the inflation transitory, suggesting that prices would soon fall and things would go back to normal. But that has not happened. All the…
When I was a young boy, my mother told me the stories of Gulliver. Now, after all these years, I am revisiting the stories of Gulliver. I am reading Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels again. As a young reader, I spent time turning pages and reading abridged versions of many famous novels–Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, Robinson…
At a time when people want peace and harmony, the world is seeing a rising number of conflicts. Literature is the way to heal the world and to restore stability. There are armed conflicts in various parts of the world. Even in countries that are not ravaged by war, social and political conflicts are leading…
Banning gas-powered engines and vehicles is an act of government overreach and must not be allowed. Wisconsin State Legislature must outlaw any state and local government ban on gas-powered engines. I want to applaud the Wisconsin State Assembly for passing bills that would outlaw local gas engine bans. In California, politicians approved a measure to…
People pursue happiness. They want to be happy. We all want to be happy. But is happiness truly what we must hope to get, or should we focus primarily on trying to achieve peace? Happiness means different things to different people. For some, happiness might be a new luxury vehicle. For others, happiness could be…
Freedom-loving Americans should be able to buy whatever kinds of vehicles they want. But the current administration is favoring electric vehicles and working to implement burdensome standards to push gas-powered vehicles out of the market. These standards will hurt the trucking industry. Consumers have the freedom to choose whether to drive electric vehicles or those…
A feeling of dissatisfaction, combined with a deep sense of gratitude, is a gift that serves a person well. Without a lack of satisfaction, determination is impossible. Without a sense of gratitude, achievement would be beyond one’s reach. No matter who we are and what our background may be, we always lack something that we…
As I woke up this morning, before sunrise, I decided to write down the first thing that came to mind. I thought about time–the passage of time. During an awards ceremony, several years ago. I stood on stage and said that twenty-four hours in a day are not enough for me to do everything that…
I was asked to describe a positive change in my life. And so, I will try to describe a change I made that I believe has improved my daily life. Life is all about continuous improvement. Every day, we must try to find ways to make our lives better by making our own selves more…
There is nothing that improves a community more than recognizing the power of truth. Truth is what helps communities, and in fact civilization, become stronger. Truth and falsehood will always be opposing forces. Lies can try to stop the spread of truth, while truth tries to uproot lies. However, truth will always be the strongest…
The COVID-19 pandemic brought changes to people’s lives all over the world. The viral outbreak, and all the things that happened as a result of it, brought changes to my life as well. Sadly, many people died as a result of the pandemic. But it wasn’t just the virus that hurt people. Government policies, since…
Wisconsinites are at a crossroads. The outcome of the spring election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court will determine whether the rule of law will prevail in the state, or not. Voting for judicial candidate Janet Protasiewicz will result in the installation of a liberal-backed activist judge to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Electing Daniel Kelly—a former…
Small things often help us understand big things. Let me explain. Yesterday, I had dinner outside. It was fish fry Friday. Before departing the restaurant, I ordered two pieces of fried cod to be put in a box for me to take home. In spite of having had a nice dinner at the restaurant, I…
Some say humans are prisoners of time. Time is something we cannot control. But we can try to make the best use of time. It appears, however, that a lot of our time is being wasted in the prison of social media. Getting up in the morning, many people feel compelled to check their social…
Daniel Kelly was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court by Governor Scott Walker, years ago. That’s when I first met Justice Kelly. This spring, Daniel Kelly is on the ballot in Wisconsin. He is running in the race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. This spring, I will vote for Justice Daniel Kelly. The judicial branch…
Podcasting is fun. That’s a very simple way of describing what many podcasters feel. It is quite easy to start podcasting, with little investment in equipment and setup. But it can be just as easy to end a podcast. That is, if a podcaster runs out of ideas for episodes, or simply does not want…
Writing a letter to 100-year-old self is one of the most difficult tasks that one could embark on. For me, it is quite difficult because I am a man in my thirties. As much mature and wise I may consider myself to be, I perhaps do not have the maturity of a 100-year-old. Being old,…
Voice is powerful. But how do we define voice? Is voice the sound that is produced in our larynx–the sound that comes out of our mouth? Or is it an opinion that one expresses–whether in the form of sound or as words on paper? There are many ways of looking at the meaning of “voice.”…
I was asked what the opening sentence of my autobiography would be. As I stated in a previous blog post, at some point in my life I would like to write an autobiography. Obviously, the autobiography would have to have an opening sentence. What would that be? “A life, although finite, has endless possibilities.” The…
I was asked what the three things are that I couldn’t live without. My answer is: pen, paper, and a source of light. As a writer, I rely on pen and paper to express my thoughts. The paper is the canvas on which my words form colors. As someone who finds freedom through words, I…
I came across a question: what experiences in life helped you grow the most? The answer is not a short one. One must first understand what growth is. Growth is maturity. To grow is to gradually attain wisdom. Simply passing time and becoming older do not necessarily lead to growth. For growth, one must walk…
I was asked if I could be someone else for a day, who would that be? The answer is: no one. I do not want to be anyone else. To want to be someone else for a day is to reject the will of God. To wish to be a different person, other than one’s…
If I could sit down with my teenage self, and provide some advice, I would ask my teenage self to exercise patience. Patience is a virtue. Lack of patience is a flaw that many humans have. Lack of patience, or impatience, is something that we must combat. Not all people are born with a high…
Will I ever write an autobiography? I hope so. At some point in my life, I plan to write an autobiography. When that would be, I do not know yet. If I write an autobiography, what would be the title of the manuscript? Writing an autobiography is no easy task. It requires self-reflection and a…
Attention friends. At an early age, I started to write poems. I compiled those and after I came to the United States, I decided to self-publish. Accordingly, I published two books of poems – the first one named SHE HAS SURRENDERED TO SLUMBER and the second one is NEPTUNE’S DUSK. Eventually I became very busy…
St. Augustine said, “It is only in the face of death that man’s self is born.” Over the last few years, the world faced the fear of death in a way that has resulted in a complete transformation of how we view life. The viral outbreak of COVID-19, the illegal use of substances such as…
Each time I sit down to write fiction, I embark on a voyage out in the ocean. A voyage is full of uncertainties. When a writer starts to craft a story, the journey to the last sentence of the manuscript is also full of uncertainties. On some days, the weather is bright and sunny, and…
For some, winter is a season of beauty. It certainly is. But for many seniors, this beauty comes at a cost, as the realities of life pose stress and hazard for their health and well-being. Once you look past the beautiful snow, there are icy roads, slippery sidewalks, gloomy and dark days, and chilly winds…
No one, on this planet, should be homeless. And yet, many people are without roof over their heads. This is a crisis that we must address. There is a winter storm alert right now. As I look out the window, I see snow, continuously falling. I thank God that I have a roof over my…
Heraclitus, the ancient philosopher, said that no man can step into the same river twice, because everything is in a state of flux. With each passing moment, things change, including the river. Each day, we are subject to transformation. Each season, we change. No two summers are the same. No two winters are the same….
This holiday season is an opportunity for people to come together, regardless of color or creed. There are endless distractions in life, as well as numerous ways in which people get divided in society. There are divisions based on race, religion, language, and also political affiliation. In recent years, the divisions in society have become…
We should open the photo albums and spend some time thinking about the days of the past. Unless we think of the past, how can we move ahead in the future? We close our eyes at night and wake up again in the morning to start our day. But life is still a continuous flow…
In the day and age of division, there are some powerful forces that can bring people together. Music, of course. Sports, quite certainly. The ongoing FIFA World Cup is an example of the power of sports that can break barriers and unite people. Regardless of whether you call it “soccer” or “football”, one must agree…
America is becoming a more diverse country, every day. Asian Americans make major contributions towards the increasing diversity of the United States population. The Asian American population grew from approximately 11.9 million to around 22.4 million between 2000 and 2019, making them the fastest growing minority group in the United States. For the Republican Party,…
For the citizens of the United States, voting is a right and it is also a responsibility. We must make our voices heard and vote for the candidates of our choice. Every vote matters. The 2022 midterm election is perhaps the most important election of our lifetime. We stand at a fork in the road,…
A human being is not a cockroach. To say that human beings are roaches is highly offensive. Sunny Hostin, a host on the television show The View, recently compared “white Republican suburban women” to “roaches.” Her comment is an insult to women. Sunny Hostin said that “white Republican suburban women” voting for GOP candidates is…