As we enter the third year of the pandemic, every child age 5 and up is eligible to receive a COVID vaccine in the United States. Oddly, this development has been accompanied by increased pressure on kids to wear masks in school. Some private schools have gone beyond...
How about we do something novel in the new year? Let's stop worrying about the stuff most politicians, pundits, and activists want us to worry about and instead think about ourselves, our families, our friends, and whatever communities we choose to be part of. Let's...
In June of 2020, family and friends of Hannah Fizer, 25, were shocked to learn that their beloved daughter and friend had been killed during a stop over an alleged speeding violation. Then, four months later, they learned there would be no justice and the officer who...
The story of Anne Frank is tragic. If not for the words that she wrote in her diary, she would be a digit of history. Her diary is relatable, and the thoughts that collected inside her being during a horrible time in history gives the reader an idea of who she was....
Prefatory Note Given the subject matter discussed below, I believe it prudent to state at the outset that I am not at all opposed to vaccinations themselves: indeed, I have received a COVID-19 vaccine, as well as all other normal-course vaccinations recommended for...
On COI #206, Kyle Anzalone breaks down recent developments in Libya. The election - planned for December 24th - has been called off. The Western states say they will still recognize the interim government. However, the government will likely face increasing legitimacy...
Introduction In the mainstream view, al-Qaeda did not play a role in the Syria conflict until Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi dispatched his deputy, Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, to Syria in August 2011 to establish a wing of the group there, called...
He walked nearly twelve kilometres, barefoot, hungry. Most children like him, if they are lucky eat a single meal every second or third day. When he arrived to where the wheat was being distributed, he smiled. He was happy. Grateful. He kissed the hand of the American...
The following is the first draft of a short story for a collection I am working on. I hope you enjoy it. Cheers! --Patrick On the morning of my first kill, I woke up before Mom had come to get me. I gazed up at the concrete ceiling, where the night before, Dad helped...
Recently Patrick Macfarlane, my fellow, fellow at this dear Institute discussed on his Vital Dissent podcast the Kazuo Ishiguro novel, Never Let Me Go. In his books Ishiguro frequently covers memories, relationships and the human condition. Never Let Me Go, is a...
Based on a true story, allegedly. Or maybe not. (Warning, violent content) Fourteen years ago. Give or take. He read the text message, an address. He understood where it led. The previous nights conversation with two off duty cops had been as direct as the message. He...