In 1831, for nine short but adventurous months, a 26-year-old French aristocrat traversed America with his colleague and friend Gustave de Beaumont, a young French lawyer and prison magistrate. Officially commissioned by the French government to study the American prison system, the two young Europeans used their official business as a pretext to study American society instead. The young nobleman’s... READ MORE >
Hamilton: The immensely popular American musical based on the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, first appeared off-Broadway in February 2015. Since its debut it has achieved both critical acclaim and box office success. Hamilton, often referred to as the influential interpreter and promoter of the U.S. Constitution, believed, “Opinion, whether well or ill-founded, is the governing principle of... READ MORE >
I had long ago lost the ability to feel. Life’s tender sweetness, even its mild disappointments, had all but abandoned me. I was shunned from society and forced to live in isolation. My mind was collapsing inward and the luster of hope, I once held, had faded with the bitter reality of my disease. My scars and disfigurement had become... READ MORE >
Humanity’s ability to mark the passage of time is thought to be one of its more singular accomplishments. Some five centuries ago, a German locksmith by the name of Peter Henlein would invent the world’s first watch. It acquired the name “watch” from sailors who used it to replace the hourglasses that timed their four-hour shifts or watches. In January... READ MORE >
John, the youngest of the Galilean fisherman to lay down his nets and follow Jesus, recorded these words in the eighth chapter of the last of the four gospels, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free!” Free. Free to live a life beyond the illusory world created by the dreamers, schemers and the despiteful deceivers.... READ MORE >
“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” These are the words of a vibrant, and gifted young German pastor who spent the last few years of his life in a Nazi concentration camp. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who, under inhuman conditions, with... READ MORE >
With much of the world entombed in its foreboding funk, this weekend we will add to this ominous disquietude, large carved orange vegetables flickering on doorsteps that are visited by spooky hooligans hustling the usual unhealthy handouts. Should you be inclined to find goblins, during Halloween’s hoopla, unnerving, consider some of these nightmarish present day realities that I, personally, find... READ MORE >
When you are in a leadership position, it is more than essential that the people with whom you work respect you. But, as the old adage goes, respect is never a given. In the years I was privileged to serve as Cook County Commissioner, I came to respect Rena Rogers. As we all know, respect is not something that you... READ MORE >
There has unquestionably been a lot of worrying going on over the past eight or nine months. Some justified, some not. Worrying–feeling threatened to any degree– translates to stress, which comes with a huge hidden cost to your health, and indeed your longevity. In fact, the dangers of worrying too much may be greater than what we worry about. We... READ MORE >
It’s pretty apparent idioms take center stage for those pursuing political positions of power: “By hook or by crook,” “by fair means or foul,” “whatever it takes,” “at any cost,” and the time-honored catchall, “the end justifies the means.” In politics and government, lying and then justifying it through the ends vs. means philosophy of behavior is a favorite pastime... READ MORE >
