Author: Leo

  • Getting Out of Bed is a Bad Idea

    Getting Out of Bed is a Bad Idea

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    Leo
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    Most days during the week, getting out of bed seems like a bad idea. Sure, I will have to get out of bed at some point to go to the bathroom or because I am hungry, but that is a natural progression. I am talking about getting up for work in the morning. Getting out…

  • IVAT 24th International Summit on Violence, Abuse & Trauma

    IVAT 24th International Summit on Violence, Abuse & Trauma

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    Leo
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    This past Saturday (September 7, 2019) I attended the IVAT 24th International Summit on Violence, Abuse & Trauma Across the Lifespan in San Diego CA. According to the event overview, “This Summit is a unique forum for professionals across all disciplines and philosophies to gather for in-depth exchange of current information on all facets of violence, abuse…

  • A Little Thought Experiment

    A Little Thought Experiment

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    Leo
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    I have some expertise in the field of negotiation, some training and experience. Sometimes as an exercise I like to think about negotiations from a different perspective. Something akin to Einstein’s thought experiments; though perhaps not as profound. One of my favorite thought experiments is thinking about how I might teach a dog to negotiate.…

  • Jane Austen Conquers the World

    Jane Austen Conquers the World

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    Leo
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    (This is a paper I wrote for a comparative literature class a little over seven years ago. I am posting it on my blog as an attempt to attract my mother as a reader of this blog. I have been telling her for years I would bring her a copy of this particular piece of writing…

  • Another Nightmare in Texas

    Another Nightmare in Texas

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    Leo
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    Since Labor Day is a holiday, I didn’t post anything on Sunday night as per my usual schedule. Just want to remind people that this was not a slip from my regular writing schedule. So, this happened. I am not generally a fan of Texas, but it is still heartbreaking to see the state torn by…

  • The State of Politics

    The State of Politics

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    Leo
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    It was only 3 days ago that President trump did an infomercial for his Doral resort in the hopes of hosting the 2020 G7 summit there. It seems like a lifetime ago. Most of the political outrages that take place these days, as a substitute for our politics, are quickly forgotten as we head into…

  • The Battle of the Backyard

    The Battle of the Backyard

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    Leo
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    It Begins With an Escape This morning as Reyna (my wife) and I walked out the door to drive to work we saw our dogs, Jasper and Ginger, playing in the front yard. It took a few seconds for me to process what was wrong with that picture. I do not usually see my dogs…

  • American Gestapo

    American Gestapo

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    Leo
    in ,

    My favorite radio news show is called Background Briefing. I usually listen on the drive home from work. Yesterday’s episode (August 19, 2019) included host Ian Masters interviewing Mike German, a former agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice’s Liberty and National Security Program. According to…

  • Legible States and moral community

    Legible States and moral community

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    Leo
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    I found the article The Grim Worldview Behind Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Push, the Hong Kong Protests, and the Kashmir Crisis by Joshua Keating on Slate.com today. To summarize, the article is about the current worldwide political frenzy against ambiguity, which the author defines as “a condition where political sovereignty and citizenship status are ill-defined or even contradictory.” The…

  • Strategy Made Simple

    Strategy Made Simple

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    Leo
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    (This is something I wrote for my long defunct blog How to Get There. It was originally published on October 18, 2013. I think the concept holds up pretty well. You can see the original post, if you like, here.) Over the years I have learned a thing or two about strategy. Up to now that…