This essay is available in PDF form here: http://www.hackneys.com/docs/myworldview.pdf “Your world view is, well, wrong.” Those were the last words I ever heard from a guy I’d been friends with for more than 30 years. That was back in…
The Stadium
In traveling through 43 countries across six continents, we’ve seen quite a few ancient stadiums. From Rome’s definitive Coliseum to lesser known examples scattered around the world, we’ve explored many. All share a sense of grandeur that matches the contests…
Sobering Facts
Adult Americans Between 1989 and 2007 Americans knowledge of current events dropped by 8.3% 93% know Arnold Schwarzenegger while 36% know Vladimir Putin 32% know Sunni and Shia as two branches of Islam 41% know the name Muslims use…
It’s a Small World After All
Americans don’t get out much. That should come as no surprise considering that, according to the U.S. State Department, only 27 percent of Americans hold a valid passport. That means that 73 percent of Americans couldn’t get out to…
The Old Ways
Reentering the grid is a challenging experience when planned and voluntary. When unexpected, arbitrary and not of your own making, it is doubly so. At times, the pragmatic aspects are overwhelming in their breadth, requiring an entire life to be…
Frogs
Our friends often ask us about our perspective on national and international issues due to our travels, experiences and perspectives. This is an excerpt from a recent email exchange on that topic: There continues to be very little insight and…
Expedition Detritus
Much to the chagrin of my long-suffering wife, I’m a bit of a pack rat, as well as a horizontal filer. What that translates into is an office that inevitably evolves into stacks of material covering every horizontal surface. To…
Outside the Fishbowl – 2009/10/06
When you’re inside the United States, it is nearly impossible to realize how insular it is, especially related to information and perspective. Since we’re going to be here for a while, I’m providing a semi-regular injection of outside perspectives and…
Tom and I
Exactly 40 years ago this second, one chapter ended and another began. 40 years ago, plopped down on the shag carpet of our basement family room, watching our round tube Curtis Mathis color television, I saw Neil Armstrong step down…
The Quotidian Effect
“The transition from ‘astronaut preparing to accomplish the next big thing’ to ‘astronaut telling about the last big thing’ did not come easily to me.” Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 Astronaut, and second man on the moon. When we were still…