Steph and I completed our “Big Summer Drive Across America” trip yesterday with an eight hour run from Arkansas to Texas. Along the way we listened to C-SPAN, the BBC and XMPR. One show on XMPR, Let’s Consider The Source,…
The National Character
While researching the “Lessons From Saddam” post, I came across The National Security Archive of George Washington University. The National Security Archive is a repository of information and documents, many obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. In short, it’s…
Lessons From Saddam
This post is available as a PDF document here: http://www.hackneys.com/docs/lessonsfromsaddam.pdf ******* For the 23 people in the United States who have not been wholly consumed by the All Michael, All The Time media onslaught, it’s been an interesting week. For…
The Secret to Understanding Women
My wife claims there is something very important regarding understanding women in this comic strip, but I just don’t get it… Click the strip to view the full size version.
Here’s How a Wife Can Get Rid of Her Husband
One of the great things about hanging out in mom’s kitchen are the things that just pop up. For instance, while searching for a recipe she pulled out this vintage cookbook, which is such a staple of my lifetime, I almost…
Harkin vs. Loring
We’re visiting my mother and grandmother in northwest Arkansas. They are at an age and in a place where politics are discussed, religion is assumed and passion is reserved for the important things, such as the best variety of peach…
Band Jocks
This year we’re participating in an American summer tradition: The Drive Across The Country. Our route this year takes us from San Diego, California to Austin, Texas. Via Minneapolis. Illogical and inefficient–true, but it gives us the chance to see the kids…
A Milestone. Or Not.
After 9/11, and especially after visiting ground zero, I had some strong personal reactions. I wrote some magazine columns and also wrote quite a bit about the issues and challenges surrounding the event in non-commercial venues. In addition to doing…
Social Friction
What’s wrong with this picture? The following news story is about a community seeking to redress its loss of civility. While admirable, this, in and of itself, is not newsworthy in today’s largely brusque and inconsiderate American society. What makes…
Fishing Lessons
A friend of ours is starting a new business. I recently spent a morning with the local fishermen, who had some things to teach those seeking business success. Click here for the rest of the story: http://www.hackneys.com/travel/ecuador/fishinglessons.pdf .