A game to improve your life — “The beauty of chess is it can be whatever you want it to be. It transcends language, age, race, religion, politics, gender, and socioeconomic background. Whatever your circumstances, anyone can enjoy a good fight to the death over the chess board.” — Simon Williams One of my oldest memories is…

With the Trump administration on its way out, what happens with the BLM movement? — The Black Lives Matter movement experienced a powerful resurgence during the spring and summer of 2020 due, in large part, to the social and political elements that created a perfect storm. A nationwide quarantine, rising unemployment, a hated leader, and the killing of George Floyd were catalysts for the largest…

How investing in NASA and space exploration provides answers to questions we don’t even know to ask — On Sunday, November 15, 2020, the four-man crew of the Space X Crew Dragon Capsule was launched into orbit and docked at the International Space Station. The successful launch and docking of the Space X vehicle promises to usher in a new era of space exploration after the retirement of…

How the instant gratification culture is holding people back — Growing up as an immigrant, investing and portfolio management was not a part of my upbringing. A college degree and a lifetime of work were supposed to be sufficient to build a nest-egg to retire on. In high school, I took a finance class where I learned such concepts as…

Use these five methods to champion your ideas and be more confident in discourse — Everybody has an opinion and the prevalence of social media makes it inevitable that you will be confronted with an endless array of self-proclaimed experts, debating fanatics, and just plain old contrarians. Even a family dinner table is a four-cornered ring with grandma facing off with your uncle about the…

For a leader that made “winning” the bedrock of his persona, Trump never acted like one — When one considers the qualities that a leader possesses, words like integrity, fortitude, and strength come to mind. During the course of his presidency, Trump has offered glimpses into his narcissistic persona through Twitter exchanges and rally speeches. Despite the falsehoods, contradictions, and blatant lies, Trump has been able to…

A Poem — The thunder cracks and mothers weep And crimson rivers paint the tar We eat ourselves while grey heads reap In marble towers from afar When we were young, we laid in grass My finger tracing distant light The world on pause as evenings pass Our lives untouched by fear and spite…

A Poem — I steal the threads of destined fate Entwined with souls in silvered light My Master’s hands are careless, late Yet mine are nimble, true, and sleight I weave a cloth of purest form So songs of home can bring me through The fractured skies and gales that swarm My vessel sailing to the…

How the government can take the property of innocent people and why our laws permit it — Civil forfeiture is a legal form of piracy, where the state and federal policing agencies can take your money and property without any charges being filed or arrests being made. It is a remnant of the colonial taxation and seizure powers of the Crown, receiving unprecedented power during the War…