Dear Readers and Listeners, As you know, Wise & Shine started a podcast at the end of last year. As newbies to this sort of thing, we were mostly flying by the seat of our pants during those early episodes. We’ve decided to provide a little thematic focus to the podcast going forward. Here’s what … More New Wise & Shine Podcast Focus
It may seem cliché, but we are all born with a unique set of gifts. Each of us is distinct from one another with different genes, cultural upbringings and life experiences. Moreover, we all have our own interests, passions and value that we can offer the world. No one quite sees or interprets things like … More Unleashing Human Creativity: Education and the Revival of Human Imagination
Last week, Kevin McCarthy was finally elected Speaker of the House, but not before making some stunning concessions to the furthest Right Wing caucus of the Far Right GOP House. Many are known, but here are a few which seem to have escaped public scrutiny thus far: 1) He must man an omelette station in … More The Fine Print of Sausage Making
By Jack Canfora Last week, Kevin McCarthy was finally elected Speaker of the House, but not before making some stunning concessions to the furthest Right Wing caucus of the Far Right GOP House. Many are known, but here are a few which seem to have escaped public scrutiny thus far: 1) He must man an … More The Fine Print of Sausage Making
By Jack Canfora Last week, Kevin McCarthy was finally elected Speaker of the House, but not before making some stunning concessions to the furthest Right Wing caucus of the Far Right GOP House. Many are known, but here are a few which seem to have escaped public scrutiny thus far: 1) He must man an … More The Fine Print of Sausage Making
Hello all! Good morning from a very rainy California! You might have heard, California has been dealing with severe rain in recent weeks, specifically the past week, and we have been under evacuation warning due to risk of flood a few times in the past week. Some nearby areas have actually been evacuated. The state … More Musings from Flood Warnings
Having enjoyed The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, and Anthem, Ayn Rand was one of my favorite authors, that is, until I read The Age of Selfishness by Darryl Cunningham. In The Fountainhead, I found Howard Roark’s character to be endearing and refreshing as he continued to stick to his puritanical ideals of architecture and refusal to … More Is Selfishness a Virtue? On Ayn Rand and the impacts of her philosophy
I’m currently reading The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart, with “Willie” being the great Willie Nelson, musician and songwriter extraordinaire. As you might guess from the title, the book, coauthored by Nelson and Turk Pipkin, elucidates the singer’s philosophy of life, which was strongly influenced by Buddhist and Taoist … More Question of the Day (Inspired by the Red-headed Stranger)
The other night I was fixing dinner while my seven-year-old daughter was in the family room working on her very first short story. “Momma, how do you spell persevere?” she asked. As I replied, I took in the really sweet scene and thought to myself “there’s another leaf that’s going to stick on my word … More My Love Affair with Words
With January upon us, what better way to start the year than by convincing ourselves the movements of indifferent heavenly objects hundreds of millions miles away, oblivious to our existence, are actually enacting a well-designed choreography designed to guide our every decision. ARIES ♈️ : Now is a good time to rekindle old friendships, restraining … More Your Wise and Shine January Horoscope
In October of last year, Wise & Shine started a podcast. In the weeks ahead, we’ll be recording new episodes for your listening pleasure. Tuesday will be the day we publish new podcasts to the site. If you haven’t already done so, please have a listen to our recordings from 2022. We are interested in hearing … More Wise & Shine Podcasts in 2023
We’ve been working hard to mold Wise & Shine into a community for readers and writers. This best of post is intended to provide a peek into the collaborative efforts and other content you may have missed. Please sign up for the newsletter to get information on content and contests. Cool Projects that Make a … More Best of December
The 2022.jpeg is coming to a close, and it’s been a wild ride. I put my 2 week’s notice in for my job in May, traveled to 15 countries, moved to Germany, started a master’s program, and am back celebrating the end of the year with my family. How did I find time to read … More I read over 100 books this year and here are my recommendations
Good riddance, what a year you have been 2022. You have upended the lives of many amidst the economic uncertainty and the rising anxieties posed by inflation. You have put the world on edge as we witness citizens around the world fighting corruption in autocratic regimes for liberty, justice and equality. You have shown us … More Leaning into Uncertainty: Embracing the Unknown in 2023
My Twitter account tells me I joined February 2010, a piece of data that I wouldn’t have known unless it was provided it to me because I haven’t been active on Twitter until recently. I have 43 followers. What interests me about Twitter are all the ways users have devised to get more followers. There … More Followers versus Community
In the latest installment of the Wise & Shine podcast, I talk with Billy Osogo—one of our writers and a brilliant young man who lives in Nairobi, Kenya—about what the world can learn from Africa. In Billy’s very insightful response, he tells me about “Ubuntu” and a variety of other subjects. Have a listen and … More New Podcast: What Can the World Learn from Africa?
Johann Hari’s book Lost Connections: Why You’re Depressed and How to Find Hope, is one of the very best things I read in 2022. It’s one of those unusual gems you find, that make you want to tell everyone about it, but because it’s so rich and deep, it’s very difficult to convey, in a … More Non-Pharmaceutical Anti-Depressants and Environmental Causes of Depression: Johann Hari’s Lost Connections
At this point in the season, Even though the big day is right around the corner, you may be a little “Christmassed-out” and therefore willing to entertain some of this nonsense with me- at least I’m hoping so. … More My Top 3 Christmas Parody Songs
On Wise & Shine’s newest podcast, I have an entertaining conversation with David (known as “AP2” on this site) about flying airplanes, writing, art, fatherhood, regrets, and other topics. After listening to our talk, check out David’s writing, including “Why I Write,” a piece that got 514 likes when it was first published.
Is this the real world or is it fantasy? Glowing billboards. ‘Reality’ television. Instagram influencers. Golden yellow arches crowding large city centers. Fake bodies, fake personalities, fake plastic trees. Flooded with information, memes and seductive advertisements. McDonalds – I Am Lovin’ it. Nike- Just Do It. Coca-Cola – Taste the Difference. Apple – Think Different. … More The Age of the Spectacle