Ed Lorenz discovered the “Butterfly Effect” by accident, and that was precisely what led him there. — Monday, December 11, 1961 Two things were annoying the ordinarily serene Professor Ed Lorenz. Standing at his desk, lost in contemplation — a common pose for the quiet meteorologist — now he had to void another computer simulation. It was growing wearisome. It began to grate. More importantly, he was yearning for a rich…

The Dissolution of the Long Parliament “You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing.” These famous words have been used to criticize those who misuse power to the detriment of their constituents for centuries. They continue to echo, and not just through the halls of Britain’s House of Commons. They were…

From Everyday Issues to Ethical Challenges, One Woman’s Perspective on Making a Difference — Women second-guess themselves. Push through the fear because when you do, you will find out you’re so much stronger on the other side. Meeting a Legend When she first called, "Hi Jeff, This is Nikki Haley, do you have a minute?" …

Good Parents Make Good Children; Good Parenting Skills Make Children Better — Instead of making bad dad jokes, when Diana Blumberg Baumrind’s friends met her father for the first time, he introduced himself as a “closet Communist.” In the 1950s, it mean prisont or deportation. Diana did not find it very funny. That’s the backdrop against which the peculiar journey of one…

How a sensational beating in the Senate Chamber inadvertently led to the Civil War — Congressional Representative Preston S. Brooks, a slave-holding racist from South Carolina, was a relatively minor character in politics until May 22, 1856. On that date, he lands in the pages of history when he turned the Senate Chamber into a combat zone. After the Senators had adjourned, Brooks approached the…

How General William Tecumseh Sherman Proved His Civil War Critics Wrong — If the Union general were alive today, he would hardly have to change one word of his “War is Hell” speech. In September 1864, Sherman gave orders for the city of Atlanta to be evacuated and burned. Despite appeals from the citizens of Atlanta, including reminders that there were elderly and pregnant women whom it would be difficult and even perilous to move, Sherman’s decision was final.

The Power of BRA (Buy, Recognize, and Aspire) and Positive Economic Engagement — The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which originated in 2005, seeks to exert economic and political pressure on Israel to address perceived injustices related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It has caused nothing but harm and divisiveness as Israel has gained financial strength while Palestinians have languished in poverty while…

Economic Engagement: BRA is an Alternative Approach to Counter the BDS Movement — The fashion and perfume house Christian Dior announced it replaced model Bella Hadid with Israeli model Mia Tager for their latest campaign. Bella Hadid is as Palestinian as Hummus. Hummus–the chickpea-based dip that originated in the Abbasid Caliphate–was borne out of shifting borders between the Eastern Mediterranean countries from Greece…

Saul Alinsky imparted 10 valuable lessons in effective activism to some of our most successful progressive leaders. It’s now time for conservatives to draw inspiration from his teachings. — Saul Alinsky was a lightning rod for controversy when he spearheaded community organizing in Chicago during the mid-20th century. His disciples include young twenty-somethings named Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.