I am a big fan of Dr. Karl Barth (1886–1968), a Swiss Calvinist theologian and former professor at Basel University but am equally frustrated by his writings. He broke with liberal theology and introduced dialectical theology (also called crisis or neo-orthodox theology) which stressed the …
Winners and Losers
I was working in Houston during the presidency of George W. Bush. I bought and sold foreign oil from the North Sea, West Africa, and South America. My trading position was short which meant that I needed to buy more oil, either physical or from the financial markets, to get balanced. Crude oil …
The Blue Zones
Upon returning home in early October after traveling three months around western United States and Canada, I knew I needed to change. I gained ten pounds and the reasons for the added weight were clear: I exercised less due to a knee injury and my eating habits were not healthy, both in volume and …
Holiday Job
My first job after turning sixteen was at Fuedo’s, a south Texas family grocer. I worked there part-time during high school as a sacker, checker, and assistant manager. The pay was just above minimum wage yet provided spending money for my teenage years. The experience also taught me life skills in …
Winging It
When I was in high school, I didn’t study much. I did my homework assignments and studied for the more difficult exams such as chemistry and physics. In my humanity courses, I relied upon memory and generally winged it. My goal was simply to get into college and enjoy life. Embarrassment drove me …