Published in I’m Stumped·Nov 4, 2022Intent v. Impact: A case about how we treat each otherIn many areas of law, the legal analysis used to evaluate and judge certain actions or legislation takes a two prong approach that I believe is worth considering as we go through everyday life. First, the law looks at your intent. Your motives, your desired outcome….basically, your thoughts. Second, the…3 min read3 min read
Oct 7, 20222022–23 Portland Trailblazers PreviewTime to put down some thoughts about the 2022–23 Portland TrailBlazers season. This is often the very best part of the NBA season for Blazers fans as no games have been lost, no players injured and it is the easiest time to start talking yourself into things like “I’ve heard…25 min read25 min read
Published in I’m Stumped·Oct 7, 2022Once more, with feeling!There is a tendency to think of art as a luxury. Food and drink are necessities, but art is something to indulge when your basic needs are covered. We sometimes think about it like the sprinkles on the icing on the cake. It has long been the case that whenever…5 min read5 min read
Published in I’m Stumped·Aug 30, 2022Idol ThoughtsI was thinking today about idols. More the “gods we make” type than the “Billy” type. Though both are interesting to ponder. I was taught in Sunday schools to avoid worshiping anything other than the version of God my parents and church knew. It was always presented as a lesson…5 min read5 min read
Published in I’m Stumped·Jul 1, 2022Press Pause on the ArgumentIt is unlikely that you or I will change any laws through our social media posts. We might….might….change someone’s mind, but even that is probably a long shot. So, as I watch my social media feeds heat up with important debates about laws and rights and lives, I can understand…4 min read4 min read
Published in I’m Stumped·Feb 2, 2022Love or Country?Something I began to ponder as I watched a show about England before it was England. The show is about love and Britain. For me, it helped illustrate the contrast between something fleeting and something eternal. What we now call England was essentially governed by the Roman empire for almost…Love3 min readLove3 min read
Published in I’m Stumped·Nov 8, 2021It is all you needMy friend Stephanie who is a brilliant songwriter and musician was recently asked to write a song about the “essence of humanity” for a time capsule project. A tall order indeed so she posed the question to her Facebook friends. My first thought was that “essence of humanity” sounds like…4 min read4 min read
Published in I’m Stumped·Nov 5, 2021Science and FaithThe long-standing tension between religion and science is an unnecessary battle born of misunderstanding not truth. And like any war, there have been casualties on both sides. Religious people have made themselves exponentially more vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation because they are taught to mistrust good sources of information and…1 min read1 min read
Published in I’m Stumped·Oct 27, 2021Reclining Airplane Seats are Killing AmericaAs you likely know, airplane seats are rather compact to put it kindly. The amount of physical contortion required to do something so simple as taking your phone out of your pocket while sitting on an airplane requires a set of qualities mostly reserved for world class gymnasts and acrobats…3 min read3 min read
Published in I’m Stumped·Oct 26, 2021Portland Trailblazers 2021–22 Mega-PreviewI don’t usually post sports stuff here, but just in case any of you don’t follow me on Facebook and care about the Blazers, I thought I would offer this bit of light reading. After losing all four preseason games by an average of more than 25 points and losing…NBA23 min readNBA23 min read