As Hurricane Katrina hurtled toward the Gulf Coast shoreline, Lieutenant General Russell Honore initiated preparations for a coordinated response to the anticipated cleanup given the landfall was predicted to hit between different command jurisdictions. His oversight of the disaster response was such that, when Hurricane Rita came into the Gulf of Mexico several months later, he was once again tasked with oversight response. Hurricane Rita was...

“Mr. Helle! Could I have your complete attention?!” The entire class turned to look at me. I had purposely sat in the back so I could talk to this girl I liked, and Mr. Miller did not have my complete attention. Let’s face it – not everyone in this world is worth listening to. For the many who are worthy of our listening ear, we frequently find it difficult to listen if their delivery is monotonous and uninspiring. When I attended The Basic...

The following is about the philosophy of the Stoics but it is easy to see the direct application to Christianity, the Holy Bible, and the Christian Fathers. There are admonitions in scripture to this same effect. “My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.” (Proverbs 4:20) The Stoics were all about routine and repetition. They talked about fueling the habit bonfire. They would have agreed with Aristotle: we are...