The Aristocracy of Experience

Years of industry experience, titles and fancy degrees never really got me excited. In the Army, I worked with plenty of officers from West Point who I wouldn't trust to lead a shift at my local McDonald's, and I worked with plenty of NCO's from special operations units with all the tabs and schools you …

Out of The Army: A moment of clarity on my last day in uniform

When I was ending my time in service in the Army, I had a moment of clarity on my final day of active duty. When you finish your time in service, you go through about a month long process of clearing- it's a bunch of paperwork, confirming you turned in gear, attended a few transition …

Quick Hits: Editorial Decisions

I'm a one man shop here, so there isn't too much in the way of "editorial decisions". I have a log of articles that I've written and ideas for articles to write, select some graphics and try to keep things relatively fresh. One thing I've realized is that the writing process itself does not have …

College and Education in the Age of The Internet

One of the biggest issues in America is the student loan crisis. Regardless of what side one's opinion falls on, it can easily meet the criteria of an emerging crisis. There is a massive amount of debt saddled on the shaky foundations of recent college graduates. In the midst of debates about whether there should …

Quick Hits: Leaders Lead

For the past year, I've been working in the medical device industry. I've really enjoyed the work and the people I work with on a daily basis. There's a good mix of personalities and people to keep things interesting, and we all have different backgrounds. One of the things I've noticed in this job, that …

New Media: Branding and Mobility

Very few people finish their career in the same industry, let alone with the same company. The internet has revolutionized how we conduct business, wage war and even read and write. Obviously other economic and external factors unconnected to the rise of the internet played a part in this, but the internet career mobility is …

Quick Hits: New Guys Get No Love

No one likes the new guy. And, if you're the new guy, you always want to avoid the first couple of dudes to talk to you. They are looking for an easy friend because no one likes them. In one way or another, you have to prove yourself to be accepted by the new tribe …

Quick Hits: Power Moves and Power Vacuums, Syria, Kurds and Turkey Edition

With Donald Trump giving an implied blessing for Turkey to conduct operations in the Kurdish region of Syria, many of the usual talking heads were in shock, outrage or disbelief. How could this happen and how could we let our allies suffer like this? Well, anyone who spent some "boots on the ground" time in …

Primary Sources: The Importance of First Hand Information

The "fake news" phenomenon is still going strong, with talking heads throughout the political spectrum and on all levels throwing out accusations of lying and misinformation. As a business model, the mainstream media, collective thought and conventional narratives are ingenious, because it always guarantees a story that is palatable that the general public will not …

Appeal To Authority: The Age of The College Degree

We've been told all our lives that education was the key to an easy life and a successful life. Don't be the guy pushing carts, scrubbing floors or framing houses, go to college and get a good job. Be an engineer, a doctor, a lawyer or some sort of analyst. You can find your passion and work as …