Re-Gain

​The Democrats' "Blue Wave" finally presents a genuine opportunity for systemic reform. Public demand for economic affordability and anti-corruption measures requires true accountability, particularly following the recent policy failures of the Republican party. ​"Chainsaw economics" severely damaged government agencies and undermined best management practices. Many vital regulatory organizations tasked with monitoring fraud and waste were crippled, leaving people, communities, and essential infrastructure vulnerable. ​Similarly, our military oversight and public health governing bodies have been disabled. The wholesale firing of experienced staff combined with a disregard for empirical facts will generate billions of dollars in unintended consequences, including tragic loss of life. Internationally, this loss of institutional capacity threatens to undermine American diplomacy for decades. ​Today’s acute economic challenges are compounded by policies...

​ Curious? ​What riches come from being curious. To examine life with wonder brings profound benefits. Being mindful allows me to gently acknowledge how mindless I can be, reminding me to proceed with self-compassion. ​Life experience reveals both meanings of being “present”—the awareness of being here now, and the precious gift found within this hereness. ​Thoreau exemplified this inner journey when he wrote: ​Direct your eye inward, and you will find A thousand regions in your mind Yet undiscovered. ​He also believed that those with modest means, unburdened by material possessions, have a greater opportunity to live a higher existence. ​Cultivating the virtue of wonder, I explore inner paths to move forward. May we all remain curious as we ponder the questions below: ​Are you uniting or dividing? ​Does receiving naturally follow when you give? ​How do you best express your gratitude? ​Do you find true happiness in being of service to others? ​Where do you find awe—within,...

​ ​In the mid-1970s, as a student of environmental economics at George Washington University, I learned a fundamental truth that has haunted me ever since: our economic system knows the price of everything, but the long-term value of nothing. ​In economics, "externalities" are the unintended consequences of human activity the hidden costs passed on to society while profits are pocketed by a few.  We see this play out constantly. Take the opioid crisis: a handful of corporations reaped immense profits from synthetic opioids, leaving taxpayers and communities to bear a trillion-dollar societal cost. ​ Today, humanity risks winning a collective Darwin Award by applying that same broken logic to our natural world. We have monetized virtually every corner of our lives while ignoring the baseline ecological systems that keep us alive. ​Misplaced Capital in an Aging World ​ We are living through an unprecedented accumulation of global wealth. Baby Boomers alone hold over...

​Prologer ​Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them. — Dalai Lama ​ Welcome, fellow wanderer, to this grand experiment in paradoxical wisdom—where I embrace both the insightful and the absurd, the profound and the delightfully foolish. You see, I call this "Confessions of an Oxymoron" because, frankly, my life is an ongoing tug-of-war between clarity and complete bewilderment. And honestly? I wouldn't have it any other way. ​One of my guiding principles is KISS—Keep It Simple, Sweetheart. Now, years ago, my inner critic would have scolded me with something less affectionate—perhaps Keep It Simple, Stupid. But as I've aged like a fine (or perhaps questionable) wine, I’ve realized that I am, indeed, a sweetheart. And that is progress, my friends. ​This book isn't just a collection of musings—it’s a heartfelt unloading of thoughts I’ve carried like a squirrel hoarding nuts for winter. I...

Pay-As-You-Throw: Can Charging for Trash Help Boost Recycling? https://share.google/rMlKYDOYMoqP1BcXg

​Saving Our Land ​Rejuvenating the American spirit comes from our connection with our land, water, and air. Saturday, September 26th, is National Public Lands Day, when we celebrate our parks and all those who care for them. As the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort, it honors the bond between people and nature while caring for our shared spaces. ​Two hundred and fifty years after the birth of the United States, it is worth remembering that one of our most powerful acts of national renewal didn’t happen during the Revolution. It happened in the 1930s, when a country reeling from economic collapse used the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to restore not just American landscapes, but the physical memory of America’s origins. Today, more than fifty museums and interpretive centers remind us that keeping our outdoors healthy is critical to our future. ​Growing up in Washington, D.C., I always found tremendous tranquility in the woods. Today, I live nestled betwee...