Prisoner of Hopes

Category: History

  • Educating for Sanity: The Nation of Immigration

    So much discussion, attention, and emotion…. Immigration talk has flooded our media sources, emerging as an American campaign issue in 2016 and again in 2024. Let’s move beyond the rhetoric and attempt to understand the topic more deeply, starting with basic definitions. An immigrant is someone who moves permanently to live and work in a…

  • Educating for Sanity: Information Warfare

    Since the history of warfare began, military’s have sought to gain advantage over their opponents. This has been done through both physical and psychological attack. With the advent of the internet, opportunities for attack are infinite. Physically attacks (known as cyberattacks) can cripple a business or industry. But information wars are designed to destroy the…

  • Educating for Sanity: Epistemology

    Ever wonder how two people can look at the same issue, the same facts (transcript, video tape, testimony, etc.) or have the same exact experience and come away with completely different views about what happened? For centuries, humans have been wrestling with the question, “how can we really know anything.” As a freshman college student…

  • Educating for Sanity: Empathy

    It has been a hard ten days. The turmoil in this country, the barrage of executive orders, the anger and accusation is exhausting. To be clear, I reject bigotry of all forms. I am saddened by the targeted attacks on public servants and the incivility on display by government officials. Most of all, I am…

  • Meandering: Travel Goals

    With just a few days left in Italy, we drove over to Ivrea. We had driven through town earlier in the month and I was charmed by the town. It seemed like a good place to explore. The hardest part of exploring unknown areas in Italy is navigating parking. We tried a parking lot next…

  • Pavia, A Study In Honoring Tradition: Travel Goals

    Today we ventured to the Italian city of Pavia. Home to one of the world’s oldest universities, final resting place of St. Augustine, and the Southern seat of the Dukes of Milan; Pavia has a long and interesting history. The Castello Visconteo di Pavia was our first stop. Built in 1360 by the Lord of…

  • In search of the Shroud: Travel Goals

    You can’t visit Turin without wondering about the mysterious shroud of Turin. The shroud first appeared in France in the 1300’s and was claimed to be the shroud that wrapped the body of Jesus after his crucifixion. While a bishop in the late 1300’s and dozens of scientists have called it a fake, the faithful…

  • Grand Torino: Travel Goals

    With only one more day to spend with the siblings in Italy, we decided to head to Turin (Torino). This often overlooked town was the capitol of the Northern Roman Empire and the domain of the Savoy dynasty. There are more palaces in and around Turin than you will find in entire countries. The Palazzo…

  • Milano At a March: Travel Goals

    It was a priority to see the Last Supper at the Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan. To get the tickets into there Last Supper, we had to take a tour. I may have mentioned that I am generally not a tour person.The walking tour of Milan started at 8:15 am. Our house was at…

  • Retracing Our Footsteps: Travel Goals

    Sometimes you encounter a place you can’t wait to share. I was captivated by Orta San Guilio and couldn’t wait to share it with my family. After excitedly sharing the virtues of a visit, we drove over on a bright Monday morning. The destination did not disappoint. First we trekked up the mountain to visit…