Does the homeless man in this picture love or hate America? Are you a 1619-American or a 1776-American? Do you think America is a racist country or the land of the free? Is the new cancel-culture’s fear of speech protecting or restricting our freedom of speech? Do you lean to the left or to the right of the political center?
Read MoreCity Club strives to birth Highland Institute for the Advancement of Humanity; our Weekly Newsletter’s brief introductions seek to pave the way by introducing relevant topics and asking hard questions that could lead the way to manifesting the institute we envision.
Read MoreOut of many, one. Thirteen original States, one Federal Government. Over 330-million diverse citizens, one nation.
As we get closer to the Presidential election, many of my friends, colleagues and City Club members are concerned the fabric of our nation appears threadbare, and our American revolution seems to be at risk.
Read MoreNearly half of the world population struggles with food security, defined as lack of access to adequate calories, poor food quality, questionable safety and price affordability.
Read MoreOut of many, one. Thirteen original States, one Federal Government. Over 330-million diverse citizens, one nation.
As we get closer to a Presidential election, many of my friends, colleagues and City Club members are concerned the fabric of our nation appears threadbare, and our American revolution seems to be at risk.
Read MoreI love this phrase; it's pregnant with potential and the ultimate definition of Yin and Yang.
My yoga and meditation teacher used to tell me “if you want to be born again, you must be willing to die first.”
But no matter how many times I go through the cycles of death and rebirth, gain and loss, boom and bust, I never get used to the brutality of the destruction, pain, heartache and suffering it entails. At the intellectual level, we all know the forest fire burns the deadwood and creates nutrition and light for the next generation of trees, but if you have ever gotten close to a forest fire, you know how scary it is.
Read MoreLudwig van Beethoven composed Symphony No. 9 in D minor ten years after he went deaf. First performed in Vienna on May 7, 1824, the symphony is regarded by many as Beethoven's greatest work; a supreme achievement in the history of western music, it is used as the anthem of the European Union.
Read MoreLife is hard; then we die.
Life is good, but not easy. The Stoics remind us “the obstacle is the way.”
The times: global pandemic; race riots; political unrest; economic hardship; Cold War with China. At the time when the world order seems unstable and the very fabric of our democracy feels threadbare, we all hope for a leader who can unite and guide us through these a-changin' times.
Read MoreSince our inception, City Club’s vision has been to create “a safe place for passionate and caring people to explore our differences, find our common ground, and make our world a better place, while having fun."
With Coronavirus forcing us to self isolate, restaurants and pools closed, summer vacations postponed, concerts canceled, riots in the streets and economic hardship ahead, fun is proving to be a rare commodity. Since this phase of life may turn out to be more of a marathon than a hundred yard dash, we have decided we better start integrating some merrymaking into the mix, or we may easily turn into a bunch of bores.
Read MoreWith Coronavirus ravaging the globe, riots in the streets and a potential economic calamity upon us, once again the ancient wounds of racial prejudice and inequality are being exposed within the fabric of our society.
Born into a Jewish family in a Muslim country and educated by Jesuit teachers, I have first hand experience of the damage caused by race and religious prejudice. However, before losing hope for the future of humanity, it is important to remember human evolution is in its early stages. Less than 150 years after fighting a bloody civil war to end slavery, America elected a Black President; this week the Senate confirmed the first Black American Airforce Chief of Staff.
Read MoreBefore large yachts and private jets became symbols of wealth, the ultimate luxury was a well-maintained walled garden with multiple fountains, sculptures and secluded places to sit, read, breath and contemplate the meaning of life.
Read MoreFifteen years after the launch of Highland City Club, and finally feeling secure about its social and financial success, we find our society in the grip of a pandemic. Yet, we are determined now is the time for City Club to finally launch the long-envisioned and much-discussed Highland Institute.
Read MoreThink Egypt 3500 years ago; Athens 2500 years ago; Jerusalem 2000 years ago; Florence 500 years ago, or Philadelphia 250 years ago.
Read MoreThe Coronavirus has forced many of us to stay at home, giving us plenty of time to examine our lives, and the actions we will take going forward when this winter of despair turns into the spring of hope.
Was the corporate ladder we were climbing before Coronavirus leaning against the wrong structure? Are we more afraid of not living and loving fully, than dying from the virus? Does all that we have worked for so hard own us more than we own it? Are we free men and women or slaves to our worldly needs?
Read More75 years ago this week, the Allies brought the Nazi threat to an end, with resolve, tenacity, creativity, and leaders who knew they must work together to succeed. With over 16 million Americans in uniform and at a cost of $4 Trillion in today’s currency, WWII proved America is capable of paying the price to keep the lights on in the metaphoric shining city on the hill.
Read MoreIt is not an exaggeration to state the global impact of the Coronavirus could prove to be similar in magnitude to a world war or an accidental explosion of a nuclear bomb, the results of which will affect everyone, including our City Club community.
Read MoreDeath and dying, life and living are natural cycles. The Bible explores seven year cycles of prosperity and famine, and forty year cycles of slavery and freedom. Our recent Member Monday discussions have revolved around the topic of eighty year cycles as outlined in The Fourth Turning.
Wars, pandemics, famine, economic depressions, political revolutions and failed states are just a few triggers that end stale cycles and start fresh new ones. Since these cycles have been with us throughout history, the question is, what is the best strategy to deal with them.
Read MoreFor many years City Club has been envisioning, discussing and taking small steps to launch Highland Institute, without really knowing what our desired institute should look and act like. But each once in a while we get a glimpse of what’s possible, a light bulb goes on, a sigh is heard, and a piece of the puzzle falls into place.
Right after death, we are more afraid of an uncertain future than anything else. To create a Secures Locus, or a safe place for our members, we strive to bring meaning, if not order, into the universal chaos we all have to deal with. For those of you who missed it, last week’s topic of Steve Smith’s Monday Member lunch was A Post-Pandemic World.
Read MoreThe Jews are a peculiar people. Mark Twain said “The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they are gone. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains."
So what is the secret to survival and what’s unique about Spring, when every religion celebrates survival and resurrection? What lessons can we learn from millennials of hardship, from world wars to pandemics, from revolutions to economic depressions, to help us survive and thrive the Coronavirus?!
Read More
