news

A Few Thoughts About Pope Benedict XVI

by Bill Brenner February 12, 2013 Faith

I’ve had 24 hours to absorb the news that Pope Benedict XVI is stepping down at the end of the month. I think he’s doing the right thing and showing some true fortitude. But I’m also glad because there’s an opportunity for the Catholic Church to right some wrongs. Mood music: [spotify:track:2C9RcoXlyJEV0IJUNWWCVM] The Church has stubbornly held on to backward beliefs about the role of women, the status of a person’s Catholicism after a divorce, and…  [Read More]

I Was Wrong About Lance Armstrong

by Bill Brenner January 15, 2013 Lessons from the past

A few months ago I wrote a post called “Lance Armstrong Was Robbed,” in which I opined that he didn’t deserve to be stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. I’m back to tell you I was wrong. Like most Americans, I’m a sucker for stories about people who overcome serious adversity to achieve great things. Those stories have given me the extra push I needed over the years to bring my own demons to…  [Read More]

Aaron Swartz and How to Deal With Suicide

by Bill Brenner January 14, 2013 Grief management

I read many articles this weekend about the suicide of Internet prodigy and activist Aaron Swartz. Most were about how we should view his legacy in the face of charges that he used MIT’s computers to gain illegal access to millions of scholarly papers kept by JSTOR, a subscription-only service for distributing scientific and literary journals. Mood music: [spotify:track:2UaBnTuNF4pSBHZDRhzvMy] Some call Swartz a hero who stood up for Internet freedoms. Others point out that he…  [Read More]

Sandy Hook Lesson: Be the Change, One Soul at a Time

by Bill Brenner December 17, 2012 Lessons from the past

Like most of you, I’ve spent a good part of the weekend thinking about the lives lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. We all want specific solutions that will prevent more of these tragedies, but what we’re dealing with is too big and too gray for that.   A lot of people are debating gun control. Some people think the world would be safer if every law-abiding citizen had a firearm. Others say…  [Read More]

Hostess Was My Main Dope Supplier

by Bill Brenner November 16, 2012 Addiction

A lot of people are sad this morning because Hostess, maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread, is going out of business after striking workers failed to heed a Thursday deadline to return to work. That’s the company’s official line, anyway. Mood music: [spotify:track:5Sz3tl0ZqkyAg52CSQeVYj] Me? I feel badly that 18,500 workers are getting laid off, though I suspect some other company will swoop in and buy Hostess for a song. The world needs its cream filling,…  [Read More]

Lance Armstrong Was Robbed

by Bill Brenner October 17, 2012 Communication Skills

I just saw a report that Lance Armstrong is stepping down as chairman of the Livestrong charity he built to inspire and empower cancer sufferers. It comes after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency reported “overwhelming evidence” that Armstrong engaged in doping while he was a professional cyclist. Armstrong was robbed. Mood music: [spotify:track:7Htb2GqRgWZjIkDmWpRrbD] Much has been made of doping in professional sports. Frankly, I couldn’t care less if athletes use steroids. So what? The media acts like…  [Read More]

Sex Change Outrage: Should We Pay for Convict’s Operation?

by Bill Brenner September 18, 2012 Crime and punishment

There are a lot of good people out there who deal with brutal medical situations that make them outcasts. There’s the depression I’ve covered extensively here. And there are things like being transgender. But if you’re behind bars for murder, should taxpayers be paying for your treatment? Mood music: [spotify:track:44XvCIXl5rqHGAWcAS2I2i] Depression is a simpler example. If antidepressants can make a convict well enough to better serve the prison community where he or she is doing time,…  [Read More]

Empire State Shootings Bring Back Old Fears, Timeless Lessons

by Bill Brenner August 24, 2012 Fear and anxiety

The shooting spree outside the Empire State Building this morning reminds me of the mind-numbing fear I used to carry inside me every day — the feelings of dread that kept me indoors, away from the life I should have been living. It also reminds me of some critical lessons I’ve learned from my experiences. Mood music: [spotify:track:5Sz3tl0ZqkyAg52CSQeVYj] As CNN reported news that Jeffrey Johnson, 58, had opened fire on a former co-worker and police outside…  [Read More]

Prayers for Those Killed During “Dark Night Rises” Premier

by Bill Brenner July 20, 2012 Grief management

I awoke to a terrible story breaking in Colorado: at least 12 people killed and 50 wounded when some sick soul opened fire on them during an early Friday morning screening of the new Batman movie at an Aurora, Colo. movie theater. News reports are coming in quickly with new details, but I wanted to take a moment and express my condolences to family and friends of the victims. I’ll pray for them, and I hope…  [Read More]

Next Entries →