SPJ Updates Code of Ethics While Ignoring Their Own Leadership’s Failings
The Society of Professional Journalists is updating its Code of Ethics to address modern challenges like AI and content creation. Yet, they continue to ignore a fundamental ethical failure inside their own leadership ranks. Noticeably absent from their ethics discourse is any accountability for SPJ leadership actively amplifying ruzzian disinformation. I thought about the NYC […]
Meeting with the Government of Belarus in Exile
In Belarus, Dzianis (Dennis) Kuchynski was sentenced to 11 years in prison in a show trial. Today, operating out of exile, he helps drive the foreign policy of the Belarusian democratic movement. As Diplomatic Advisor to the exiled President-elect, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Dzianis is on the front lines of high-stakes international diplomacy. From testifying before the […]
Teaming with Belarusians in Exile
Fighting for a democratic and free Belarus and USA – A few days ago, I was honored to meet a real-life tech genius on the side of good, for a change and for change – Pavel Lipin. Before 2020, Pavel was a Senior Director of Software Engineering at a firm in his home of Belarus. […]
First Impressions of the Peace Wall in Belfast, Northern Ireland
When I decided to visit Dublin, I knew I had to make the trip to Northern Ireland and Belfast. The “Troubles” were a consistent backdrop in the news during my college years. I became more aware as I also learned about my own vague Irish, Scottish, and British ancestry. I had been amazed that peace […]
Coolest Souvenir Ever
I recall purchasing a refrigerator magnet on my first trip to Ukraine in 2012 that said “Welcome to Ukraine, home of the not-smiling country,” with a stern Slavic grandma illustration. Well, a lot has changed since 2012, including the preponderance of smiles I see (yes, stoicism is typically followed by a smile, if you are […]
Running Partners: Beloved and Reviled
Yesterday I went for a run, as I’m apt to do on a sunny spring day in New York City—or anywhere, for that matter. Because it was a beautiful Saturday, my regular route by the water was crowded, so I took a little detour to a small circular track around a field that hosts kids’ […]
Americans in Ukraine
AMERICANS IN UKRAINE For whatever reason, during my annual visit to Ukraine in 2025 I felt I met more Americans than ever before working and living in Ukraine. Perhaps it was the election of our current ruzzian friendly president, or maybe it was pure coincidence, but my curiosity got the best of me on more […]
Yousef and Laila in Hammamet, Tunisia
Let me tell you a story about Yousef and Laila in Hammamet, Tunisia. As an experiment, I used AI to help plan part of this trip. For the record, no travel planners were harmed in the making of this itinerary; I still do all my own research and always have. AI suggested Hammamet as a […]
When is anti-Semitism actually anti-Semitism?
Here is a recommended link to an excellent article from the newsletter “The UnPopulist” about the recent resurgence of anti-Semitism and it’s frequent misuse by Christian nationalist, MAGA conservatives and Israel’s war mongering extreme hard right wingers. Anti-Semitism is being conveniently screamed by extreme right-wing war-mongers to deflect any legitimate criticism of alleged (and likely) […]
Meeting Inspiring 88 Year-Old Solo Female Traveler, Willoughby
This is Willoughby, an 88-year-old, SOLO female traveler from Seattle. She spent 17 days at a hostel in the Historic Center of Oaxaca. I saw her at the airport and introduced myself as I had to learn her story. This was her first visit to Oaxaca. She didn’t take any group tours but explored on […]
Holding Hands in Mexico City
MEXICO CITY: On my final day in Mexico City, I had a 40-minute treadmill run at the gym, overlooking a busy street below. As I ran, I found myself watching the rhythm of people crossing at the stoplight. And I was struck by something simple but powerful: affection. Not just couples—but a grandfather holding his […]
MLK Day, My Hometown and the First Amendment
I hope you’re enjoying the MLK holiday. This day carries special meaning for me. It was January 15, 1986—just days before the very first Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday on January 20—when the Ku Klux Klan marched through my hometown of Pulaski, Tennessee. It was not a proud moment. The town quite literally turned […]