World Views

Wildfires rage through the U.S. while our fearless leaders wage global war for their own profit and personal gain. Please see Annie Searle’s article Heating Up. We need a new and different leadership who will work for the people. Leadership needs to focus on the real dangers to America: the rising costs of food, housing, fuel, healthcare, education, the proliferation of AI data centers, and the destruction of our environment due to climate change. One word of warning: Make sure you are reading and listening to the right media to get the truth about what is happening. Aside from writing stories about people, we also write essays and articles that shed light on how the media works, thereby helping you to develop your own critical thinking skills. With the proliferation of fake news, chatbots, algorithms, and AI-generated news, memes, photos, and videos, it is more important than ever to be able to discern what is real. Please see my article The Media, Fake News, and AI.   –Patricia Vaccarino

The story about Yonkers born musician Joel Diamond will astonish you with his Yonkas speak. I had the privilege of meeting Joel in NYC a few years ago, and I adore his refreshing and direct persona. He is truly a “Diamond in the Rough.” Barbara Lloyd McMichael writes about the U.S. National Park Service and its many heritage fruit orchards. Barbara also writes about the history, legacy and current controversy surrounding the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Our July book reviews are not light summer reading, but you might find them interesting. Submission by Michel Houellebecq is a complicated rendering of what happens to a liberal culture when it is suppressed by an orthodox, reactionary leadership. DEATH AND THE BUTTERFLY by Colin Hester captures the liminal space between life and death, where the beauty of the butterfly prevails. We welcome commentary by risk management expert Annie Searle who has been writing ASA News & Notes for Seventeen Years. Do you know the difference between Social Democrats and Democratic Socialists? Nick Licata explains the schism in the Democratic Party. Happy July!  –Patricia Vaccarino