Search Results for: repetitive loss

Value of Information: the imponderable

“In the end, more than freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all – security, comfort, and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to … Continue reading

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Weekend thoughts… on “Agency.”

Social scientists stress the importance of agency, defined along the following lines: “In the social sciences, agency is the capacity of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices. By contrast, structure is those factors of influence … Continue reading

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The Age of Global Renewal

Every generation gives a name to the age they live in. Of course it’s not quite so simple. Generally speaking, we don’t engage in a naming contest. Rather we all live out our lives in a certain way, and according … Continue reading

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Policy.

“Honesty is the best policy.” – Benjamin Franklin “I never had a policy. I just tried to do my very best each and every day.” – Abraham Lincoln “Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and … Continue reading

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Living with extreme weather.

Folks in Norman, Oklahoma have set the table for a three-day workshop on this topic Monday-Wednesday May 18-20. Our hosts have done their best to ensure that the occasion will be not just interesting but groundbreaking and productive. To start, … Continue reading

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Almost heaven? For some, it feels more like purgatory.

Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River. Life is old there, older than the trees, younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze. Country roads, take me home to the place I belong. West Virginia, mountain momma, take … Continue reading

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Now for the hard part (2): Hurricane Sandy… and the post-election national agenda.

“Hard” is a four-letter word. We don’t like “hard,” whether it applies to recovery from Hurricane Sandy, or the political challenge now facing our polarized nation. Let’s dig a little deeper… Hazards researchers like to talk about four stages of … Continue reading

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Death by stoning.

“But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I (the Lord) have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. You may say to … Continue reading

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Flooding in Louisiana? It’s not just Sophie’s choice.

The 1982 movie by this name may be unfamiliar to younger blog readers, but bears on events unfolding in Louisiana as this year’s Mississippi-River floodwaters continue to rise. Here is the background. First – the movie. Sophie’s Choice was a … Continue reading

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Ramshackle Nation, ramshackle world

Ramshackle: adj., (especially of buildings) badly constructed or maintained; rickety, shaky, or derelict. You don’t see this word too much anymore. However, you do see a lot of buildings, whole towns and regions, and even nations where the label fits. … Continue reading

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