Life is tough. There is no shortcut — at least, not for the most part. Yes, yes, every now and again, a person wins the lottery, or there is a story about someone inadvertently wandering into a maze of success without a clue in the world — but even those people, well, does a clueless person ever attain a level of consciousness which encompasses a knowledge of the clue? Learning is a lifetime endeavor. Yes, life is hard, and the need to learn never ceases. Whether for enhancement of a chosen career or for personal growth, “ever learning” should be a mantra embraced and instilled from birth. As evolution is part of the genetic make-up of every species, so for humans, learning for a lifetime is a necessity which should be maintained as a daily routine in one’s life. Always have a book within reach; whether a novel — for, novels reveal the culture’s current narrative of its relevance within a society; a historical account — perhaps of other civilizations, or a specific epoch which triggers your interest; a book of poetry — although, in this day and age, who has the time to read poetry? A sad commentary, but let’s remember that the Irish still have that cadence of language; or even a sub-genre, like a spy novel or a “thriller”. Suggestions? There are too many to name, and to name a few would do injustice to so many others. Let it suffice: Learning for a Lifetime is what gives life a lifetime of relevance, and reading is the basis for such learning. For Federal employees and...
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, apologized Monday for incorrectly interpreting a term used for starving prisoners in Nazi concentration...