In Honor of Veteran’s Day: A Veteran’s Story
Trapped in a Quonset hut as Mount Pinatubo erupted, Marine Staff Sergeant Mark Clifford and his men faced suffocating darkness and scalding ash, fighting for survival as a typhoon turned the volcanic debris to cement.
AN AUTOMATION PARADOX: JOHN HENRY IN THE AGE OF ROBOTS
Automation renders many humans obsolete. The legendary struggle of John Henry, immortalized by Johnny Cash’s famous ballad, serves as a cautionary tale for institutions like today’s longshoremen.
An Automation Paradox: John Henry in the Age of Robots
“In reality, we’re a plutocracy: a government by the wealthy.” — -William Ramsey Clark, American activist Automation renders many humans obsolete. The legendary struggle of John Henry, immortalized by Johnny Cash’s famous ballad, serves as a cautionary tale for institutions like today’s longshoremen. This epic story of muscle against the relentless march of the machine reminds […]
Lava Leadership: Lessons learned from a volcanic crucible
Leadership is the alchemy that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. My gripping “lead to gold” story’s vivid images will transport you to the heart of a leadership conundrum. A mountain called “Pinatubo” (Tagalog for “to have made grow”) gifted me with a bulletproof leadership method: COACH (Creativity, Openness, Adaptability, Communication, and Humanity). The COACH […]
That time when my brain took an Unauthorized Coffee Break
A Stroke is no Joke, and neither is this Post I have become a cautionary tale. Every 40 seconds, someone suffers a stroke in America. To put this into grave perspective, every 40 seconds someone commits suicide in America. We talk a lot about suicide prevention, but have you ever considered stroke prevention? My instant […]
The Adventures of Snakeman 248: Unleash the Extraordinary Within!
In the realm of captivating storytelling, author Mark R. Clifford has taken his Typhoon Coast adventure novel series to new heights with the creation of an exhilarating animated series called “The Adventures of Snakeman 248.” With each episode, Mark transports viewers into a world of action and intrigue, accompanied by the opportunity to embark on […]
Apocalypse ‘91 Unmasked: Don’t Panic
On June 15, 1991, the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines marked history’s most catastrophic volcanic eruption in a densely populated area. The eruption spewed ash, gas, and rock high into the atmosphere, relentless earthquakes, triggering lahars (mudflows) and pyroclastic flows, which devastated the island of Luzon. The eruption caused the loss of many […]
Snakeman: Creating Compelling Cop Characters in Fiction
My journey from cop to writer is summed up in the title of Bob Dylan’s 1975 masterpiece, “Tangled up in Blue.” Creating compelling police characters in fiction is a Gordian Knot. Many see police officers as modern-day gunslingers, who protect townsfolk from outlaws and embody American justice. Others, however, have mixed feelings about law enforcement, […]
Super Survivor
“Trauma is hell on earth. Trauma resolved is a gift from the gods.” —Doctor Peter A. Levine Johnny Cash sang, “Love is a burning thing, and it makes a fiery ring.” I burn more today than last year. The post-traumatic growth practices I learned at Warrior PATHH gets most of the credit. Warrior PATHH (Progressive, Alternative Training for Helping Heroes) is a special program that helps veterans and first responders […]
Heroes for Hope: Thriving Beyond Trauma
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”—Joseph Campbell (1949), The Hero with a Thousand Faces Does the news leave you uneasy about a financial crash, climate change, the next world war, politics, social media, or pandemic pandemonium? We all get anxious. In fact, California’s First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom is using her influence to call anxiety a public health emergency with the greatest sense of urgency. You are not […]