Blog posts by Peter DeHaan, many of which are in his book Woodpecker Wars.
Several years ago, the United States made a concerted political push to increase home ownership rates. The idea was to help renters become buyers. Politicians argued this would have many benefits for those who made the jump. This included an increased standard of living, greater self-esteem, and financial security (by building up equity). As a […]
When asked “How much would be enough?”, John D. Rockefeller reportedly answered, “just a little bit more.” That push for more has propelled people to accomplish some amazing things, but left unchecked and unexamined it can leave a wake of devastation—destroying lives, organizations, and resources. When the push for more focuses on wealth, it is […]
With Christmas and New Years Behind Us, It Is Time to Get Things Back to Normal It’s great to have time off from work for the holidays, wonderful to spend time with family, and enjoyable to feast upon holiday foods and delectable deserts. However, it is also good to return to a regular routine—for things […]
It’s important to set goals, both for our work and for our self. Goals Move Us Forward Without goals, it’s easy to drift from day to day, week to week, month to month, and year to year—and nothing really changes. One of my goals is to attend two writing conferences each year. This helps grow […]
Ringing in the New Year often marks a time for making resolutions. Common New Year’s resolutions include losing weight, saving money, studying more, finding a better job, improving a relationship, being kinder or more generous, drinking less, and so on. Well-Intentioned Resolutions Usually these well-intentioned resolutions are short-lived. Aside from being vague and difficult to […]
With Thanksgiving behind me and Christmas cheer beckoning me forward, it’s hard to think about the new year and the task of making an annual budget. You do have an annual budget, don’t you? I do—and I encourage you to use one, too. Although I’m an organized person with a penchant for planning, I don’t […]
Recently I had a birthday. Don’t feel bad if you missed it—I have everything I need and most of what I want—so it’s all good! For a birthday, it is the time spent with family and friends—be it directly or indirectly—that are the most significant and the best remembered. Not to be dismissed are the […]
How many friends do you have? For many, a quick answer resides in Facebook. In addition to Facebook friends, some might consider Twitter followers or LinkedIn connections. But for most, the number of online “friends” overstates the situation. Try removing social media from consideration. For a revised answer, people may count the number of email […]
Did you change your clocks over the weekend? (About 70 countries currently observe Daylight Saving Time, though they may follow a different schedule than in the US.) As I was adjusting clocks over the weekend, I contemplated the cost of switching to and from Daylight Saving Time (DST)—and the amount of time it takes, not […]
Several years ago, locally, a 16-year-old girl was tragically killed in a house fire—because her parents had her chained to her bed. After they were given appropriately long prison sentences for her death, the father vented to any who would listen. While he admitted a “possible error in judgment” over chaining her to her bed, […]