We’ve long averred that the word “fascinating” is an absolute wonderful word. Why? Because it doesn’t imply good nor bad; it simply means whatever is described as such irresistibly draws our attention — kind of like a car crash or a sunset or a car crash during a sunset.
Hence, some fascinating events filled the past year. For example…
- Los Angeles was on fire for a month.
- Donald Trump was inaugurated again, becoming the second US President to serve two nonconsecutive terms.
- Leo XV became the first American Pope (and maybe the first Pope that’s a Cubs fan).
- Taylor and Travis got engaged.
- Charlie Kirk was assassinated.
- Active fighting between Israel and Hamas ceased.
- Fighting continued between Russia and Ukraine.
- Armed conflicts remained in Somalia, Sudan, Syria and more.
- Kids’ Camp Mystic flooded in Texas on the 4th of July.
- A self-described democratic socialist was elected mayor of New York City.
- The last penny was minted — finally putting Lincoln out of his long, coppery misery.
- An army helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight over the Potomac just as the plane was about to land.
- Los Angeles, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia won the major sports championships (MLB, NBA & NFL), which delighted some and devastated others.
- AI grew up fast.
- And kiss-cams gained newfound popularity thanks to a summer Coldplay concert.
Most of the above was either written about or referred to here — what a range and depth of topics, both the serious and the silly. But it’s funny, this blogging thing… allow me to share a little more insight in regard to all we discuss and how we discuss it.
Seventeen years ago, when we started this delightful, engaging hobby, the goal was to help persons learn how to converse respectfully with one another. It wasn’t to make money (which I do not) nor to persuade all to think like me (which I care not). The idea is to communicate in such a way that the person who disagrees with us can actually hear what we have to say.
But a curious thing has evolved along the way… perhaps because the wise among us know that respecting others is proper… perhaps because to intentionally withhold respect from another would look really bad (and unethical)… and perhaps because it often takes work, patience and tact to do it well…
What did we witness happen increasingly more in 2025?
We saw many craft a reason why respect is not only not necessary, but why respecting another is actually wrong.
Friends, one of the societal evolutions we saw continually more via our blog this past year was the growing belief that we don’t have to respect or even interact with the holder of different perspective because simply the holding of your opinion is dangerous.
If we can convince ourselves that the simple holding of another’s opinion is dangerous — that the opinion’s existence violates moral boundaries in such a way that the holder should be silenced or ignored — then we never have to work to understand why they think the way they do. Better yet, we never have to do any more work on our thinking. Our perspectives remain comfortably unchallenged, our blindspots unexamined, and our passionate certainty delightfully intact.
This past year, as a semi-humble, longtime blogger with zero party affiliation but a deep appreciation for excellent wit, I was called many things — among them, “dangerous,” “evil,” and “unintelligent”…
Fascinating.
Let the pursuit of wisdom never escape us. Let us always listen to another — especially the un-like-minded. Sometimes we do it well. Sometimes we don’t. I can’t wait for 2026.
Cheers…
AR