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Month: November 2018

Elevate
Confluence

Adventurous Travel for the Winter Season

Reading Time: 2 minutes There is something about the winter months that seems to awaken a sense of wanderlust in many people. Whether it’s the need for an escape from the bitter, drab conditions or a desire for a break from the hectic schedule that often accompanies the season, carving out time to head south may be the perfect pick-me-up.

In fact, because of the cluster of holidays and time off from school, the winter months can be the perfect time to get away. A destination like Texas offers mild weather in the winter, not too hot or too cold, which makes for an opportunity to spend time at the state’s beaches. Of course, the region is also home to a variety of unique activities, museums, restaurants and attractions that can be enjoyed during the colder season due to the climate. When planning your trip, consider these fun-filled vacation ideas.

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Informed
Confluence

Nov. 2 is Dia de los Muertos: No, It’s Not Mexican Halloween

Reading Time: 6 minutes HERE’S ONE THING we know: Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is not a Mexican version of Halloween. Though related, the two annual events differ greatly in traditions and tone. Whereas Halloween is a dark night of terror and mischief, Day of the Dead festivities unfold over two days in an explosion of color and life-affirming joy. Sure, the theme is death, but the point is to demonstrate love and respect for deceased family members. In towns and cities throughout Mexico, revelers don funky makeup and costumes, hold parades and parties, sing and dance, and make offerings to lost loved ones.

The rituals are rife with symbolic meaning. The more you understand about this feast for the senses, the more you will appreciate it. Here are 10 essential things you should know about Mexico’s most colorful annual event.

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Engage
Cindie Chavez

Love is Not Silent in the Face of Injustice

Reading Time: 4 minutes If you are able to look the other way and “busy yourself with happier things”, this is most likely because you are sitting in a place of privilege and whether you realize it or not this privilege you are so fortunate to enjoy puts you in the place of having power to do good for marginalized, oppressed, and persecuted peoples just by virtue of the stand you are willing to take publicly.

I recognize it isn’t always easy to speak up, to take a stand, but you can be assured that your voice, every voice, makes a difference to those who are oppressed.

For those concerned about “vibrations”, I’m not opposed to doing whatever it takes to create “high vibrations.” And, it is essential to remember that the highest vibration is love, and love is not passive, love is active.

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Informed
Confluence

Task and Purpose: Advice For US Troops Sent To The Mexican Border In An Age Of Terrible Leaders

Reading Time: 5 minutes We do not live in normal times, but rather in an age of morally compromised leadership. The Trump administration is preparing to send 5,000 U.S. military personnel to the United States’ southern border. There is no legitimate military purpose for this operation. Border crossings are near historical lows, and the so-called “caravan” of hungry, frightened migrants poses no risk to U.S. national security.

Instead, this operation is a political stunt. The administration aims to leverage the military’s credibility in support of its hysterical anti-immigrant propaganda campaign, which is itself a component of a partisan mid-term electoral strategy.

Junior military leaders thus begin in a morally hazardous position which will only grow worse with time.  The purpose of this piece is to outline those hazards and to advise junior military leaders on how best to respond.

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