I’ve been making some changes to the site lately and there are more changes coming in the days ahead, so don’t be surprised if you some small differences. This is not a wholesale redesign, but rather the addition of some features. Since they’re smarter than I am, I’ve put Oliver and Alex in charge of the technical work, which you can see in this action photo from the control room of our media complex. I recently added a series of landing pages for readers who randomly discover the site from an Internet search. I’ve also changed the YouTube link at the top of the page to go to the new YouTube channel for video essays that reflect things I’ve already published here. (Here’s a little bit about both of the YouTube channels I’m working on.) In addition, I’m trying to move away from using Instagram, so I’m experimenting with photo plug-ins that will eventually allow me to host the pictures — cats, dogs, sunsets, whatever — that I often take. So don’t be surprised to see more changes. Thanks for your patience. Let’s hope Alex and Oliver know what they’re doing.
New YouTube channel launched for video versions of my essays
I’ve experimented with doing YouTube videos several times in the last few years and I can now tell you about the latest experiment.
For months, I’ve been working on a video series about some of the ideas I’m most passionate about, but this is something different. This channel will feature video essays that mirror many of the articles I publish here.
So far, it just has a brief intro and video versions of two recent essays. I have no idea whether enough people on YouTube will be interested in something of this sort, but we’ll find out. I literally just uploaded the two essays minutes ago, so almost nobody knows yet that the channel exists.
If we’re seduced by our desires, we often follow devil in disguise
The devil doesn’t have horns and a pointed red tail. He doesn’t wear a red suit. The devil looks exactly like whatever it is you want the most.
The devil is a shapeshifter. In every moment, he becomes something which seems too good to be true. To me, he appears as the object of my deepest desires. To you, he appears as whatever you believe will finally make your life complete. But when we follow where this shapeshifting demon leads us, the heaven on earth we expected often turns out to be a living hell.
The devil is one of the most enduring archetypes of human history. For some people, he’s been a literal creature roaming the earth. In Christian theology, he’s seen as a spirit who’s the chief of the fallen angels. But however the devil has been conceived in theology or mythology or psychology, the real demon is in your head. It’s the lying trickster promising whatever it is you want and need the most.
The things that destroy us are typically the things we eagerly accept and even pursue. When evil and heartbreak arrive in our lives, these things don’t typically force their way in. They come in disguise — and we eagerly welcome them in.

Briefly: Join me tonight in watching ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’
Briefly: New neighbors remind me that I live around decent folks
Briefly: Knowledge is worthless if those who need it can’t hear
Briefly: Sufjan Stevens album always evokes old feelings about my mother
Though it’s helpful to have talent, that won’t guarantee success
Fear and shame can leave us in a fog that destroys relationships
Healthy partner will always ask, ‘Who do you really want to be?’
Love & Hope — Episode 5:
Political action may seize power, but only ideas bring real change