Category Archives: Transforming

Projects that are making a difference, improving lives, and building communities.

Authors A-H, Healthcare

Bendy bodies, you are not alone – by Kate Hall

My Aunt lives alone, an energetic and fantastically sharp witted lady who just turned 81. She recently fell while getting out of the shower; it was bad, but could have been a lot worse.

The family recently visited with Aunt and got good ideas of what to do.  She made copies of her house keys and gave them to us, made sure we have her garage door code. Shared phone numbers of neighbors and have plans in place in case of emergency. She is going to try and get a prescription from her doctor for the life alert system that is free for low income seniors. Her doctor reminded her of the importance of building leg strength and balance. Her fall was a sobering reminder that these things can happen when you least expect it and it pays to be prepared. She spoke with friends from her church and about starting a senior yoga class, since many of them have a healthy fear of falling and know how balance and leg strength help prevent falls.

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Authors A-H, Tech & AI

Not Scared of Technology as Much as Technocrats’ Intent– by Meena Chopra

Human Good, Technological Power and the Civilizational Question We’re Not Asking:  Who gave technocrats the authority to decide humanity’s future? 

Who holds them accountable when the technologies they create threaten human autonomy? When they speak of empowering humanity, whose power are they actually expanding? And when private corporations acquire control over the infrastructure, intelligence and communications on which societies depend, should we accept their assurances of benevolent intent—or examine the interests behind them? These are not questions about whether technology is good or bad. They are questions about power, hypocrisy and the future of human civilization. I am not scared of technology as much as I am of the intent of technocrats. 

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Authors A-H, Politics

Can President Trump Steal the Midterm Elections? – by David Grinberg

With the midterm elections fast approaching, we should expect President Trump to meddle with the results. 

While Democrats are looking poised to regain majorities in Congress, Trump and Republicans are looking into the political abyss. Historical precedent shows that the party out of power typically gains 25 to 30 seats in midterm elections, as voters seek a check on the sitting president. A true wave election nets 40 to 60 seats, and a rare tsunami wave can shift 60 to 80 seats. 

For context, Republicans gained 63 seats in the 2010 midterm elections under President Barack Obama. This time under Trump, the Republican Party is deeply underwater on overall job approval and major policy areas. On the closely watched generic congressional ballot, Democrats maintain a commanding lead.

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Around the world, Authors R-Z, Politics, Religious Diversity, Social Issues

The Way Cousins Speak – by Tom Wegner

For decades, peace in our region has been negotiated between governments. What has been missing is a shared story between peoples. I learned this across divides that many Israelis never cross: in the IDF’s District Coordination and Liaison unit in Jericho, coordinating with the Palestinian Authority’s police, and later as a spokesperson for the Peres Center for Peace.

October 7, 2023 made one truth impossible to ignore: The way our region was living was not working for any of us. The massacre of the Yazidis and the civil wars in Iraq and Yemen made that clear long before that day. After it, I returned to those old relationships with one message: something had to change.

I did not believe that lines on a map, on their own, could resolve a conflict rooted in identity.

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Advisors, Authors A-H, Healthcare

Renewing Diversity Part 17: Rethinking Patient-Centered Approaches to Health Equity – by Carlos Cortés

I’m sometimes amazed at how thoroughly my thinking about health equity has changed since I became part-time co-director of the University of California, Riverside, School of Medicine’s Health Equity, Social Justice, and Anti-Racism curriculum a little more than six years ago in July, 2020.

Throughout several decades prior to that appointment I had given numerous talks and workshops about cultural competence in health care, including at such places as M. D. Anderson in Houston.  On my own campus, I had been delivering an annual required cultural competence lecture for first-year medical students, augmented by a smattering of faculty.  So when I said yes to the dean’s invitation, I felt reasonably confident, particularly since I was teamed up with one of the school’s clinical professors of pediatrics.

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Authors I-Q, Healthcare, Neuro-diversity

Beyond the Curve: Redefining Giftedness and Neurodiversity in Healthcare – by Dr. Veronica Palladino 

For decades, human intelligence and cognitive development have been measured through a rigid statistical lens. In clinical and educational settings, the Gaussian bell curve has dictated who is considered “normal,” who is “deficient,” and who is “gifted.” However, as explored in my research essay, Beyond the Curve: The Neurobiology and Psychology of Giftedness in the 21st Century, this binary approach to human minds is proving to be outdated. To truly understand the human brain, modern healthcare and advocacy must look past statistical models and embrace the profound reality of neurodiversity. 

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Authors A-H, Healthcare

Healthcare Systems: After Treatment Ends – by Andrew Drasen

For many individuals, completing a treatment program is a milestone filled with hope, relief, and anticipation. Residential programs, intensive outpatient services, and structured recovery tracks provide a framework for learning new skills, managing triggers, and building a foundation for change. Yet the moment a person leaves structured care is also the moment the safety net thins, and many find themselves navigating complex social, familial, and environmental pressures without the scaffolding that previously supported them.

Healthcare systems and programs designed to address substance use or mental health challenges often focus on stopping harmful behaviors and managing relapse risks. These approaches are critical. They teach clients to recognize triggers, practice coping strategies, and adhere to care plans. However, behavior-focused programs address only one side of a larger equation. Without guidance on who they are becoming beyond the behavior, individuals often struggle to sustain change once the structured environment is removed. Old patterns can resurface, not because the person intends to fail, but because they lack a coherent framework for their evolving identity.

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Authors I-Q, Healthcare

The Future of Fitness – by Tor Arne Jørgensen

In 1997, at age 23, I took my first bodybuilding photos for B&K Sports Magazine. My only goal was to look as muscular as possible. I had trained seriously for three years. Bodybuilding was not just something I did; it was a big part of who I was.

Two years later, I entered the Southern Norway Bodybuilding Championship. I competed again in 2000, and that was my last competition. The physical results were visible on the outside, but I paid less attention to what was happening inside. I rarely thought about my health or how I would feel years later.

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Authors I-Q, Entrepreneurship

Building a Lasting Creative Business That Balances Art and Strategy – by Julie Morris

Creative professionals, freelance designers, writers, photographers, makers, and independent artists, often see real creative career opportunities, yet struggle to turn talent into income with any consistency. The challenges of creative entrepreneurship show up fast: unpredictable demand, fuzzy boundaries, underpricing, and a constant pressure to market while still doing the work. Plenty of talented people end up stuck in a loop of feast-or-famine projects or overcommitment that drains their craft. Building sustainable businesses starts by treating creativity as a real value you can shape, protect, and grow.

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Authors A-H, Politics

Pandering to Gerrymandering: Who Won the Redistricting War? – by David Grinberg

Here’s the Score…

Examining the race to redraw congressional maps prior to the midterm elections.

What started as so-called “Trump-mandering” quickly became a national political battle between Republicans and Democrats to redraw as many congressional districts as possible before the critically important midterm elections on November 3, 2026.

When the smoke finally cleared, one party emerged victorious and will likely have up to a 10-seat advantage in the race to control the House of Representatives going into Election Day. That’s theoretical, of course, because even though a district map is redrawn to heavily favor one party, there’s no guarantee that an upset won’t occur, even if it remains a long shot.

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