A reader writes: Once I asked my daughter (12 years old at the time) what she would do if she were stranded alone on a deserted island (I was looking for some drive in her). She said she would die. … Continue reading
Category: Daily Dose of Reason
Government Meltdown
The ‘government shutdown’ is really a crisis for career politicians and their dependents, more than anyone else. However, the issue runs deeper than that. At stake in the ongoing government fiscal crisis is the future of the entitlement mentality. The … Continue reading
Iran’s “Smiley Campaign” and Why It Matters
“I will tell the truth in the face of the sweet talk and the onslaught of smiles.’ So says Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He’s responding to the ‘smiley campaign’ of Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani. Last week at the … Continue reading
Harry Reid’s Conspiracy Theory
On the floor of the U.S. Senate last Friday [9/27/13], Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) said that ‘a very wealthy group of people’ are backing the Tea Party in what Reid described as an ‘effort to destroy our government.’ … Continue reading
After the Affair…Now What?
Dear Dr. Hurd: I’m trying to understand why I recently had an affair. My wife found out and it hurt her greatly, as well as humiliating me. Can you help me understand why I did this? I’m not looking for … Continue reading
Post-Trauma: Best to Talk About It, or Not?
Dear Dr. Hurd: I work in the Washington Navy Yard, the scene of the recent shooting. I understand the reasons why I’m physically feeling the way I am (sleeping poorly, eyes scratchy, throat feels like I’m holding back tears, chest … Continue reading
Obamacare Catastrophe: Take 1
The centerpiece of President Obama’s new health law is a collection of government-sponsored insurance exchanges, in which people who shop for coverage on their own can purchase health insurance, and gain a taxpayer-funded subsidy if their income is low enough. … Continue reading
Psychological Health in One Sentence
Don’t you believe in flying saucers, they ask me? Don’t you believe in telepathy? — in ancient astronauts? — in the Bermuda triangle? — in life after death? No, I reply. No, no, no, no, and again no. One person … Continue reading
Defunding Obamacare is Not Unconstitutional
Supporters of Obamacare speak as if refusing to fund or implement it will create a Constitutional crisis. Actually, it’s Obamacare and other laws like it that create the growing crisis with our government. Obamacare is a law that attempts to … Continue reading
Is Internet Access a “Right”?
A DrHurd.com reader writes: In downtown St. Petersburg FL, there are a lot of homeless people. One day a homeless guy wanted money and I shook my head ‘no,’ and he got angry and sarcastic saying ‘bless you’ or something. … Continue reading
Dare to Be Superior
Here’s the sad sequel to the story I wrote about several weeks ago. A librarian in upstate New York believes she was fired over comments she made in support of a student who dominated a reading competition for five … Continue reading
How Much Alcohol is Too Much?
Dear Dr. Hurd, If someone who’s young and immature stops drinking alcohol, and abstains for years, and later becomes mature and mentally healthy, can that person now drink normally? Dr. Hurd’s reply: There’s honestly no way to know, unless you … Continue reading