When Boundaries Are Called Rudeness

by vanissadrar | Jul 18, 2026 | JOURNALISM

Some people give themselves permission to enter your life without being invited. They ask about your private affairs, question your choices, tell you what you should do, and eventually begin to speak as if your life were a matter for their approval. They do not see...

When We Ask for Honesty, Do We Really Want the Truth?

by vanissadrar | Jul 17, 2026 | JOURNALISM

We deceive ourselves when we ask people to be honest with us—when we ask them to tell us the truth about who we are, what we have done, and how they truly see us. But if we look more deeply, are we really asking for their honest opinion? Or are we asking them to tell...

AI at War: How Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning Are Changing Naval Warfareby by Sam J Tangredi, George Galdorisi

by vanissadrar | Jul 16, 2026 | BOOKS REVIEWS

I’ll be honest—when I first picked up AI at War, I expected the usual mixture of technological hype and futuristic speculation: bold predictions about machines transforming warfare, endless references to artificial intelligence, and perhaps a few dramatic claims...

A Moment of Realization! Not Everyone is Meant to Stay Forever

by vanissadrar | Jul 12, 2026 | JOURNALISM

There comes a moment in life when we realize that not everyone is meant to remain in our story forever. A dear friend once told me that some people enter our lives for a reason. They arrive at the exact moment we need them—or perhaps when they need us. They teach us a...

And that’s What Makes Life Interesting!

by vanissadrar | Jul 9, 2026 | JOURNALISM

We deceive ourselves when we believe that life is worth living only when we feel happy and accomplished. In reality, life derives much of its meaning from the journey itself. Challenges, struggles, and obstacles are not merely interruptions to happiness; they are...

Mistakes were made (but not by me) : why we justify foolish beliefs, bad decisions, and hurtful acts by Carol Tavris, Elliot Aronson

by vanissadrar | Jul 9, 2026 | BOOKS REVIEWS

I’ll be honest—when I first picked up Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me), I expected a fairly conventional psychology book about cognitive biases, sprinkled with amusing anecdotes about human irrationality. The title certainly suggests something lighthearted....

Now What?

by vanissadrar | Jul 4, 2026 | JOURNALISM

Here I am again with my famous question: And now what? What’s next? A question framed in simple words, yet carrying profound meaning. I do not wish to sound overly philosophical, but I find it impossible to avoid, because the question itself is deeply...

The Taste of the First Coffee

by vanissadrar | Jul 2, 2026 | JOURNALISM

I’ve been drinking coffee for years. Thousands of cups have passed through my hands, each one carrying the same familiar bitterness, the same comforting warmth. I thought I knew its taste by heart. But today was different. Today, for the first time, my coffee...

“Tell me what you need, so I can make sure you never have it.”

by vanissadrar | Jul 1, 2026 | JOURNALISM

I’ve come to realize that neutrality is often an illusion. In a world divided by loyalties, people rarely judge you solely by your character or your actions. More often, they judge you by whose side you’re on. The last time I checked, good things seemed to...

Life on Hold!

by vanissadrar | Jun 30, 2026 | JOURNALISM

Life is often about embracing one challenge only to encounter another. We spend much of our lives believing that we must overcome every obstacle before we can finally be happy. We keep pushing ourselves toward some imagined happy ending, forgetting that, in the...