Articles written by Peter Pogany

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About me - Peter Pogany

As a career economics professional, I taught at the university level and worked in the international arena for many years. I am interested in "Big History" and global issues.

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Politics, News & Issues > Energy Issues The pros and cons of nuclear energy: 1 of 9

Nuclear electricity alternates between hope and fear. Like the courtesan in the novel of 19th century French writer Balzac, atomic energy is a melange of splendor and misery. It is at once a wellspring of great expectations about reducing reliance on fossil fuels and ridding nations of dependence on imported oil, and a hot b... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Nightmares: 12 of 91

Looking around in an old bookstore - hissing espresso machine, creaking spiral staircase, sweating pipes in the basement - we found a drawing; "Parisian Mob Scene - Late Summer 1792." Ah, this would make an excellent gift for a poet acquaintance of ours. "Before going to sleep," he once told an audience, "feast your eyes on ... More..
Creative Writing > Satire Satire: Hell: 2 of 13
The throttle was fully opened and the equipment roared down the runway, leaving the ground with a shudder. The obligatory 45-degree turn following takeoff was barely cleared and the captain was already announcing the cruising altitude, time of arrival, and weather conditions on the ground in Atlanta the destination. It looke... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Death wish: 11 of 58
Autumn came empty-handed. It brought neither excitement nor tranquility. Trees were turning yellow-brownish in the Shenandoah Valley. Nature paints kitsch. The sun burned midday, receded into cold aloofness in the afternoon. Maddening wind shook window panes after midnight. Drowsiness without sleep, alertness without drive. ... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Life after death: 8 of 42

Billionaires and dollar-a-day paupers, truck drivers and day traders, ditch diggers and hairdressers; champions and underachievers; politicians and prostitutes, evangelists and pick-pockets, movie stars and lesser bums; first lieutenants, second bananas, and third parties; vacuum cleaner salesmen, court clerks; queens and wa... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: A train mystery: 2 of 7

The Orient Express started with a jolt. It was soon out of the Gare de l'Est and its flickering red and white lights miraculously knew their way among the maze of rails, choosing the pair that headed toward Istanbul - the final destination. In the waning afternoon one could still see inside the decrepit apartment houses that... More..
Business > International Business & Trade Understanding the meaning of peak oil: 1 of 3
Orthodox academe's incapacity to do so a caricature in the lighthearted spirit and general good will of the Christmas season. Dear Santa, Bring more oil! Substitutes too! Urgent! Never mind temporary respites and unreasonable spikes; disregard daily oscillations and monthly vacillations! If you string a line through annual d... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Religion & Spirituality (Other) Order versus chaos in life: 5 of 11

Deterioration in your vital signs alarms the nurses' station. Rush in the corridor, sounds of urgent paging. There you are - prone on a hospital bed, clad in a threadbare gown. Haste over your still warm body is beginning to look more like panicky confusion than deliberate rational activity. Do you really mean that much to t... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Revenge: 47 of 95

It was like being hit by a Black Belt in the chest. Sensibility to pain disappeared with the breath. He could barely comprehend it and all the consequences had not yet sunk in. "This must be a cruel joke." The letter from the hedge fund manager trembled between his fingers. He reread it for the umpteenth time. There was no d... More..
Politics, News & Issues > International Politics (Other) The growing power of women in politics: 15 of 25
Angela Merkel - Character Reference for Women as World Leaders? On Sunday (Sep. 23) German Chancellor Angela Merkel received the Dalai Lama at the Berlin Chancery. This was a first. No German chancellor before her has ever dared to anger the People's Republic of China by rolling out the official red carpet to the Nobel Prize... More..