Articles written by Ed Dugan

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About me - Ed Dugan

As a former college president and CEO of my own capital campaign and strategic planning firm, I have spent most of my life writing for one reason or another. I suppose, if you count the fees my clients or employers paid me, you could say I was a writing professional.

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Society & Lifestyle > Racism Racism in America: 4 of 93

If you look at a person of another color and have negative thoughts, are you prejudiced? If the other person has similar thoughts about you does that make you both prejudiced? If you could count the number of white people in America who don't like black people and the number of black people who feel the same way about white ...
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in the Middle & Near East Obstacles to peace in the Middle East: 1 of 20

The conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians is really a war but no one wants to use that word. It really is a war since thousands of people, on both sides, have been killed and whenever the slaughter stops it's called a cease-fire. One has to wonder why, since this situation has gone on for centuries, not years, t...
Home & Garden > Home Repair (Other) When to use a contractor, and when to DIY: 2 of 21

If you are considering a home improvement project you have three choices, find a friend who is really handy around the house, hire a remodeling professional or do it yourself. Some neighborhoods have a home improvement social network where Harvey, down the street knows his way around an electrical circuit, or Mel, next door,...
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: The secret keys to happiness: 11 of 112

Happiness, contentment, satisfaction with your life - they all reside within your inner self and not what is happening today,what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. External things, many of which we can't control, affect us on a daily basis but they have nothing to do with creating happiness within yourself. H...
Relationships & Family > Gay & Lesbian Issues The world versus gay people: 4 of 38

Ignorance, like a disease, can be transmitted from the carrier to many innocent victims. Almost like handing down an heirloom, some parents transmit ignorance to their children, especially about other races and people who hold ideas or have lifestyles different from their own. The children then transfer the same ignorance to...
Creative Writing > Essays Essays: The criminal justice system: 5 of 28

There is something terribly wrong with our criminal justice system and it has nothing to do with how liberal or conservative our judges are. Granted you the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals would let Jack the ripper off with a slap on the wrist but it's the system that's broken, not the judiciary. Don't buy into the argument tha...
Jobs & Careers > Professionalism How to avoid office gossip traps: 21 of 66

No matter how harmless conversations between office mates may seem to you, discussing where the latest sales are or a recipe you just came across, for instance, there is always the chance that a harmless conversation can lead you to open your mouth and insert your foot. The old caveat for around the dinner table, to avoid po...
Food & Drink > Cuisine & Food (Other) How to make your own broth: 10 of 30

Making good broth, whether it be beef, chicken or vegetable, is easier than you might think. Each of the three have different requirements but there is one suggestion that fits all of them - use filtered water. You want the flavor of the broth to come from the ingredients, not from the tap, and using filtered water is the be...
Relationships & Family > Dating Dilemmas & Advice How to overcome dating difficulties: 4 of 12

Dating today is like watching a horse race, with the women going across the finish line and the men still at the starting gate. Dating, as I remember it, is gone forever. It has evolved from two people meeting and finding out if they are compatible, to an industry available on the internet at the click of a mouse. There are ...
Education > Colleges & Universities (Other) Should colleges require summer reading of incoming freshmen?: 2 of 6

As a former college president I have to ask, what do you expect from a summer reading program that 4 years of sub-standard high school education failed to accomplish? Too many college freshmen are arriving at the campus as functional illiterates and a 2 month reading assignment isn't going to fix that. Of course, it all depe...