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## Posts

- [It's Our Flag Too](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/its-our-flag-too/) - The great Ken Burns has often said, “There is no them; there’s only us.” It’s high time we Americans, yes, all of us, take a moment to remember that. The American Flag represents all of us, but there’s a narrative that the Flag is just revered by Republicans and not by Democrats. Not so. We
- [Democrats Be Strong. Fight. But Let's Get Our Shit Together! NOW!](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/democrats-be-strong-fight-but-lets-get-our-shit-together-now/) - I'm very proud of the efforts of many Democrats in Congress fighting this awful legislation. I think of people like Senators Chris Murphy, Jon Ossoff, and Elissa Slotkin, who fought it to the last inch. Some say it will have trouble passing in the House, so we'll see. I appreciate the effort. If it passes,
- [Consciousness First: A Paradigm Shift in Science and Spirituality](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/consciousness-paradigm-shift/) - I am fascinated by recent developments in the theories of consciousness. In recent years, the nature of consciousness has moved from a fringe concern to a central question across disciplines. From neuroscience and quantum physics to artificial intelligence and spiritual philosophy, a profound shift is underway: one that may place consciousness not as a byproduct
- [Thinking About Death, and Life on This Memorial Day.](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/thinking-about-death-and-life-on-this-memorial-day/) - On this Memorial Day, let me first share a personal memory, in honor of my father, Frank Cottingham, and his youngest brother, Johnny. I wrote on Bluesky this morning, in response to a very nice post by Adam Kinzinger about Memorial Day, about remembering those who gave their last full measure, and that the day
- [Talked To a Gen-Z Person Today Who Voted for Trump](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/talked-to-a-gen-z-person-today-who-voted-for-trump/) - It WAS Really About Their Financial Struggles - And No, They Didn't Understand What Kind of Nut He Would Be I had the opportunity to talk to a very professional, intelligent young person today who admitted that she voted for Trump but had no idea what havoc he would wreak in these first 100 days.
- [Are MAGA Folks Bad Human Beings?](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/are-maga-folks-bad-human-beings/) - Are MAGA folks bad human beings? It’s a question most Democrats and other left-of-center people have probably asked themselves. Well, are they? Part of me says maybe, especially when I think of the varying levels of racism so many of them carry, but the more reflective part of me says, I don’t think so, that
- [Let Freedom Ring](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/let-freedom-ring-2/) - Oh, for the dayWhen I could rise and proudly sayMy country 'tis of theeSweet land of liberty. But it seems to have grown so foulThat proud no longer is the word we howlReplaced with a fear so clear to seeWhile pitiful fools dance with glee. Oh, where are the Franklins, Washingtons, and HamiltonsOr even the
- [Wake Up America!](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/wake-up-america/) - With the Supreme Court's recent decision that sent Trump salivating like Pavlov's dogs, it's time to repost my article from last September. It was an observation that far too many Americans are literally oblivious to the existential threat to democracy posed by Trump. As Reed Galen observed, some French were sipping wine in country cafes
- [Whether President Biden Stays in the Race, and I Believe He Should, Trump Must Never Again Hold Any Office, Let Alone President of the United States of America](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/whether-president-biden-stays-in-the-race-and-i-believe-he-should-trump-must-never-again-hold-any-office-let-alone-president-of-the-united-states-of-america/) - If this debate was about performative beauty, of course Joe Biden lost. But we Americans need to look deep down inside to ask ourselves, is this how we judge our President? True, he's old, he stutters, he was sick and his throat froggy, but he still understands the issues and does the right thing. My
- [Announcing the Opening of Frank's Select!](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/announcing-the-opening-of-franks-select/) - I am very proud to announce the kickoff of my new Shopify store: Frank's Select! As I describe in the About Us section of that site, Frank Cottingham was my father. He passed many years ago but when he was alive he always dreamed of having a little gift shop that he could run in
- [This Morning I Wept](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/this-morning-i-wept/) - It's funny how viewing or hearing a snippet of something can hit your emotions instantly and unexpectedly. This morning the prolific social media entertainment poster, Michael Warburton (@MichaelWarbur17 on fka Twitter and Threads), put up a clip of Christopher Plummer's scene from The Sound of Music singing Edelweiss. As Captain Von Trapp, Plummer gets to
- [A New Lease On Life](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/a-new-lease-on-life/) - I got back from the Dermatologist's office this morning, where the doctor informed me that the skin cancer he removed from my leg earlier in the month showed no sign of spreading. It was a Squamous Cell Carcinoma, which is generally not dangerous if caught early, which, thank goodness, mine was. I'm a bit embarrassed
- [Wisdom Nuggets: Things I've Learned Mostly the Hard Way](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/wisdom-nuggets-things-ive-learned-mostly-the-hard-way/) - I have been struggling lately to find my reason for being in the golden years of my life. Sure, I want to continue to be a good husband, father, and grandfather, but I am referring to my raison d'être, the reason/justification for my existence in society from now till the end of my days. I
- [On Facing Mortality](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/on-facing-mortality/) - A year ago this past December, the quarterback of my high school football team died. He was 65. Gillain-Barre had paralyzed him and he developed blood clots that ultimately killed him by causing a stroke. I had just spoken to him over the phone a month before. He was excited and planning to do another
- [I am a Proud Democrat. I'm Optimistic. But Here Are a Few Things I Hope President Biden is Doing](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/i-am-a-proud-democrat-im-optimistic-but-here-are-a-few-things-i-hope-president-biden-is-doing/) - Recently, I posted the following on Threads (which I love btw), and got a little blowback: I’m a ride-or-die Democrat, but I gotta say, we suck at politics and have to get better at it NOW! Sure we can preach to an all agreeable choir, but they are not who we need to convince. It’s
- [Where Have All the Responsible Republicans Gone?](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/where-have-all-the-responsible-republicans-gone/) - Heather Cox Richardson is a scholar on the history of the Republican Party. She writes about how it went from the anti-slavery party of Lincoln to what it has degenerated into today: An extremist faction. In her interview on Amanpour and Company by Michele Martin, Dr. Richardson offers a fascinating insight into the sad fall
- [Principles for Emerging Leaders](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/principles-for-emerging-leaders/) - People often confuse leadership and management. Management is about organization and efficiency. Leadership is about human interaction and motivation, and guiding people toward a shared goal. Young professionals often come into an organization with significant training in management, but very little training in leadership principles. Good organizations are recognizing this and supplementing the development of
- [Are Americans in Denial About The True Risks of Trumpism?](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/are-americans-in-denial-about-the-true-risks-of-trumpism/) - This article originally was published on my Substack site. I hope you'll subscribe to my articles there too! Yesterday I listened to a tremendous but bone-chilling podcast from The Lincoln Project. Reed Galen was interviewing NYU History and Italian Studies Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat on her research about the origin of fascist movements and how they
- [As a Democrat, Should I Flee Florida?](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/as-a-democrat-should-i-flee-florida/) - I've seen several posts on various social media channels suggesting that Democrats in Florida should flee the state because of its current regime and atmosphere of intolerance. I'm a Democrat who lives in Florida, and running away is the last thing on my mind. True, the state is under attack by intolerant forces led by Governor Ron DeSantis and the majority of both houses who support his every whim. But run? Nope.
- [Hi! Welcome to Breakfast Musings with Gary Cottingham](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/hi-welcome-to-breakfast-musings/) - The initial blog post of Breakfast Musings with Gary Cottingham. Democracy and Common Sense. . .Over Coffee. A blog with Gary Cottingham's observations about current events in the context of History, Philosophy, and Common Sense.
- [Finding My Way](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/finding-my-way/) - I retired from my wonderful corporate job in January of this year. It was at once hard to say goodbye and easy. I loved the job and the people I worked with, something I couldn't say about every job I've had for sure, so it was hard in that regard, but it was easy to
- [Here We Go!](https://breakfastmusings.com/blog/here-we-go/) - If this is your first visit to my blog and somehow you landed on this post, please take a moment to go here to get a better introduction. Thank you! Good morning, at least I hope it's good for you. This is my second blog post, which reminds me of the old joke in business:

## Pages

- [Home - Breakfast Musings with Gary Cottingham](https://breakfastmusings.com/home/) - Welcome to Breakfast Musings! I am so excited that you decided to stop by. From my perspective, it's like someone stopping at my house for a cup of coffee, and that's how I hope to make you feel. You are my guest, so welcome in! So what's this all about anyway? Well, here we will Breakfast Musings is a site by Gary Cottingham containing his observations, information, and commentary on politics, current events, and living in America.
- [Privacy Policy](https://breakfastmusings.com/privacy-policy/) - This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You. We use Your Personal data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection
- [The Author](https://breakfastmusings.com/the-author/) - Gary Cottingham is a writer and Marketing entrepreneur who runs an agency/consulting firm in Tallahassee, Florida. He is originally from Rochester, New York where he grew up, attended high school and college in the area, getting his BA from SUNY Brockport and his MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology. Prior to opening his own firm,
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