Hello, My Name is Kevin Schwarm
A free spirit's take on work, life, travel, & consumerism

I volunteer at a local hospital in the area, working a four-hour shift each week. I work in Guest Services, which means I'm behind the counter at one of the two hospital entrances, greeting guests and patients. Essentially, we deliver flowers to patients, push certain patients and guests in wheelchairs, and direct or walk visitors to the right areas. From my perspective, it’s only four hours per week, but if you do it for several years, you get a good idea of how the organiza

I reached out to a former friend whom I knew at the university. Dave and I decided to meet for coffee at a central location to catch up. He currently lives in rural Wisconsin. It had been over 40 years, so I was somewhat hesitant about how our meeting would go. Years ago, Dave was young and impressionable, but he typically analyzed things from a fresh and objective perspective. Here’s the conversation. I walk into the café and notice a semi-recognizable person in the corner,

Since 2010, six teams with losing records (but division winners) have hosted playoff games. In each of these situations, these six teams faced opponents with better regular-season records. You see, according to the NFL, each division winner is guaranteed a first-round home playoff game regardless of their opponent's record.   This unfair competitive imbalance in the NFL will occur again this year. The Carolina Panthers won the very weak NFC South with an 8-9 record. Therefore

The song and dance by the Trump administration regarding the Epstein Saga. Sharpie Shortage The Trump Administration had 30 days to release the Epstein files, and on the last day of those 30 days, they publicly said they wouldn’t meet that deadline in full. It was reported in online media that 117 pages of a single file were entirely redacted in black. Why weren't more files released by the deadline? Did they run out of black Sharpies? Many people from Both Parties want Trans

Is there something wrong with my reading glasses? I just read that Trump pardoned Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former Honduran leader. Last year, Hernandez was sentenced to 45 years in prison for drug trafficking and weapons charges. According to prosecutors, Mr. Hernandez was involved in an illegal organization that lasted many years and brought more than 1 million pounds of cocaine into the US.  At the time, Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor had called the drug prosecution

Recently, some in the mainstream media have said the situation involving Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump may be referred to as the "Epstein files" controversy. Regarding this controversy, I've included just a brief refresher of the high-level news reports from 2025. A quiz is included to outline the types of questions a critical thinker may have about this controversy. As a reminder, this quiz is presented in a satirical manner. Remember, no one fights so hard to keep someth

This blog post is a compilation of photos I took in Munich, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, and then back in Munich in October of 2025. Some commentary is provided. MUNICH Getting ready for Oktoberfest in Munich. The weather is cool and rainy, but nothing is preventing me from wearing this outfit to Oktoberfest. Enjoying Oktoberfest, finally! Large pretzels, shared among friends. As the beer flows in the Oktoberfest tents and facilities, pretzel sales skyrocket. BERLIN Biking west of

Europe The driving age in Germany is 18, but you can drink beer at 16. In Germany, they learn to drink and then drive. In the USA, we learn to drive and then learn to drink. Many Germans will greet you with a “hallo” or “Guten Tag,” but rarely ask how you are doing. That’s too formal and typically done among friends and family. Americans are more friendly but superficial, and usually assume that “how are you?” means you’re just saying hello. Europeans may ask about your trip

You don't get a Peace Prize while turning the National Guard into a political weapon.  You don't get a Peace Prize by waging war on American cities. You don't get a Peace Prize by blowing up boats in the Caribbean. You don't get a Peace Prize by threatening Canada and Greenland with annexation. You don't get a Peace Prize by attacking Iran. You don't get a Peace Prize by having ICE harass US citizens in our city  streets. You don't get a Peace Prize by turning the National Gu

As readers of this article may know, Tom Brady, the winningest QB in NFL history, is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. In 2022,...