“Do I have your permission to write this article?” I asked the plastic billiard ball. Pale, white letters floated to the surface: “As I see it, yes.” When isolated, decisions such as these seem...

My mother named me after Russell Crow’s character in the 2000 Ridley Scott film “Gladiator” — quite the fictional character to live up to. Thankfully, in the film, Maximus had the guidance of...