Month: March 2017

When someone offers you a breath mint, take it. Maybe they just want to share. That, or your breath smells like a week old tuna sandwich. Either way, take the mint. I applied that same logic when a friend of mine, a Vietnam vet and Green Beret, suggested I meet his personal trainer. (Was he being nice or subtle?) And I was really looking forward to it – in the same way you look forward to a simultaneous root-canal, prostate exam and tax audit. On the scheduled morning I drove to the gym and met “Bobby” – the trainer. He … Read more…

My friends in the counseling business tell me about a thing called social comparison theory. It’s where we figure out our social standing, competency or worth by comparing ourselves to other people. Depending on how you keep score, you can focus on just about anything; wealth, weight, height, looks, accomplishments, possessions, position . . . you name it. Frankly, if you take one look at social media, they can stop calling it a theory. It’s a fact. One of the domains where we frequently play this game is religion. For some of us, it’s all about the rules. The more … Read more…

In 1843, George Ripley established a community in Massachusetts called Brook Farm. His goal was to balance labor and leisure. Each member of the community got to choose whatever work they wanted to do, the thinking being that if you loved your work, you’d do it enthusiastically. Soon, though, they discovered that some of the work that absolutely had to be done had no one to love it. So Ripley started forcing the younger members to do the dirty jobs. Since none of them were named Mike Rowe, they left. That, plus some financial problems and a small pox outbreak … Read more…

On May 9, 1961, Norman Minnow, then chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, addressed the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in what is hailed as one of the top 100 speeches of the 20th century. “When television is good . . . nothing is better,” Minnow said. “But when it is bad, nothing is worse.” He urged his audience to spend a day in front of their television sets just watching what they, themselves, were producing. Then, he said this: “Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will … Read more…