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Early this morning, I decided to declare today a personal day of prayer and fasting. The idea of the fast came first, and it’s going to be tough, I won’t deny. Oh, I’m still eating and drinking and such. But for today, to whatever extent I am able, I plan to abstain from any and all touch of politics. I won’t obsess over news clips …[MORE] We’ll get back to it in a minute, but for now I’d like you to put aside all thought of the recent Supreme Court agitation and participate in a little thought experiment. It is intended for everyone—male and female, Democrat and Republican, conservative and progressive. It will take only a few minutes and doesn’t even have to …[MORE] As I scan the news, I’m increasingly amused at the last-minute panic the GOP is experiencing in the face of Beto O’Rourke’s Senate race. They’ve been so smug in their position for so long that it just never occurred to them Beto might put up a serious fight for the office. Suddenly he’s within reach of the …[MORE] Lately it seems that, no matter what the topic, the essential issue is someone trying desperately to control someone else. The struggle between dominance and submission lies at the heart of many conflicts, both personal and political. I think it has always been so, but still as a society we seem to be at some fevered pitch. Parents attempt to control …[MORE] Soon after I bought my house, I purchased and installed a flag mount for my front porch. I have a sizeable American flag that I hang on the usual flag-appropriate holidays. And then I bring it in. I have a few neighbors who no doubt consider themselves super patriots. Their flag mounts are high up in the eaves, reachable only with a tall …[MORE] It’s really not hard. The way we learn about the world is to examine it with our minds. If you live in a whites-only gated neighborhood, attend a whites-only church, send your kids to a whites-only private school and shop in a whites-only gourmet supermarket, it should be no surprise that to you the world looks mostly white. What is …[MORE] Marketer extraordinaire Seth Godin describes “tribes” as groups that develop a persona, along with a set of words, actions and symbols that convey the message: “People like us do things like this.” Whether it’s the charities you support, the iPhone you carry or the television programs you watch, these symbols signal your alignment with one tribe or another. A classic tribal example …[MORE] Whenever a movie inspires a television spinoff, we need to beware. Such second-generation productions are often really terrible. On a few rare occasions, though, a thoroughly average movie has given rise to a really exceptional television series. Here are three of my favorite examples. Alien Nation – This sci-fi take on the buddy cop theme made for some fine television time. The slower pace …[MORE] A recent news article concerned accusations of racism after some talking head on television used the phrase “your cotton-pickin’ mind”. I didn’t hear the exchange, and I have no idea whether or not there were any intended racist overtones attached to the phrase. The important word here, I think, is “intended”. Any of us can be guilty of using a …[MORE] I was talking with a friend the other day and the subject of stress arose. I had to admit that when it comes to stress, I’m on the low end of the curve. Without a roommate, partner or children, my daily stresses are pretty much limited to bills and traffic. The sources of our daily stress are often beyond our control, …[MORE] |
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