I have always said that I write these pages not because of any great impact it will have, or that I have delusions of being an especially insightful writer. Rather, it is something I must do. I expect no great readership of these pages, and the lack thereof is liberating because it affords me great … More Remembering Leonard Goldstein – when a life exceeds the sum of its parts.
Dear Senator Young Let’s be honest with each other. Trump is a shallow pond with no desire to objectively study or understand any issue because he alone already knows how everything works. His ignorance of global economics is yet another manifestation of his stunning superficiality. Free trade works, and launching a discretionary trade war with … More An open letter to US Senator Todd Young
My fellow Hoosiers; As much as I would like it to not be true – Amazon will not select Indianapolis as its headquarters. We have an ideal geographical location, an above average airport, and an able-bodied workforce. But Indianapolis will be passed over because of our intolerant cultural. That’s not to say all Hoosiers are … More No, Amazon will not select Indianapolis for its new headquarters.
“Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature’s inexorable imperative.” H. G. Wells’ quote has wide-spread applicability beyond nature. Whether it’s an ocelot in Paraguay, a night landing on an aircraft carrier, or a business in Kansas, the key to survival in each case is operational agility and the ability to successfully adapt to a … More Weak ties are the foundation of an agile, adaptive organization
The retirement trap. We’ve all seen or heard of the person that eagerly anticipates and then celebrates their retirement. Then, over the course of a few short years, they seem to deteriorate before our eyes. Admittedly that may be a melodramatic characterization, and it’s certainly anecdotal, but research has shown that deterioration after retirement is … More Searching for ikigai
There’s nothing like looking into the eyes of an old dog. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a dog person and will look into the eyes of any canine, but the eyes of an old dog are different than the eyes of a puppy. Puppy eyes are frenetic and fun, but old dogs eyes are focused … More The eyes of an old dog
I didn’t know it at the time, but a camera that was broken in 1963 would become my first lesson in mindfulness and would shape my approach to photography for the rest of my life. When I was younger, I enjoyed taking pictures of landscapes, beaches, and sunsets. Technique was important – depth of field, … More How a broken camera introduced me to mindfulness.
With the release of the Republicans’ new tax reform legislation imminent, I thought it might be a good time to revisit a Confronting Mediocrity post from 2010 titled, Top fractiles income share and the “good old days.” [1] The reasons for the renewed relevance of the post is that the Republicans’ new tax reform plan … More Tax reform 2017 – Can Republicans move beyond Trickle Down?
Entropy: “Lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder.” [1] I first wrote about the metaphor of sociopolitical entropy in a 2010 posting [2] noting that President Obama’s challenge to restore order and organization in Afghanistan was considerably more difficult than it was to plunge that country further into the chaos of war through military action. … More Donald Trump, America’s CEO (Chief Entropy Officer)
How many more canaries must die in the coal mine that is Donald Trump’s administration before America realizes that this president is toxic to the very fabric of what truly makes America great – fairness, equality, and diversity? The reality is that, for some people, no amount of metaphorical, avian carnage will result in that … More How many more canaries must die?
Confronting Mediocrity 