In this bizarro moment in time, here's a problem I think most of us can get behind. “We are experiencing a crisis that we evaluate to be even worse than the Great Depression (1929-1939) in terms of economy for Champagne,” Thibaut Le Mailloux of the Champagne Committee said . “And if you look at a more recent crisis like 1974, the drop in Champagn …
In 2017, The New York Times disclosed the existence of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. The program, which was started in 2007, studies the mystifying encounters between military pilots and unidentified aerial vehicles. The NYT reports..."Although Pentagon officials will not discuss the program, it appeared last month in a Se …
I was taught that if you shake someone's hand on a deal, it's done. You honor it because you just gave your word. Over the years I've been burned, unfortunately, by others who don't believe in it and seek to take advantage of every situation. Then along comes this story that renews my faith...just a little bit:) A Wisconsin man made good on a 28- …
In Tokyo, the Japanese baseball team Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have replaced their fans with dancing robots. Over 20 robots danced to the team’s fight song on a podium in the otherwise empty stands. Two different robots, including SoftBank’s humaniod robot ‘Pepper’ and others on four legs like a dog, performed a choreographed dance that is the Haw …
With a mask on it's challenging to understand someone's feelings, reactions, age, etc. Is the person smiling or scowling? Are they chewing gum or trying to breath? What if one of you has a hearing impairment? So much of our personal interactions are based on seeing the other person's mouth. Without that I find myself staring at a peron's ey …
Today we celebrate our Independence Day. Indepedence from tyranny, the right to free speech, the ability to believe in whatever religion we choose even if it's none at all. We are a pluralistic country and my wish, on this day, is that we can look out for each other, accept our differences without judgement, seek to understand what it truly means t …
This past week marked my Mom's 90th birthday. My sister and I were so happy we could see her. Until that point, no one was allowed in the assisted living center where she resides so it was a game time decision whether we could see her or not. Thankfully, we were good to go. I asked her how old she thought she was but she did not know. When I tol …
My office has been back up and running for over a week now. It's feels somewhat normal because we are all there...of course with appropriate physical distancing, masks, wipes, sanitizer and a cool looking sign on our front door stating you must wear a mask when entering. I missed the interaction, impromptu meetings between staff to discuss market …
A client asked me if we could plan out the next 4 weeks of content for social media. The question actually stopped me in my tracks. With the pace of change running at lightning speed and emotions flowing in all directions I couldn't. I told him that I felt comfortable only doing 1 maybe 2 weeks at a time right now. Although it's a bit more stress …
TV is still showing people hugging, holding hands, buying cars, and all this feels like telltale's of another era. Shall we ever go back to what looks now, retrospectively, like happy days? We struggle adjusting to the new reality, but have faith that we will get through this together. Therefore, during this difficult and unprecedented time, we …
Boy are we angry...having been out and about (don't worry, mask and gloves are on) I can tell you that people are angry. Apparently a lot of pent-up tension. The drivers on the road are excessively agressive which is saying a lot around here. Retailers are getting screamed at in a plant store ?!? They are in a store which has beautiful flora and …
After wiping off all my groceries, I'm not sure I like grapes that smell like baby wipes Without looking online, I try to guess what's in the Amazon box that's delivered to my front porch seemingly every day I wonder why I still have a land line. The only people that call want to sell me something. I'm hoping landscapers learn there are elect …
Our lives have certainly changed. Neil said yesterday (among other things) in a comment to Fred's blog "You think this is bad . Think Pearl Harbor , Hiroshima , Berlin." I couldn't agree more. I compare the present event to my personal 'incidents' and it pales in comparison. Not everything is cancelled. Here's the start of a list... Sunshine …
One of the themes of Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” is that there needs to be a balance between man’s pursuit of liberty and the government’s responsibility to maintain order for the common good. The great thing about America is that everyone is allowed to have their opinion. Exchange of opinions is what defines a democracy. Democracy, at its best, …
Battle Lines The Coronavirus pandemic has been an unprecedented stress on health care delivery. There are more patients, sicker patients, requiring more resources than seems possible. The specter of health care workers becoming infected has introduced an element of fear that most practitioners have never even imagined. As a recently retired anest …
It's Saturday...and anything goes.
