thoughts & observations

Why are heroes cast in stone, clay, or bronze? Why are they mounted high above, larger-than-life, and athletically built? I have heard that leaders should empower, support, and serve their followers. So why are super-sized statues of generals and kings placed above us? If a leader’s job is to raise people to greater heights, is…

Clouds today are dark and getting darker. The future looks worse. Dystopian and apocalyptic stories took over the mainstream. Disbelief in a better tomorrow is seen as pragmatic, clear-headed, and wise. News feeds and political leaders tell us to focus on the bleakest corners. Frightened people cosplay courage. Is that the best we can do?…

Reading is a wonderful thing to do, but sometimes I like to listen. When I was a kid, my Dad read chapters of book after book, and his voice replaced those of P.G. Wodehouse, T.H. White, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and many other authors. I think they would have liked his interpretations. But today, my…

When I was young, I bombastically declared that I would be an ACTOR, a RADIO DISC JOCKEY, a CEO and an AUTHOR. How foolish to assert those ambitions out loud. Wishing can’t be powerful enough to deliver those kinds of results. And yet, here I am – a former Actor and DJ, now a CEO…

when Summer nears the final stages and late afternoon turns gold to signal an earlier closing time, that’s the time to decorate with dim light, a romantic echo of times when we were careless with abundant sunshine. a string of lights barely illuminates. Surrounding details dim into darkness. It’s impossible to read a newspaper or…

Droplets drumming ripstop nylon? Hard shoes and suitcases hitting cobblestones? Gentle voices from down the way? I can’t hear the meaning, but feel the intent. Introspection has a soundtrack. It’s not quite music. It’s close enough, but simultaneously far. It is isolated details, still part the whole, insisting one pays attention. It is an aural…

“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;” The third line in W.B. Yeats’ The Second Coming is playing on repeat in my head. That makes some sense, given the times we live in today are not unlike 1919 when he wrote the poem. Russia was in turmoil, technology was shifting rapidly, political and economic systems were out…

Falling flat, losing your balance, possibly suffering injury or at least a bruised ego. How could that be funny? Years ago I tried to lighten up a professional trade conference. I pulled out a t-shirt cannon and watched the fabric missiles sail over the audience’s heads and to the back row. It was a terrible…

Would you like to read a preview? If you haven’t had the time yet to read “Chasing Lights“, don’t worry, this is not part of a sequel so there won’t be any crucial plot points to miss. I’ve been tinkering with a new book and if you are looking for a little summer escapist reading,…

I noticed a simple menu card. Is it Swiss? Is it New York, Polynesian, or French cuisine? Or should I call it Japanese since I saw it in a Tokyo hotel translated for the convenience of their guests? I see cards like this in a lot of places in different languages. Familiar dishes from around…