Posts Tagged With: monday morning memo
A Tale of Two Lawyers
I recently spent a day with two lawyers who practice the same legal specialty. We’ll call them Nick and Ralph. They live on opposite sides of the country. They met at a conference and became friends. Nick read my books, attended Wizard Academy, and decided to go fishing for customers with a net. He put &hellip Continue reading
Our Changing Nation
The Miraculous Disappearance of Black-and-White Most of the choices we make have effects we did not anticipate. This is due to the Law of Unintended Consequences. “Economists and other social scientists have heeded its power for centuries; for just as long, politicians and popular opinion have largely ignored it.” – Rob Norton, author of The &hellip Continue reading
Anything Too Stupid…
Voltaire is often quoted as having said it, but he never did. It was actually Pierre de Beaumarchais in 1775, just a few months before Thomas and George and Ben and the boys wrote their scathing letter to England’s king. Beaumarchais was working on the second scene in the first act of The Barber of &hellip Continue reading
Time is a Solvent
An auction house is an island of cast-offs and misfits where the rejected and broken feel finally at home. I am speaking of the merchandise, of course, not of the people. Perhaps I am speaking of the people, as well. From the age of 18, Pennie and I have searched for buried treasure in auction &hellip Continue reading
2013: When the Tribe Becomes a Gang
Every “Me” cycle in society begins with: 1. a beautiful dream of freedom from restraint 2. a hunger for self-expression 3. a search for individuality Our last “Me” cycle began in 1963 and reached its zenith in 1983 when freedom from restraint had evolved into conspicuous consumption and individuality was being “self-expressed” through costumes, big &hellip Continue reading
Tigers Do Not Purr
A Look at Choices and Consequences You wrestle with lions daily. Lions are powers outside yourself: circumstance and serendipity, fate and phenomenon, bad luck and good. A lion can oppose or assist you. It can be your enemy or friend. A gang of lions is called a pride. Interesting. Unlike lions, tigers are solitary. Your tiger &hellip Continue reading
How Jack Became a Dull Boy
Jack became dull when he failed to free the beagle in his brain. You let your beagle romp and play, don’t you? Don’t you? The beagle in your brain connects nonlinear events – think of these events as a collection of dots – to reveal fantastic patterns. Intuition. Humor. Leap of Faith. These are just &hellip Continue reading
Possibility Thinking
The mind wants closure, for everything to add up and make sense, for there to be no loopholes, paradoxes or remainders. Intellect wants to believe that it has the answers, that is sees beyond broken logic, that it is ultimately in control, that there is no force greater than itself. In short, humans want to &hellip Continue reading
Does God Like You?
If you’re reading this sentence, it’s because the headline (A.) startled you by its intrusive, personal nature, (B.) irritated you by it’s assumption that God exists, (C.) intrigued you because you never really thought about it, or (D.) touched a pre-existing suspicion or belief that hides in your heart. Headlines – including the subject lines &hellip Continue reading
Text of House Resolution 269 Honoring the Achievements of Antonio Meucci
The following resolution was passed on June 11, 2002 in the U.S. House of Representatives: HRES 269 IH 107th CONGRESS1st Session IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. FOSSELLA submitted the following resolution: RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives to honor the life and achievements of 19th Century Italian-American inventor Antonio Meucci, and &hellip Continue reading
