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I was thinking just the other day about phone books. Some of my younger readers may be clueless about what I am referring to. Prior to cell phones being ubiquitous, we had landlines in our homes and in our offices. Right now, I don’t recall when I stopped using a landline in my home, and […]

Sometimes it pays to try to understand your enemies. When Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were elected to the presidency during the 2020 election, the moment they got the keys to the White House in late January 2021, they immediately embarked on a project to do pretty much the opposite of whatever it was that […]

I recall an episode from my past, perhaps 30 or so years ago, I was in a grocery store in the Los Angeles area. Standing near the front of the store, right near the check-out lines, I saw several employees of that store talking frantically with each other. There must have been two or three […]

Building Your Power of Expression Paean n. Pronunciation: ˈpēən Meaning:A paean is a rich word loaded with meaning and energy. The word can refer to a song of praise or triumph, such as the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah, or the National Anthem (“The Star Spangled Banner”) of the United States. Additionally, a paean can be […]

I had an unforgettable lunch some years ago in London. The venue was the popular restaurant called the Hard Rock Café. Since that London excursion, I have had lunch in the Hard Rock Café many times in many cities around the globe, from Sydney to San Diego, from Melbourne to Miami, from Barcelona to Baltimore, […]

It is an interesting undertaking to understand American Conservatism. People often throw the term around with only minimal understanding of what constitutes conservatism. I recently reviewed a speech on the subject by John Fonte of the Center for American Common Culture, a division of The Hudson Institute . Allow me to offer a quick summary […]

Judgment is a very important topic, and a lot of people have strong feelings about it, mostly negative feelings. Two Aspects of Judgment One aspect of the word involves the notion of exercising good judgment, as in making smart decisions or assessing situations with wisdom and intelligence. That’s a positive aspect of judgment. The opposite […]

Building Your Power of Expression Pining, pine n. Pronunciation: pin ng Meaning: To pine is to yearn for something with deep intensity – especially something that is unattainable. If a person longs for the return of something (e.g., a person, an earlier state of affairs, etc.,) they could said to be pining for that thing from […]

There is something to be said for distinctiveness. What sets one car apart from another car? Or, adding some granularity into the equation, what makes a Lamborghini different from a Ferrari, or a Bentley from a Rolls Royce? What makes an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max distinct from a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6? What makes […]

Sometimes it is instructive to merely make passing mention of the continued madness that is Leftism. Let’s take a quick stroll down memory lane to see the Left-wing trends and happenings that point to a growing erosion of decency and normalcy, shall we? The Supreme Court ruled that former President Donald Trump does have some […]

Abraham Lincoln once said “The better part of one’s life consists of his friends.”  Hard to argue with that. Sitting just the other day with a great friend (SE) whom I first met back in 1996, I was reminded that while truly great individuals are not common, they are out there. It’s up to me […]

Building Your Power of Expression Specter, n. Pronunciation: ˈspektər Meaning: Although this word originally referred to a ghost, which for some people is scary enough, the meaning of this word has expanded to encompass anything that is widely feared as a possible unpleasant or even dangerous occurrence. Usage: The direction you are suggesting may well lead […]

Conversation can bring us together, but there is a major faux pas that can tear us apart. Allow me to explain. Just the other day, while sitting at my work station, I overheard two men speaking to each other. I’m not entirely certain what the topic of their conversation entailed, but they seemed to be […]

“May you live in interesting times.”     The quote above is said to be a bit of ancient Chinese wisdom. We certainly do seem to be living in interesting times, especially on the political front given that we are in an election season. And as we’ve heard in all of the presidential elections of […]

Life is very daunting for many people. If we keep our ears and our eyes open, we may find that many people need some encouragement; some need empathy; others, sympathy. I vividly recall a conversation with a man a few short months ago. Almost the entire conversation involved him telling me of his various physical […]

Building Your Power of Expression Ancillary,  adj., n. Pronunciation: ˈansəˌlerē Meaning: As a noun, this word refers to something which functions in a supplementary or supporting role. As an adjective, it is the quality of providing necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an organization, institution, industry, or system. Usage: I need you […]

Strategy is crucial, not only to the viability of a business or an army, but even to the survival of the same. Strategy is a term rich with deep historical meaning. While the word came from earlier words that reach back centuries, our word strategy has only found coinage since the early 1800s. The word […]

Of all the factions that claim marginalized status in our culture today, the LGBT crowd is a fascinating case study in both self-fulfilling prophecy and projection. LGBT activists (which are distinct from the average LGBT person) have a vested interest in seeing themselves as victims – perpetually. They walk around with the deep-seated need to […]

One of the loveliest of pop songs from the 70s comes to us courtesy of Barbra Streisand. The song, written by Marvin Hamlisch, is titled “The Way We Were” and was used in the film of the same name starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. The lyrics are at once evocative of melancholy and nostalgia: […]

Building Your Power of Expression Coif,  v. Pronunciation: kwäf Meaning: As a noun, this word refers to a woman’s close-fitting cap, now only worn under a veil by nuns. But I use the word in its verb form, which refers to the style or arrangement of, say, someone’s hair, typically in an elaborate way. Usage: […]

High achievers usually attain great heights because they approach their craft strategically. For those of you who shudder at my use of that over-used word, I sympathize with you. The words strategy, strategic, and strategically are indeed overused, especially in business circles, and often by people who seem not to understand much about the word […]

It is an undeniable phenomenon that when it comes to Gay Pride Month – or anything concerning the LGBTQIA2S+ movement – that if you utter a word, if you articulate so much as a single syllable that involves anything other than total acceptance and partiality, you will be on the receiving end of some vicious […]

Having recently finished reading Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules For Life I find myself reflecting on many of his thought-provoking themes. His book carries the subtitle An Antidote to Chaos, a theme that permeates many of its 368 pages of challenging prose. In pointing out that the scientific world view is a mere 500 years old, […]

Building Your Power of Expression Embodiment,  n. Pronunciation: əmˈbädēmənt Meaning: This word suggests a tangible or visible form of an intangible (an idea, for example, or a quality of some type, or even a feeling). Usage: She seemed to be a living embodiment of vitality. It was in Germany alone that his hope seemed capable […]

In reference to one of my clients, my largest client – a Fortune 100 corporation – I recently described my working environment in this column earlier this month (See Issue #307), touching on how my workstation is outfitted. No one is presently assigned to the cubicle on my left, right next to my cubicle. A […]

I am, among other things, a college professor. As a result of that part of my professional life, I tend to pay attention to how college students comport themselves – not only in my own classes, but at other colleges and universities around the country (and even globally to a degree). It’s a fascinating undertaking. […]

Fans of Jimi Hendrix are sometimes astonished to learn that the popular Hendrix tune “All Along the Watchtower” is actually a cover tune of a song originally composed by Bob Dylan. For those not clear on what I mean by the term “cover,” periodically some artist or band will record a song that is a […]

Building Your Power of Expression Indomitable,  adj. Pronunciation: inˈdämədəb(ə)l Meaning: Impossible to subdue or defeat. Usage: Forget it; you cannot stop him for he is of an indomitable disposition. If we defeat last season’s champion, it is safe to say we will be, for all intents and purposes, indomitable. I’m not the least bit worried […]

In case you hadn’t noticed, we live in complex times. Possibly not as complex as will be the case in, say, the year 2047, but much more complex than was the case in 1847. Many people find it difficult to stay productive. Many people are spinning their wheels. Many people go through the motions in […]

I recently listened to an eye-opening and very disturbing speech by a man named Charles Stimson. Stimson is the deputy director of the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies. Here are some of the eye-opening things I learned from Mr. Stimson. Roughly 90% of criminal cases in our country are handled by […]