
The Woo-Woo Engineers
While the burden of proof in our legal system rests on the accuser, an opposite of sorts is in play for new ideas – even a modicum of credibility is often enough to give wings to a novel suggestion. This worldview is exemplified by a quote from John Lennon – “I believe in everything until […]

Influence and Impact by Bill Berman and George Bradt – A Review
Most of us, myself included, were raised believing that if we kept our focus and put in the hard work, we would get ahead. Tough times make us tougher, we were taught, and perseverance will prevail. Influence and Impact by Bill Berman and George Bradt debunks this myth, explains why many careers become frustratingly stagnant, […]

The Hidden History of Big Brother in America by Thom Hartmann – A Review
Companies like Facebook-Meta and Google are under increasing scrutiny as we have come to realize that our personal information and browsing habits are the highly profitable product that they are selling. In his book “The Hidden History of Big Brother in America”, radio host and best-selling author Thom Hartmann shows us how the consequences of […]

The Wilkes Insurrection by Robbie Bach: A Review
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” These words from Abraham Lincoln came at a time when our Nation was at its most divided point in history – a time when differences ran so deep that we were literally at war with one another. The dangerous divisiveness that exists in America today is fertile ground […]

The Next Normal
People love lists. With little effort, you can find the 10 best movies, TV shows, books, albums, songs, plays or cheeseburgers. The 10 best places to visit, live, retire, or attend college are only a few keystrokes away. And of course no list of lists would be complete without mentioning David Letterman’s Top 10 Lists […]

Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old? – Review
I have reached that point in life where my doctor starts many of his comments with “At your age….”. I have come to realize this is more than a mere figure of speech. Like most of my contemporaries, I began by trying to figure out “what” I was going to be (first a physician, eventually […]

One Thing Leads to Another
When I meet someone for the first time and tell them that I do research for a living, I know exactly what they are thinking – I don’t actually do anything, and I get paid for it. One of the most audacious research efforts in recent memory, NASA’s Space Program led to the now legendary […]

The Meaning of Old
Most of us grasp the meaning of “old” but putting it into words can be challenging. When it comes to people who might be old, there are plenty of euphemisms to choose from. Senior, elderly and senior citizen come to mind, while terms like curmudgeon or geezer are available when appropriate. According to Webster’s, old […]

Metathesiophobes Beware
I was born and raised in Southern California and by the time my wife and I had settled our young family in Santa Barbara (aka Paradise), I swore we would never leave. Nine years later we moved to Niwot, Colorado (aka God’s Country). The scripted answer to “Why?” centered on a job offer that was […]

The End of Eleven
One of the funniest movies ever made, “This is Spinal Tap”, is a mockumentary about a failing heavy metal band. At one point in the film, guitarist Nigel is explaining his amplifier to a filmmaker who is doing a piece on the band. “It’s very special, because, as you can see–the numbers all go […]