The popular adoption of the Internet and cable television as sources of information in the past 30 years has revolutionized the way that the average person receives news. Before the 1980s, the available sources of daily news were limited to newspapers, radio, and broadcast television.   Many small towns had a …

For at least the past 50,000 years or so, humans have entertained themselves and others with music and singing.   Up until about 100 years ago, those artists good enough to perform for a living made their money by, well, performing. Only since the advent of recorded music have performers had …

Below I describe a personal experience that illustrates an important principle that relates to any hierarchy. I attended the hour-long Executive Council meeting as a stand-in for my boss.  The invitees were a collection of VPs and high-ranking directors, and today the conference table was full.   I was in note-taking mode; my only …

Want to know who will win the 2016 presidential election? It may be useful to look at recent electoral history for clues. Here are 5 tendencies that may suggest a certain outcome: 1. After one party has two consecutive terms in the White House, the following election almost always goes …

…if you want to be taken seriously. The words you choose will determine how others evaluate your intellect. It matters in almost any interaction you have outside of a close personal relationship. This includes your workplace and any interaction with someone you don’t know well. I’m not going to address …

The telling of personal stories has been an important aspect of human communication since before the development of complex language. Sharing one’s experiences is an integral part of personal relationships. It is typically one the first subjects that friends or acquaintances discuss when meeting (“How are you? What have you …

The recent intentional crash of Germanwings flight 9525 by a suicidal pilot demonstrated for the second time in the past year the risks associated with having humans completely in control of an airliner.  The German co-pilot of flight 9525 committed suicide and the mass murder of 149 others when he locked …

Yesterday’s crash landing of a gyrocopter on the Capitol lawn again exposed security vulnerabilities in the area of the National Mall.  The pilot, identified as Doug Hughes, claims to have flown his craft from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, about 65 miles away.  Upon his arrival in DC, he buzzed the White House and …