Culture

First, let me start by reiterating that we don’t cover celebrity gossip at ThoughtWidget; nor do we engage in celebrity worship. However, the revelations about actor Ben Affleck’s slave-holding ancestor are a multi-faceted commentary on politics and the news media. It was revealed this week that Affleck asked Henry Louis …

…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 …

At today’s memorial service in Cologne, Germany for those killed in the March 24 Germanwings crash, the pilot (whose name I will not mention) was the object of expressions of sympathy and understanding.  While I’m not in favor of a condemnation of anyone at this type of service, it would …

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 …

Starbucks latest step in it’s effort to remain the hippest fast-food joint on the planet is its “Race Together” campaign, unveiled in Mid-March. Ostensibly designed to help foster an open discussion about racial issues, it has been widely criticized and ridiculed for its plan to have its baristas “voluntarily write …