Sometimes when I listen to a podcast, read a book, or checkout a new TV series, I am disappointed. The podcast guest might be a shyster pitching his book/courses, the book might be repetitive and banal, the news, the TV series that my feed “recommended for me” has a plot-line that is trite and formulaic….
Movie Shooting Expectation
The much-hyped summer blockbuster movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer, opened in July to rave reviews and sold-out theaters around the US. It seems like “everyone” is talking about these movies. The double-header has created a kind of real-life viral moment that people are loving. Families are going to the theater together. Tickets are sold out. People…
I’ll Hold The Door For You
There are certain behaviors that I have done for so long that I could say they have become second nature. But the reality is, they have become so ingrained that they are part of me. Some of these behaviors stood out when I was dating last year and I recognized surprise in the face of…
The Fog Of Grief
While searching for an old link, I read through some of the posts that I wrote in the months immediately following my wife’s death. I was a mess. I made some really bad decisions. I wasn’t thinking clearly at all. Fortunately, even though my posts didn’t convey it, I made some good decisions that first…
President Stupid
Occasionally, the podcasts I listen to will interview Presidential Candidates. Because I enjoy the podcast hosts and their thoughtful interviews, I’ll even listen to these episodes because it gives me more context than the news. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by a number of candidates from different parties who seem to be intelligent, coherent, measured and…
Minding My F**king Business
A friend who is my age, has lived-in his mother’s home for the past 10 years. He first moved in to help her take care of his father who had been diagnosed with a progressive, fatal disease. His father eventually passed away. My friend chose to stay in the home to help his mother, who…
I Just Love Being Loved
The host of podcast was talking about her struggles with trying to find a “good” boyfriend when she was in her early 20s and 30s. She relayed stories of guys who ghosted her, guys who who’d go hot and cold on her, guys who dumped her after a few months, guys who lied and guys…
The Sky Is (Not) Falling
A number of podcasts I’ve been listening to lately have been comparing modern day American societal issues to those that affected America in the 1800s and 1900s. There are so many recurring themes that it makes me laugh at the histrionics our media, politicians and pundits blather on about every day. I’ll highlight a few…
Intrinsic vs Extrinsic
Talking to a couple of friends recently has me thinking about life and happiness. When my friends ask me how I am, my answer 95% of the time is, “I’m fantastic.” And the thing is, it’s true. Unfortunately for my friends, when I ask how they are doing, 95% of the time, their answer is…
No Is A Perfectly Acceptable Answer
When I was a younger man, a sizable portion of my time was spent doing things I did not want to do. Sometimes these were obligations that I could not get out of – like sitting in class day after day and hour after hour waiting for the rest of my classmates to catch up…