The other day, a classic rock station happened to play the Bee Gee’s famous 1977 song, Stayin’ Alive. The lyrics tell the story of someone who is struggling with life, but won’t give up. He has ups and downs, but has hope and won’t abandon...
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Managing the Safari Way I’m just back from my third trip to Tanzania – a three-week immersion into a startlingly different land, whose people, animals, birds and weather never fail to help me see life more fully than I otherwise might. These safaris give new meaning...
Read MoreIt is said that opposites attract. That popular notion is being sorely tested these days, as we appear to be living in a time when polarities rule, where being opposite, indeed, in opposition, is informing our opinions in significant ways. We see this phenomenon politically,...
Read MoreMy wife and I just returned from a two-week vacation in Japan. The trip took us from Tokyo through the Japanese countryside, where we stayed in Ryokans: the small, country inns that capture the traditional essence of rural Japan. A few days later, we wound up in Kyoto...
Read MoreThe public school system in America is undergoing an overhaul. That overhaul is called Common Core -- the new curriculum structure based on "consistent academic guidelines created to help all students succeed." Those words aren't mine; they greet you when you go to the Common...
Read MoreWelcome to the believing season, otherwise, known as "the Holidays." It's a time of year when we give ourselves permission to believe in, and be grateful for many things in our lives -- a close family, dear friends, snow-driven evenings; whatever aspects of our lives...
Read MoreThe U.S. is doing it. Microsoft is doing it. Lots of people - not just nations and companies - are doing it: Falling into Descartes' trap, and it's taking a hell of a toll on everyone. If you don't remember, Rene Descartes famously said, I...
Read MoreReading about Rutgers University's ongoing athletic department scandal, leads me to conclude that we're into a protracted crisis season, a time when crises are showing up all over the place. The list is long. Here (along with Rutgers) are a few of my recent favorites. The...
Read MoreSometimes, it's easier to not be who you are in this world. Your boss wants you to be whatever you need to be to get the job done on time and on budget. Your friends want you to be what they need you to be...
Read MoreSo, I'm sitting on the train this morning, from Westport CT to New York City, reading the paper. Today's New York Times had three articles addressing the tug-of-war going on over the fiscal cliff (no pun intended), between the Democrats and the Republicans. The capstone...
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