Salute Ladies and Gentlemen! December 7, 1941 was 79 years ago. A twenty-year-old at the time would be 99 today, almost a centenarian. My father is 98 and not likely to see 2021. We live in a technological age, and despite the pandemic it is relatively easy living for many. No one is asking our
We have all had that, “Where do I start” moment? Confronted with the NEW, sometimes the task seems daunting. In a recent conversation, a colleague and I were discussing an adult training program. The subject centered on how to help students jump start a creative flow. We humans are fond of using so called cheat
Let me understate, ‘working in the petroleum sector has always been challenging.’ Now we find ourselves in a major economic downturn caused by a Covid-19 pandemic and aided and abetted by an international crude oil price war. Once again, many thousands have lost their livelihood and possibly not return to a similar job as the
The anecdote, ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to’ wherever manifests itself for a number of paths. One interpretation; we often end up somewhere other than expected. We find ourselves at another historical precipice. Some suggest Armageddon, the end of life as we know it and the emergence of a new normal. This writer
Depending on one’s perspective, 2020 is either the end of the last decade or the beginning of this one. One can argue that our actual birthday is the day we were born and 12 months later we are one year old. This suggests that on our tenth birthday we have lived a decade and a
At lunch the other day and for whatever reason, the history of the 3M Post It Note became a subject of our conversation. This technological marvel unveiled in the 1970s is still widely used today. As with other new or disruptive technologies, the ‘sticky note’ was panned at first and for some time. According to
Are the emerging machines our friend or foe? The debut of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things IoT) and a host of others seem to be drowning us as we drink from a technological fire hose. Additionally, driverless vehicles, the Gig Economy et al. are conspiring to eliminate truck drivers and
We live in a youth culture. As young Baby Boomers, we were going to change the world. Later other Gens would say the same. Is it now too late for those over 50 to attain entrepreneurial success? A serial (often failed) entrepreneur, (Kentucky) Colonel Harland Sanders sold his first franchised secret receipt for “Kentucky Fired
As a physics student in the 1960s, I and others became fascinate by the hypothetical particle that travels faster than the speed of light; the Tachyon. Then and to date, this particle/theory has not been found/proven. Conventional wisdom remains that traveling faster than the speed of light is not possible. Sorry Star Trek. Moving on,
“The Eagle has landed,” and fifty years ago mankind had accomplished the heretofore seemingly impossible. Two men on the moon became a game changer and not in just the way most believe. Yes, technology advancement owes much to these early space pioneers traceable to the 1950s; realistically a long process going back much further. Aerospace
Today, my country celebrates its 243rd birthday. Many observe the day with family and friends and enjoy fireworks. Consumption of hamburgers and hot dogs will most likely be huge. No one in the United States is still alive from the time when the colonists rowdily left Great Britain. Moreover, the United Kingdom is one of
My apologies to Alfred Lord Tennyson. The long forecast “Big Crew Change” is well underway and may in fact already be (mostly) over. Many “Baby Boomers” have left the building and the rest will follow shortly. For years, this pundit has heard the lament about how to capture their knowledge before they hit the golf
The United States officially entered World War II on December 8, 1941. The war in the Pacific formally ended on September 2, 1945. A recent documentary on one of the history channels chronicled the path the United States took from a nation with an underdeveloped military to global dominance over this period. What struck this
During a recent offshore sail from Florida to Texas the weather significantly deteriorated on this blogger and his boat mates. Our 45-foot ocean going sailboat was one in which (mostly) the same crew that has significant sea time together. That said, there were two days of very uncomfortable passage making. At one-point a nearby ship
Prologue In the author’s August 2004 edition of the then, Executive Briefing Newsletter (early online delivery) we addressed the impact on the firm of managerial misbehavior. This article was one of a list of challenges put forth to that generation of management. Sadly, recent events have compelled us all to revisit this issue, although for
This time of year, many make the so-called New Year’s Resolutions and make a personal if not short-term commitment to modify behaviors deemed as needing change. Typical personal commitments include, losing weight, getting more exercise, becoming a better spouse/partner, etc. Unfortunately, most of these behavioral changes go by the wayside in short order. Many reasons
