Minding your business

April 13, 2022–I finally became that guy–the stranger telling a youngster how to run his business. It all started when I tried to buy a ticket to see a show. Even though I knew there was a matinee scheduled, when I went online to get a ticket the day of the event, it...

Name That Ranch

April 28, 2021–If you inherited a ranch, what would you name it? This question was recently posed, along with the suggestion it might make an interesting column. It struck close to home, because coming up with names for things is something I’ve spent an inordinate...

De-tweeting

Nov 25, 2020–For someone who makes a living writing and posting online, it has been a slap in the face to spend the past few weeks avoiding social media. It’s like being in a 12-step program. With the runup to the elections, emotions were high. Throw in the...

The Marketing Arts

Nov 18, 2020–I have a shameful secret. Over the years I’ve dabbled in “the marketing arts.” This is a field filled with exuberant claims, arcane metrics, and secret phrases whose sole function is to persuade unsuspecting marks to buy your pricey chotchkes, attend your...

M&Ms: A Parable

June 24, 2020–Note: This column is not a metaphor for any current situation, nor is the writer responsible for any lesson readers may take away. M&Ms have always been my favorite candies. So much so that when I was banished overseas for two years, it was one of...

The Third Thing

Sept 18, 2019–At the risk of being obvious, my topic today is avoiding the obvious. Let’s begin with comments on social posts. Why are most of them “obvious?” (my live-in editor said don’t use the word “lame”) Because they are literally the first thing you think of....