I’ve Had a Lovely and Slow conversation with Craig in Georgia, a retired Engineering Professor who, last year, “finally decided to do the ‘right’ thing and not be such a cheapskate & finally subscribe to Premium.”
Work
Damned If You Do
Discussion about the small-town Missouri school teacher who was discovered to have an account on OnlyFans.
“He’s a F—–g Weenie”
I often wonder what happened in old stories, so I looked for the resolution of one was published two years ago last week. I’m a pretty decent researcher, but all I could find is the original news stories, and occasionally a comment about the story. So I dug deeper.
Meet Goldy, the Neurological Researcher
Wait, what?
No really: just wait until you see what they’re doing with your kid’s fishbowl.
My Dad’s Landlady
Those who know me may see the seeds of some of my own background in this….
What It’s Like to…
I’ve Always Liked the “Inside” Stories — What It’s Like to… Save a Life. Be a Surgeon. Pave a Road.
088: The Fruits of Her Labor
In This Episode: It’s said women and minorities have to work a lot harder to compete in business, and I believe it. But how might they actually do that? Well, they apply Uncommon Sense — and we can all learn from a good example.
Deep Inside NASA’s JPL
Years Ago, I’d Get Early Notice of public tours coming up at my old workplace, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and tip off readers. It’s a lot easier to get that info in recent years so I haven’t bothered, but then …Covid. No tours. Except these days, the quality of “virtual tours” has increased so much that you can actually “go” places that you can’t go even if there was a public tour.
087: I Got the Moderna Vaccine
My ‘Reaction’ So Far
In This Episode: Two days before Christmas, I got a phone call: “Can you be here at 2:00?” asked Rebekah, our small county’s (only) Public Health nurse. Yes, I said, and by 2:30 Rebekah had injected my wife and me with the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.
085: The Triple Win
In This Episode: What makes a business work? I mean in the sense of the triple win: employees being happy, the customers being happy, and the owners making a decent return, or better!, on their investment. I’m going to tell you about a guy who applied Uncommon Sense, and figured it out.
079: The Key to Success
In This Episode: The fear of failure is central to most of our lives. We worry about failing in business ventures, in personal relationships, and in our dreams. But what happens when you apply Uncommon Sense instead and embrace failure? Because that’s actually the key to success, and I’ll tell you how.
072: Not Perfect
In This Episode: Sure, it’s cool to hear stories of famous (and completely obscure) people who exhibit Uncommon Sense. But there’s one other thing you need to know about every one of them: they’re definitely not perfect, and that’s important to know because neither are you.
071: Taking It To the Extreme
In This Episode: Humans mostly pay attention to the short term. If we can lift our eyes and look much farther out, not only does that benefit us personally, but business leaders that truly have Uncommon Sense sometimes take it to the extreme, and their results, actual and still in the works, can be absolutely mind-blowing.
070: Pushing for Better
In This Episode: Company owners aren’t just employers: sometimes they’re mentors who can change lives. My buddy Doc recently told me about his old boss, and his story illustrates what I mean very clearly.
069: A Link to the Future
In This Episode: When you really look into something that’s “obvious” and “common sense,” sometimes you’ll find that …the “experts” are wrong! This is the story of a man who was pretty sure the industry experts were wrong about something, and boy did it take him a lot of effort to turn that industry around. But he did, because his Uncommon Sense beat their common sense.
Every Day is International Women’s Day
No, this isn’t a trendy “International Women’s Day” post (but I love one tweet I saw: “There is absolutely no symbolism more perfect than International Women’s Day being 23 hours long.” —Elaine Filadelfo. Thanks, Daylight Saving Time!)
When an idea needs a special “day” to recognize it, and otherwise the topic is essentially ignored, then a “day” isn’t enough. For me, every day is International Women’s Day.
063: The Contrarian
In This Episode: Having Uncommon Sense often means going against what “everyone” says is the right way to do something. Being a contrarian can absolutely be the correct way to succeed, as Dan Price demonstrates. He even had to fight off his own brother to take his company to the next level: it’s quite a story.
Make Cheating Wrong Again
The Georgia State Trooper scandal has some True-worthy details that didn’t fit into the story. First, let’s start with that story, from True’s 16 February 2020 issue:
061: The Domino Effect
In This Episode: When you follow your gut and push to be the best, amazing things can happen. James Flanagan did that, and the domino effect that followed is so amazing, you’ll find it hard to believe that one guy’s efforts are probably a part of your life every day — even though he’s been dead for several years.
057: The Key to Innovation
In This Episode: Two episodes ago I talked about the “diffusion” of innovation. The next episode was about where innovations occur: they happen in forward-thinking companies perhaps as much or more than in entrepreneurial startups. But what is innovation really? And, more importantly, how do you get it, especially if you’re a creative type and maybe don’t think of yourself as brave? The answer may surprise you.