Political persuasion requires equal parts science and art and dirt — and one thing more. “It must be more than a laundry list of facts, policies, and programs,” according to George Lakoff, an authority on political debate and framing. “It…
There is little more annoying on TV than talk show pundits talking over one another. And the phenomenon is worsening. Once polite, deferential panelists and guests have decided the only way to make their cases heard is to use the…
The best resolution for the new year could be the easiest and most rewarding to keep. Sit down for an hour every now and then to talk with your grandparent or older friend. Ask questions. And listen. Encourage them to…
“All you do is imitate me,” the confident Dennis character says to the insecure Warren in the Kenneth Lonergan play “This Is Our Youth.” With this single sentence, we not only know Dennis, we most likely can associate his conceited…
Influence. It’s a commodity sold by politicians. Bought by lobbyists. Peddled by advertisers. Succumbed to by consumers. And, perhaps most fruitful, when achieved by national heroes and, less obviously but certainly intentionally, professional public relations counsellors. Edward L. Bernays, the…
Editor’s note: This essay is offensive and subjective and, at points, gets downright ugly. JERRY: Elaine, what percentage of people would you say are good looking? ELAINE: Twenty-five percent. JERRY: Twenty-five percent, you say? No way! It’s like 4 to…
“When you laugh, it’s an involuntary explosion of the lungs. The lungs need to replenish themselves with oxygen. So you laugh, you breathe, the blood runs, and everything is circulating. If you don’t laugh, you’ll die.” — Mel Brooks Humor…
We’ve got one year to get this right. Soon it will be 2019. That is, “twenty-nineteen.” Rather than “two-thousand-nineteen.” Why do I make this annual plea? Just imagine how cool it will be to call the year “20-20.” It’s shorter…
I pretty much know the answer ahead of time, but I ask anyways: ME: My lower back aches a lot lately? There are a few new skin discolorations on my leg? This cough has been lingering for weeks? Spicy food…
Thanksgiving is the Rodney Dangerfield of holidays. It gets no respect, no respect. That the celebration is consigned to a turkey dinner says a lot about our culture. We’ve become more interested in tricks and treats and crass commercialism than…
