Enable is a very ambiguous word. It can mean to make able; to provide with capability and power. Contrastingly, it can also mean to support dysfunctional behavior. No wonder English is such a difficult language to learn. But it doesn’t…
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To listen is almost always better than to speak. So talk show audiences do deserve some benefit of the doubt. Too many, though, tend to throw caution to the wind. Some words of warning: Be careful not to confuse amplification…
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“Generativity,” like all words, is made up. In this case, it is comparatively new, coined by psychoanalyst Erik Erikson in 1950. “A concern for establishing and guiding the next generation” is Erickson’s most often quoted definition. The principle of generativity…
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Veteran actors Helen Mirren, 68, and Om Puri, 64, star in the new DreamWorks film “The Hundred-Foot Journey.” The story is not about age though. Food, family, ego, ambition and love are the ageless themes of this mini-masterpiece. With its…
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Arcade Fire’s video for their single “We Exist,” which features a man who dresses as a woman, sparked a backlash from some transgenders, the victims of bigotry the message intends to support. The critics claim the band are representing an…
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Could it be evolution is not so evolved? Some humans still closely resemble creatures of the ocean. Consider these similarities. There’s the whale and shark; these big guys approximate seafaring politicians, CEOs and superstars, dominating their respective domains. And for…
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1. Expect to be asked if your kid is in the band. 2. Go with the assumption you are a record exec or A&R guy/gal checking out the band. 3. Don’t bother getting there early to beat the herd to…
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There is no denying the influence of statistics, focus groups and polls on the American scene. They are the life blood of political operatives, corporate marketers, entertainment industry executives and special interest advocates, among others -- for better and worse.…
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Hollywood is getting the message about catering to mature audiences – the one-in-five among us 65-and-older, with comparatively more disposable income, more time to be entertained and less time to be wasted. Longevity rules in this new genre, which is…
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While “Mad Men” may be the best scripted show currently on TV, it’s the real advertising profession that oozes provocation and controversy. So it’s been said: The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is…
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