Two stories from The Wall Street Journal caught my attention that I thought I’d pass along. The first comes from, The Morning Morality Effect: The Influence of Time of Day on Unethical Behavior, by Maryam Kouchaki and Isaac H. Smith, (Nov. 8, 2013). Research from scientists at Harvard and the University of Utah conclude that “If you’re shopping for a used car – or...

That’s the question that I thought of when I heard the tragic story of Jahi McMath, the 13-year-old California teen that went in for what was supposed to be routine surgery and ended up in an unrecoverable coma. According to news reports, doctors recommended surgery to remove Jahi’s tonsils, adenoids and extra sinus tissue. The intent was to treat the...

Both the New York Times and Britain’s Guardian newspapers offered editorials in support of clemency or plea bargain in the case of NSA leaker Edward Snowden. “Considering the enormous value of the information he has revealed,” the Times said (Jan. 1), “and the abuses he has exposed, Mr. Snowden deserves better than a life of permanent exile, fear and flight. He may...

Lists, lists and more lists! Every year, the media creates an endless series of lists. While many target the negative, here’s my list of ten women who inspire: Marissa Mayer –Yahoo CEO. Lots of changes on tap at the web portal company. In abolishing the company’s work-from-home policy, Mayer explained that face-to-face interaction among employees fosters a more collaborative culture...

Loveable Duck Dynasty graybeard Phil Robertson has had his “indefinite suspension”… suspended! After Robertson came out in a GQ interview describing homosexual acts in crude terms and labeled it sin, A&E officials suspended him “indefinitely” after the patriarch’s comments embarrassed the cable channel, sponsors and offended much of the L.G.B.T. community. Upon hearing of the suspension, the remaining “cast members” of the Dynasty clan,...

Remember these guys? Did they rise to the top of the bottom of the barrel? A look at the Good, the Bad and the Ridiculous over the past year. By the numbers – The Center for Public Integrity offers up a few items from the ridiculous: Number of bills passed by Congress this year that have been signed into law: 58 Number of bills passed in 1948,  » Read more...

It’s Christmas and while everyone and their dog is having fun ice skating, Charlie Brown is glum. The always self-conscious little bald kid is depressed. This comes as no great surprise to the many millions that watch the perennial favorite each year. So what is he depressed about this time? “I like getting presents,” he tells Linus, “and sending Christmas...

Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, right; says so in the First Amendment. So what’s all this fuss about A&E’s Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson sharing his opinions with a few million Americans? Well, if you’re A&E, the cable network jointly owned by the Hearst Corporation and Disney/ABC, you might want to step back and consider the impact Phil’s “opinions” have...

There’s a moment in the Tom Hanks film Forrest Gump where Forrest does something incredibly dangerous. He repeatedly puts his life at risk to save five members of his unit in Vietnam. “Are you stupid, or something?” a military official asks. In a line that is repeated throughout the film, Forrest answers, “Stupid is as stupid does, sir.” I thought of that...

The Christmas edition of “The Take” is noteworthy, to say the least. From ‘Affluenza’ to ‘Secret Santas,’ it’s a mixed bag. The New Normal – We can now add Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado to the growing list of school shootings. Since Sandy Hook, where a gunman took the lives of 26, there have been 22 school shootings in...