‘Social Issues’ Archives
Why the Movies and I Broke Up
During the past 50 years movies have really changed, but I haven’t kept pace. Mentally I’m still perched on the edge of my theatre seat, legs dangling, a mouthful of jujubes welded to my gums. The other kids and I are still gasping at uncomplicated cliff-hangers on Saturday afternoons and the big screen and I are on the same track. We [...]
You Can’t Stand on Gelatin
These days authority can be a little wobbly--like Jell-O. It has a basic form, but when the foundation is shaken, it bounces all over the place. It seems to me that, in a crisis, many decisions are now based on what will upset the fewest number of people, or on what is least likely to be overruled. Good leadership is supposed to do what is [...]
Disagreement is not a Declaration of War
People don't always agree with me, but I try not to vilify them simply because they don’t. It's true I may think they are totally off base, but they may think my little gray cells are no more than low-grade insulating foam. Our differences can make communication interesting and challenging, but they should not be cause for war. Life [...]
Managing the “F” Word
An article in Mail On-line states that a high school in another English-speaking country has decided to allow their students to swear at teachers - as long as they don't do it more than five times during a session. The administration’s reasoning is reportedly that bad words are a part of the students’ everyday language and, by keeping a [...]
Becoming Ourselves
Like most people who face an unknown challenge, new probation officers sometimes forget that it takes a while to develop their own "styles." Although he didn’t say so during his training, one officer later admitted that he hadn't believed there was such a thing as his own technique. I had warned him not to try to copy anyone else, but he [...]
A News “Flash” – Literally
According to a July 2, 2009 Reuters news release, an airline has made a recording of its passenger safety briefing by filming a pilot and cabin crew who are wearing only body paint on their otherwise nude bodies. Call me a fuddy-duddy, call me a Doubting Thomas, call me a cab, but I'm not sure it will work, at least not to achieve the ends [...]
Does Emancipation Mean “No Rules”?
Dear JustAdvice, Our 18-year-old daughter lives at home and we give her a car and pay for her upkeep. She recently disappeared for several days without telling us she was leaving and we were frantic because we had no idea where she was or what had happened to her. It turned out she went away with her boyfriend. We want her to at least let us know [...]
The Blame Game — In Reverse
I talk a lot about parents who don’t give a hoot what their children are doing, but at the other extreme are the parents who can’t imagine their children doing anything wrong. They consistently cover for them, go to their defense or take the blame themselves, no matter what the evidence indicates. They should, instead, be holding their [...]
Just a Thought: Greed and the American Dream
What, exactly, is greed? We hear a lot about it these days and I am convinced that, in some ways, we are looking at it the wrong way 'round. We now assume that people who have money, or who own businesses, are just naturally greedy, particularly if they have "made it." But, wait. Wasn't that the American dream? Wasn't "making it" the [...]
