America Trends

The United States of Fast Food might be an apt description of our culture.  And it’s now verifiable. The Centers for Disease Control study reveals a startling statistic: 40% of Americans eat fast food every day.  Really? Come to think about it, if we add processed foods and quickie meals made at home, it might … Continue reading EP 224 Dr. Elaina George: Are We Addicted To Fast Food?

The numbers are startling.  Our faith in government was once very strong.  It, and many other institutions, have fallen sharply in our estimation, if you believe the numbers.  Or, just ask a friend. How did we get to this place where we have such disdain for the institution meant to maintain ‘the common good’ and, … Continue reading EP 223 Can Governments Earn Our Trust?

It is worse, so much worse, than you think’.  And that’s just the first line of David Wallace-Wells’ book, ‘The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming’.  So, you read on to be reminded that much of what we have to fear about the new climate reality is already upon us.  Yet, failure to push back against … Continue reading EP 222A The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming

How quickly social mores change.  For some of us of a certain age, it’s hard to look back at shows like ‘Friend’s’ and label them homophobic or purveying stereotypes..  In the case of ‘Seinfeld’, in its day it won a media award from GLAAD, a defender of gay rights(not that there’s anything wrong with that). … Continue reading EP 222 Are Millennials Offended by Old TV Shows?

In ‘Anatomy of Victory’, John Caldwell does a remarkable job of trying to unpack why the United States triumphed in World War II, fought to a stalemate in Korea, lost in Vietnam, and failed in Iraq. Wouldn’t we all like to know?  For all the resources expended in blood and treasure, Americans should demand a … Continue reading EP 221 Why Was WWII America’s Last Victory?

There Are Worse Things Than Foster Care So headlined an article written by Naomi Schaefer Riley, published recently in the New York Times. And what is ‘worse’  for youngsters in troubled situations may surprise you. So, we talked to Ms. Riley, a Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to get a fulsome explanation of … Continue reading EP 220 There Are Worse Things Than Foster Care For Displaced Children

To understand the populist phenomenon that led to Donald Trump’s election, many turned to John Judis’s book. ‘The Populist Explosion’, back in 2016.  He gave a clear-and prophetic-explanation of the rise of populism. Two years into the Trump Administration, and with similar political upheavals around the world, he attempts to explain the resurgence of ‘us … Continue reading EP 219 THE NATIONALIST REVIVAL

Peter Wallison feels there is an argument to be made that this is the case.  Nameless, faceless bureaucrats are left free to write the language and regulations that underpin broad laws passed by Congress.  In the process, they define much about what the federal government’s growing role is in our lives. Congress was meant to … Continue reading EP 218 IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE MORE POWERFUL THAN CONGRESS?

Illicit trade has been with us since the dawn of antiquity.  We even glamorized the craft in folklore about the pirates on the high seas.  Yet, the pace and sophistication of illicit trade has broken with all historical precedents over the last thirty years, according to Louise Shelley, author of ‘Dark Commerce’.  The anonymity of … Continue reading EP 217 AN ILLICIT ECONOMY IS THREATENING OUR FUTURE

IF THE MBA IS THE GOLD STANDARD, WHY ARE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS DROPPING DRAMATICALLY? A master’s degree in business administration.  Just a few years back, colleges began seeing this as a cash cow.  Anyone who wanted to climb the corporate ladder felt it was a prerequisite to that end.  So these programs sprung up … Continue reading EP 216 Why are Fewer People Pursuing MBA’s?

FAREWELL TO CONGRESS FROM REPRESENTATIVE OF SANDY HOOK DISTRICT An effective, consensus building Congresswoman from Connecticut, Elizabeth Esty, left Congress before the 2019 session, deciding not to run for again as decisions she made about a sexual abuse issue in her office forced her early departure.  While the #MeToo issue is touched on, she does … Continue reading EP 215 Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty LAWMAKING CONGRESSWOMAN SAYS FAREWELL

Dr. Paul Zeitz, author of ‘Waging Justice’, has clearly defined the role of the doctor as to take on the public health issues that affect each person around the globe.  His memoir discusses how he spearheaded a global charge against AIDS and climate change. His journey includes a personal transformation which led to global activism … Continue reading EP 214 IS IT A DOCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY TO HEAL THE PATIENT OR THE WORLD? OR BOTH?

How many times have we heard that America took out the third in command of Al Qaeda in Iraq and yet nothing seems to change on the ground as it relates to terrorism(except, of course, for that slain terrorist).  Perhaps, America’s vision of how we destroy the command and control of these groups is out … Continue reading EP 213 JIHADI TACTICS TRANSFORM AS AMERICA COUNTERS WITH MUCH OF THE SAME

If your faith in a higher being isn’t shaken today by the earthly frailties of those leading some major religious institutions, at least some level of doubt and uncertainty about God is the essence of the human condition.  Passions run hot when it comes to this subject, both among believers and non-believers. And then there … Continue reading EP 212 GOD IS A QUESTION, NOT AN ANSWER

For so many people in our society, their future rests on jobs which may, or may not, exist going forward.  Questions abound on many levels and pertain to technology displacement, corporate disruption, skills acquisition and longevity gains imagined which will increase the time spent in the workforce.  All of this presents great challenges in trying … Continue reading EP 211 DANGER: CAREER CONFUSION AHEAD

What Is The Value Of A Good Question In Success And Innovation? Thoughtful questioning is really an art form and critical to advancing our decision-making, creativity, leadership and relationships.  So, I ask you, who better to discuss this with than America’s unquestioned leading questionologist, Warren Berger? His latest book, ‘The Book of Beautiful Questions’, continues … Continue reading EP 210 WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A GOOD QUESTION IN SUCCESS AND INNOVATION? WE HAVE THE ANSWER

We all have been touched by cancer.  And while our family and friends still die from its many forms, seemingly resistant to a cure, at the same time we read many stories about the potential for a cure, using personalized gene therapy, as opposed to the crude tools of chemotherapy and radiation.  So, what are … Continue reading EP 209 CANCERLAND

In an era when trust in institutions of all kinds is slipping, the blockchain offers a new hope: shared ledgers of information that no one controls but everyone can believe.  What could go wrong? Kevin Werbach of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and author of ‘The Blockchain and the New Architecture of … Continue reading EP 208 WHY IS BLOCKCHAIN SO IMPORTANT, YET SO LITTLE UNDERSTOOD?

Gerald Celente, whose publishes ‘TrendsJournal’ and oversees the Trends Research Institute, has developed the Globalnomic(R)methodology to identify, track, forecast and manage trends.  He puts all data in his own blender and analyzes the current events which form future trends. His motto is ‘think for yourself’ and his pulsating style will have you riveted to this … Continue reading EP 207 IS AN ECONOMIC 9-11 THE NEXT BIG TREND? WE ASK A TREND STRATEGIST OF THE HIGHEST ORDER

When you consider the fact that America ranks 31st among 34 developed nations in voter turnout, you realize that many reforms are needed in our electoral system.  We disenfranchise people in many ways–making registration difficult, gerrymandering districts so that people don’t think voting matters, limiting voting to a weekday in many states and not offering … Continue reading EP 206 Ranked Choice Voting, Election Reform and A Peek At The 2020 Elections