Bizarre, quirky, thought-provoking. Some stories that might make you shake your head in wonderment or disbelief.
Renowned American essayist Norman Cousins, who died in 1990 at the age of 75, wrote “The Communication Collapse” for Time magazine shortly before his death. Some excerpts from that thoughtful and provocative piece. “Much of the trouble we get into (as individuals or organizations or as government) is connected to sloppy communication. Our words too […]
Read more →We’ve held on to this thoughtful and thought-provoking appeal sent to us two decades ago by a friend. Think freely. Practice patience. Smile often. Savor special moments. Live God’s message. Make new friends. Rediscover old ones. Tell those you love that you do. Feel deeply. Forget trouble. Forgive an enemy. Hope. Grow. Be crazy. Count […]
Read more →We’ve always admired the work of Bill Conlin, one of the greatest baseball writers ever. So some years back, when Conlin covered a Philadelphia Eagles football game for the Philadelphia Daily News we were not surprised that he uncovered “the rarely heard quintuple cliché.” It came from defensive back Ray Ellis after the Eagles lost […]
Read more →We’ve all heard these famous quotes many, many times. “An eye for an eye.” “Necessity is the mother of invention.” “Put your best foot forward.” “Blood, sweat and tears.” “Money is the root of all evil.” One problem. They’re all wrong, points out William W. Craig of Tisdall Clark and Partners, Ltd. of Toronto. “An […]
Read more →A 1985 survey of principals and teachers in Chicago-area high schools produced this list of the top 10 books educators felt every high school student should read. Plays by William Shakespeare (various titles) “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain The Bible “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne “The Odyssey” by Homer “The Grapes […]
Read more →Dr. William Jurma, a speech communication professor at Texas Christian University, once conducted a study of offices in Fort Worth, Texas. Here’s a summary of his findings. Wooden desks are a must. Forget metal or chrome. In and out boxes are out. A dark-colored phone is best. Beige is acceptable. A clean desk is not […]
Read more →Here’s a creative job application we’ve always loved. It landed the applicant a job at McDonald’s in Florida. Name: Greg Bulmash Sex: Not yet. Still waiting for the right person. Desired position: Company’s president or vice president. But seriously, whatever’s available. If I was in a position to be picky, I wouldn’t be applying here […]
Read more →From an Internet compilation, here are some signs and slogans businesses use to connect with their customers: Plumber: We repair what your husband fixed. Pizza shop: Seven days without pizza makes one weak. Tire shop: Invite us to your next blowout. Plastic surgeon: Hello, can we pick your nose? Towing company: We don’t charge an […]
Read more →Here are some newspaper headlines (circa 2000) for stories we really wanted to read: Include Your Children When Baking Cookies Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Experts Say Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers Drunks Get Nine Months in Violin Case Iraqi Head Seeks Arms Prostitutes Appeal to Pope Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes […]
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