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Words have power but how much power is the question. The ‘Sticks and Stones’ chant may teach us to ignore hurtful words from others but this still points to the impact that words can have. But in our postmodern world, the power of technology to alter the context of someone’s words has increased. For example, soundbites, which are edited versions of an original statement, are employed regularly on TV and… -
In the spirit of the holidays, I thought I would post lighter content. Hope you find this entertaining. My wife and I recently saw Sinbad the comedian in concert and my stomach was hurting because I was laughing so hard. Sinbad has been a fixture on the comedy scene since the 1980s. His comedic materials follows the path of Black comedians who are great storytellers: Bill Cosby, Bernie Mac, Chris…
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I am a leader. Always have been. I did not always see myself this way but I embrace it now. I always thought I wasn’t handsome enough, tall enough, athletic enough or beefcake enough. But life has a funny way of thrusting you into leadership from time to time even when you don’t want it. I am the quintessential reluctant leader. These type of leaders need a catalyst, positive or…
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Social causes are officially in vogue for for-profit companies. I know that sounds crass but branding and activism is assumed these days. It is recognized as a way to control narratives on various media platforms because it is assumed that mainstream media cannot be trusted. As many citizens take up their favorite causes and champion them on Facebook, businesses are under pressure to stand for something. In this era of…
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Any student of history knows what we remember most about empires and cultures are their symbols and structures (physical, social, cultural and/or economic). For example, what comes to mind when you think of the Greeks? Art (symbols), architecture (structures) and democracy (structure). China? A dragon (symbol) and the ruling dynasties (structures) . How about the Maasai in Kenya? Bright multi-colored beads (symbol) and their warrior initiation rites (structure). Egypt? The…
