— A poem inspired by my star. — The moon triggers ancient worship in the soul of your eternal curiosity. It goes unnoticed for most of us. But your eyes howl with admiration when it rises bright in the black sky or fades white in blue day. Or they look longingly, “Oh no!” when your lunar mind sparks …

Stream of consciousness — — Self-discovery is a process that continues to amaze me on a daily basis. I am not the person I was a week ago, and I assume I will be a different person a week from now. When I have a new insight into how I want to live, the work…

Do you want to survive or thrive in your work life? There are days when we go to work and everything falls into place. We feel energetic and motivated; Our coworkers seem happy to see us; Our clients spend money freely and they don’t return anything or complain about anything. We love those days! But those days are not every day…

A Poem of Loss. — A pelican on a desolate isle Flailed before a dune. The tide would soon be upon him —  Right on time and much too soon. He ripped his wings against the air Beyond their natural span. As if they would soon tear away From his body to the sand. He…

Smith Reveals Self-Awareness, Growth and Perseverance in New Book — “He who dares not offend cannot be honest.” — Thomas Paine There is a famous scene in Howard Stern’s “Private Parts” when Paul Giamatti, who played a loose-cannon, radio station executive, nearly exploded when he learned that Howard’s ratings were exceptional. “If they hate him, why do they listen?” he…

Writers must find a balance between staying true to themselves and engaging their audience. — To maximize the effectiveness of my writing, I strongly consider my audience when I write. Depending on the platform, I employ different rhetorical and compositional devices that I believe will be the most impactful. The difficulty is in balancing my audience’s needs with my own, especially as it relates to…

An insider exposes the reality of what is going on behind-the-scenes of your favorite restaurant. — Restaurant owners and their employees are scrambling desperately to deal with Omicron. The variant hit fast, tearing through front and back-of-the-house staff, management, food suppliers and corporate employees, leaving a chaotic wake in its trail. Without a pandemic, the food and beverage industry is a high-paced and high-stress business. Employee…

We complacent Americans have to decide if we have the energy to fight for our democracy. — If the Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci (1891–1937) was alive today, he might say that the United States in 2022 has a more sophisticated, complex and subtle form of cultural hegemony than most nations. Gramsci would know; He expanded our understanding of the word hegemony — originally referring only to…

The Weeknd marries heavy lyrics and upbeat music to create a masterpiece. — It is by no means a stretch to say that in 2022 The Weeknd is prepared to lyrically share with us some of his deepest feelings. On his new album, Dawn FM, this virtuoso dives fearlessly into some of the most long explored and lasting existential themes that have ever…