Month: August 2019

Yes, there are some issues that capture national interest, particularly in the climate of campaigns and voter interests.  Immigration, healthcare, climate change, education, trade wars, national defense, consumer protection.  So, yes, I’ll concede that those are important.  Sadly lost, however in all of this discussion, and completely overlooked in the presidential debates, are the major dessert issues of our time. Key among those is the debate over ice cream versus gelato. Continue reading “The Great Gelato-Ice Cream Debate”

“I need to send this back.” Words that strike fear in every waitperson’s heart.  It means they need to explain to the chef why the order didn’t fly, and it sometimes means the waiter’s tip just spiraled downward from 20% to “whatever”.  It’s a death sentence for the food.  That entrée has already been on the table.  Once it goes back to the kitchen, no reprieve.  It’s on a one-way ride to the dumpster out back.  Some may survive to be a snack or a take-home for a staff member, but most are garbage. The waitperson therefore feels compelled to ask deeply probing questions about the cause of said return.  There are several possible scenarios at work here. Continue reading “The Art of Returning”

We’ve all watched the Super Bowl commercials, thinking how much creative thinking and imagination has gone into those that we’ll see once or twice, then they go into the vault forever. What we’re left with is often truly forgettable, and to compound the problem, we’ll see them once, twice, three times a half hour.  Here are a few of my nominations for the “You Shouldn’t Have Bothered” Ad Awards. Continue reading “More Commercials (that shouldn’t have been made)”

Last September, I celebrated two years on the air – well, not really on the air but more over whatever the internet is.  I can keep track easily because the host site contacts me for more money.  It’s our symbiotic relationship.  I  keep writing, and they  charge my credit card. Continue reading “Pre-Ode to Fall, or August Lament”

You, my faithful readers, are quite right. This will be one of those blogs that lacks my usual light-hearted, deftly humorous touch, because it’s a serious subject.  It needs to be approached seriously. I debated long and hard – in fact I started this when it first came into print.  I started writing, and then turned back, but now the time feels right. Continue reading “Bullying: Let’s Call It What It Is”