Exercise classes and equipment are marketed based on how much fat they “burn”.  I was great at selling exercise equipment.  I’m sure I sold more than one $2,500 treadmill, recumbent bike, or cross-country ski machine by touting how much fat... Read More

This is a two-part essay.  It’s about technology and also about a conversation that did not happen—but could have happened. I was late coming to technology.  I didn’t have a computer until my cousin gave me a Packard Bell (it... Read More

This essay isn’t about any specific Paul.  It’s about the name Paul.  When I was in elementary school, there were Pauls in each grade and each class.  In 1964, Paul was an extremely popular name for newborn males.  1.32% of... Read More

After college, I worked for a real estate development company.  In addition to working on real estate projects, I was also involved in a bank the company owned in Florida and various investment research projects for the company owner. The... Read More

In my first book I wrote about my childhood and used the term “Norman Rockwell painting” to describe it.  Let me set the stage: my parents got married young and stayed married.  At some point, either overtly or by their... Read More

The above headline and photo are part of a “quit smoking” marketing piece utilized in the past.  The text of the piece discussed the percentage of female smokers who use smoking as a way to control their weight (almost 40% (from... Read More

When the Seinfeld show was written about, the term “the show about nothing” was often used.  In Season Four one of the storylines had Jerry and George “pitching” an idea to NBC for a TV show.  They chose to pitch... Read More

My handwriting was terrible when I was young.  As soon as I learned to write, I knew I had an issue.  One of the teachers and my mother both worked with me to make my handwriting presentable.  I wrote countless... Read More

There are others that get honorable mention. A short list: The Notebook, West Side Story, Love Story, The Big Sick, Terms of Endearment, Titanic, Ghost (and you can add your favorite to the list). But none of them have had... Read More

I was an excellent athlete—up until tenth grade.  I injured my back and wasn’t properly diagnosed for 18 months.  I had severe pain in my left leg and was walking with a limp.  My godmother convinced my parents to take... Read More