Think about Americans, American civic life, and moving visual images. The first use of motion pictures in American presidential elections was in March 1901 with the inauguration of William McKinley. Filmed by the inventor of film--Thomas Edison. Again, 1901. The first use of motion pictures in American presidential campaigns was in fall 1912 with the campaign of Woodrow Wilson. Filmed by a … [Read more...]
Not So Different
July 10, 2021 by
“All right, we are two nations.” Sad. Tough to bear. Not a lot of hope for things to get better. The American people spit and scowl at each other as splits, divisions, and internal hostilities set citizen against citizen, group against group. The quote above comes from the mind and heart of an American intellectual. Essayist, novelist, occasional journalist. The quote-maker knows the … [Read more...]
Yesterday and Today–for the rest of the year
April 20, 2021 by
"Tell us what you think about the rest of the year." That was the request made of me for this morning. Yesterday, to prepare, I wrote down four points for 2021. I'd like to share them with you now and also thank the Hendricks County (IN) Republican Party for their graciousness in hosting me. With your sights set on April-December 2021, here you go. Point #1: The The Roaring Twenties today … [Read more...]
From The Pandemic And The Turning Of The Earth–Point Three of Eight
March 15, 2021 by
I missed writing the entry yesterday, Sunday. Actually, I wrote part of today's entry sitting in my car and finished the rest on the following morning in a coffee shop. To refresh, I talked briefly about the past year of pandemic during my most recent show of "Today In Leadership History" (seen on Facebook Live). Eight points or thoughts seemed significant to me. We're almost half-way through more … [Read more...]
From The Pandemic And The Turning Of The Earth–Point Two of Eight
March 13, 2021 by
Yesterday I began an eight-part series on my main thoughts looking back on a year of pandemic. To remind, the previous twelve months were my primary theme in my most recent edition of my weekly show "Today In Leadership History" (seen on Facebook Live). I won't repeat the list of six items that made March 11, 2020 such a historic day. You'll find them on this blog, the prior entry. Let's get … [Read more...]
From The Pandemic And The Turning Of The Earth – Point One Of Eight
March 12, 2021 by
Last night, in the early Thursday evening of March 11, 2021, I devoted my weekly show "Today In Leadership History" (seen on Facebook Live) to a recounting of major events a year ago on the same day. On that one day the World Health Organization defined coronavirus as a pandemic; POTUS 45 closed travel from Europe; the NBA suspended its season; Tom and Rita Hanks disclosed from Australia that … [Read more...]
If History Rhymes: The Poem of Kamala Coolidge
November 12, 2020 by
The 2020s and the 1920s are already rhyming. They already display patterns and movements that have this weird sync with one another. Not exact. Not mirrored. But zigging and zigging, zagging and zagging, the stuff of times and rhymes, these are all around us. The waves of pandemic are only the start, powerful yes, but merely the first of many. I've written about the rhyming of two candidates … [Read more...]
My Response And A Cup Of Coffee
November 12, 2020 by
An alumnus of mine just sent me the screen shot of something dressed as analysis. It's from a media outlet in my home state of Indiana. As a consulting leadership historian and, more importantly, someone who has real regard for the person who sent me the image, I offer a response. As you'll see, the five points that disqualify the analogy of the influenza pandemic's “second wave” are as … [Read more...]
Clouds And Seeds–The Difference
October 22, 2020 by
A cloud and a seed don't sound like the same thing. I wonder if we sometimes act like they're the same thing, assume they're the same thing, pass them by as if they're the same thing. I offer a gentle reminder to you that they are not the same thing. Especially now as we live out the rhyming of our 2020 pandemic with the 1918-1920 pandemic. I had a wonderful private meeting with a client of … [Read more...]
