In the 1930s, IBM began working with the Nazi regime, selling them punch-card equipment and technology used to catalog information about people. As the war progressed and the technology was enhanced, the relationship between IBM and the Nazis remained intact, and eventually every concentration camp used these punch cards to identify and track the millions of people shipped into those camps. It was the most advanced technology of its kind at the time, and it is widely believed that without …
Category: Off the Record
On the “N” Word – Admittedly, when I first heard the Papa John’s story surrounding its founder’s use of the “n” word, I thought the company had overreacted. He didn’t use the word to refer directly to any person or group, but instead used it on a strategy call with his marketing company about how Papa John’s could distance itself from racist groups, stating that “Colonel Sanders called blacks [the “n” word] and never faced any backlash.” He did not …
On Abortion – The recent nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to become a Justice of the United States Supreme Court has brought the issue of abortion front and center once again. In an incredibly divisive world, abortion is probably the most divisive issue, as it strikes a visceral chord with folks on both sides. As a lawyer, I decided to take a close look at how the law surrounding abortion has developed and share my observations with all of you. A …
Q2 Roundup – Summer’s here, which means Q2 is just about wrapping up. With no shortage of current events to blog about, I’ve received many passionate responses to my blog posts these past few months – many of which gave me an interesting new perspective. I really enjoy hearing from readers – thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’ll be back to blogging in July – and until then, here are some of the most thought-provoking and personal comments I received. …
On Howard Stern – Over the last few weeks I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time wrestling with my relationship with Howard Stern. I don’t have any personal connection to him, but I’ve been a listener over the years as I find him to be a great interviewer. And so, like many others, I check out his channel while driving to see who he has on. If it’s someone interesting, I listen; if it’s one of his antics, I typically move along. Over …
On Capitalism – Here we sit on the heels of another school shooting, and another 10 dead, and we remain paralyzed as a country about what to do. If it were money at stake instead of lives, our capitalist system would likely find a way to fix the problem overnight. We recently saw this with #MeToo – for decades, powerful corporations didn’t care that innocent women were being abused and victimized, because the men abusing those women were making those corporations …
On Sex Addiction: Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). The facts leading up to the resignation of disgraced New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman expose that we are suffering from an epidemic of sex addicts who have worked their way into the most powerful positions in society to enhance their opportunities to prey on women. These elite sex addicts work in the same manner as common sex addicts, only their positions raise the stakes much higher, which adds …
On Barbara Bush – I had the opportunity to meet Barbara Bush, along with her husband George H.W. Bush, aboard a Valentine’s Day cruise in February 1993, right after Bush had lost the election to Bill Clinton. I recall it as sort of a magical moment in my life, as I had served in the Marines under President Reagan and Vice President Bush and considered them to be American heroes. Her husband was the first President I ever voted for, and in part …
On Writing – Many people ask me why I write this blog; what is the purpose? Great question, and in the beginning, I had no answer (I liken it to Forrest Gump just starting to run one day for no particular reason). Having been down this path for some time now, I am beginning to understand what compels me to write, and more particularly, why I write what I do and why I share it publicly. I interviewed myself this week to …
Q1 and done – Well, that was fast! Somehow, the first quarter of 2018 is behind us. As we get ready for spring, Easter, and Passover and celebrate baseball’s opening day (Mets win!), I thought I’d revisit some of the feedback I’ve received about my blog these past three months. I really enjoy hearing from readers about what resonated with them (and what didn’t). Thank you for sharing your thoughts and broadening my perspective. Here, some of the comments that …