Spout

This site is full of ideas. Some of them might make you cringe. They may not align with your worldview, perspectives, or experiences. That’s a great thing.

Marriage: we know so little…

There is no greater institution in the world in which so many have so much experience, and yet we know so little about, as marriage. It’s something that millions of people do, and yet there is virtually no information to draw from when making one’s own decision about either getting married or determining how happy they are in that marriage. We often read about the “top 1%” in the news, at it relates to wealth. There are plenty of lists of who’s in the top 1%, you read about what percentage of taxes get paid by the top 1%,…

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The homeless: addicted to generosity?

I love surrounding myself with people of different ideas and perspectives. It’s not very stimulating or interesting to be around a group of people who don’t challenge my thinking or share an idea I’ve never heard before. I’d rather be exposed to new ideas to ponder and consider – no matter how strange or even ridiculous they may sound. Which sets up an idea I heard yesterday. Homeless people are not just dependent on the generosity of others, but nearly addicted to it. Before I started asking questions to make sure I understood exactly what the point was, I…

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Pacific Northwest problem-solving

Live in the Pacific Northwest area long enough, and you’ll start seeing some patterns about how people navigate driving and walking. For example, one things area residents really struggle with is what to do when they encounter a car stopped in front of them. It’s not completely uncommon to drive down a neighborhood road and see a car stopped, with the driver speaking with a neighbor or someone they know who’s running or walking. The strange part is that you can almost take it to the bank that the car that drives up behind the stopped car will have…

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How do you define “fan experience?”

I was doing some recreational reading, when I came across this article in the Houston Chronicle by Jenny Dial Creech. The article opens with the line: “The Astros just took another step to enhance the fan experience at Minute Maid Park.” It goes on to tell about how the Astros have extended the netting behind home plate down the right and left field line, all the way to the foul poles. Due to some recent foul ball injuries, including one death in Dodger stadium, where a 79-year-old woman was hit in the head by a foul ball while sitting…

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Cancer in the workplace

I’ve managed people for more than 20 years, and if the people I’ve managed are to be believed, I’m apparently quite good at it. There are a few concepts I adhere to that I think make for a better work environment. One of those is defining and eradicating workplace cancer. When I inherit or build a team, one thing I establish early is that it is in everyone’s job description to be honest and forthcoming about what they’re observing in our work and in the workplace. They are getting paid to help this company be successful on every front,…

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Close the gap

It’s a simple idea, but one I think could significantly improve heavy traffic. Close the gap. In all situations. If you’re driving, and there’s a massive space between you and the car in front of you, close the gap. Catch up. This enables everyone behind you to pick up the pace, as well. I know, there’s this notion of two car lengths. But that’s only necessary because it rightly assumes most people are not paying attention so can’t react fast enough. But if you’re focused on the task at hand: driving, you won’t get caught trying to put your…

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Baby Boomers: the first generation to not want to leave the world a better place for the next generation

Rarely will I make a post that is a simple share of a video. But as I pointed out two days ago, rarely do I watch video. And if I do, rarely does it so succinctly capture an otherwise complex topic so quickly. From the time Baby Boomers were teenagers to now, they’re the first generation to take and take without giving a thing. Always focused on themselves, they are the first generation to focus on themselves and never stop to consider the ramifications of their actions. The death of thoughtful. The death of courtesy. The death of consideration….

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Did Donald Trump invent being offensive?

You’d think Donald Trump was the first politician (or activist) to say something controversial in the public sphere. People react to Donald Trump like they’ve never heard such horrible things coming from a public figure before. (And I don’t just mean leftists… many Republicans also rush to show their outrage.) But if you’re a conservative, you’ve been listening to liberals and left-leaning politicians, pundits, and celebrities make outrageous, racist, sexist, ridiculous, and inflammatory statements for years. Look at how much outrage there was when people heard President Trump on video talking about how you can grab women “…by the…

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Will the decline of society be captured on video?

I’ll admit it. The video revolution is leaving me behind, and I’m OK with that. Not everyone wants to watch video. I don’t spend any time watching video. At all. It’s probably accurate to say I’ve not spent one minute watching a video meme or newsletter this year. Video is too time consuming. If you watch a video, you are bound by their pacing and time. You’re at the mercy of however long it takes the video to give you the information you want. And it’s that much more disappointing to find out at the end that you wasted…

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