Just one word for you; “Sriracha.”
It’s possible to make it in today’s world without a Facebook page and a Twitter handle. The gurus will deny this and insist that it’s not true. They tell us incessantly that we must all bow down before social media, or at least social media’s self-appointed royalty.
So much noise about what we all must do to be successful. Continue reading
The Moxie Boy and Moxie Boy-in-training.
Today’s the start of a three-day Moxie weekend. I know I’m supposed to be blogging about Moxie, but sometimes, I think I’ve written just about all I want to about Moxie. Maybe that’s why this year, I’ve toned down my usual Moxie blogging quota.
It’s not that I don’t appreciate Moxie’s history, and all that goes along with this distinctly different soft drink that’s been around since 1884 because I do. The two books, the signings, the interviews I was asked to do, and the Tee Vee appearances are “all good,” as they say. It’s just that my interests and things I want to write about are much broader than one product, even a product as unique as Moxie. Continue reading
I drove through Lisbon Falls over the weekend. One week out from the town’s crowning celebration, the place looked like a ghost town. Save for a couple of banners strung up over Route 196, Lisbon Falls looked nothing like a place where 20,000+ people will flock to in order to celebrate a distinctly different New England soft drink called Moxie.
Moxie’s been on my mind the past few weeks as it often is during July, when Lisbon Falls again assumes its place as the epicenter of the Moxie universe for one weekend. Then, it will go back to being a community in obvious decline, much like it has for the past 30 years that Moxie’s been connected to the place. Continue reading
Norman Mailer was a literary icon whose influence as a writer spanned more than five decades following WWII. The decades where his writing wielded the most influence were arguably the 1960s, 1970s, and even into the 1980s.
Harvard educated, Mailer wrote fiction, nonfiction, essays, and even plays. He was one of the founding members of the The Village Voice. At times, especially early in his life, he was known as much for his machismo as he was for his politics and Pulitzers. Continue reading
How do you know that what you hold dear and true is in fact so? What are you using as your own personal fact-checker? Merely going along to get along might make you popular (it might also make you a doormat) but it doesn’t guarantee veracity. Following the masses could find you stepping off a cliff with a group of your fellow lemmings. Continue reading
The BBF 2012 info station.
Living in Maine, even near one of the great “small” cities in the United States, Portland, makes a trip to Boston special. I say special because for me, cities have always signified wonder. I marvel at the activity—the hustle and the bustle—not to mention the energy, sights, sounds, and the smells that are remarkably different than rural places.
Attending the Boston Book Festival (BBF) has become a tradition for me. There is a protocol that’s developed. I’ll detail some of it below. BBF has become something that my son and I take in together. We have done so since the inaugural event in 2009. Continue reading
Words matter. They have the power to heal, convey love, hate, complexity, as well as whimsy. Some people are obsessed with words and how to arrange and order them—we’re called writers.
A decade ago, I gave myself permission to call myself a writer. This wasn’t an arbitrary decision. I based it upon things I was figuring out about myself at the time. Looking back, I made the right choice. Continue reading
I wrote a post the other day about knowing what you’re good at. I’m planning to follow that up with another post about doing things that you are passionate about.
I know a bit about following my passion. I’ve done that with my writing. Continue reading
A comment on my Facebook page reminded me of the journey I’m on, and how it began. The commenter referenced the title of a book by M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled: The New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth. Continue reading
After an exciting book launch weekend, the JBE is off to the Samoset in Rockport for a whirlwind two days at this year’s Maine HR Convention, aka #MEHRC2012 (that’s Twitterspeak). Well, at least that’s the #hashtag that those of us on Twitter came up with based upon past conventions.
The Maine HR Convention is an interesting gathering. This year, more than 800+ HR professionals and ancillary attendees gather for four days of HR-related banter, workshops, and my favorite—A-list speakers. I also appreciate the networking opportunities my two days will afford me. Continue reading