Lessons Learned from Loose Lips

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As a kid, I first heard the phrase “loose lips sink ships” in the context of World War II era sensibilities. During World War II people believed that one should keep quiet about someone they loved who was serving on a battleship because they believed in the possibility that the enemy might learn of the whereabouts of that battleship and torpedo it. Loose lips of an entirely different nature can be found in 2012 in … Read more

We Have No Secrets

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Sometimes I like to annoy non-Boomers by quoting song lyrics written by from singer/songwriter Carly Simon. Usually, the annoyance fades especially when I am sharing especially profound Carly Simon lyrics that transcend generations.

Certainly one of the most profound of all the many, many lyrics written by Carly Simon is “We Have No Secrets” from 1972. In this poignant poem set to an irresistible melody, she warns of the sweet perils of being too honest in life.

I think that members of the younger generations who post on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and whatever other social media channels today need to memorize the entire lyrics from “We Have No Secrets” and maybe even learn the entire song to sing it themselves quietly and softly while they spend so much time online.

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Experiencing The Kennedys Miniseries

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The sheer volume of words written about The Kennedys miniseries almost discouraged me from watching it. But, I did watch it, and yet somehow I lived to tell about it. From the extreme partisan political intensity of what I had read in advance of actually watching the 8-part miniseries in its entirety, I was prepared mentally for overwhelming anti-Kennedy or anti-Democrat or anti-liberal propaganda. I can tell you that is not at all what this … Read more

Brighter Future Possible for Cal Poly Journalism Department

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During September 2010 I posted a commentary online that was reposted elsewhere. What I wrote was a strong expression of the anger that I felt about troubles within the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Journalism Department. I could not understand how a once vibrant Cal Poly Journalism Department that shaped my professional career in the 1970s could look like a train wreck in the 2000s. I am not the only alum who came to believe … Read more

Do You Remember When Rock Was Young?

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Way back in 1972, the Elton John and Bernie Taupin song Crockodile Rock asked, “Do you remember when rock was young?” When that wonderful song first hit the Billboard magazine charts, technically, rock and roll was still young. If you were in or near the rock and roll radio business in those days, you would not think of living your life without reading Billboard and the famous columnist Claude Hall. Fast forward to today. Claude … Read more