Friday Donuts

Friends, Communications can be tricky and getting your message across to your audience is often fraught with potential misunderstandings. A writer’s biases can blind her to unintended meanings. The reader, who also carries biases, might lend an altogether different interpretation to the same words. The fact is, we all live in our own little bubbles. Some days I think it’s a wonder we communicate at all. Case in point, this week’s “retirement longevity checklist” from Merrill Lynch. What a downer! For the record, I don’t find the prospect of retirement depressing, however, the message that came across was cringeworthy. I’m sure my biases played a big role, still, bear with me. The two page document’s structure seems benign enough: (1) invest in your future, (2) plan ahead, and (3) document your wishes! Unfortunately, what comes across when reading it is a little more sinister (1) we want more of your money, (2) your investments might make less than you think –plus

Friends, A week ago, Eddie Money got two tickets to paradise . Why two? Well, since The Cars front man Ric Ocasek followed him two days later, you might think the other is his. If you think about it, such a pact would make sense. Ric says to Eddie who’s gonna drive you home tonight ? Eddie responds take me home tonight . Too soon? Well, you can always grab a donut, they are as sweet as Candi-O . Or, If you’re lucky enough to be near Norfolk or Pittsburgh, try a KFC donut sandwich ! Happy Friday!

Friends, I don’t consider myself to be a superstitious man. Now that doesn’t mean I go around breaking mirrors, walking under ladders and opening umbrellas in my house –sharp shards, falling paint and poked eyeballs are, after all, real possibilities. I don’t have a rabbit’s foot, horseshoe or lucky penny. When I cross my fingers, knock on wood or tug on a wishbone it’s just an exercise in social participation. So if a black cat crosses my path, I won’t spit or throw a pinch of salt over my shoulder. Now, the fact the four preceding sentences each list three superstitions, does not mean I believe luck comes in threes (hey I just listed 13 superstitions!). On this thirteenth day of the month, which happens to be the thirteenth day of the week (start counting on Sunday and don’t stop after week one), grab yourself a baker’s dozen donuts (that’s 13) and throw your superstitions to the wind. Happy Friday the 13 th !

Friends, This week I’ve been bombarded by inappropriate thoughts. Minding my own business, when BAM!, a thought so wrong it shames me, sucker-punches my brain. It makes me question whether I’m the good person I believe, or deep-down, there’s a rotten core longing to come out. Here’s what I’m talking about: During Jeff Bezos’ HQ2 negotiations with New York City, there was an Amazon Burn Book –where they tallied politicians’ offensive remarks. Well, the news leaked, get this, as the Amazon Burned ! Anybody else find the timing (and wording) a bit disturbing? In my book, this feels plain wrong. When hurricane Dorian was devastating the Bahamas, the media kept referring to their residents as Bahamian –which sounds a lot like Bohemian . This would invariably trigger an earworm … “thunderbolts and lightning, very, very frightening me! Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Figaro… Magnifico!” Speaking of this massive thunderstorm, a r