Star Trek Solved Its Stuffy-Shirt Problem

Star Trek has traditionally had a stuffy-shirt problem, especially via fans of The Next Generation (think Picard/Riker/Data era). The ethics of the 24th-century Federation were so lofty as to seem unachievable and unrealistically idealistic to many. I grew up as one of those insufferably idealistic kids, espousing the virtues of Trek wherever I went (usually …

Continue reading Star Trek Solved Its Stuffy-Shirt Problem

It is OK to not be OK

Listen: things are not normal right now. It is OK to not be OK. A global pandemic, catastrophic fires exacerbated by climate change, a divisive election, ongoing political bickering amidst diminishing civility, human rights violations, and racial/caste injustice… In the face of unprecedented, unimaginable, unrelenting heartbreak it is OK to not be OK. Focus on …

Continue reading It is OK to not be OK

Lying is Incompatible with Leadership

The first duty of every leader is to the truth. There is no faster method to completely undermine the efforts of your smartest people than to obfuscate, distract, distort, or dissemble. There's no more egregious waste than that of resources dedicated to the pursuit of a false premise. "Good deception" or leading an enemy on, …

Continue reading Lying is Incompatible with Leadership