Author Archives: Jim

Don’t lay off the mailroom

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Jim

I’ve been watching the drama over the Trump administration’s layoffs of government employees with mixed feelings. I believe government reform and downsizing is long overdue. As a veteran of multiple corporate downsizings during my career, I’m amused at the manufactured … Continue reading →

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The Confederates are back

Posted on February 17, 2025 by Jim

I’ve been a Civil War buff for years. I spent childhood summers with grandparents in Corinth, MS, visited the Shiloh battlefield and briefly wore a Confederate cap as a kid. Since I retired to New Mexico I’ve enjoyed reading about … Continue reading →

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DEI’s out. Now what?

Posted on February 4, 2025 by Jim

With the stroke of a pen, President Trump wiped out a massive government bureaucracy that promoted diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Even more important, he rescinded President Lyndon Johnson’s 1965 executive order establishing affirmative action programs for hiring and promotion.  … Continue reading →

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Government goes up in smoke

Posted on January 25, 2025 by Jim

Watching Los Angeles burn on live television, dismaying as this is, may be a turning point. What we’re seeing is not just a wildfire, but a century of trust in government going up in smoke. Most of us grew up … Continue reading →

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Disruption comes to Washington

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Jim

Watching the transition to President-elect Trump’s second term is shaping up to be my favorite spectator sport. Trump was elected on the promise to clean up the federal government and, true to form, is appointing cabinet members who promise to … Continue reading →

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Serving with the Greatest Generation

Posted on June 7, 2024 by Jim

I couldn’t help watching the TV coverage of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. It’s a moving and pivotal episode in our history and a reminder of values that often are forgotten today.  I got acquainted with the Greatest Generation when I … Continue reading →

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University of Intifada

Posted on May 5, 2024 by Jim

When I graduated from Northwestern University in 1964, most of my fellow students were supporting Barry Goldwater for President. Now my old school is capitulating to anti-Israel activists. The university agreed to consider divesting from Israel and subsidize more Palestinian … Continue reading →

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My new ride is a technology trip

Posted on January 1, 2024 by Jim

Buying a new car used to be an exhilarating experience: gleaming metal, that new-car smell and the sensation of commanding a more capable machine. I’m finding it a little more complicated. My first new car in 17 years is an … Continue reading →

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The old headquarters building

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Jim

They’re renovating the building where I spent most of my career. The former Illinois Bell Telephone headquarters in downtown Chicago was sold some years ago. It’s about to re-emerge as an updated office tower and just landed a law firm … Continue reading →

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Communicating during a strike

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Jim

In 1968 I celebrated Labor Day in the middle of a strike. I was hired by Illinois Bell Telephone’s public relations department when I got out of the Navy in April of that year, shortly after a five-month strike began. … Continue reading →

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