Smoking or Non? July 12, 2023 It’s a typical summer night in Southern California. The breeze is warm and the sky is pink. The ocean crashes in the distance. The Hernandez family walk into their favorite restaurant, The Fish Market. The hostess, standing in a glass booth, similar to phone booths from the early 20th…
October Surprise: Living Ghosts
Making Peace? At my workplace, the Diversity & Inclusion flag waves high. Over the past few months, more and more people are self-identifying their ethnic and racial backgrounds with pride, adding their pronouns to their signatures, all while membership in the various D&I groups within the broader organization is spiking. I, in fact, recently joined…
October Surprise: The Scary Truth
The Season of Dark Everyone who celebrates Halloween follows a similar tradition each year: the bringing out of boxes of decorations. As the crypt creaks open, the little witches and goblins and ghosts awaken from their year-long slumber. Soon after, the house transforms, both inside and out, into a ghoulish place, marking the arrival of…
What to Say, When to Say It—Part 5
The Quiet Part Out Loud
We The Users The other day, my 7-year-old said, “Dad, when I grow up, I’m not going to have Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or any of those.” In my mind I said, “Hallelujah.” Though he may not fully grasp what those apps exactly are, he understands what they do: steal his parents. My…
What to Say, When to Say It—Part 4
Break The Chain
Into the Abyss We are all on various text threads. Some are with your family, many are with co-workers, and several are with your friends. Many are group chats, others are one-on-one. Either way, this modern day version of passing notes is a vital form of communication that is often a bright spot in a…
What to Say, When to Say It-Part 3
Sniffing for Truth
Expect Respect As a young man, I considered going into politics. The closest I came to it was on the sidelines, when I was a political radio correspondent in Washington, D.C. in college. But instead of stoking inspiration, that short stint solidified my belief that politicians were corrupt, greedy, and phony, and therefore, I turned…
What to Say, When to Say It—Part 2
Taking a Side
A Funny Thing Happened… When public figures step out of character, we pay attention. This is especially true when comedians stop trying to make us laugh, and instead try to make us listen. This was exactly what happened when family-friendly comedian Jim Gaffigan began calling out the lies of Donald Trump vis a vis the…
What to Say, When to Say It—Part 1
Work/Life Balance?
Just Saying We were on a call with at least 40 people. One of those Friday team calls where you’re encouraged to say and ask anything. It’s leadership’s way of speaking about the elephant in the room. Trouble is, no one ever does. Or at least, we end up talking “around” the elephant. These days,…
¡Padrísimo! – Parte Cinco
Dads Who Are Real
Real Fatherhood Padrísimo (adjective) (colloquial) (Mexico) a. great, awesome Padre, Spanish for father, is one of many words within the magical lexicon of Mexican slang. It means cool. Great. ¡Qué padre! You might say when something is fantastic. Now, when you say padrísimo, it’s even better. As I wept watching Hillary Clinton’s concession speech the…
¡Padrísimo! – Parte Cuatro
Dads Who Protect
Angry Men Padrísimo (adjective) (colloquial) (Mexico) a. great, awesome Padre, Spanish for father, is one of many words within the magical lexicon of Mexican slang. It means cool. Great. ¡Qué padre! You might say when something is fantastic. Now, when you say padrísimo, it’s even better. During lunchtime one day, our cupboard was bare, so…
¡Padrísimo! – Parte Tres
Dads Who Live and Let Live
Steal Dad’s Phone Padrísimo (adjective) (colloquial) (Mexico) a. great, awesome Padre, Spanish for father, is one of many words within the magical lexicon of Mexican slang. It means cool. Great. ¡Qué padre! You might say when something is fantastic. Now, when you say padrísimo, it’s even better. There’s that age when your children question everything. I’m…
¡Padrísimo! – Parte Dos
Dads Who Set the Example
Benevolent, Fatherly Padrísimo (adjective) (colloquial) (Mexico) a. great, awesome Padre, Spanish for father, is one of many words within the magical lexicon of Mexican slang. It means cool. Great. “¡Qué padre!” You might say when something is fantastic. Now, when you say padrísimo, it’s even better. Everyone knows what we’re supposed to be doing in public…
¡Padrísimo! – Parte Uno
Dads Who Do
Get To It Padrísimo (adjective) (colloquial) (Mexico) a. great, awesome Padre, Spanish for father, is one of many words within the magical lexicon of Mexican slang. It means cool. Great. “¡Qué padre!” You might say when something is fantastic. Now, when you say padrísimo, it’s even better. Imagine a hot and sunny day, perfect for…
Cruise Line
Neo Normal Nostalgia: Perspectives on Normalcy during Covid-19
Going Places Growing up in Santa Fé, New Mexico—about 25 miles south of the Lowrider Capital of the World (Española, NM)—cars were a big deal. Make, model, paint job, hydraulics, lighting, and tunes were one thing, but showing off those cars was something else altogether. One of the main ways to do this was the…
5K Your Way
Neo Normal Nostalgia: Perspectives on Normalcy during Covid-19
Ready, Set, Go! The night before the race, we made sure to go to bed early knowing we had five kilometers to run in the morning. While it would be one of several I had run, it was my sons’ very first. The morning of the race we slept late. We had a nice pancake…
Father’s Day, Every Day
A Post-Father's Day Message from Father Time
The Whole World In Your Hands When you want to give me a kiss, it’s Father’s Day. And when you don’t want my kisses, it’s also Father’s Day. How you call me Dad when you’re being serious, or how you still call me Dada, or Daddy, or my favorite, “D,” when you just want to be…