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Fruity flavors: Nicotine & tobacco in a smoke-free state
26 July 2010 7:55 PM | No CommentsI hadn’t realized how jarring it is to see people smoking indoors until I watched two DVDs this month. Barbra Streisand, as Katy in 1973’s “The Way We Were” smoked throughout the movie, including during her pregnancy. And from the land of television, Tim Robbins...
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Angels in Minnesota
26 July 2010 7:03 AM | No CommentsAngels are coming to Minnesota — at least that is the hope. The legislature is betting on the old Field of Dreams saying “If you build it, they will come” and hoping it will apply to angel investors and venture capital dollars over the next...
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Gathering ’round the Campfire
22 July 2010 12:29 PM | No CommentsLast Monday I became a parody of myself. I took to the woods with my ten-year-old son, accompanying six of his friends, and some of their parents to Scout Camp in Wisconsin. Our kids are Webelos, going into fifth grade. We joined around 100 other...
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Author Archive
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The Power of Place
Posted on July 15, 2010 | No CommentsLast week, I learned the 126 year-old private college in my hometown was closed. There were a fair number of national news articles noting why the decision was made. Less on the reasons of how the college found itself in poor financial-straits. Actually, I didn’t... -
One Top Spot We Don’t Want To Be
Posted on June 10, 2010 | 1 CommentYesterday, I heard from two different community leaders within a matter of hours a statistic that made me cringe. The Twin Cities holds another top title but this time it’s for having the greatest disparity between blacks and whites in terms of unemployment among other... -
Bi-Polarizing
Posted on April 19, 2010 | 5 CommentsI know there are daily media stories that serve as reminders that our country is growing more and more politically polarized. One only has to look around to bear witness to some vehement dispute, e.g. health care, climate change, etc. The rise of Tea Party... -
Systems Thinking
Posted on March 18, 2010 | 2 CommentsI’ve found myself involved in recent conversations about transportation in the Twin Cities region and increasingly these are becoming more frustrating. No, I’m not talking about pothole season. And it’s not just the usual venting about growing congestion, lack of transit options (even with the... -
Does the “Leadership” Section Stack up to Salinger or Zinn?
Posted on February 2, 2010 | 1 CommentWith the recent passings of J.D. Salinger and Howard Zinn, a recent table conversation among work colleagues turned to the impact of these two iconic authors’ works. We were not alone. In fact, MPR’s NewsQ question of the day asked listeners “What book changed your... -
Are You a Puzzle Master?
Posted on November 23, 2009 | 2 CommentsI recently attended a learning forum sponsored by the Surdna Foundation at which I heard the best metaphor for thinking about the practice of leadership. Manuel Pastor, a professor of Geography and American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California, described the difference...
