Popular Culture Archives - Page 4 of 15

Core Issues – Balance and Perspective

By Bill Clontz May 5, 2022 May 6, 2022 2 Comments

Deciding Issues of Rights, Responsibilities, and Governance

Two Topics Dominate the News – More is at Stake Than the Obvious

While Ukraine and other important issues continue to be important and visible, two new topics have seized the headlines and our consciousness: the sale of Twitter and the risks to reproductive freedom, especially for those without economic or political power, in today’s America.

Both issues have some components that often are overlooked but are key to why there is so much energy around both issues. Let’s take a look.

Twitter

The still to be finalized but likely to go through purchase of Twitter by Elon Musk,

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What We Need Is Trust

By Bill Clontz April 19, 2022 April 22, 2022 2 Comments

Part II of the Discussion – The Workplace and, Meeting Space Deficits

Trust Writ Large

We talked earlier this week about the serious erosion of social trust, including the all -important but often unrecognized weak link trust that makes for a functioning society. We discussed that while a bit of this is a part of human nature, the downside of such distrust got a long term and deep boost from the Reagan era, which fed right into what the conspiracy theorists and far righters have brought to maturity over the last 4-6 years.

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So Much Comes Down to Trust

By Bill Clontz April 18, 2022 April 19, 2022 1 Comment

It Seems a Rare Commodity These Days. That Hurts Us All

First of a Two-Part Commentary

Let’s take a bit of time to talk about trust. Today, the general nature and specific outcomes from whether we have trust or not. Later in the week, we will talk a bit about how this is being reflected in the workplace and in other gatherings. Some important rumblings are happening that we should take account of, and address.

Trust as An Essential Social Element

A lot has been written of late about the element of social trust perhaps being another long-term casualty of the pandemic.

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Reflections on Memorials

By Bill Clontz April 7, 2022 April 8, 2022 Leave a Comment

Memorial Services Remind Us of Important Truths and Priorities

A First Such Gathering in a Long Time

Last week I attended a memorial service for a friend. It was one of the first such gatherings I have participated in since the pandemic began. After such a long absence, I remembered of why such assemblies are important to us all.

By “us all,” I refer not only to the memory of those lost to us, but also to their families, friends, acquaintances, and the larger community.

Different Communities Do This in Very Different Ways

I am a Unitarian Universalist,

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Short Observations on a Busy, Weird Week

By Bill Clontz March 31, 2022 April 1, 2022 Leave a Comment

The Last Few Days Have Been Long on the Sublime and the Ridiculous

Starting with the Easy Stuff

The Academy Awards

I have long found it increasingly harder to care at all about the Academy Awards. It seems a party of self-congratulation among people whose lives have zero relevance or connection to the rest of the world. But, hey, I have my favorite movies, too and and sometimes the outcomes are interesting. The Big News this time, of course was Will Smith slapping Chris Rock. Four VERY short observations:

Way too much has been written and discussed on this little dustup already.

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The Best Advice and Experience May Come from Wildly Different Sources

By Bill Clontz March 14, 2022 March 18, 2022 2 Comments

My Life Has Run That Course. Allow Me to Share Two Different But Shared Paths

What Skills and Mindset are Important in Life?

How about that for a “simple question” to begin this with? Might as well go big and aim for the core issues, I think. Life demands a lot of all of us – some more than others, but all of us at one time or another. The list of important and desirable traits and approaches is long, but two seem to me to be pretty near the top of the list in a modern,

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Big & Little Things Noted Lately

By Bill Clontz March 13, 2022 March 15, 2022 3 Comments

Funny How Things Catch Your Attention. Here are a Few That Caught My Eye Today

TV Interviews at Home

One thing the pandemic made routine was people on tv being interviewed in their homes. We have been doing this for two years now, and some people are on tv regularly being seen from their homes.

For these repeaters, I am really surprised that we see that we are in their bedrooms, or kitchen, or some other space that looks unprofessional. By now, one would think they would put up a background screen or use one of the electronic backgrounds readily available,

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Relooking and Rethinking the Arts

By Bill Clontz March 3, 2022 March 4, 2022 1 Comment

New Technologies and Approaches Lead to New Perspectives

The van Gogh Effect

Many of you are probably aware that something of a phenomenon launched last year with some high-tech based shows around Vincent van Gogh and his work. One such exhibit opened, finding much commercial success and attention. As such things go, several more variations opened all around the country. There must be at least a half-dozen of them now, with spin offs coming along built around other artists.

We were curious enough to sign up for one a few months ago in a city not too far away from us,

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