LATEST BLOG POSTS

Leaders who know how to lead and change culture know culture eats strategy for breakfast. This concept figures strongly in Michael’s book, Gridiron Genius. When most people watch football, they see the game, maybe the game plan and strategy. We see it on the scale of a play, maybe a game involving twenty-two men on a field, maybe also the coaches and trainers. Michael sees each play in the context[…] Keep reading →

Regular readers know I volunteer to bring food from stores that throw away stock at the end of the day to a community center. Nearly all that food is fresh. It hasn’t gone bad, they just have new shipments coming in and have to make space. The system is broken. I’m just trying to keep some waste from entering landfills and into peoples’ stomachs. Sometimes people donate food from other[…] Keep reading →

I got my second bill with zero kilowatt-hours: Everyone‘s response includes speculating how it’s easier for me because I’m (take your pick): single, male, in New York, or privileged in some other way. Nobody speculates why it would be harder for me, like I don’t get economies of scale that I would if someone else were involved. But let’s grant every possible advantage. If you didn’t hear of me doing[…] Keep reading →

The bigger an achievement, the more it’s just the start of another stage in your life. Maybe swimming across the Hudson was my start of learning that you don’t have to fly to create life experiences, that we don’t have to accept what others consider impossible, and that we aren’t risking our lives to do things people have done for thousands of years. I’ve used the picture of my swimming[…] Keep reading →

Regular listeners know I started an experiment disconnecting from the electric grid. I began May 22. Then on July 22, I posted an episode that the solar panel or battery broke, or both. I didn’t see how I could continue so said that after I finished recording, I’d declare victory, reconnect to the grid, cook lunch, and move on. Regular listeners and readers of my blog know that I posted[…] Keep reading →

Where was Michelle Nijhuis all my life? She lived off the electric grid for fifteen years and I was about two months in, so we shared stories of the experiences. She did it much longer and her fiance had to assemble everything from scratch. I’m only two months in and can use off-the-shelf parts, but I’m in Manhattan, so can’t set up a permanent system. Some similarities: connecting with nature,[…] Keep reading →

I grew up learning that American culture meant can-do. That we took on challenges as a nation and as individuals. When the going got tough, the tough got going. The bigger they come the harder they fall. Now we face a challenge: our lifestyles are lowering Earth’s ability to sustain life, already killing tens of millions a year, projected more. Anyone can tell that we as a nation and every[…] Keep reading →