Category: Current Events

Facebook Take a Break Feature puts friendships on Life Support

The other night a friend from my College Years posted something on Facebook that could be perceived as racist, if read in a certain light.  Specifically, any light bright enough to read her status post in. It would be easy to unfriend her and not look back.  In fact, since I am trying to trim... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 29, 2017 at 11:19 am • 

Emojis in work emails don't make you look dumb, doing these 7 things do

The other day I was riding the elevator, watching that Captivate board because my cell service craps out inside enclosed spaces like elevators and it was the only way to avoid any interaction with everyone else for those long 60 seconds it takes to get to the fifty something floor I work on. I cannot... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
September 6, 2017 at 10:48 am • 

What would you do with a Time Machine?

I posited the following question on my FB the other day: If you had a time machine, describe your first trip…what time period would you visit, what would you do? Some of my friends played along and came up with interesting things like “witness the Resurrection of Jesus” or “see Einstein and Eddington prove relativity. ... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
June 27, 2017 at 9:36 am • 
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The Commencement Address I'd love to give

It is extremely unlikely I will ever give a commencement speech in this lifetime.  I’m really okay with that too because just the shortlist of People More Qualified than I is a group known as Everyone Else on the Planet.  However, if I were ever asked, here is what I would like to say. Class... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
June 7, 2017 at 10:35 am • 

Bathroom Stalls are not Parking Spaces

This post was inspired by Christine Wolf’s Bloggin’ When I Got Nothin’ suggestion and two unrelated ChicagoNow posts that got my attention yesterday because they shared a theme: thinking of others before or at least in addition to yourself. Kim Z Dale wrote about accepting a drink voucher if you are not going to use... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
May 31, 2017 at 2:12 pm • 

Stop talking about the Order of Succession already

It’s not gonna fucking happen, at least not the way all my liberal, hippy, SJW and other left leaning friends think.  Maybe Trump gets impeached or is removed via the 25h amendment, though most likely he will simply resign first.  But if you think there is going to be a massive house cleaning of everyone... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
May 22, 2017 at 8:59 am • 
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You can show Empathy, Outrage and Restraint all at the same time

Hey, did you hear about that Thing That Happened just recently moments ago?  It’s all over the Twittersphere and my Facebook feed has gone nutzo with everyone posting the same headline that totally and accurately Sums Up Everything That Happened. Now the story has just come out, but of course we know everything about it... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
April 13, 2017 at 1:29 pm • 

CPS Proposed Acceptance Letter Graduation Requirement insane, out of touch

Mayor Rahm Emanuel obviously isn’t looking to run for a 3rd term.  Otherwise he would reconsider or seriously revamp a plan requiring high school graduates to have a post high school plan. “Starting with next year’s freshman class, in order to receive their high school diploma, all CPS students would have to show an acceptance... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
April 5, 2017 at 1:41 pm • 

What we can all learn from United's Legging Gate

By now the story has hopefully run it’s course over social media:  On a flight from Denver to Minneapolis last Sunday, a gate agent told some young passengers wearing leggings they could not board United flight 215 in that attire. The reason:  they were non-revenue passengers, meaning they were using passes issued to United employees... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
March 29, 2017 at 10:05 am • 
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What to do with your laptop when you need to go to the bathroom at a coffee shop

A lot of people, writers especially, like to work at a coffee shop instead of a home office or den. I’m not sure what the exact appeal is.  Maybe writers think they are emulating Hemingway or they enjoy the convenience of being able to order food and drink without having to stop working.  Maybe it’s... Read more »
By Michael Messinger,
January 31, 2017 at 10:38 am •