Does it seem like the world is falling apart? Systemic failure seems to be everywhere: the Texas power grid, the vaccine rollout, third-party hacks of
Everything I Learned In Business School Is Wrong*
The Wall Street Journal noted this week that bitcoin’s market value passed the $1 trillion mark, which should make anyone pause and think for a
Adventures in Bogeyland
(The PGA Tour’s West Coast swing is well under way and marching toward Augusta, so thoughts turn to golf. This post kicks off a series
Let’s Get Quantum
Lance Morrow, one of the wise men of journalism and a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, correctly notes that Americans are
#freeJamesBennet!
If you’re spending a lot of time at home because of Covid and the polar vortex covering nearly three-quarters of the country, you’re probably scouring
The Pothole Presidency
When Anthony Villaraigosa was mayor of Los Angeles — one of the biggest and most complex cities in the U.S. — he became famous for
California Lost
A friend and I like to joke that when one of the wags on the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page can’t come up with something
A Little Help From My Friends
Old habits die hard. I’m thinking of that cliché on my sixth day of post-op recovery from rotator cuff surgery. For some reason I’m reverting
Just Exactly Perfect Is Far From It
Enough about Trump, Biden and Buffalo Head Guy. I want to talk about me. Actually, I want to talk about this blog. I started this
“You Got This, Joe”
This is going to be about Joe Biden, but let’s put politics aside for the moment. This is about a man who was elected by
Every Picture Tells a Story
(Editor’s Note: Today, JEP features a guest post by Bob Wynne on the ineffable and enduring power of photography. Bob is an award-winning journalist, public
Mea Culpa: Boy, Did I Get It Wrong
I have a confession to make: I never saw this coming. Four years ago this month, Donald Trump stood at the West Front of the
The Social Media Mob: What’s Next?
Years ago, when social media was still in its early stages, Kit would tell interviewers that it was creating a profound disconnect. “Everybody has a
Winner and Losers
“Big protest in D.C. on January 6th! Be there, will be wild!” — Trump tweet Well, Trump got his wish. There was a big protest
A Fly On the Wall: Trump & Pence
Partial transcript of Trump’s meeting with Vice President Pence in the Oval Office early on Wednesday, Jan. 6. Trump: Mike, what’s your plan today? How
Perspective During the Plague Year
For as much joy as I experienced in 2020 — yes, there was some! — it was overwhelmed by tragedy, both at the personal level
New Year’s Resolutions
Hat tip to John Perry Barlow, RIP Be patient. No matter what. Don’t bad-mouth: Assign responsibility, not blame. Say nothing of another you wouldn’t say
2020’s Top Recipes
Food became a lot more important during the pandemic — not just for nutrition, but also for comfort and communing. Plus, we didn’t go out
Baker’s Dozen: 13 Predictions for 2021
Faithful readers of Just Exactly Perfect have come to expect an annual review capturing highlights of popular culture from the preceding year. Not this time,
Dear Joe, Please Don’t F*** Up the Economy
Mr. President-Elect, First of all, congratulations! Who would have ever thought after your long career, and two failed attempts at the presidency, you would be
Southport: A Love Story
Like a lot of us, I occasionally scan the Nextdoor website just to see what’s going on in the greater Southport neighborhood. The posts range
Covid Time: A Musical Appreciation
Everything changed in 2020. The coronavirus bomb exploded in January and the repercussions are still expanding. The objective metrics are numerous – transmission rates, business
America, You Can Breathe Out Again (Just Do It With a Mask On)
Kit used to pick up the New York Times in the morning and sometimes say, “Let’s see what they’re going to make us feel guilty
Keep It Simple, Joe
We’re going to spend the next few weeks going through wash-and-rinse cycles of the political machine as the Trump Administration wrestles with its loss. There’s
The Morning After
Wow, the election has been a wild ride and it ain’t over yet. But while all the attention is on the race for the White
The Trump Virus
“We are not enemies, but friends.” — Abraham Lincoln, 1861 In the aftermath of this great election, it suddenly becomes clear what the Trump presidency
We Are All Flexitarians Now!
Where I live, a small enclave of people who have migrated to coastal North Carolina to enjoy salt air, green grass, blue skies and white
Takeaways From the Biden-Trump Cage Match
Trump’s Mike Tyson Strategy Tyson famously said that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Trump’s strategy in the first debate
Back to the Future
“The past is never over; it’s not even past.“ — William Faulkner Peter Baker and Susan Glasser’s new book on the life of James Baker,
Kit Yarrow: A Life
Kit Yarrow passed away on May 21, 2020 after a long and brave struggle with ovarian cancer. A light has left the world, but her
The Pandemic Chronicles: 5 Paradigm Shifts
“Buddy, can you paradigm?” So, in our spare time (anybody finding that there’s more spare time out there these days?) it’s interesting to think about
After the Virus: How to Build a Safety Culture
As America begins its comeback — a tentative and lurching return to some kind of normalcy — one of the biggest challenges will be the
7 Lessons We Should Be Learning From the Pandemic
“It’s the end of the world as we know it”— REM It’s true that we should never let a crisis go to waste. One of
Coronavirus: A New Approach
(One in a series of suggested alternative communications for President Donald Trump.) My fellow citizens and friends, we are facing a test of our national
Our Broken Culture: Can Golf Fix It?
We have a civility problem in America; specifically, an increasing lack of it. Our country is devolving into a culture of conflict, disrespect and discord.
Best of 2019: A Baker’s Dozen
Well, I don’t want to start out as a buzzkill, but 2019 was in many ways a mean old year, or annus horribilis as the Queen
A New America
Here’s the speech Trump ought to give in Dayton and El Paso on Wednesday. Mr. President, please feel free to use at will, no remuneration
The New Wave of Smart Business
McDonalds’ founder Ray Kroc once famously said that it took him 30 years to become an overnight success. The same could be said about the
10 Reasons Why The Masters is the Perfect Golf Championship
A Sense of Place The Masters has been held in the same spot, every year, since it began in 1934. There are other tournaments that have a fixed home, but none of them are majors and none have the history, the personality and the stories that Augusta offers. Over the years, the familiarity with the […]