“Trump, more gangster than entrepreneur, has long surrounded himself with bottom-feeding scum, and for all his nationalist bluster, his campaign was a vehicle for Russian subversion.”

Go Goldberg.

1. When the Revolution Came for Amy Cuddy.

Because I know you’re as fascinated by social science politics as I am.

2. What’s So Bad About Ken Burns?

Because I know you’re as fascinated by history politics as I am.

3. New Zealand Government to ban foreigners from buying property.

Shit, that’s what I get for equivocating.

4. Paul Newman’s Rolex . . . fetches $17.8m.

Or about $16.8m more than expected. Great insights on marriage tucked in, including Newman saying a good marriage requires lust, respect, patience, and determination.

5. Teachers’ perceptions can become reality for students.

“Teachers expect 58 percent of white high school students — but just 37 percent of black high school students — to obtain at least a four-year college degree. And when evaluating the same black student, white teachers were 9 percentage points less likely than their black colleagues to expect that student to earn a college degree. This bias was more flagrant for black male students than for black female students.”

6. It’s time to admit that allowing men into the workplace was a mistake.

I like Ruth Graham.

“You might be able to make the case that if we just put strict limits of their leadership opportunities, we could avoid banning them from the workplace entirely. Sadly, however, it has now become clear that many men are not just incompetent but also dangerous. One recent poll found that 30 percent of women have endured unwanted advances from men they work with, with the majority of those women saying those advances rose to the level of sexual harassment.”

Satire people. I think.

I’m involved with a number of intense conflicts—in my work life, in my civic engagements (vague enough?) and my non-work life (even more vague, must protect the innocent). Fortunately, I’m mostly a minor character in the conflicts which provides the opportunity to do a lot of thinking about patterns and themes. Conflict is no fun, but the silver lining is I’m learning lots about different types, common causes, and preventive measures.

This focus on conflict prompts thinking about how job seekers find work that pays a livable wage? And how do they stay employed over time? A higher education, a trade, specialized knowledge and skills all increase the odds of finding and keeping decent paying jobs.

Thanks for that Captain Obvious.

Less appreciated is the incredible value of in-depth knowledge of conflict and conflict resolution skills. If there is a “Golden Ticket” to work place success, this is it. Last week, I told my student teachers that if I was a principal interviewing them (or for that matter, a business owner hiring anyone for my business), I’d ask, “What’s your approach to conflict resolution?” I’d seek applicants who would help our school community have fewer conflicts and help resolve inevitable ones as skillfully and expeditiously as possible.

If interviewing you, I’d listen to how intelligently you talk about conflict, specifically assessing whether you’re knowledgable about the different types, common causes, and preventive measures. I’d also listen for references to active listening and perspective-taking, giving extra-credit if you mention one or both. I’d do all of this while studying your demeanor, specifically whether you’re poised and calm or harried and tense.

I might ask about a conflict you played a part in and what you learned from it. And how teams are better and possibly worse as a result of your presence. Be prepared for me to ask for a specific example or two.

The leaders in the conflicts that currently occupy my time, have failed to maintain positive working relationships with those they lead. In every instance, the end result has been anger, distrust, hurt feelings, and a decline in the team’s work.

The only constant in today’s especially fluid economy is interpersonal conflict. It is not rising or falling, it’s constant, like a heartbeat. And Artificial Intelligence will be no match for it.

Anxious about how to find or keep a job that pays a livable wage? Become an expert in conflict—what causes it; the different forms it takes; and most importantly, how to solve it. To do that, be more introspective than you’ve been to this point about your strengths and vulnerabilities as a human being in close relationship with others. Self understanding is a key ingredient to avoiding conflicts and thoughtfully solving them. The better you get at avoiding conflicts and thoughtfully solving them, the more valuable you’re going to be to your work teams. The more valuable you are to your work teams, the brighter your employment prospects.

Best of all, heightened self-understanding and specialized conflict resolution knowledge and skills are directly transferable to non-work, personal relationships; consequently, an especially fortuitous ripple effect is more harmonious personal relationships and a better quality of life more generally.

Blessed are the peacemakers.

1. Why are more American teenagers than ever suffering from severe anxiety?

“Anxiety is the most common mental-health disorder in the United States, affecting nearly one-third of both adolescents and adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. But unlike depression, with which it routinely occurs, anxiety is often seen as a less serious problem.”

2. Eatonville middle schoolers take their physical education outdoors.

“Mr. McWilliams taught the class teambuilding, orienteering, and the ten essentials.”

Where was Mr. McWilliams at Lexington Junior High? When I head into the backcountry, I usually have two or three essentials.

3. One of the first Ironwomen in history returns to the race that made her famous.     Julie Moss. Badass.

4. America’s largest pumpkins—from the Specific Northwest.

5. Jodi Kantor on how Megan Twohey and she broke the Harvey Weinstein story wide open. Damn, let’s turn that investigative reporting genius on the White House

Eighty-four year old Dianne Feinstein has decided to run for re-election. She says she has the energy.

If I were a Californian, I would not vote for her. Nor would I vote for an 84 year old male. Whether she has the energy right now isn’t the question. The question is will she at age 90. No, she won’t. Isn’t there someone, somewhere in the Golden State, with more energy?

Golden Staters should thank Dianne for her service and elect Steve Kerr, a true youngster at 52, bad back and all.