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Mark O'Brien Writer, Blogger

I'm the founder and principal of O'Brien Communications Group (obriencg.com) and the co-founder and President of EinSource (einsource.com). I'm a lifelong writer. My wife, Anne, and I have two married sons and four grandchildren. I'm having the time of my life.

Books Authored By Mark O'Brien

Random Thoughts
By Mark Nelson O'Brien

Recent Content

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Ready To Go &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Ready to Go

If you’ve read my book, Random Thoughts: A Writer’s Notebook, you know I was employed as a hospital orderly in Meriden, Connecticut, from mid-1972 to mid-1974. I worked the first shift, which was …

If you’ve read my …

If you’ve read my book, Random Thoughts: A Writer’s Notebook, you know I was employed as a hospital orderly in Meriden, Connecticut, from mid-1972 to mid-1974. I worked the first shift, which was 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. My duties consisted of lifting and transporting patients, taking bodies to the morgue, occasionally assisting with autopsies on those bodies, helping funeral directors remove those bodies and others from the morgue, and providing aid to nurses (all of whom were female in those dark, oppressively paternalistic, binary days) with manual tasks for which they didn’t have the s…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien April 14, 2025
On The Level &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
On the Level

It’s a little-known fact that if the number of steps in your house — including the ones leading into the house — isn’t even, the house won’t be level. When I learned that, it freaked me out …

It’s a little-know…

It’s a little-known fact that if the number of steps in your house — including the ones leading into the house — isn’t even, the house won’t be level. When I learned that, it freaked me out to the point that I decided to count all the steps in and around our home. I counted the steps:Down to the basement From the basement out through the bulkhead Into the sunroom from the patio Up to the deck off our bedroom Up to the entrance to the breezeway between the garage and the house Down from the breezeway to the garage Up from the breezeway to my office Up to the front door.The total w…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien April 7, 2025
It Smells Like God &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
It Smells Like God

Over the weekend, Anne and I went to Ballek’s Garden Center to buy a plant for the inside of the house and a planter for the outside. Anne goes there much more frequently than I do. And every time I…

Over the weekend, An…

Over the weekend, Anne and I went to Ballek’s Garden Center to buy a plant for the inside of the house and a planter for the outside. Anne goes there much more frequently than I do. And every time I go, I wonder why I don’t go more often. As you drive up the winding gravel trail toward the barn and the store, the pasture to the left is full of cows peacefully grazing, barely interested in the cars that come and go all day. At the top of the trail, there are a few parking spaces to the left, directly in front of the store. But most people park to the right of the trail, at the edge of the f…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien March 31, 2025
The Days Of The Week &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
The Days of the Week

The story you’re about to read is true. The names haven’t been changed to protect the innocent because everyone in the story is innocent, some more than others. The telling of this story is inspir…

The story you’re a…

The story you’re about to read is true. The names haven’t been changed to protect the innocent because everyone in the story is innocent, some more than others. The telling of this story is inspired by my friend, Charlotte Wittenkamp, by whom I was moved to tell the first part of it in a LinkedIn thread she started. She’s innocent, too. Many years ago, I was returning from a Sunday afternoon outing with some friends in their station wagon. (Remember station wagons?) Frank drove. Janine sat beside him. I occupied the back seat. And, Sarah, their three-year-old daughter, played in the way…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien March 24, 2025
The Waterloo Diaries: The Bedsore Conspiracy &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
The Waterloo Diaries: The Bedsore Conspiracy

Author’s Note: Since I published my graphic novel, The Waterloo Diaries: The Bedsore Conspiracy, the book has received reviews from several people, including Dennis Pitocco, Victor Acquista, Sigmund…

Author’s Note: Sin…

Author’s Note: Since I published my graphic novel, The Waterloo Diaries: The Bedsore Conspiracy, the book has received reviews from several people, including Dennis Pitocco, Victor Acquista, Sigmund Freud, William Faukner, Brené Brown, Eckhardt Tolle, a sanitation worker named Moe Zambeek, Professor Herman J. Fleabeard in Piously Pedantic Prattle, the noted book critic, Wilbur Freemish, and Spud Needleman, a reporter for The Magnolia State Bugle. But I didn’t think any of those reviews was as dissociatively objective as I would have liked. So, I asked Dennis Pitocco if he’d have the boo…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien March 3, 2025
A Farewell To Arms &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
A Farewell to Arms

There’s been much speculation about Ernest Hemingway’s novel, A Farewell to Arms, which was published by Scribner in 1929. On the surface, it appears to be the story of the American, Frederic Henr…

There’s been much …

There’s been much speculation about Ernest Hemingway’s novel, A Farewell to Arms, which was published by Scribner in 1929. On the surface, it appears to be the story of the American, Frederic Henry, who’s serving as a lieutenant in the ambulance corps of the Italian army in WWI. But psychosexual scholars find a deeper meaning, tying it to Hemingway’s four marriages. During the time he was writing the first books of A Farewell to Arms (there are five, with chapters in each), he was married to Hadley Richardson. They were married in 1921 and divorced in 1927. Hemingway had been attracted…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien February 24, 2025
An Ode To Billie Jean &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
An Ode to Billie Jean

Unless you came here from another planet, you’ve likely heard Michael Jackson’s song, “Billie Jean”, at some point in your life. Come to think of it, at least one person who came here from ano…

Unless you came here…

Unless you came here from another planet, you’ve likely heard Michael Jackson’s song, “Billie Jean”, at some point in your life. Come to think of it, at least one person who came here from another planet did hear the song. Superman had it played at his wedding to Lois Lane. And he did the moonwalk — on the actual moon! But I don’t want to get off track (no pun intended). During the recording sessions for Thriller, Michael Jackson (MJ) approached Quincy Jones (QJ), the producer, with an idea: MJ: I want to write a song called, “Jelly Bean.” QJ: Come again. MJ: Yeah. I want to wr…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien February 17, 2025
Imatter &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
iMatter

It seems as if more and more people are in need of validation and positive reinforcement as of late. I don’t know if this is a reaction to our being in the last year of the first quarter of the 21st…

It seems as if more …

It seems as if more and more people are in need of validation and positive reinforcement as of late. I don’t know if this is a reaction to our being in the last year of the first quarter of the 21st century. I’m not sure if there’s something in the water that’s causing levels of insecurity to rise. Or maybe it’s just that we’ve come so far so fast — and given the cyclical nature of everything — we’re in a natural period of regression in which we’re less sure of ourselves than we’ve been in the past when we were distracted by less important things like being productive, ea…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien February 10, 2025
Like Floating On Air(Wheels) &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Like Floating on Air(wheels)

I love reading spam emails for the same reason I love watching bad movies. They always make me wonder: Who wrote them? Did they actually make sense to whomever wrote them? Did the people who wrote the…

I love reading spam …

I love reading spam emails for the same reason I love watching bad movies. They always make me wonder: Who wrote them? Did they actually make sense to whomever wrote them? Did the people who wrote them have any questions about them? Who released them? Did they actually make sense to the people who released them? Did the people who released them have any questions about them? Case in point: An email recently got through my spam filter. It was promoting the Airwheel, a combination carry-on suitcase, and suitcase, and powered scooter. As I was reading it and scratching my head, it occurred to me …

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien February 3, 2025
Black, No Sugar: Part Two &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Black, No Sugar: Part Two

If you read Part One of this series, you recall my having learned Melitta Coffee filters were invented by a German woman, Melitta Bentz. Since then, Anne has been to the store to buy more coffee Melit…

If you read Part One…

If you read Part One of this series, you recall my having learned Melitta Coffee filters were invented by a German woman, Melitta Bentz. Since then, Anne has been to the store to buy more coffee Melitta coffee filters. And now I’ve learned they come in two colors — white and brown. Since I was curious as to why, I did some research. This is what I discovered. White filters are subjected to a bleaching process. Generally speaking, the bleaching agents used can be chlorine or oxygen. Melitta uses oxygen because it’s allegedly better for the environment than chlorine, even though chlorine c…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien January 27, 2025
Cut Me To The Bone &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Cut Me to the Bone

I don’t know why, but ever since the Holidays, I’ve been spammed with ads for Coolina knives. They show up on my phone. They show up on my computer and my iPad. They even started showing up in my …

I don’t know why, …

I don’t know why, but ever since the Holidays, I’ve been spammed with ads for Coolina knives. They show up on my phone. They show up on my computer and my iPad. They even started showing up in my dreams, which is the only place I can prepare food without cutting my fingers off. And while I admit it’s a tangent, here’s a true story. When my first wife, Marianne, was pregnant with my first son, Sean, we’d invited my Aunt Maryellen to dinner one evening. Marianne didn’t cook. So, that gave me the opportunity to have two ideas:I thought it would be a good idea to serve turnips. I tho…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien January 20, 2025
Expectations Vs. Intentions: Part Two &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Expectations vs. Intentions: Part Two

In the first part of what I didn’t know at the time would become a series, I cited a conversation on the Friendship Bench, led by everyone’s friend, Phil “Don’t Call Me Hank” Williams, in wh…

In the first part of…

In the first part of what I didn’t know at the time would become a series, I cited a conversation on the Friendship Bench, led by everyone’s friend, Phil “Don’t Call Me Hank” Williams, in which he asked a provocative question:What are your expectations for going into a relationship and how will you approach it intentionally?In a more recent conversation on the Bench, we were led by Nick Heap, a delightful gentleman and an estimable thinker. He, too, posed a provocative, figurative question:What would you do to rule if you were appointed king of some land?I call the question f…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien January 13, 2025
Expectations Vs. Intentions &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Expectations vs. Intentions

The conversation on last week’s Friendship Bench was led by everyone’s friend, Phil Williams. As always, Phil brought his A Game and his soothing demeanor. He also brought a provocative question f…

The conversation on …

The conversation on last week’s Friendship Bench was led by everyone’s friend, Phil Williams. As always, Phil brought his A Game and his soothing demeanor. He also brought a provocative question for us to contemplate as he sent us into breakout rooms:What are your expectations for going into a relationship and how will you approach it intentionally?I struggled a bit with what I take to be the juxtaposition of expectations against intentionality. Here’s why: It’s at least arguable that expectations are externally directed. They may or may not be reasonable. They may derive from outc…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien December 9, 2024
The Christmas Spirit &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
The Christmas Spirit

Just like our story, the original Christmas tales were stories of searching, not so much for the lost, as for the familiar. Mary and Joseph sought in Bethlehem — the home of their familial ancestry …

Just like our story,…

Just like our story, the original Christmas tales were stories of searching, not so much for the lost, as for the familiar. Mary and Joseph sought in Bethlehem — the home of their familial ancestry — a place to start their own family; the three kings from the East journeyed beneath the sentinel star to find the King of Kings; and the shepherds sought a child in a place most familiar to them: a manger. (Richard Paul Evans, Finding Noel)Last year, Anne and I attended a Christmas gathering at the home of some friends, Ron and Nancy. Their dining room was gloriously appointed with Christmas …

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien December 2, 2024
Straighten Out The Language &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Straighten Out the Language

First, I would straighten out the language. (Confucius, asked how he’d restore order to the world)I’ve recently come to two equally important conclusions:I need to relax more. If I were a dire…

First, I would strai…

First, I would straighten out the language. (Confucius, asked how he’d restore order to the world)I’ve recently come to two equally important conclusions:I need to relax more. If I were a director of a TV show, I’d carry a red card in my pocket like a soccer referee.Here’s why: Exhibit A Anne and I recently watched the season premiere of Unsellable Houses on HGTV. The program features twin sisters, Mimsy and Flimsy — allegedly the largest-selling realtors in the Pacific Northwest. It’s easy to tell they’re realtors, as opposed to linguists, by the way they talk. During the …

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien November 25, 2024
What Price Freedom? &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
What Price Freedom?

Recently, my friend and fellow BizCatalyst 360˚ columnist, John Dunia, wrote a post called, “FREEDUMB”, in which he pondered the definition of freedom and its various interpretations and applicat…

Recently, my friend …

Recently, my friend and fellow BizCatalyst 360˚ columnist, John Dunia, wrote a post called, “FREEDUMB”, in which he pondered the definition of freedom and its various interpretations and applications in the United States. John and I know we stand on different sides of the political aisle. We also know we respect and care for each other. Knowing that, I wrote this in the comments:Thank you for the post, John. It’s characteristically thoughtful and insightful. “Freedom, by default, has limitations.” Yes. That’s why we have the Constitution, which we ignore more and more with each …

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien November 19, 2024
Feelin’ Galoovey &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Feelin’ Galoovey

During a visit to my primary care physician on Election Day, he told me my lab tests had revealed acute, chronic Bonkus of the Konkus. “How long have I had that?” I asked. “Probably your whole l…

During a visit to my…

During a visit to my primary care physician on Election Day, he told me my lab tests had revealed acute, chronic Bonkus of the Konkus. “How long have I had that?” I asked. “Probably your whole life,” he said. “But it’s probably flaring up because of the election.” “Am I in trouble?” I asked. With a smile I took to be disarming and inappropriate, he said, “No. You’re at risk.” “What kind of risk?” “It depends who wins the election,” he said with a wink. “That’s easy for you to say,” I blurted. “What should I do?” “Relax,” he said. “I’ll call in …

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien November 18, 2024
Black, No Sugar &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Black, No Sugar

If you’re anything like me, you have days in which, on things you’ve seen a million times, you suddenly notice something you’ve never noticed before. So it was that Saturday morning, I reached f…

If you’re anything…

If you’re anything like me, you have days in which, on things you’ve seen a million times, you suddenly notice something you’ve never noticed before. So it was that Saturday morning, I reached for the box of Melitta Coffee filters for which I reach every day, more than once on most days. The word, German, seemed to jump off the box at me. And I read this:In 1908, a German homemaker, Melitta Bentz, made history when she invented the coffee filter. Tired of drinking bitter coffee, she poked holes in the bottom of a brass cup and lined it with a sheet of her son’s blotting paper. The re…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien November 11, 2024
Between A Wok And A Hard Place &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Between a Wok and a Hard Place

For those of you who’ve never suffered from insomnia, I’m here to tell you it’s a dangerous thing. If you have insomnia, you run the risk of experiencing fatigue, impaired cognition, mood distur…

For those of you who…

For those of you who’ve never suffered from insomnia, I’m here to tell you it’s a dangerous thing. If you have insomnia, you run the risk of experiencing fatigue, impaired cognition, mood disturbances, chronic diseases, weakened immune systems, accidents and injuries, reduced productivity, relationship problems, and increased risk of mortality. Worst of all, if you suffer from insomnia, you’re likely to be subject to late-night TV infomercials. I know whereof I speak … uh … write. In the early ‘90s, during a bout of insomnia, I happened to see an infomercial for what was billed a…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien November 4, 2024
A Real Pickle &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
A Real Pickle

Unless you’ve lived in Outer Mongolia for a while (quite a while) or have already moved down into your survival bunker ahead of the 2024 U.S. Presidential election season that now stretches from Lab…

Unless you’ve live…

Unless you’ve lived in Outer Mongolia for a while (quite a while) or have already moved down into your survival bunker ahead of the 2024 U.S. Presidential election season that now stretches from Labor Day to Easter to allow sufficient ballot-box stuffing and counting the votes of dead people, you may have heard of Pickleball. You may even have played Pickleball. If so, you’re clearly not alone. Believe this or not (I couldn’t) there’s even a site for USA Pickleball and a site for Pickleheads. And that’s not the worst of it. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien October 28, 2024
In The Soup &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
In the Soup

Because I’m something of a newshound, I came across a press release on the Reuters site the other day, the headline of which was this: “Campbell Soup dropping ‘soup’ in name to become ‘The C…

Because I’m someth…

Because I’m something of a newshound, I came across a press release on the Reuters site the other day, the headline of which was this: “Campbell Soup dropping ‘soup’ in name to become ‘The Campbell’s Company‘”. The drift of the release was this:Campbell Soup is dropping “soup” from its name to become “The Campbell’s Company” … a pivot symbolizing the company’s shift to other packaged food such as jarred sauces like Rao’s and Goldfish snacks … Campbell’s is focusing on 16 top brands across its meals and beverages and snacking division including Goldfish, V8…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien October 21, 2024
What’s So Funny? &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
What’s So Funny?

On September 19th, I led a conversation on the Friendship Bench about humor. Among other things, we discovered humor — particularly joke-telling, the nature of the jokes being told, and the people t…

On September 19th, I…

On September 19th, I led a conversation on the Friendship Bench about humor. Among other things, we discovered humor — particularly joke-telling, the nature of the jokes being told, and the people to whom they’re told — should be a matter of respect. (Thank you, Phil Williams.) Yet I remain curious: How far should respect go? Do we need to Exercise respect for every demographic group such that some jokes are simply off limits because of their possible connotations or their potential (mis)interpretations? What are the respective responsibilities of teller and listener? If I know a joke, t…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien October 14, 2024
Stereo Stoners &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Stereo Stoners

It was 1975. I was 21 years old. It was time to buy my first serious stereo system because if it was 1975 and you were 21 years old, that’s what you were supposed to do. I enlisted by buddy, George,…

It was 1975. I was 2…

It was 1975. I was 21 years old. It was time to buy my first serious stereo system because if it was 1975 and you were 21 years old, that’s what you were supposed to do. I enlisted by buddy, George, to aid me in purchasing the requisite components — a stereo receiver, a turntable, and a pair of speakers. George was five years older than me. He still is. So, at 26, he was considerably more knowledgeable and worldly than I was, at least in my 21-year-old view of the world. Plus, he already had a serious stereo system. That made him the perfect choice. As fortune would have it, 1975 also was …

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien October 7, 2024
Stunning Climate Change News: Part Two &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Stunning Climate Change News: Part Two

Some of you may recall my having published a post two weeks called, “Stunning Climate Change News”, in which I shared an alarming portent from The Washington Post that autumn would bring cooler te…

Some of you may reca…

Some of you may recall my having published a post two weeks called, “Stunning Climate Change News”, in which I shared an alarming portent from The Washington Post that autumn would bring cooler temperatures to parts of the United States. Those cooling temperatures have nothing to do with the weather, of course. Rather, they’re entirely attributable to anthropogenic climate change. To cope with the thermal dips attributable to climate change, people in the affected areas are encouraged to wear heavier clothing. As it turns out, along with our outerwear, the plot is also thickening. On Fri…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien September 30, 2024
Respect &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Respect

My cohorts and I recently engaged in a conversation about humor on the Friendship Bench. As we considered what makes things funny — why some people find things funny and others don’t, why some peo…

My cohorts and I rec…

My cohorts and I recently engaged in a conversation about humor on the Friendship Bench. As we considered what makes things funny — why some people find things funny and others don’t, why some people can tell jokes to some people and not to others — my friend, Phil Williams, said in his inimitable fashion that it all comes down to Relationships. I interpreted that to mean the respect shared between the teller and the listener. Both of those parties have responsibilities in the way, and to whom, jokes are told and received. Jokes may or may not reflect opinions. They may not indicate depr…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien September 23, 2024
Stunning Climate Change News! &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Stunning Climate Change News!

Before you read any farther, sit down. I’m about to share a headline from The Washington Post that’s going to jar your preserves. I’d break it to you more gently if I could. But I can’t. By th…

Before you read any …

Before you read any farther, sit down. I’m about to share a headline from The Washington Post that’s going to jar your preserves. I’d break it to you more gently if I could. But I can’t. By the same token, I don’t want to keep you hanging or to be overly dramatic. And I really won’t blame you if you think I’m making this whole thing up. But I’m not doing that, either. This stuff is really happening. So, here goes. (Hold the drum roll, please.): Fall is sweeping into the Lower 48 states. Here are 4 things to know. Can you believe that? This what follows that bomb in part: The n…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien September 16, 2024
My Signature Dish &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
My Signature Dish

I don’t why. But I love to watch Beat Bobby Flay on the Food Channel. Maybe it’s that Bobby Flay is such an accomplished chef and restauranteur. Or maybe it’s just that he’s such a charming ge…

I don’t why. But I…

I don’t why. But I love to watch Beat Bobby Flay on the Food Channel. Maybe it’s that Bobby Flay is such an accomplished chef and restauranteur. Or maybe it’s just that he’s such a charming gentleman and all around good guy. But that doesn’t really matter. In any case, the format of the show is the same, week after week: Two competing guest chefs go head-to-head cooking a dish with an ingredient Bobby chooses. They have to make that ingredient the star of their dishes. One of those two chefs is declared the winner by two celebrity guests who may or may not know anything about food. T…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien September 9, 2024
Stormy Weather &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Stormy Weather

As a result of watching our local meteorologists forecast the weather, I have an idea that will simplify the way those meteorologists present the forecasts. That idea will also help their viewers unde…

As a result of watch…

As a result of watching our local meteorologists forecast the weather, I have an idea that will simplify the way those meteorologists present the forecasts. That idea will also help their viewers understand their forecasts and be able to explain them to family, friends, and other loved ones who might not have TVs or might have better things to do than to watch local meteorologists forecast the weather. Since we (at least in the West) read from left to right — and since most weather fronts (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) move west to east (which is the same as left to right, depending o…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien August 26, 2024
Our New Espresso Machine &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Our New Espresso Machine

Recently, our son, Quinn, and his wife, Katie, gave us a Nespresso machine. Since I prefer my coffee strong enough to slice it, it was right up my alley. The machine came with a variety pack of coffee…

Recently, our son, Q…

Recently, our son, Quinn, and his wife, Katie, gave us a Nespresso machine. Since I prefer my coffee strong enough to slice it, it was right up my alley. The machine came with a variety pack of coffees, each bearing an Italian name, followed by descriptions, also in Italian. This was the assortment:Il Caffé, described as Diavolitto (devilish), and Altissio (high). After drinking a cup of this, I was so wired, I understood it to mean Hell might be up, not down. Voltesso, described as Inizio (beginning) and Toccanto (touched). The electric effect of this blend was like the initial jolt you ge…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien August 20, 2024
Hazardous Horoscopes &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Hazardous Horoscopes

COLOMBO (AFP) — Sri Lankan police arrested an astrologer after he predicted a planetary change this month will be inauspicious for parliament and the government may not be able to arrest rising livi…

COLOMBO (AFP) — Sr…

COLOMBO (AFP) — Sri Lankan police arrested an astrologer after he predicted a planetary change this month will be inauspicious for parliament and the government may not be able to arrest rising living costs – a prediction already made by private economists … Sri Lankan politicians take astrology seriously and most have their own personal seers who decide the auspicious times to launch any new program or work.Following Sri Lanka’s lead, I’m pressing charges against my astrologer, Madame Beluga, for unreasonably favorable predictions. My attorney characterized my case as feeble, but …

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien August 13, 2024
Ubi In The Real World &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
UBI in the Real World

Utopians and their schemes always put me in mind of the comment the late Peter Drucker once made about business schools: “In business school classrooms they construct beautiful models of a non-world…

Utopians and their s…

Utopians and their schemes always put me in mind of the comment the late Peter Drucker once made about business schools: “In business school classrooms they construct beautiful models of a non-world.” I completely understand idealism. But idealism separated from reality and human psychology, like Utopia, will never come to fruition because of … well … reality and human psychology. One of the Utopian ideas that surfaces from time to pie-in-the-sky time is that of the universal basic income or UBI as it’s known in our abbreviation-mad world. According to Investopedia, UBI is:A govern…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien August 6, 2024
Sweet Dreams &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Sweet Dreams

Author’s Note: I had intended to write a long disclaimer for this post. I was going to write something along these lines: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, an…

Author’s Note: I h…

Author’s Note: I had intended to write a long disclaimer for this post. I was going to write something along these lines: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination, are used in a fictitious manner, or came to the author in a dream (or perhaps a nightmare). Any resemblance to actual persons —living, dead, or imaginary — or actual events is purely coincidental, a damn shame, or all three. But then I just decided to settle for this. I had a dream the other night that I was conducting a weekly…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien July 29, 2024
Fictional Identity Theft &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Fictional Identity Theft

I’ve filed suit against Chatham Village for theft of my fictional identity. Here’s why: The other day, Anne came home from the grocery store with a bag of croutons from Chatham Village. The name o…

I’ve filed suit ag…

I’ve filed suit against Chatham Village for theft of my fictional identity. Here’s why: The other day, Anne came home from the grocery store with a bag of croutons from Chatham Village. The name on the bag was Garden Herb.Garden Herb is the nom de scène I adopted for my stage act, in which I do impressions of a variety of vegetables. I adopted it in 1996 when Bill Clinton was re-elected. I realized then that some majority of the electorate lived in a vegetative state and would likely respond favorably to (and pay handsomely for the opportunity of seeing) a series of characterizations to…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien July 22, 2024
A World Of Hope &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
A World of Hope

On May 8th, Jewish Journal ran an article — ‘Killing America’ and The Evolution of Hate” — that says this, in part:Filmmaker Eli Steele set out to explore why antisemitism exploded in Bay …

On May 8th, Jewish J…

On May 8th, Jewish Journal ran an article — ‘Killing America’ and The Evolution of Hate” — that says this, in part:Filmmaker Eli Steele set out to explore why antisemitism exploded in Bay Area schools, and subsequently why it is prevalent on many campuses across the state. The result is “Killing America,” a captivating 38-minute documentary … The film presents a compelling, alarming, and frustrating narrative. It highlights the prioritization of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (DEI), and ethnic studies over honor classes … When asked what can be done to turn things around,…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien July 15, 2024
Big Brother By Any Other Name &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Big Brother by Any Other Name

Among the many magazines that come to our home for Anne, because she’s a designer and decorator, is one called, Architectural Products. A recent edition ran an article called, “The Smartest Buildi…

Among the many magaz…

Among the many magazines that come to our home for Anne, because she’s a designer and decorator, is one called, Architectural Products. A recent edition ran an article called, “The Smartest Building in Austin” (starting at page 28 in the print edition, page 30 in the digital edition). I don’t remember if Big Brother was identified as the architect of the building. But I do know he’s involved somehow. I know that because the article said this, in part:Sensors — approximately 6,000 of them — are attached to the spine. These connect to an automation system that allow[s] ownership …

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien May 9, 2024
Moving On &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Moving On

Author’s Note: May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I offer this post as a means of sharing my experience, even as I grant I’m more fortunate than many. If you or a loved one struggle with mental…

Author’s Note: May…

Author’s Note: May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I offer this post as a means of sharing my experience, even as I grant I’m more fortunate than many. If you or a loved one struggle with mental health, call the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text “HelpLine” to 62640, or email helpline@nami.org. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health crisis, dial or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There’s more help available in the world than you might think — and more people in the world…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien May 6, 2024
Third Stone From The Sun &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Third Stone from the Sun

When I was growing up, our next-door neighbors had some … uh … peculiar notions about housecleaning. As sons of a Marine, my younger brother, Keith, and I would walk into their living room and be …

When I was growing u…

When I was growing up, our next-door neighbors had some … uh … peculiar notions about housecleaning. As sons of a Marine, my younger brother, Keith, and I would walk into their living room and be astounded at the volume of clutter, the nature of the clutter, and the general lack of order or cleanliness. One day, Keith, who’s always been the smarter and sharper-witted of the two of us, said, “Holy shit. If aliens ever came down and landed in their living room, the aliens would open the door of their spaceship, look around, and say, “What the hell?!” To this day, the idea that extrat…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien May 1, 2024
Our Friend, Psychology &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Our Friend, Psychology

If you’re anything like me, you don’t believe in indecision. In an earlier post, I wrote about self-faith and our inner genius. Consistent with what I wrote, I typically assess the situation requi…

If you’re anything…

If you’re anything like me, you don’t believe in indecision. In an earlier post, I wrote about self-faith and our inner genius. Consistent with what I wrote, I typically assess the situation requiring a decision, trust my senses, apply my intelligence (such as it is), and decide. If my decision turns out to have been wrong — and presuming it wasn’t fatally so — I assess the implications of my first decision and make a different one. Since my stethoscope tells me I’m still among the living, I have to conclude that approach has worked pretty well, so far. Nevertheless, I do understan…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien April 29, 2024
The Fine Art Of Idiocy &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
The Fine Art of Idiocy

Author’s Note: This post isn’t intended to be how-to. Rather, it’s intended to be a why-not. The stunts we can pull — and the trouble we can get into — are limited only by our imaginations. …

Author’s Note: Thi…

Author’s Note: This post isn’t intended to be how-to. Rather, it’s intended to be a why-not. The stunts we can pull — and the trouble we can get into — are limited only by our imaginations. And if you’d known Grandpa O’Brien, none of what you’re about to read would surprise you. To the south of us, between our home and the next one down the street, there are two empty building lots. Across the field behind our home, running east, and on the hill that rises up from the field, there’s a street that runs parallel to ours. Two new houses have been built on that street. The sewer …

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien April 22, 2024
My Spiritual Journey &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
My Spiritual Journey

Author’s Note: I was once asked by a devotee of Simon Sinek if could state my why in five words. Because I’m a writer, I cheated; that is, I hyphenated. My response was, “I write to restore self…

Author’s Note: I w…

Author’s Note: I was once asked by a devotee of Simon Sinek if could state my why in five words. Because I’m a writer, I cheated; that is, I hyphenated. My response was, “I write to restore self-faith.” When I said that, I didn’t mean my self-faith. I meant I write to restore the self-faith of all those who’ve abandoned theirs, surrendered theirs, or had theirs stolen. I seem to be developing a morbid case of FOMO (fear of missing out). It stems from my increasingly empirical sense that I may be one of the very few people on the planet who’s not on a spiritual journey. Please don…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien April 15, 2024
Heard It In A Love Song &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Heard It in a Love Song

The Marshall Tucker Band released its self-titled debut album on Phil Walden’s Capricorn Records in 1973. As soon as my buddies and I heard “Take the Highway” and “Can’t You See”, we were …

The Marshall Tucker …

The Marshall Tucker Band released its self-titled debut album on Phil Walden’s Capricorn Records in 1973. As soon as my buddies and I heard “Take the Highway” and “Can’t You See”, we were instant fans. In 1977, the band released its sixth album, Carolina Dreams, which was certified platinum in the same year and was their most commercially successful album. It contained the track, “Heard it in a Love Song”, that reached No. 14 on the Billboard charts. “Heard it in a Love Song” provoked philosophical debate that endures to this day. The controversy is about the last two lines…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien April 8, 2024
Byline 360° Revisited

On Monday, April 8th, we’ll conduct Byline 360˚ as you’ve come to know and love it. Then, we’re going to take a nap for two months. Starting Monday, May 13th, 2024, we’ll begin meeting twice …

On Monday, April 8th…

On Monday, April 8th, we’ll conduct Byline 360˚ as you’ve come to know and love it. Then, we’re going to take a nap for two months. Starting Monday, May 13th, 2024, we’ll begin meeting twice a month, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, for three months. But this time, Byline 360˚  will be an actual workshop, with actual work to be done between sessions. In short, we’ll talk, draft, share and discuss our drafts, then revise and refine them. Over our six sessions, we’ll figure out why we do the things we do when we write, which of those things we might do better, and which of those things …

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien April 3, 2024
Hope, Control, And Letting Go &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Hope, Control, and Letting Go

On April 23rd, I’ll be leading a discussion in Salon 360˚. The title of the session will be the same as the title of this post. Inspired by some of my recent experiences with a longtime friend, the…

On April 23rd, I’l…

On April 23rd, I’ll be leading a discussion in Salon 360˚. The title of the session will be the same as the title of this post. Inspired by some of my recent experiences with a longtime friend, the discussion has ties to the Herman Melville short story, “Bartleby the Scrivener”; to Unsheltered: Voices from the Street, a book being compiled and published by 360˚ Nation and Peggy Willms — and to A Bronx Tale. In short, the session will be about reconciling:The desire to bring about what we believe to be favorable outcomes The illusory and presumptuous nature of control The relinquish…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien April 2, 2024
Chicken Or Egg &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Chicken or Egg

I was recently in a conversation with a client. We’ll call her Petunia (not her real name; although, I wish it were). Petunia happens to work in a very large (as in global), very dysfunctional (as i…

I was recently in a …

I was recently in a conversation with a client. We’ll call her Petunia (not her real name; although, I wish it were). Petunia happens to work in a very large (as in global), very dysfunctional (as in no responsibility or accountability) company that has her beyond frustrated. Part of her frustration is that she’s very responsible and very willing to be accountable. But her responsibility and accountability aren’t acknowledged, rewarded, or reciprocated. During the conversation, I asked a question it had never occurred to me to ask before: Do companies like that breed irresponsibility and…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien March 25, 2024
We Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
We Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet

We live in a horse race. Two nags, Gluefoot and Gimpy, are neck-and-neck coming down the stretch, and we have no idea which horse will cross the finish line first. Gluefoot represents the uncertainty …

We live in a horse r…

We live in a horse race. Two nags, Gluefoot and Gimpy, are neck-and-neck coming down the stretch, and we have no idea which horse will cross the finish line first. Gluefoot represents the uncertainty of whether we’ll persist in our belief that we can control (because we’ll be blamed for) everything. Gimpy represents the uncertainty of whether we’ll come to realize we’re insignificant and ineffectual beyond the ability of our imaginations and our egos to comprehend such a thing. Exhibit A is climate change. I came across an article in The New Yorker entitled, “What a Major Solar Storm…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien March 18, 2024
The State Of The Onion &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
The State of the Onion

I was going to excerpt portions of President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union remarks and annotate them with snide comments. But four things happened:I realized snark is indistinguishable from trut…

I was going to excer…

I was going to excerpt portions of President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union remarks and annotate them with snide comments. But four things happened:I realized snark is indistinguishable from truth at this point, and snark doesn’t sit well in some circles. Neither does truth. And here we are. I wouldn’t have enough time to peel the onion sufficiently enough to respond to all the delusional falsities in Uncle Joe’s remarks and still have time for everything else in my life. I found this post in The Federalist that highlights 30 of the lowlights. So, I decided to let it go at that. I f…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien March 13, 2024
What’s In A Name? &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
What’s In a Name?

I happened to see a notice that, Melanie, one of the singer/songwriters who achieved some popularity during my wayward youth, passed away earlier this year at the age of 76. It started me thinking abo…

I happened to see a …

I happened to see a notice that, Melanie, one of the singer/songwriters who achieved some popularity during my wayward youth, passed away earlier this year at the age of 76. It started me thinking about the plethora of famous people who’ve managed to become known by a single name only, often just their first names. This is just a partial list: Cher, Madonna, Sting, Rihanna, Charo, Sade, Usher, Prince, Adele, Beyoncé, Sinbad, Bono, Flea, Liberace, Zendaya, Lizzo, Pink, Twiggy, Slash, Yanni, Snoop, Drake, Kesha, Fabio, Shakira, Björk, Aaliyah, Eminem, Ashanti, Banksy, Seal, Oprah, Morrissey,…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien March 11, 2024
My Musical Calendar &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
My Musical Calendar

I have a theory that, for some people, the calendar just stops. It stops at different times for different people. But it definitely stops. All of their cultural influences — sartorial, tonsorial, mu…

I have a theory that…

I have a theory that, for some people, the calendar just stops. It stops at different times for different people. But it definitely stops. All of their cultural influences — sartorial, tonsorial, musical, et al. — freeze. I don’t know if those freezes could be considered time warps. It’s more likely they reflect periods of time in which the frozen people were most comfortable. I developed the theory in sixth grade. It was 1966. I was 12 years old. I had a classmate named Dennis Kennedy. I don’t know how old Dennis was. But he shaved, smoked, and drove his own car to school. His calen…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien March 4, 2024
A Silly People &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
A Silly People

On The Scale of Self-Deceit and Frivolity Unto Extinction, there are points well beyond first-world problems. They indicate the extent to which life in the United States is luxurious enough that we ca…

On The Scale of Self…

On The Scale of Self-Deceit and Frivolity Unto Extinction, there are points well beyond first-world problems. They indicate the extent to which life in the United States is luxurious enough that we can afford to make shit up to worry about. They also confirm the point made by Bill Maher that Americans are a silly people. Consider this item, which was brought to my attention most recently: On February 9, 2024, The Virginian-Pilot newspaper ran an article with the headline, ”PETA wants carousel maker to stop creating rides with animal figures”. Not animals. Animal figures. At the very least,…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien February 26, 2024
Digital Marketing &Raquo; Notes To Self By Mark Obrien
Digital Marketing

I had occasion to speak with a prospect on a Zoom call the other day. She was looking for help in establishing her brand and marketing her online workshops and published materials. She insisted those …

I had occasion to sp…

I had occasion to speak with a prospect on a Zoom call the other day. She was looking for help in establishing her brand and marketing her online workshops and published materials. She insisted those things could be accomplished only by a digital marketing agency. I suggested digital marketing (or online marketing) simply means promoting stuff through digital channels using electronic Technology, as opposed to print. I told her we employ tactics like email, social media, web-based advertising, text and multimedia messages, webinars, search engines, online customer communities, and other digita…

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Avatar Of Mark O'Brien Mark O'Brien February 19, 2024
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