One of the main reasons parents can get their kids to go willingly with them on a weekend shopping trip to Costco is free samples. Throughout the store a number of vendors are strategically placed to scoop chips, slice cheeses and meats and spread creamy toppings on crackers for customers to taste as they cruise the aisles. Kids love stuffing their little bellies with as many of the free delicacies as they can get to before it’s time to check out. This kind of marketing was not invented by Costco. It’s been used to sell all kinds of products for more than a century. Free samples are not new in…

Last night on the NBC news they looked at what a group of sixth graders, who would normally be in class together, had to say about their situation since their school has been closed. The network had a reporter interview them using a Zoom teleconference. One child said he was bored. No surprise there. Another child claimed she felt lonely. Again, pretty much as expected. A third child said she found the changes confusing. Many adults have become confused filtering through the different messages our leaders present. Then a friend sent me a text with this tweet from actor Treat Williams. My friend remarked, “Great analogy.” I have no idea…