Wit & Wisdom with Tom Greene

As we approach Independence Day, an American holiday loaded with baseball and hot dogs, I’m mindful of the ties that bind. The things that bind us together as a nation. Things like patriotism, family, friendship and faith in a higher power. Those long-held American values that define us and make America great. (They also form the foundation of every good country music song.) But, as we approach Independence Day in the United States, we are seeing a rising level of, well, independence. And, a sense that people are abandoning these long-held values.

Life isn’t about avoiding struggle. It’s about how we see those challenges and our ability to come back stronger, wiser. As the saying goes, nobody gets out of here alive. Nobody. So, let's dive into to the three secrets of resilient people.

I believe that most people in this country are good people. I believe that most people in this country are kind. And, that we are the friendliest and most generous country on earth. But, every once in a while we run into Ass-Clowns. You know, those people that enjoy making an ass of themselves? These kind of people can lead you to believe that the world has changed; has become less friendly and more self serving. Maybe. But, for the most part, nothing has changed. I’ve started to catalog some of the nice things that happen during my day. And, I’ve found some great thinkers that agree with me. You’ll love this episode and likely feel better about the world in ten minutes or less.

Over 60% of young men are single today. Why? They just aren’t interested in having sex. What??? It’s true. Young men today are more than twice as likely as young women to be unattached, asexual, lonely and friendless. I wrote about this earlier in a piece called The Laziest Generation in American History and The Friendless American Male. This asexual trend applies to both heterosexual and LGB males. So, why is this happening? You'll have to tune in to this week's episode of Wit & Wisdom to find out.

McLeod Buckham-White was, perhaps, the finest young man I’ve ever met. On the outside he was a quiet, humble soul whose smile and amazing voice could light up a room. On the inside he was quietly troubled by forces greater than himself. On March 30, 2023, McLeod Buckham-White climbed the steps of the Wien Residence Hall at Columbia College in New York and “slipped the surly bonds of earth”, ending the battle that had been raging inside of him.

Life is full of an enormous amount of uncertainty. It's painful, at times. That uncertainty, and our willingness to embrace it, is the key to spiritual growth.

Have you ever wondered what the key ingredients of a meaningful life are? An 80 year old Harvard study on aging holds the secret.

I think you can learn a lot about people by how they handle bullshit. When you watch someone totally lose their marbles on an airline gate agent over a delayed flight, it tells you something about them. It tells you they don’t do travel very well. It tells me they don’t do life very well, either. Cause when things go awry, it doesn’t matter who you are. Or, what your status is. Or, how important you think you are. Delays in travel are normal bullshit. And, losing all your marbles won’t change the outcome. In fact, you’re just making an unfortunate situation worse for everyone else. (And, you may never see your luggage again.)

About 90% of parents responded that it’s extremely or very important to them that their children become financially independent. Roughly the same number of parents responded that it’s extremely or very important that their children have jobs or careers they enjoy. The stunning part is that parents weigh these outcomes as four times more important than other more traditional aspirations, like getting married or having children. So, what happened to the American Dream?

Since none of us will get out of here alive, don’t you think we ought to identify the things we truly love to do? And, try to do them as many times as possible before we die? I do. And, so does Bill Perkins, the author of my new favorite book: Die with Zero.

As we travel through the various seasons of life, there is a dramatic shift in who we spend our time with. We develop relationships with friends, family, co-workers, partners, etc. But, how does our commitment to these constituencies change over time-and why?

Each season holds meaning in our lives. Some seasons, like spring and summer, create energy with their abundant light. But, the end of Daylight Savings Time in the fall introduces a season where light becomes scarce. The transition can be difficult for some. Many suffer from seasonal affective disorder as less sunlight impacts the production of serotonin and melatonin. Yes, after 100 years of Daylight Savings Time, our bodies still struggle to process the change and prepare for winter. Winter is a time for the plants and animals to go into survival mode. The trees shed their leaves and prepare for the storms of winter. The animals store up food or hibernate. Oddly enough, even in the harshest of winters, neither the plants or the animals seem to be bothered by the cold or the darkness. But, we humans are. So, what is the message that nature is trying to send us? And, how can we learn to weather the storm and come out more resilient on the other side?

A recent survey suggests that the happiness of today’s young adults has crashed over the last few years. So, what’s making the kids so unhappy? Let's dive in and find out together....

As grown-ass adults, we should be able to openly discuss public health policy. Not to hold executions of our public officials as Twitter suggests, but to determine the best way forward. And, we ought to be able to do that without fear of recrimination so that next time we are prepared to handle a public health emergency with a little more grace. During the height of the pandemic, California and Florida presented two very disparate approaches to controlling the spread. California is the fifth largest economy in the world, so one might argue that their aggressive lockdowns were necessary. Florida is the 15th largest economy in the world. It remained largely open after the initial lockdowns. This is important because in about 15 minutes the governors of those states are gonna be in a slug fest for the 2024 Presidency. So, which state faired better?

When we’re unhappy we buy things to make ourselves feel better. Even if we don’t have the money. Some folks call it “retail therapy”. But, when times are tough we choose less expensive options. The advertising world knows this strategery as Premium Mediocrity. Just watch any episode of Mad Men to learn more. Premium Mediocrity is all about creating the illusion of exclusivity. Critics might argue that my writing is Premium Mediocrity. There’s an illusion of exclusivity-and it’s sometimes mediocre. Hope you enjoy this mediocre podcast.

Leading up to the pandemic in 2020, things were generally okay in this country - for most people. The economy was hot, unemployment was low, and the stock market was on fire. We were all feeling bulletproof. Then the pandemic hit and everything changed in an instant. The flexibility and autonomy created a greater appreciation for time. A greater appreciation for freedom, for family, for friendship and for a higher quality of life. Yes, the lasting legacy of the Pandemic is a shift in the things we truly value. Suddenly people had the autonomy and flexibility they craved. Things once reserved for Robin Leach and the “champagne wishes and caviar dreams” crowd. As if we, all at once, tasted their freedom. And, the people cheered.

Research at some of America's finest academic Universities are exploring the impact of psilocybin on treatment resistant depression. Yes, it turns out that Timothy Leary was on to something big back at Woodstock in the 60's. Are magic mushrooms about to have a revival? Listen to find out.

Turn on any cable news network or open any newspaper and the message is the same. This election is the most important election in American history. Democracy literally hangs in the balance. Some might even suggest that if the vote goes the wrong way…that people will die. Extremely disturbing stuff, except it’s all complete horseshit. Give me ten minutes and I'll explain why.

Prior generations had tremendous respect for wisdom. Think: Abraham Lincoln, T.S. Elliot and Martin Luther King, Jr. But, in earlier times there were far fewer voices. And, with fewer voices there was less tolerance for bullshit. Today it seems that everyone has a megaphone. The most outrageous voices have the biggest platforms. People like the Kardashians and Kanye West. People with little intellect or wisdom. And, despite their low intelligence, they have enormous following of devoted fans.

Can you imagine complaining about your Organic Chemistry class and actually getting the Professor fired? Well, it happened at NYU. But, the Professor may have the last laugh....

Divorce after age 50 is on the rise. Between 1990 and 2010, the so-called “gray” divorce rate doubled in the United States and continues to climb. But, why is this happening? Could it have anything to do with Viagra????

The United States is drifting away from it’s aristocratic roots. We are exchanging the old, formal ways of life for newer, more casual ways of living. King George, III must be rolling over in his grave at Windsor Castle. I’m a big fan of casual. But this drifting has blown us off course. The drift has normalized casual sex and drugs.

We live in a seemingly more dangerous world. Last week, September 11th reminded us that there is still evil in the world. Anxiety about our children’s safety can often turn the most rational human into an overprotective parent. According to a recent study, parents spend an astounding 37 hours each week worrying about their children.

It was an exciting week for about 43 million Americans. President Biden announced he will forgive up to $20,000 of college loan debt. With a stroke of the pen, the President wiped away between $400 billion and $600 billion in student loan debt. The move also extends the moratorium on student loan repayments to January 2023, a full two years after the initial payment pause was initiated. But, is this the best way to fairly spend our tax dollars?

It’s hot. And, unless you’re in complete denial I think we can both agree that the planet is getting hotter. Last week, 60 Minutes ran a story on the alarmingly low water levels in our western reservoirs. It seems the mighty Colorado River is getting thirsty, The river serves seven western states and 30 Native American tribes. It’s the lifeblood of the region. The river has been suffering from the impact of an epic drought, as it struggles to serve it’s 40 million constituents. But the river is also suffering from immense population growth. According to the 1990 US Census, California had 29.8 million residents. Today, California boasts 39.2 million residents. According to Stanford University, the state has 1,500 dams and more than 1,300 reservoirs that can store 43 million acre-feet of water. But, the last new reservoir was build in 1980. So, the supply simply cannot meet the demand for water. Lake Mead sits just behind the majestic Hoover Dam in Nevada. It supplies water for the city of Las Vegas and surrounding areas. As the water level recedes, the Lake is giving up her ghosts. This week authorities removed the fifth skeleton from the lake.

I’m afraid of snakes; actually terrified of snakes. But, what if I told you that more people die each year taking selfies than die from snake bites? Yes, it’s truly the age of vanity. Some people will literally die for the perfect “selfie”. In fact, the trend even has a name: the kilfie. That’s right, people are taking enormous risks to create a photo in search of likes on the social media platform Instagram. The interwebs are littered with articles of The Top Ten Most Dangerous Selfies.

The US House of Representatives passed the massive Inflation Reduction Act on Friday on a purely partisan vote. The $430 billion bill includes new taxes totaling $739 billion. Here are some of the highlights of the Schumer-Manchin bill: $9 billion for climate agricultural programs to reduce bloating in cows; $27 billion for local and state governments to procure zero-emissions technology; $60 billion for “environmental justice programs, and Enormous subsidies for wind, solar energy, electric vehicles and energy-efficient housing materials. I’m not an economist, but dontcha think if everything is getting crazy expensive it’s a good time for the government to put the Amex card away?

We have all been living in the future. A future full of cheap, on-demand services willing to cater to your every whim. Need a ride, hail Uber. Need an idea for dinner? Blue Apron delivers a five-star meal kit to your home. Need a dozen Krystal burgers at 2am? Postmates brings it to your doorstep. But, the era of uber-cheap Uber and other subsidized, on-demand services is nearing an end. Yes, it’s true, the Millennial lifestyle subsidy is ending.

Do you dread watching the News? Turns out you are not alone. But, there’s more to it than you think. Let me explain.

Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last two years, you’ve noticed that crime in America has exploded. We can blame Covid or gun laws or poverty, but what if this spike in crime was altogether predictable and preventable? Let me explain. Back in 2020 when you and I were trying to find toilet paper and Chardonnay, America’s major cities turned into something out of a Marvel comic book. A recent study suggests a perfect storm occurred. As Covid forced many cities into lockdown, our politicians moved quickly to change public policy around incarceration. At the same time, calls for defunding the police reverberated across the US. The immediate result was a shortage of police officers on the street. As a result, arrests in 2020 fell by 25%. This dramatic reduction in enforcement caused criminals to become more brazen. See, the bad guys are dumb but they aren’t stoopid. They quickly figure out that the rules have changed and they can get away with murder…literally. During a twelve month period in 2020, American jails reported 1.6 million fewer admissions.

Way back before the typewriter, people had to write words by hand. In those days you needed paper, a fountain pen and an ink well to write. The ink often smudged, causing you to start over. Yes, creating words required money, skill, education and time. Entire books have been written that contain nothing but words between lovers from an earlier era. Words were chosen thoughtfully and writing words on paper was a poetic art. Today is different. Words are cheap. We can literally speak them into existence with our phones. No typewriter, no ink, no paper, no flowery prose. In my family we’ve never been super-wordy. So, we’re lucky if we send each other a birthday card-since it’s a lot easier to send the Happy Birthday!!🎊🎉🎁🎈🎂 text instead.

We are all wandering through a difficult time in history. War in Ukraine, inflation, shootings in Uvalde & Highland Park, political division, gun violence in our cities and bitter disagreement on the issue of abortion. Meanwhile, ordinary people are trying to find meaning in the turmoil; trying to sort it all out. Like Alexander Papaderous hopelessly trying to put the mirror pieces back together. It’s one of the reasons why I wrote Why We Lost Faith in Our Institutions and Each Other last month. Author David Brooks calls this loss of faith “the great disembedding.” We once embraced tight communities, and hierarchical, human organizations with prescribed social norms. You know, those core institutions made America the greatest place in earth? Our core institutions have value, even if all institutions are flawed. For all their imperfections, core institutions are the best way to transfer goodness to future generations. Instead, we now embrace a hyper-individualistic way of life. A society almost totally devoid of social, emotional or physical contact....

America’s past two Presidents were the oldest in history. President Joe Biden will turn 80 in November. As the New York Times recently pointed out, Mr. Biden is the oldest serving U.S. President at age 79. He will be 82 when he finishes his first term. If Donald Trump chooses to run in 2024, he will be 78 years old. For gosh sakes, don’t these guys have any grandkids to play with? Yes, my friends, we are only a mere 867 days away from the next Presidential slugfest. That means we are about 15 minutes away from the first campaign ads for the Red and Blue teams hitting our television screens. It’s yet another reason to watch Netflix instead of cable. The nation’s political pundits are already starting to handicap the race. The word “handicap” is appropriate. Let me explain.

Where were you were when the Twin Towers fell in New York City? How about when 58 people were killed and 500 people were injured at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas? Why is it that some mass casualty incidents stick with us while others do not? While we can instantly recall our location when the Twin Towers fell, we have a harder time with catastrophic events that fall short of mass-calamity. While we can all name a few events like MGM, Columbine and Sandy Hook, our memories quickly grow faint after tragedies. Do you recall the 2018 Santa Fe Texas High school shooting? Eight students and two teachers were murdered by a 17-year old student. Or, what about Community College in 2015? A 26 year-old student opened fire killing eight and wounding nine. I have no recollection of either event. But, why? Listen to find out.

Trust is the foundation of all relationships. But, in America, trust in our institutions and trust in each other is falling faster than Amber Heard’s net worth. According to Pew Research, two-thirds of adults think Americans have little or no confidence in the federal government. Ironically, in an era where we trust so little we often over-trust our leaders. For example, everyone loves the idea of term limits. But we keep re-electing the same knuckleheads every term. It seems we like the idea of term limits for other people’s elected officials, not ours. For example, Senator Mitch McConnell has been a US Senator since I was in high school. Senator Chuck Schumer has been in the Senate for 23 years. And, of course, President Biden has been in Washington since Jesus was a boy.

For the second time in nine days, gunshots rang out in a gruesome and heartbreaking mass shooting. When the smoke cleared, 19 innocent children between the ages of 7 and 10 years old were dead. Two teachers were also murdered. First Buffalo, now Uvalde, Texas. Will this senseless violence ever stop? The Robb Elementary School shooting is the 212th mass shooting event this year. We’ve already had 27 school shootings and it’s only May. It’s the deadliest shooting event in the US this year. These mass murders are a uniquely American epidemic. Americans are 25 times more likely to die from a gun homicide than other developed countries. But, why? Every country in Europe is struggling with mental health. But, 18-year old kids with mental health problems in Europe aren’t shooting up schools. Is it finally time to do something about the guns in the United States?

After two years of hand-washing and social distancing we finally have a reprieve from “14-days to stop the spread”. But, ironically, we have simply moved from one crisis to another. Enter monkeypox and $10 a gallon gasoline. Not to mention the world’s supply of wheat has about ten-weeks remaining. Start sharpening your elbows cause you’ll soon be hip-checking your neighbor for the last loaf of Roman Meal bread at the grocery store. As my friend Michael Chaiken said recently, “younger people are realizing that the current order of things being dictated by the media, politicians and celebrities is failing them. The millennials, in particular, are seeing skyrocketing rates of mental illness and suicide. They’re yearning for something else to center and ground them.” The door is wide open for a spiritual awakening like no other.

The oldest millennials will turn forty years old this year. Yes, the kids are all grown up, but they're terribly unhappy. Many millennials are lonely, burned out and depressed. But, why? This the the most educated, upwardly mobile generation in history. Listen to this week's article to find out why we have an entire generation feeling like they got a raw deal from life.

What do Athletes like Tom Brady, Tiger Woods and Maria Sharapova have in common? That’s right, they all gorge themselves on the same legal, performance enhancing drug: sleep. Listen to this episode to learn why many folks are now turning to separate bedrooms to enhance their sleep. It' the hottest thing in "big time" real estate: separate master bedrooms.

Residents of Shanghai, China are now in a full-blown lockdown. It was supposed to last 48 hours. Its been seven weeks. It’s the Chinese Communist Party’s version of 14 days to stop the spread. But, wait until you hear what they are doing to family pets to keep the virus at-bay. It's gut wrenching.

On April 1, 2022, while you and I were consumed by The Slap Heard Around the World, the US House of Representatives quietly passed a landmark bill. The bill, which gained bipartisan support, decriminalizes the recreational use of Marijuana. My gut tells me that the ass-clowns in Washington, DC are about to have a big announcement on 4.20. Are we about to finally see the decriminalization of weed?

Like all major scandals, it’s never about the crime. (see also, Watergate, College Admissions Scandal, Opioids, etc.) It’s always the cover-up that does the real damage. That, too, will be the lasting impression of the Will Smith/Chris Rock slap fight. It will be the way Will Smith handled the aftermath that will forever damage his brand.

So, is this a momentary stain on the Hollywood red carpet? Or, is it something much larger? Something that will leave a permanent blemish on the red carpet and on The Fresh Prince’s career? Listen to this podcast to find out.

Two cadets from the United States Military Academy remain on life support after a larger group overdosed on cocaine, laced with deadly Fentanyl. It is a highly concentrated, synthetic opioid that is 80–100 times stronger than morphine. It was designed for severe pain management. But, since that time, illicit Fentanyl has become a weapon of mass destruction. The United States seized over 15,000 pounds of Fentanyl from the market last year. That’s enough drugs to potentially kill every single American.

Research shows that when people turn age 65, one-half get happier. The other half get sadder. What is the key difference between these two groups? Before we answer that question, I think we can agree that we are all trying hard to be successful. Regardless of what your definition of success might be. But, the reality of life is that the more successful you are, the sadder you are likely to be later in life. Most people assume it’s the “retirement blues”, but it’s way bigger than that. The resulting sadness is derived from the loss of identity, satisfaction and purpose that success brings. Listen to learn more.

In most social circles, outside of truck stops and biker bars, swearing is considered to be vulgar. And, quite possibly, a sign of lower intelligence. So why the #&@% are we swearing so much these days? Listen to find out.

While our politicians in Washington play games, the world’s most evil dictators have been preparing for war.

Our lives today are the antithesis of seclusion. We are surrounded by chattering voices: the talking heads on TV, podcasts, Social Media, Netflix and the constant buzzing and pinging of smart phones. Life is anything but seclusive. It’s nearly impossible to hear yourself think-or to think for yourself. After all, those chattering voices are simply a cacophony of other people’s thoughts, not yours. That's why we need to take time for personal solitude. Time to think, time to meditate, time to pray. It's the key message in Henry David Thoreau's Walden and it's as relevant today as it was 169 years ago.

There is no objective measure of happiness. No emotional thermometer to test our temperature. So the only way to objectively measure happiness is to simply ask, “how happy are you?” In reality, more money makes us happier but only to a point. The study below shows “nail in the coffin” proof of happiness and money. Happiness improves with money, but only until about $75,000 per year. Then it pancakes. So the real question here isn’t “how do I get what I want?” The real question is “what do I want?”

So why is Joe Rogan causing such a stir? And, why is the pitch fork-cancel culture coming for his head? In early January, a group of 270 Scientists and Doctors signed an open letter to Spotify. The letter accused Rogan of “promoting baseless conspiracy theories”. Further, it demanded that Spotify attempt to remove any efforts to spread mis-information about the virus. The controversy boiled over in late January as several musicians demanded their music be removed from the platform. It started with Neil Young, but now includes Joni Mitchell. Earlier today, Randy Watson from Sexual Chocolate announced they are pulling their music from Spotify.