Paul’s Daily Ration: 11/04/21 – Radically Rational

Paul’s Daily Ration: 11/04/21

Do you love or hate either/or thinking? Makes your head hurt, right?

Is it hot or cold? (Well, actually, it’s kinda…)

Is it day or night? (Kinda dawnsy/dusky, as far as I can tell…)

Are you a Longhorn or an Aggie? (Go Owls?)

Chocolate or vanilla? (Uhhh…)

Is this a long trip or a short one? (Middlin’?)

Are you a Democrat or a Republican? (I’m a Bull Moose.)

Are you a Conservative or a Liberal? (I try to be a thinking person…)

And we wonder why we have this binary, blood-spitting polarization in our body politic?

Our language permits nothing else. Our system supports nothing else. We have no options. There is no room for calibration. Nuance is a no-no. There is no political continuum, just two and only two shoeboxes. And, yes, you have to pick one and climb into it!

This inbreeding has done to us as citizens what it does to cocker spaniels. We’re crippled, blind, stupid and helpless. And we tend to pee ourselves and soil our fur.

How could it be otherwise? We have created two parallel political universes, separated by light years of vacuum. So sound does not travel between those universes.

I once heard that “Willie Mays’ glove is where triples go to die.”

Our two-party system is where logic, reason and rationalism go to die. And this cemetery is getting pretty crowded.

More tomorrow. And probably more Saturday.

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Paul's Bio

I clearly have the attention span of your median fruit fly.Look! Airplane!

Sorry. I’m back.

It’s both a curse and a blessing. I’ve never bought this stuff about, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But I do think that a wide range of life experiences helps us grow as people, and helps us better relate to other people. I’ve been fortunate. And I am beyond grateful.

I show up on time. I go like hell. I’m a good listener. I hold myself accountable. I own my mistakes. And I have a natural and an insatiable curiosity. I’m never afraid to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t. But then I try to find out.

The flip side is I’m a lousy ballroom dancer and my clothes sometimes fit me funny.

Stuff matters to me. I care. But while I take that stuff seriously, I try hard to never take myself seriously. As a result, I have sometimes been told, “Paul, it’s hard to tell when you’re serious and when you’re just having some fun. Which is it? Serious or fun?”

My answer is “yes.” But I think that is a legitimate criticism. I promise I’m going to work on that.

This has been the quickest and strangest half-century I’ve ever experienced. During that period, I’ve been afforded amazing opportunities in news and sports journalism across all platforms. I have taught wonderful students at the high school and collegiate level. Always, I learned more from them than they did from me. I’ve been a high school administrator. I spent ten seasons as a high school varsity football coach. I’ve been an advertising executive. I’ve hosted nationally syndicated television entertainment shows. In maybe the biggest honor I ever received, I was selected by NASA to be “Chet The Astronaut” for the “Land The Shuttle” simulator at Space Center Houston. (All I can say there, is “Do as I say, not as I do.” I put that thing in the Everglades more often than not.) Most recently, I just wrapped up a decade as a television news director, during which time our teams distinguished themselves in holding the powerful accountable, achieving both critical and ratings success.

What does all that mean? It means I am profoundly grateful. It also means I’m ready for “next.” So here we are. Radically Rational. It’s an idea I woke up with in 2017. I scribbled “Radically Rational” on a piece of notebook paper and used a magnet to stick it on our refrigerator. I saw it every day, and it just would not leave me alone.

I am second in charge at Radically Rational, LLC. My wife, Jo (also known as BB), is the president. Clearly, I have failed in my attempt to sleep my way to the top of this organization.

I hope you will learn that I’m loyal as a Labrador. But I will admit that this doggie can bite every now and then. My promise to you? I will show up on time. I will go like hell. I will listen to you earnestly and attentively. I will hold myself accountable. I will never be the least bit hesitant to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t.

But then I’ll try to find out. Let’s do it.