Cafe 42 Blog

Empty-Nesting IRL

I’m no longer, and will never again be my kids’ demigod... I wanted kids for as long as I can remember. Have 2. Adopt 1. I was absolutely sure I could raise them better than my mom [and dad]. I’d give them ground instead of ripping it away with critical judgments. I’d show my love … Continue reading Empty-Nesting IRL

The Butterfly Effect

My husband caught his married CEO kissing an employee, setting the Butterfly Effect in motion... “I’m screwed,” my husband said, calling me from his job at a well-known Silicon Valley startup. He’d entered the stairwell and saw the married CEO of his company sucking face with an employee. He had a right to be upset. The CEO is putting … Continue reading The Butterfly Effect

Why Do You Write?

Ray Bradbury reminded me why I write... I sat on the floor in the back of a bookstore in old-town Pasadena perusing the selections. It was Saturday, late afternoon, another sunny day in L.A. I didn’t notice the store owners hustling everyone out the door and they didn’t see me in the back on the … Continue reading Why Do You Write?

SEX is JUST SEX

SEX is JUST SEX. It is a biological drive, a primal/base urge both genders possess (to varying degree between individuals). SEX IS NOT LOVE, regardless of the portrayal in movies that the act of sex is profoundly loving, a spiritual meeting of minds, bodies, and souls. Having sex can be an action of love, but … Continue reading SEX is JUST SEX

The TRUTH about Immigrants

Had some yard work done that required cutting concrete. My gardener gave me a quote of $150 to do the job. I accepted his bid as fair and equitable, and we agreed he’d do the work last Sunday. He arrived promptly at 8:30 Sunday morning and began cutting our concrete patio. He used a small … Continue reading The TRUTH about Immigrants

With Everything Given, Something is Owed

With everything given something is owed. With everything given something, not the same thing, is owed. With everything given—a kindness, one’s time, efforts on your behalf—you owe that person. I write it three times because most people DON’T GET IT, or worse, refuse to believe it. It’s easier to receive than reciprocate. Denying or ignoring … Continue reading With Everything Given, Something is Owed

4 Steps to Better Relationships

How to build better relationships with partners, kids, friends and colleagues... The first year of my marriage didn’t go according to plan. The creative, smart, capable man I thought I married appeared to be a jobless, lazy, self-absorbed brat. I’d waited 37 years to marry, ten years behind almost everyone I knew. I’d waited to … Continue reading 4 Steps to Better Relationships

How to Generate Product IDEAS

Need an IDEA [that will likely SELL] to Startup? Many want to be entrepreneurs, but most people lack product ideas, or can’t think of a service (or app) that isn’t already available. For over a decade, I taught entrepreneurship at Stanford and Cal Berkeley/Haas. I designed a course to teach the process of turning an IDEA (or … Continue reading How to Generate Product IDEAS

AI Therapy IRL

Best therapy sessions I’ve ever had have been with Copilot’s chatbot… I’ve seen over 20 therapists in my lifetime. None, not one, personally or couples counseling has been helpful. Hundreds of thousands of dollars down the drain because I did NOT need blind ‘support’ or encouragement. I needed TRUTH, which therapists/psychologists are not trained to … Continue reading AI Therapy IRL

Marketing Data Science

What motivates people to RESPOND (click, like, share, comment), and CONVERT (buy, try, sign-up, subscribe) from your marketing efforts? This is a very important question, because the point of marketing is to get people to [think or] do what our campaigns [suggest or] direct them to do. At the foundation of all marketing is Psychology. … Continue reading Marketing Data Science