Dear Brené Brown,
I have a bone to pick with you (the only Texan phrase I could think of). Your books need to come with warning labels on the cover: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK TOO QUICKLY OR YOU MAY HAVE A MELTDOWN FROM TRUTH OVERLOAD.
I've lost track of how many copies I have bought for friends and family of The Gifts of Imperfection, and each time I give it out, I warn people to pace themselves. I once forgot to warn a family member, who blasted through it in 2 days and then pretty much had a meltdown from the truth of your words hitting so hard. It was a good thing, but pretty intense.
There was a delay in getting my advance copy of Rising Strong from your publisher, and when I finally got a copy, I rushed through it in less than 24 hours so that I could get my review submitted to...
Lifestyle
Dear 40:
I am looking forward to meeting you next week, though I realize you've been trying to introduce yourself to me for a few years now. Thank you for preparing me for our meeting, though I must tell you I really could have done without the unexpected onset of vertigo every time I look at anything moving in a circular motion, sudden far-sightedness and alarming loss of elasticity in the lower regions of my face.
Oh, I know others will try to flatter me by saying they don't see the latter, but you and I both know it's not gone unnoticed by my appallingly honest mirror.
I suppose you get some sort of narcissistic thrill out of how much everyone talks about you -- even fears you. I also wonder if you're annoyed when people say you're the "new 30" in the same way I used to wonder...
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Dear CNN,
As a former executive of Turner Broadcasting (parent company of CNN), I am disappointed and concerned by last week's Republican debate which you hosted at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. Furthermore, as a businessperson who has spent the last 20 years overseas, building media companies in complicated and heavily censored Asian countries, I worry about the devolution of our American media landscape.
We all know that journalism continues to transition as a result of rapidly changing media consumption habits -- but presidential debates are a key component of the democratic process, and when the format of those debates is reduced to theater, everyone loses.
From Jake Tapper's opening question of, basically, "How does each candidate feel about Donald Trump?" the tone of...
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Dear YSC:
I'm an under-40 woman living with metastatic breast cancer. I'm your demographic, the one your programs are designed to help. And you HAVE helped me-I even go to a support group for young metsters organized by a YSC volunteer. Which is why I think I'm the most disappointed in you, even more so than Stupid Cancer or F*ck Cancer, for being involved in this.
2015-07-10-1436502799-9359606-image.jpg
See what it says at the top of this? That's right, it says "Boobies make me smile." And of course it says it twice, because we all have two boobies. I see what you did there! Hahaha, how clever!
Oh wait, no it's not. It's actually horribly offensive.
I don't have two boobies. I only have one. They cut off the other one because it had an enormous tumor in it. And the most...
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Dear candidates for president,
Elections are about leadership. Leaders influence and shape the world around them. So far, the election conversation about immigration has caused us great alarm.
Many of you have engaged in rhetoric that is feeding a rising tide of hatred toward migrants in the United States and globally. This is precisely the type of rhetoric that seeds and promotes hate violence, and emboldens the most hateful among us. This is type of hatred that often results in the tragic loss of human life. And, it creates the context for hate-based policies with profound humanitarian implications.
Your proposed solutions are the same recycled solutions that have been proposed for years. From border walls to mass deportations and guest worker programs, we've heard nothing new...
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Dear Maria,
It's your lucky day! You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into! Ha... only kidding. Or am I?
I've been a lucky guy, partnered with some fantastic ladies in the past, and this year is no different. All my partners have brought a different quality to the table. They have all been different ages and different personalities, but one thing they have all had in common is the drive to prove something to their fans and the audience, and mainly to prove something to themselves.
Even the most confident have a sense of insecurity that drives them to be better. It is an incredible process to see the most inexperienced partner become confident in their abilities. I take huge satisfaction in showing my partners something that they never thought they could do, and then a...
2,703
Dear Mr. Van Natta,
You started your new position as CEO of MySpace on April 27th and you're one month into your new gig. By now you've gotten the lay of the land, met with all the key players and given your inspirational speeches. You've had meetings with Rupert and looked down the long list of mandates from the News Corp office for your upcoming year.
After the initial honeymoon winds down and you start getting into the day-to-day of MySpace's future, the question is: can an executive who has always been a classic ops and biz dev guy drive the revolutionary innovation that MySpace needs to dominate the future?
Simply put, you are taking the reigns of MySpace at the most critical juncture in its modern history. Facebook has proven a worthy adversary and you are in a position of...
2,619
Dear Restoration Hardware:
I wanted to let you know that I mistakenly received an item I did not order from your catalog, and wondered if you could send someone by my house to pick it up. It is a doorstop, sized 8.5 inches by 11 inches by 3.5 inches, weighs 13.6 pounds, and looks to be created entirely from your catalogs.
Although I do not need a doorstop at the present time, I allow that I am impressed with the solidity and heft of the object. When the UPS man threw it on my front porch on Thursday, I jumped and the dog barked like crazy. I tried to remember whether I'd ordered a hod of bricks to be delivered to the house. But no, it was just the doorstop sitting there.
Even though I didn't order it, I had to take a close look because Restoration Hardware used to be one of our...
2,942
Dear Congressman Towns:
I hope you and your family are well.
I am forced to write this open letter because you have failed to stand up and be counted during this election. After a quarter century you have also not delivered for the people in your district. I am disappointed because I had thought that a senior politician such as yourself, a 25-year-veteran of Congress, would be more than happy to participate in our nation's democratic process and agree to a debate in the venue of your choice. The condition of the district and your track record may have motivated you to stay away from the spotlight with the hope that you can just manage to squeak by and get back into office for yet another term.
But rather than meet me face to face to discuss the issues and challenges we have as a...
2,742
Dear Jann,
We both know that Rolling Stone -- the magazine you founded and remain Editor and Publisher of -- has been the subject of endless irate rants over the years. Here's another one.
I've been a reader since the first issue, dated November 9, 1967. This missive has been a long time coming, about 25 years, which probably makes my frustration with your magazine older than most of your readers. A quarter of a century is a longtime to keep anger bottled up. Capped bile can cause hair cancer and bad dreams and I want neither.
Rolling Stone was The Bible for the generation of rockers and freaks twixt the late '60s and early '70s. It was a wondrous time to be young but I'll keep my cannabinoided and hallelujah chorused memories to myself because many roll their eyes at the mention...
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