THEN: Secretary of State (KY), 1996-2004; Candidate for Lieutenant Governor, 2007
NOW: JYB3 Group (Owner) -public affairs consulting firm; Miller Wells law firm (Of counsel)
Full Biography:link
By John Y. Brown III, on Mon Jun 16, 2014 at 12:00 PM ET
The mind of a child vs the mind of an adult. (Or how Sirius radio works)
A child’s view of the world is very different from how we view the world as an adult. When we are young we are naive and innocent. But as adults we are experienced and wise.
When I was 7 and 8 years old and being driven to Wilder Elementary School we would listen to WAKY radio. I had become a music fan and –though I loved the music—was mostly amazed by how I imagined, logistically, radio pop stations made it all work.
I believed that bands would come from all over the country to go into the WAKY studio and play one song and then leave and make room for the next band. Sometimes twice in one day if they had a popular song.
I figured commercials allowed the next band time to set up but suspected even with that extra time if must really be tough moving in and out the musical equipment for different bands all day every day just so each could play a single song.
Today I am an adult and am experimenting with Sirius radio. On Sirius, I can listen to whatever kind of musical bands I am in the mood for on the radio. And no commercials.
My adult mind is mature enough to figure out that since there are no commercials there is no way each band’s equipment gets moved in and out of the radio studio. My mature and experienced mind knows that the Sirius radio stations must already have all the possible instruments on hand for each band to use. And that’s how they manage to play music all day without commercials.
But as wise and knowing as I am today at 51, I don’t understand why AM and FM stations competing with Sirius haven’t figured this out and are doing it too.
Of course, some radio stations gave up altogether and just hire people to talk all day long about news. All these stations have to do is buy a whole bunch of musical instruments and they could have great bands in the studio playing top 40 hits all day everyday instead. Why this isn’t happening–even with my adult mind– is totally baffling me.
By John Y. Brown III, on Fri Jun 13, 2014 at 12:00 PM ET
If you think about it there are a lot more “Thoughts for the day” offered than “Actions for the day.”
Probably because thoughts are easier than actions.
And you probably think I am going to propose an “Action for the day.” But I am not. I am just going to let this observation count as my “Thought for the day” –and not rock the boat.
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When did teenaged kids get so together?
At high school graduation awards ceremony and some of these kids have already accomplished more than most the parents in the audience.
And look like it! All the male award recipients look like they carry business cards and one looked like he had to leave the office this morning to pick up his academic award.
I remember when I was in high school the administration was just hoping we could all sit still long enough to get through the graduation ceremony successfully.
My biggest disappointment today is that I forgot to bring my business cards to give out. Not to parents. But to the students!
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My new theory about aging.
As I close in on my 51st birthday (or 2 score years and 11, as I am calling it), I am theorizing that as humans age into the second half of life, we don’t progess from “young” to “old,” but rather develop from mammals into some form of reptile.
In other words, we don’t get “old,” just “lizardy” and “turtle-like.”
By John Y. Brown III, on Thu Jun 12, 2014 at 12:00 PM ET
How well do I know my wife?
After being together 27 years and married almost 23 years, pretty darned well.
In fact, I can tell 10 times out of 9 when she is upset with me but doesn’t want to say anything. And I gently pester her to finally tell me what is wrong and we work it out.
That’s right, 10 times out of 9.
That means 1 out of 10 times when I think Rebecca is upset with me, she really isn’t. But I keep trying to get her to admit that she really is upset with me–even though she isn’t– until I irritate her to the point that she really is upset with me.
Which means I really know when Rebecca is upset with me but doesn’t want to say anything 10 out of 10 times– including times when Rebecca doesn’t even know she is upset with me but is about to be.
I think that’s pretty impressive.
It just takes time. And an observant and irritating husband.
Conversely, Rebecca realizes I am upset with her only about 5 times out of 10.
When I am upset with Rebecca and she isn’t aware of it, I subtly hint that I am upset with her by telling her outright what it is that is upsetting me. Then we are both upset with each other.
That means 5 out of the 10 times when I am upset with Rebecca, she gets upset with me too. Which means we get to do something together. But frankly, it’s not as fun as it might sound.
And the 5 times out of 10 that Rebecca does realize I am upset with her, she says nothing –which I know is her way of saying, “Don’t. Don’t do it. Because remember….it is better when just one of us is irritated with the other than when both of us are irritated with the other at the same time.”
By John Y. Brown III, on Tue Jun 10, 2014 at 12:00 PM ET
When a small world forgets how to feel small.
In Orlando for conference.
I love Disney but wonder if their profit motive has outgtown their commitment to reasonable customer service.
Disney employees still wish you a “Magical Day” (after getting your name, address, phone number, credit card number and expiration date and thanking you for participating in the short customer service interview after the call), don’t get me wrong.
But I believe I have seen ant farms more logically and efficiently organized and easier to navigate than Disneyworld seems to be these days.
And I don’t want to sound like Grumpy. It’s still a magical place. If you don’t mind feeling like an ant inside an ant farm that was built by people who didn’t spend enough time asking themselves, “Will the ants like it?”
By John Y. Brown III, on Sat Jun 7, 2014 at 12:00 PM ET
Saturday morning prayer
“God, thank you for all you have given me; thank you for all you have taken away; and thank you for what you’ve left behind.
Please give me the strength and guidance to do Your wil always.
And Lord, even though this may seem a little off-topic, if you would help me get a good parking space at the mall this morning, that would be really great. Totally Your call and just mentioning as kind of an afterthought. Just something to think about.
By John Y. Brown III, on Fri Jun 6, 2014 at 12:00 PM ET
Kentucky in late springtime is about as beautiful a place on our planet as you can find.
Especially early to mid-morning on a mild but sunny day when the foliage seems to be in 3-D and bubbling over itself.
Kentucky, at this time of year, feels like a sublime combination of an upbeat John Cougar Mellencamp song that is an old favorite coupled with serving as irrefutable proof of God’s existence.
By John Y. Brown III, on Wed Jun 4, 2014 at 12:00 PM ET
Warning:
There are cyclists all over the roads today. I am not sure what is going on but think it is like when birds migrate South each year in massive formations–except people are doing it now.
They apparently are travelling South for the summer and are on bicycles instead of flying.
Warning because they aren’t as coordinated or organized as the birds but there are about as many of them.
The mind of a child vs the mind of an adult. (Or how Sirius radio works)
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