Sincere Hypocrites

Hey Friends,

Good morning to basically everyone whose not in the Epstein files. Especially Former Prince Andrews who was arrested yesterday.

It's Friday, and as always, I'm writing yet another article about something. That's because this isn't LinkedIn, where people write about nothing, or at times, even less than that. I posted critically about it yesterday. I complained that LinkedIn is a home for the "ultra processed foods of internet copy" where "words are abused, like salt, oils, and emulsifiers in a Twinkie."

I share this with you for two reasons.

1. As a reminder that saying something that has no novelty, substance, meaning, or purpose is worse than saying nothing at all.
2. And also, to suggest that if you have spent more than enough time reading something, and would rather read nothing at all, maybe head over to LinkedIn.

For the rest of you who are trying to fill space in a newsfeed, you have a choice. You can say nothing on the internet, or not say it at all.

Let's get to The News.

The Best Policy

As regular readers know, we always promote the path of the highest moral character in this newsletter. Some even place this newsletter alongside Kant, Plato, and Costanza as a thought leader on matters of ethics.

Let me put it this way. If emails could go to heaven, that great inbox in the sky will be welcoming this missive every Friday for eternity. And I promise to keep to such honorable character, because it’s always important to do what’s right.

Unless it costs you money, of course. Doing right by people is core to who we are, here at The Lorem Ipsum, as long as we're reimbursed for any expenses we incur along the way.

They say, 'cleanliness is close to godliness,' but I’m sure you can agree that making money off of the weak and the poor is the most god-like thing you can do. As they always say in church, money is the best soap.

Just ask Mark Zuckerberg, who testified this week in a landmark case about social media's effects on young children. He is being sued by someone who has claimed that social media is addictive and harmful to children. But Mark said it best. He said he believed he was navigating the safety of young people "in a reasonable way." The same comment my fentanyl dealer said, because he, too, cares about the safety of his customers.

So please, always remember that following the law is important. With the obvious exception of the laws we don’t agree with. For the law is in place to protect us, and to punish everyone else.

Moral character is important. For me, it shapes how I vote. It's always my priority to support candidates who stand up for the Constitution, support democracy, and believe in freedom of speech for everyone I agree with, and, when possible, don't for the people I don't agree with.

That's why I think we should take a moment to recognize CBS executives for following the guidance of the FCC by pressuring Stephen Colbert not to air an interview with a Senate candidate that the FCC doesn't like.

Let's also recognize FCC Chair Stephen Carr, who has stood up for the law of the land, especially since it was convenient for him.

It's true. It is the law. The FCC rule Section 315 of the Communications Act requires broadcast stations to provide equal time to candidates of opposing sides, with a possible exception for news (which has typically included comedy news like late-night talk shows). The specific text says this:

"If any licensee shall permit any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office to use a broadcasting station, he shall afford equal opportunities to all other such candidates for that office in the use of such broadcasting station: Provided, That such licensee shall have no power of censorship over the material broadcast under the provisions of this section. No obligation is imposed under this subsection upon any licensee to allow the use of its station by any such candidate."

In other words, two people running for office should be given equal access to use your TV station, and you shouldn't be able to censor the content.

In 1959, Congress added these exceptions.

1. A bona fide newscast
2. A bona fide news interview
3. A bona fide news documentary (if the candidate's appearance is incidental to the subject covered)
4. On-the-spot coverage of a bona fide news event (including political conventions and debates)

These are important practical exceptions, and I know. Because, frankly, it's too hard to keep track of how many times I make a bona fide joke about Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. And to start covering Rep. Hal Rogers of KY for the sake if fairness is just plain boring, and he's not particularly bona fide, if I'm correct in what that term means.

It's a good thing to follow the law, especially the top part, even if the bottom part feels a little off, and "not for you". So thanks, CBS, and the FCC, for holding people accountable.

Operating with integrity is the way we should all conduct our lives, within reason, of course. So, if you don't mind, please do the right thing – but if you do mind, don't.

Here's a reminder to subscribe to Truthache, where we talk about the elephant in the room. Here's our latest episode.

Strange Luck and Workplace Culture - Jenny Vance | Truthache

We are part of the culture we created or the one we’ve accepted. Jenny Vance is very, very lucky. She’s a strategic growth consultant and a CRO at a tech company. But I’m not talking about some financial achievement, a business exit, or a lucrative executive role, although she’s had some of those; I’m talking about everyday, strange luck. She tells us about 30 rounds being fired, feet away from her bedroom window, none of which hit her home. She and her husband we’re 100% safe, too, even as one person in her driveway was not as lucky. She also tells us about a car that flipped over nearly as close to her house, from which she also escaped harm. Her career path has looked more like course terrain than smooth pavement, but with plenty of worthy achievements and successes. Along the way, she’s learned that she needs to trust two people. Her paid advisors, and herself, with the latter being most important. You might say she’s lucky in business because she has made her luck when she needed it. Add to that, trusting her employees. Jenny talked some sense into Daniel when he did his typical Gen Z rant in which he almost certainly has a good point, but a change of heart comes when we discuss how generations have learned secrets to work-life that the prior never understood, or took for granted. Jenny says that while Gen Z may use different language, they know what treatment should look like. She explains that culture is created by the leaders, and, as we learn in our conversation, what those leaders create often comes from the lessons they’ve learned, or failed to learn, when they were the new professional on the team. About the Guest: Jenny Vance is the founder and CEO of GrowthJen (​​https://www.growthjen.com/) and the CRO of software company, Encamp. Mentioned in this episode: Senator Chris Murphy questions Jeremy Carl, who Trump has nominated for Assistant Secretary of State, about his complaints about the “erasure of white culture.” https://www.instagram.com/reels/DUrOt_YjSGA/ About The Hosts: Daniel Herndon is a brand strategist at HRNDN Brand Agency and author of The Lorem Ipsum. Michael Salemi owns a branded apparel and swag company, Colored Threads.

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That's it for this week.

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Have a great weekend!