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Old Line Leadership
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Joe McPherson
Apr 15, 20232 min read
Pizza Hut!
How much do I love pizza? I once was punished as a grown adult for a month for simply saying the word 'pizza' when I shouldn’t have. I...
Joe McPherson
Nov 11, 20224 min read
Transition classes to use real bridges to train future veterans
<<<< satire - see post script >>>> Guest post by Joe They, Veteran and Bridge Enthusiast In one of the greatest training innovations...
Joe McPherson
Oct 26, 202214 min read
Do you see what I see?
Perspective is a powerful word and concept. The value of gaining perspective often drives our curiosity and desire to learn. At a basic...
Joe McPherson
Oct 13, 20226 min read
“Dad’s” Wedding Toast
This is a welcome toast that I delivered, on behalf of our late father, on the occasion of our sister Anne’s marriage to Milton Speid on...
Joe McPherson
Jul 9, 20222 min read
Clearly Homemade Cakes
I started decorating cakes as a child in my large family in the 80s. Fondant frosting and hobby-expert-style or bakery cakes were not a...
Joe McPherson
Apr 18, 20223 min read
Maryland: Conflicts, Flags, and Unity
Maryland is a border state. It is a state with historically interesting borders, including the famous Mason-Dixon Line, that create its...
Joe McPherson
Apr 5, 20225 min read
How Maryland Took Shape
Maryland has one of the most unusual shapes of all the states. It started as a straightforward land-granting charter from King Charles of...
Joe McPherson
Mar 26, 20224 min read
Maryland Month: The home of...
Every state and place has unique history, but it is becoming harder to see it under the strip-mall-box-store-chain-restaurant sameness...
Joe McPherson
Mar 16, 20224 min read
Old Line Etymology
Old Line Etymology The name of this page comes from Maryland’s nickname “The Old Line State.” In an age when innovation is coveted and...
Joe McPherson
Mar 1, 20224 min read
Innovation for Bureaucracies
Shortly after senior executives arrive in a new position they often hopefully communicate priorities to their team. Regardless of the...
Joe McPherson
Feb 12, 20227 min read
A Rail Runs Through It (or used to)
Imagine a time-lapse video showing the history of a railroad corridor. Images of early rustic tracks cutting through forests would...
Joe McPherson
Feb 2, 20222 min read
Insects and Inclusion
How can a science-fiction writer help us think about inclusion? Years ago, my sister, Mary, sent me this quote that reminded her of me. I...
Joe McPherson
Jan 19, 202211 min read
The only thing to Change, is Change itself
{TL:DR - see the more interesting content and pictures toward the bottom.} Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen once said the service needed...
Joe McPherson
Dec 29, 20213 min read
An inconvenience rightly considered
My father was nearly in tears laughing in the passenger seat next to me. I was not laughing, but I did learn that day that my car could...
Joe McPherson
Dec 22, 20216 min read
Voyage of Life on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
If bridges and oceans are among my favorite things, it should be no surprise that I find inspiration in the 17.6 mile long Chesapeake Bay...
Joe McPherson
Dec 14, 20212 min read
The Interrobang and The Stockdale Paradox
I consider myself to be cheerful, but not necessarily optimistic. In fact, I pride myself on maintaining a certain level of...
Joe McPherson
Nov 25, 20216 min read
Engineering Leadership Lessons
“That’s pretty good leadership insight from an engineer.” Although my colleague wrongly reduced all engineers to some cast of...
Joe McPherson
Nov 18, 20217 min read
The Maryland Challenge
I first heard about the Maryland Challenge while looking for a tough day-hike near Washington D.C. I knew the Appalachian Trail passed...
Joe McPherson
Nov 10, 202112 min read
Graduation Advice That We All Still Need to Hear
On a recent road trip for work I listened to a series of speeches by the author David McCullough. Half of the speeches were from...
Joe McPherson
Nov 3, 20215 min read
A Walk With Dad
“When Dad was last here, did he know he would not get to walk Old Rag again?” It was an honest question, even if I also took the...
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