James Marsden appears as Eddie, a cater waiter, in the pilot episode of The Nanny. “Mr. Sheffield! I was just…” he says after being caught smooching his daughter. “You were just leaving,” Mr. Sheffield demands. “Right,” he says. He’s back again in Episode 4 when he takes Maggie on a date. The date goes well, and he even wins over the affection of the irritable Mr. Sheffield. He’s never seen again.

Do what you love. Follow your passion. We’ve heard this a million times. But what happens if what we love is to get the highest score on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater? “Do what you love” is fine advice. It taps into the concept of intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation occurs when we do things out of inherent enjoyment. It’s when we find ourselves doing activities “just because,” and not for likes, bonuses, or other external rewards.

A few days ago, a friend of mine reached out to me via email. She wanted me to weigh in on a parenting situation that was causing disagreement among her friends. She wrote (and gave me permission to share): One of my friend’s daughters had prom last weekend. While she was finishing up getting dressed and waiting for her prom date to arrive for photos, she got a phone call from the boy, who attends another school.

Dear Classical KIDS, Homer is considered one of the greatest poets who ever lived. His poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are two of the most important and influential books ever written.  But who was Homer? Was he a truck driver? No, trucks didn’t exist then. Was he a kinder egg opener? No, they didn’t even have chocolate yet! Poor kids, what did they have for dessert?  The answer is a little bit complicated…

John, I am so happy that you did this subject. I am a generally conservative white Male, decidedly un-woke, 70, gay and retired. I was a radio and TV news guy for 30 years, always on air. And it so happens that I’m a stickler for correct grammar and pronunciation. In fact, I frequently complain to my partner about errors I see and hear in graphics and voiceovers on CNN, MSNBC and the rest, but also on the legacy players’ newscasts: CBS News, NBC News and ABC News.