Failing Better

Philip "Lecco" Morris is a musician, composer producer, poet and aspiring Adirondack 46er.  In this edition of Failing Better, Lecco shares a lesson in grace learned in a harrowing night  in the Adirondacks. 

Near the end of our conversation, Lecco reference a video of a resilient little girl learning to jump on a bench. Here's the video. It will make your day.

Musician, composer, poet, producer and aspiring Adirondack 46er Philip "Lecco" Morris shares a tale of a harrowing night in the high peaks that led to a lesson in grace.  That's next on Failing Better. 

Failure is something athletes face every day of their careers. Every stroke, every swing, every race is a lesson in failure and success. This week we talk with LPGA champ and CBS sports broadcaster Dottie Pepper about preparation, goals, flexibility and the role of failure in the life of an athlete.

Pepper's new book about her mentor, George Pulver, is called Letters to a Future Champion. 

In this episode, Pepper references Anne Lamott's book, Bird by Bird. 

Failure is something athletes face every day of their careers. Every stroke, every swing, every race is a lesson in failure and success. This week we'll talk with LPGA champ and CBS sports broadcaster Dottie Pepper about preparation, goals, flexibility and the role of failure in the life of an athlete.

Failure is something athletes face every day of their careers. Every stroke, every swing, every race is a lesson in failure and success. This week we'll talk with LPGA champ and CBS sports broadcaster Dottie Pepper about preparation, goals, flexibility and the role of failure in the life of an athlete.

 Rex Smith, editor-at-large of Hearst's Times Union newspaper opens up about one of his earliest newsroom failures, the challenges of dealing with failure in the very public sphere of journalism, and navigating through the fast paced technological changes in media today. 

**Note: Smith recently announced his retirement from the Times Union. This interview was conducted prior to that announcement.**

Rex Smith, editor-at-large for the Hearst newspaper, The Times Union, shares one of his earlier failures, and his thoughts on what it takes to handle failure in the very public sphere of journalism. 

Next on Failing Better.

What is your obligation to the people to your first fans, and your early work? If you change, are you selling out, or growing? And what even is failure anyway?  This week on Failing Better, chef, entrepreneur, musician, and two time Food Network Chopped champ, Ric Orlando dishes about failure in and out of the kitchen, and on the price of popularity. 

You can learn more about Ric at Ricorlando.com, where you can also get recipes and  shop for his new line of spices. 

 Share your thoughts, pitch us a guest or tell us your own story of failure at [email protected]

This week on Failing Better, chef, entrepreneur, musician, and two time Food Network Chopped champ, Ric Orlando dishes about failure in and out of the kitchen, and on the price of popularity. 

Join us for failing better at failingbetterpodcast.com, or on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 

Share your thoughts, pitch us a guest or tell us your own story of failure at [email protected]

I watch too much cable news.  

I admit it.  Especially during covid.  I feel some primal need to be connected to the world, so if I'm walking, running, cleaning, cooking, working -- doing anything that doesn't require deep concentration-- I'm listening to the news.  I'm well and truly on top of world events.  

I'm also very sad.  

Not all the time. Don't start worrying. Yet.  But this week has been rough. It's impeachment week boys and girls. And the events of January 6th at the U.S. Capitol are being replayed.  Over. And Over.  And over.

Over and over again I'm watching mobs of people storm the Capitol, spew foul language and racist slurs, attack police officers.  Even I, with my need for connection, had to turn it off.   Maybe that's how I missed Lawyer Cat.  

By now you've seen the viral video of the Texas Lawyer caught in a cat filter during an online district court hearing.  If you haven't, stop reading this right now and go here.   

Now you're up to speed.  

Yep.  Lawyer Cat.  Lawyer. Cat.

Lawyer Cat helped rescue me from some of my sadness this week. Just for a few minutes. Well maybe more than a few minutes.  I'll cop to it, I've gone back to Lawyer Cat several times in the last 24 hours. Especially the part where the lawyer finds the need to inform the judge, “I’m here live. I’m not a cat.”  It's ridiculous. It's adorable.  And it's a mistake.  A ridiculous, adorable mistake.  

The lawyer, Rod Ponton, was using his assistant's computer, and he couldn't figure out how to turn off the filter that made him look -- you know -- like a kitty cat.  According to the New York Times, Ponton's Secretary was "mortified" by the mistake, but Ponton, and the judge, and several million people around the world were delighted.  

They stopped. They watched. They laughed.  And for a moment they forgot about impeachment and Covid, and home schooling and whatever else may have been bringing them down. Sure it was a moment. But what a lovely silly moment. 

Sometimes mistakes are gifts.  Delightful little gifts. And when you can go with it, and not yell at your secretary, you share your delight with the universe.  Thanks, Lawyer Cat. Or should we say, Thanks, Lawyer Cat's Secretary. 

We now return you to your regular programming.  

Or maybe just to another viewing of Lawyer Cat.