01.29.20 | Business Professor and author Dr. Wayne Baker, from the University of Michigan, is our guest. His latest book, All You have to do is Ask…How to master the most important skill for success, proves that asking for help in business or personal life can lead to success. But first, the father of the laser printer dies, and U-Haul won’t hire smokers anymore.

01.28.20 | In a game of he said, Gritty said, The Philadelphia Flyers googly-eyed Cousin It looking orange mascot is accused of assaulting a 13-year-old fan after said fan was tapping on Gritty’s head. Lots of accusations and no proof. But first, The HRC 2020 Corporate Equality Index is released and Harry Hamlin claims his role as a gay man in the 1982 motion picture “Making Love” excluded him from working on pictures ever again. We agree with Hamlin that the movie was way before its time and Hollywood still has a level of homophobia.

01.22.20 | The Space Force has a camo uniform, we tend to be most miserable at 47.2 years of age, and Sam Popeil of Veg-O-Matic fame has a Business Birthday. Shop Talk looks at one trait that tends to be an indicator of success, and we welcome FIVERR as a new sponsor.

01.21.20 | Wendy Williams made fun of having a cleft lip, and now Cher wants her fired from TV. Then, a state senator in Arizona wants to ban the word homosexuality and not teach sex education in public school below the 7th grade. Tennessee soon joins 9 other states in limiting, or banning, LGBTQ people from adopting children. Finally, the Trump Admin wants to roll back the healthy lunch guidelines advocated by First Lady Michelle Obama.

01.15.20 | Sloped toilets get workers back on the job in the UK, and a list of things people put in their bodies in 2019—and that’s just Caught Your Eye! Pierre du Pont is our Business Birthday and the Boys in the Booth promise to wear the International Male Step-In Onesie in an upcoming show—stay tuned. Steve Jobs logic is revisited in Shop Talk and makes us all think.

01.14.20 | A new advert from the Chinese e-commerce website Tmall that includes a same-sex couple, has won widespread praise and been hailed as a small but significant win for China’s LGBT community. Google Maps Street View has an unexpected and positive affect on some families, and Batman actor, Burt Ward, was told to tone down the bulge.

01.08.19 | The Focus Group is back for another fun filled year. Oracle moves a convention out of San Francisco due to “poor street conditions” and “visual futurist” Syd Mead is remembered as part of Caught Your Eye. The inventor of bubble gum is our Business Birthday and the mystery as to why bubble gum is pink is revealed. Shop Talk looks at goal setting for 2020 and covers the five best Ted Talks—according to one source. Tim and John have a differing POV, of course.

01.07.19 | Delta Airlines employees have filed a class action suit against outfitter Lands’ End. The lawsuit claims that wearing the uniforms caused skin rashes, headaches, fatigue and other problems. A study shows that people with a lower IQ tend to be more homophobic, and trouble continues to surface at the once revered ‘Out’ and ‘Advocate’ Magazines.

01.01.20 | Happy New Year from The Focus Group. Tim and John share their New Year’s Resolutions and being positive and thankful seems to be the theme. First, an article in The New York Times offers 8 simple ideas to make 2020 better for all. John watched the live re-boot of “All in The Family” and “Good Times” and recommends Tim watch both shows. As the saying goes—the more things change, the more they stay the same.