I just returned from Employee Training, during which we were paired off to practice our listening skills. "Bring up any gripe you have," the instructor said, "and your partner will actively listen, offering suggestions, and then you'll switch."

I introduced myself to my partner. His name was Carl, and he works in another department. My gripe was going to be that I was unable to complete a report on time, owing to my presence at Employee Training. But, I offered to let Carl go first. He agreed. We referred to the printed handout for instructions.

VIOLET: OK, Carl, I'm supposed to ask you what your gripe is. Carl: What's your gripe?

CARL: Well... My gripe is that my country is being run by a criminal and there's nothing I can do about it.

So began my long, long day. More details to follow.

Star of the day. . .Derek Trucks