I finally watched the first two episodes of Survivor tonight, and I’m already riveted. I think it’s going to be a great season. The dynamic of having a few returning contestants mixed with mostly new folks (lots of interesting personalities and stories among them) will be fun to watch. But the big twist–not a spoiler … Read more
Last week I recommended an episode of the Radiolab podcast called “The Living Room.” After sharing it, several people recommended another episode called “Punchline“…and they were right, as it was worth the listen. The episode is about a hockey player named John Scott. I don’t follow hockey, but the podcasters go out of their way … Read more
It’s time to continue my occasional series about rooms I’d love to have in my house if I can ever afford to design such a place. So far I’ve discussed a ball room, cat tower room, game room(s), and shower room. Today I’d like to propose the merits of a fictional room. The room itself … Read more
I had an unusually busy weekend, a nice balance of work and play. I’ve already shared a few of the highlights on social media, but I thought I’d consolidate them here for fun. On Friday afternoon I visited the Audubon Center at the Riverlands, a wildlife preserve for bird. It was mostly a business meeting, … Read more
Recently I was talking about podcasts with a friend, and she recommended a specific episode of Radiolab called “The Living Room.” I was intrigued that a specific episode had made such an impression, so I gave it a try. It’s a short episode, and it has some twists to it, so I’ll just share the … Read more
I’ve been working full-time for my company for a little over 5 years. A few weeks after I quit my previous job, I was home for Christmas, and I had a good talk with my parents about the future. One of the things they asked me about was disability insurance. I was familiar with other … Read more
Recently I watched a fascinating talk by Daniel Pink in which he asked audience members to guess the activity he described. You can play the same guessing game if you’d like; the benefits are below: It delivers a significant positive improvement to your temperament. It increases sensitivity to others and makes you more willing to … Read more
Last night, SNL was hosted by Don Cheadle, and there were a number of sketches that I really enjoyed. Here are my 3 favorites: 3. Pound Puppy I won’t spoil the twist, but the concept is quite relatable: You’re having an intimate moment with someone, and you look up to see your dog or cat … Read more
I love pretty much everything about “Isn’t It Romantic?”, the new romantic comedy. The premise is that Rebel Wilson plays a woman who grew up increasingly jaded about the airbrushed, happily-ever-after world presented to her by rom coms. Her life is the antithesis of these films, yet she’s acutely aware of them–at the beginning of … Read more
A few months ago, my (then) 8-month-old niece made an unboxing video of a game called Fireball Island. While I’m biased in saying she’s cute, I think there’s something endearing about seeing a tiny baby interact with grown-up toys. Also, my sister-in-law vocalizes my niece’s hilarious inner monologue. So I asked my brother and sister-in-law … Read more