Later this year I’m attending a “white elephant” gathering where each person will bring a copy of something they purchased earlier in the year, something they love enough that they want to share it with others. So I’ve been thinking about my expenses this year–items, gadgets, services, consumables, experiences, etc–to narrow down my list. In … Read more
One of the things my late father taught me from an early age (starting with my monthly $4 allowance) was to try to invest a portion of everything I earn and, if possible, to have a diverse portfolio of investments. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about those investments, particularly funds invested in the specific … Read more
While listening to the Smartless podcast recently, Sean asked actress Julia Roberts a question I don’t think I’ve heard before: If you could relive one year of your life–not to change anything, but just to see the world through your eyes for that year again–which year would you choose? I have two answers: 2001-2002: This … Read more
I love a heist movie, but in the 9 years since the previous Now You See Me movie, I completely forgot that these are about magician thieves pulling off grandiose heists. So I was delighted to remember this key detail during the first few minutes of the third installment, which we saw in the theater … Read more
Last week there were birthdays for three of my favorite people, and I thought I’d share a short story about each of them. Jay, my dad: My dad would have been 72 on Thursday were it not the cancer that took him a few years ago. Hopefully that isn’t the case for your father, but … Read more
When I read the description of Heavenbreaker by Sara Wolf, I was hooked by “mech jousting tournament in space”. Then I started reading and realized that it was also a dystopian underdog transformation story ala Red Rising, and I was 100% on board. The book starts with the main character, Synali, killing her estranged father, … Read more
Here’s how much I’m enjoying the show Yellowjackets: I’m so invested in not knowing what happens next that I’m not going to risk a spoiler by Googling an image to add to this post. Heck, I don’t even know how many seasons there are or if the show is complete. All I know is that … Read more
Our most recent Marvel shows included Ironheart (which we’ve finished) and Marvel Zombies (still a few episodes remain), so I thought I’d briefly share my thoughts. Ironheart is in some ways a successor to Iron Man, though based on genius and grit instead of the backbone of extreme wealth. I really like how the show … Read more