I’ve subscribed to a blog called Dear Photograph for as long as I can remember. It’s a site that shows old photographs overlapping new ones, like this: There’s something really poignant about these photos and their captions. It feels a little bit like time travel, like I get to feel the weight of history passing between … Read more
This is one of the most brilliant celebrity endorsements I’ve ever seen. I say that as someone who doesn’t care about celebrity endorsements at all. The products a celebrity chooses to use or promote doesn’t impact me at all (at least not consciously). I don’t care which brand of shoe LeBron James wears, what type … Read more
Every now and then I hear about an idea so brilliant that I wonder why it wasn’t executed years ago. So, we all know that 6-pack rings (the kind that hold sodas and beer) are terrible for the environment. A lot of them end up strangling birds and fish in the ocean. Even if you … Read more
I want you to visualize a person you care about. Someone whose laugh you love, whose company you cherish. This person means the world to you. Now picture that person giving you a holiday gift…and it’s a rock wrapped in leather. That’s exactly what Nordstrom is selling for $85 this year. The “Medium Leather Wrapped … Read more
About a month ago, I discovered a YouTube channel called Great Big Story. I’ve been entranced by it ever since. Every day, the channel posts about 2 short videos (usually 2-3 minutes of footage) telling an interesting story. It feels a little like a condensed Discovery Channel. I would have shared it a while ago, … Read more
A little over a year ago, I wrote about a car rental service called Silvercar. I’ve wanted to try it ever since, and I had that chance while I was in Texas. The premise is brilliant: It’s a company that rents exactly one car, a silver Audi A4. $59 a day, streamlined check-in. As you’ll … Read more
What if I told you that you could live rent free for 2 years in a tastefully designed home filled with modern furniture? You’d probably ask if there were a catch. And there is. In return for this opportunity, you would need to offer frequent feedback about the furnishings. You would also need to participate … Read more
Today I’m going to write about something I never thought I’d devote an entire blog entry to: The best grocery cart I’ve ever used. I went to Schnuck’s (a St. Louis chain of grocery stores) to find that they’d replaced all of the old metal grocery cards with these new plastic ones. Anything new is … Read more
Have you ever said something online (text, e-mail, social media, etc) that you’ve immediately or soon after regretted? Something uncharacteristically harsh, mean, cruel, or ignorant? I definitely have. Sometimes I’ve realized my mistake right away, whereas other times it took me a few hours or the prompting of someone else to realize that I wasn’t … Read more
Around 6 years ago, I was in a long-distance relationship. The woman I was dating lived about 700 miles away–much too far for a quick, spontaneous drive. One night she came down with a terrible cold. On the phone I could tell that she was miserable, and I was completely helpless to make her feel … Read more