How to go bald gracefully without the fear and anxiety of losing your hair When I was in the fifth grade, one of my best friends was this kid who wore two hearing aids. His name was Stephen Lesko. Why I remember that little piece of trivia is beyond me.…
Crossing The Rubicon
In which I attempt to chart a strategy for making the most of things as the ship sinks into the icy waters and the band plays on Originally published March 2023 In 49 B.C., Julius Caesar led his army to the banks of a small river that marked the boundary…
A Great Social Rewilding Is Coming
As the enshittification of the internet hits its apex and begins to collapse under the weight of a tsunami of AI slop, humanity may very well find itself back where it started, rediscovering the genuine world of books, art, music, travel, entertainment, food, and nature. Authentic experiences that have the…
Teaching Kids To Fish
Teaching children is not about memorization; it’s teaching them to be curious about the world Originally published in July 2021 You’ve seen the memes on social media, extolling the virtues of teaching life skills to kids in public schools. Stuff like how to balance a checkbook, file your taxes, or…
The Magic And Mystery Of Pommes Frites
Originally published May 2023 The incalculable charm of a fried stick of potato garnished with salt and served piping hot I think about French fries a lot. Pommes frites, as they are called in France, even though they were invented in Belgium, are one of those popular foods that seem…
Kindness Is Not A Weakness
No one has ever become poor by giving. — Anne Frank Originally published in June, 2021 In American culture, we have a tradition of equating power with heartlessness. We expect our leaders to have a no-nonsense, logical approach to solving problems without allowing their emotions or personal histories to influence…
We Like It Hard
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost Without adversity, there is no spirit of accomplishment or faith in our ability to overcome, and therefore, no joy Let’s be honest, shall we? We like it…
You Don’t Understand America As Well As You Think You Do
Originally published in 2022. There is far too much joy expressed in predicting our eventual demise, and we’re sick of it I see it a lot, especially on social media platforms that are likely to include non-Americans, such as Mastodon or Medium. It is the full-scale breakdown and analysis of our culture,…
Why Protests Should Never Be Peaceful
“After all, the practical reason why, when the power is once in the hands of the people, a majority are permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule, is not because they are most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but…
Rollerblading With The Amish
“It takes a lot to change a manHell, it takes a lot to tryMaybe it’s time to let the old ways die.” Jason Isbell Leaning into the old ways by embracing authenticity and tradition in the face of a dehumanizing technology I live by the ocean, so I can say…