Awareness

Are you actually “directionally challenged?”

  While thinking about my idea for “Stop Messing Around With Your Phone Day“, I tried to come up with a more nuanced view of what was considered “messing around” versus “legitimate use”. And one of those cases that seemed … Read MoreRead More

Celebrate “Stop Messing Around With Your Phone” Day!

  When I was in high school, my friends and I invented a holiday. We called it National Bubble Day. Held rather arbitrarily on the third Friday in April, it was an excuse to bring those little bottles of soap … Read MoreRead More

The wisdom of tenacity

  You’re probably tempted to quit right now. I don’t even know what it is you’re trying to do, whether it’s build an audience for your blog, become noticed as a musician, or trying to find a special someone. No … Read MoreRead More

The surprising reason to care about Google’s “mobile-geddon”

  Back in Februrary, the wizards at Google dropped this small bombshell: Starting April 21 [2015], we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will … Read MoreRead More

The importance of reconnecting with the joys of flight

  It seems obvious to the point of banality to complain about air travel these days. From the dehumanizing and pointless security to the dehumanized and surly people (both employees and fellow travelers). The lines. The screaming kids. The delays. … Read MoreRead More

Rapid flash beacons, or how to be a chicken about crossing the road

  Behind the wheel, we tend to become more sociopathic. Am I the only person who has heard the quip “10 points!” when you see a pedestrian infringing on your (car’s) road space? And I’m speaking as a car owner as well, so … Read MoreRead More

In defense of jaywalking

  “Here, we’d just speed up and turn our wipers on.” – Bill Hicks, on what would happen in Texas if a pedestrian tried to randomly cross the road Portland and New York City are very different places. (Film at … Read MoreRead More

On responding to “withering” cultural pressure

  Our parents got peer pressure all wrong. The apocryphal “dealer on the playground” never existed, at least not in my experience. No one ever said “it’ll make you feel good” to me, and I never heard anyone I knew … Read MoreRead More

Why foreign transaction fees are (annoying but) no big deal

  WARNING: This post contains math. Are you old enough to remember travelers checks? When I went on my first trip abroad when I was much younger, that was still the de facto method of using currency when in a … Read MoreRead More

What karaoke taught me about self-identity

  I’ve often said that there are two types of people in this world: those who think there are two types of people in this world, and those who don’t. Sorry, I’ll start again. I’ve often said that there are … Read MoreRead More