As school is starting, incoming high school seniors (my son among them) are ramping up their college application process. The parental hope is that our kids will make it into their desired school. If only they can do that, all will be right with the world! We will have achieved the ultimate in parenting, and … Continue reading Getting into a good college is nothing to be proud of
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The default
Companies know that there is power in default choices. When you sign up, they default your choice to agree to receive advertising emails from them. They also default to the option that your contract will renew at the end of your subscription period. Whenever possible, they make the choices for you (repeat last order? same … Continue reading The default
The importance of a hill of beans
I brought out a DVD of Casablanca (purchased in 1995) and watched it with my kids. Surprisingly they enjoyed a movie made nearly 80 years ago. If I had watched an 80-year-old movie when I was in high school, it would have been silent. Probably not as enjoyable. What is Casablanca about? Very few people … Continue reading The importance of a hill of beans
The challenge of collective action
As I write this, we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Collective action - when we all act together - is playing out in the headlines, as we watch from isolation. Collective action comes in various forms: Constructive collective action, with people keeping social distance and stores and businesses doing what they can … Continue reading The challenge of collective action
How I Journal
It's a new year, and with it comes resolutions. I resolve to re-invigorate this blog, which has languished in the throes of a new job and new life patterns. For me, a new year also means cracking open a new journal. I have tried, on and off, to keep a diary or journal since 1983. In … Continue reading How I Journal
Enter the bubbleverse
I hear a lot of people claiming that others live in a "bubble." It's meant as an insult, meaning that someone has a sheltered, limited viewpoint and doesn't understand the real world. But what is the "real" world? The bubble insult is often applied to urban, educated, or wealthy people, but it's also applied to … Continue reading Enter the bubbleverse
Is some better than none?
You are making dinner for a few friends. The plan is for spaghetti, but you forgot to buy the sauce and now you're out of time. But hey, it's still free noodles. And you went to all the work to plan it, so they should be grateful, right? You manage a hotel that is offering … Continue reading Is some better than none?
Red Goggles 