Archive for October 2015
Little girl makes little boy’s dream come true.
It’s nice to have a big sister who is willing to build you a jet pack that you can wear around the house.
Read MoreThe Moth: Sex and Frozen Corn
The first gift that my daughter ever received was a stuffed ear of corn from our friend, Justine. It’s been sitting on the corner of her bookshelf for the last six years. She knows that it was the first gift she ever received – given to her before she was even born – but she’s…
Read MoreManagement: Please stop signing your signs. It looks ridiculous and serves no useful purpose.
This sign was posted beside a plastic lion at Safari Golf, an excellent mini golf course near my home. The message itself is fine. Sadly, it’s probably necessary to remind brain damaged teenagers not to sit on the pretend animals. But here’s the problem: What causes business owners to think that they need to sign…
Read More13 Principles of Teaching
During my current book tour, I have been asked repeatedly about my teaching philosophy – probably as a result of a story that I tell about a high school English teacher. After 17 years of teaching, I could write a book about my philosophy (and perhaps someday I will), but for now, here is a…
Read MoreA man who is proving that nothing is as complicated as people think or want it to be.
A phrase that I say often and believe strongly is this: “Nothing is as complicated as people think it is or want it to be.” That second part of that statement is the one that people don’t always realize but is tragically true. There are people in this world – hordes of them – who…
Read More5 new rules of etiquette in the digital world
Nick Bilton of The New York Times wrote a piece examining the shifting norms of digital etiquette. Among the issues he addresses are: Thank you notes Voice mail messages Email subject lines Greetings and closings in email messages Asking for directions For the record, my position on some of these changing social norms is thus:…
Read MoreHow to graduate with an Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees without ever taking the SAT or completing a college application (or paying tuition!)
The New York Times writes about how some colleges and universities have stopped requiring SAT scores when applying to their schools. “For all the gripes some people have with the SAT and ACT as gauges of aptitude, the tests are certainly standardizing forces in one regard: taking them has become a shared moment of anxiety…
Read MoreFirst they dance. Then they attack. Kind of viciously.
The worst thing about parenting just got a whole lot better.
My daughter, Clara, can now buckle herself into her car seat, which is barely a car seat anymore. It’s simply a platform that raises her body to a safe level in the backseat. No more fighting with anchors or straps. It simply sits atop the backseat. Yesterday, when I picked her up after dance class,…
Read MoreAn observation about the movie Stormpiercer that will blow your mind. Maybe.
It’s the Quentin Tarantino version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Right?
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