Posts by mattyd

Professional golfer Akshay Bhatia won the Valero Texas Open last month by beating Denny McCarthy on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. And he did it playing hurt. Despite entering the back nine with a six-shot lead, Bhatia needed to birdie the 18th hole of the final round to force a playoff after McCarthy…

A recent study examined why some people seem to have an innate sense of direction while others do not. The study found that people tend to fall into three groups: Those who make good mental maps (and can improvise between known routes) Those who have good route knowledge (excellent in known territory but not-so-good outside…

Peter Parker’s iconic tray catch scene from 2002’s Spider-Man took 156 takes, but it was done without CGI. The old-fashioned way. It’s odd how twenty years ago, you’d think, “Of course, it was done without the assistance of computer animation,” but today, it’s almost unbelievable.

I was speaking to a young person about the importance of making stuff. She’s an artist who one day hopes to make her living making art, but she’s plagued with worries about investing time in a project that won’t ultimately pay off. I told her to put those thoughts aside and just work. Find inspiration.…

According to a recent Cash App Taxes survey, a whopping 25% of Gen Z taxpayers said they’d need a therapist to deal with the stress of tax-filing season. Additionally, 54% said filing taxes has either brought them to tears in the past or expects to be brought to tears this year. I’m frightened for the world…

Every now and then, my school’s cafeteria serves “Nachos Grande.” When I announce this meal option to my students, I add that “Nachos Grande” might be an excellent nickname for me that they might want to consider. None do. Most groan. I can’t imagine why. While I continue to try to convince my students to…

The National Bureau of Economic Research has made a shocking discovery. Polling data routinely indicates that about 22 percent of Americans report attending religious services on a weekly basis. However, by analyzing geodata from the smartphones of more than two million people in 2019, researchers found that just five percent of Americans attended religious services…

I was teaching a storytelling workshop last month when one of the participants lamented that his parents had “only given $250 in pocket money” per month while he was attending college. And this was in 2005 when $250 could be stretched considerably further than today. My instant reaction was to recoil. I have not received…

The weather has finally turned. I stand on the precipice of the golf season at last. A time of unknown, unimaginable possibilities. Golf can often be frustrating, disappointing, and even ridiculous. But there are also unforgettable moments of glory that make every duffed ball, shanked drive, and missed putt worth the pain that golf can…

While performing in Schenectady, New York, a couple of weekends ago, I drove by this restaurant, which, as far as I can tell, could be: “First Prize Mike’s Frankfurts along with First Prize Hots with our Sauce” or… “First Prize Franfurts” and also “Mike’s First Prize Hots with Our Sauce” Or maybe just “First Prize…