Posts by mattyd

It’s a big day. Today is the eighteenth anniversary of my blog – Grin and Bare It – and its earlier permutations, Perpetual Perpetuity and Conform Me Not. My blog is old enough to vote. My blogging career began on December 10, 2005. In the fall of 2005, I took a class on blogging at…

The kids and I are driving to a restaurant for dinner. I’m playing “The 100 Best One-Hit Wonder Songs” playlist on Spotify. It’s a favorite amongst the family, at least until we get to the end of the playlist. My kids may only eat about three foods, pile books everywhere, and leave their damn shoes…

Brilliant  

Want to live up to an additional 24 years? I’m trying to live forever, but 24 additional years would be a good start. Just add eight healthy lifestyle choices to your life at age 40, and that could happen, according to a new study analyzing data on United States veterans. Starting at age 50 instead? No…

In the United Kingdom, when a person dies without a will or no next of kin, their assets are claimed by the Treasury. Contributed to the common good. However, certain areas of the UK – Cornwall and Lancaster – are technically “duchies,” which means that after someone dies with no will and no heir, instead…

For the person on your holiday list who has everything, I give you handerpants: Underwear for your hands! Completely real. Completely available online Right now. A cashmere sweater or a bottle of wine make for a lovely gift, but what will be better remembered? A sweater ultimately added to an existing pile of sweaters or…

The hottest new trend in book clubs is the Silent Book Club, where people can all show up in the same place and read whatever they want. No talking. Just reading. There are currently 525 chapters globally. These “introvert happy hours,” as they bill themselves, have seen 75 percent growth this year alone. In some…

It’s 6:30 AM on Sunday morning, and I’m heading to the Patriots game. I’ve just purchased my Egg McMuffin and Diet Coke, and I’m driving north on the Berlin Turnpike. It’s cold, windy, and raining. Not the best day for a football game. Ahead, a traffic light is changing from green to yellow to red.…

This is probably not the best way to run a short, effective meeting, but it might be worth a shot, because here is what I know: Every meeting is too long. Every meeting wastes time. Every meeting isn’t nearly as effective as it could be. Planks are hard. I tried to work my way up…

It’s important to give name to our modern-day villains: Climate change. Election deniers. MAGA politicians. Anti-vaxxers. Elon Musk. The New York Jets. And now… Hurkle-durkle (v.) to lay around in bed long after you should have got up [Scots] At last, we have a name for this modern-day villain. Remaining in bed long after you’ve…