Do You Suffer from the Perfection Premium?

In this week's Ask Dan column, Dan answers a reader's question about a phenomenon known as the perfection premium. Dear Dan, Every time my sister hosts a dinner party, she insists that every last tidbit of food she serves be homemade. This high standard is wearing on her. To make her life easier, I proposed … Continue reading Do You Suffer from the Perfection Premium?

Why Was I the Exception?

I went to a Catholic grade school, for grades 1-8. I seem to recall that my first grade had 90 students and just one teacher, a nun. Talk about being a master of classroom management. But by the time we made it to eighth grade, we were down to just 15 students. Since no one … Continue reading Why Was I the Exception?

Graduates from College, Gets Fired From Five Jobs, Now Earns Several Million per Year. All by the Age of 26.

Of course, it should be obvious to everyone that I am talking about Ludwig. What? You don't know who Ludwig is? That likely means you are over the age of 30. I did not know who he was until earlier today when I read about how a hacker had broken into Twitch's servers, and released … Continue reading Graduates from College, Gets Fired From Five Jobs, Now Earns Several Million per Year. All by the Age of 26.

The Wright Attitude

It's been quite a run for Villanova Men's Basketball Coach, Jay Wright. In 2016, he won the NCAA ChampionshipIn 2018, he won the NCAA ChampionshipEarlier this summer, he was one of the coaches for the USA Men's team that an Olympic Gold medalA month ago he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame You … Continue reading The Wright Attitude

Music Monday: Practicing What I Preach?

Last year I wrote a post, "What Would Cause You to Stop Being a Fan of Someone or Something?"in which I wondered what I would do if somebody or some team or some company that I was a fan of did something I totally disagreed with, whether it’s a political stance they take or breaking … Continue reading Music Monday: Practicing What I Preach?

I Was Really Hoping This Would Be the One

But once again, my hopes were dashed. But I'm used to it. It's happened dozens of times over the years. But I was hoping this time would be different. I've daydreamed about what it would be like, sometimes in quite a bit of detail. My wife and I have talked about what we would do. … Continue reading I Was Really Hoping This Would Be the One

How to Avoid a Disaster, and Save Four Hours by Doing So

A new survey of 2,000 Americans finds four in 10 people have more do-it-yourself failures than they do successes. The average person estimates that it takes them five hours of trial and error before quitting their project and calling in a professional to help. So I have a simple solution to this. Don't even try. … Continue reading How to Avoid a Disaster, and Save Four Hours by Doing So

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Nearly six years ago I wrote a post about my belief that the best way to park in a parking lot is to either back into a space or to pull through a space, so that your car is facing out, making for an easy, and safer, pullout when you are leaving. I also note … Continue reading What’s Wrong With This Picture?

So Much for Having a Brand Name

Companies spend millions of dollars to develop their brand names so that they are easily recognized and well thought of (source - just guessing, off the top of my head). But sometimes, a company may need to rebrand itself.to reflect a changing product mix. Some examples include: Dunkin' Donuts changed its name to Dunkin' Burlington … Continue reading So Much for Having a Brand Name

Sorry. No Scholarship for You. You’re Too Slow at Jumping Rope.

In 2014, Chinese authorities introduced physical-education requirements that included a national jump-rope exam for boys and girls from first through sixth grades. To pass, students must complete minimum numbers of skips a minute, and failure can trip up an otherwise promising academic trajectory. Top officials see the activity as an accessible, low-cost way to help … Continue reading Sorry. No Scholarship for You. You’re Too Slow at Jumping Rope.