Parallel, a motion design studio, has created an animated film that highlights some of life's unsatisfying moments. From the vending machine ripoff, to the spoon sliding into a bowl of soup, to the bouncing basketball finally deciding not to go in, to the close-but-no-cigar dart throw, to the bent nail, to the lip-out putt at … Continue reading Life’s Unsatisfying Moments
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L’ESPRIT DE L’ESCALIER
I am the master of the witty comeback. The problem is that the witty comeback always seems to come to me five minutes too late. And by then the only person who gets to enjoy such clever repartee is me. Little did I know, there is a word, or more accurately a phrase, for such … Continue reading L’ESPRIT DE L’ESCALIER
As a Patient, I Have No Patience
I'm not a big fan of waiting, and I imagine very few people are. There are certain situations where you can't do much about the waiting, like being stuck in a traffic jam or a long line at the grocery store, so I try not to get too upset. But there are other situations, such … Continue reading As a Patient, I Have No Patience
Three TVs but No Food (Except for Lead Paint Chips)
The New York Times had a story last week, "3 TVs and NoFood: Growing Up Poor in America", that looked at childhood poverty in America. Two days later, the Philadelphia Inquirer had a story, "Philly's shame: City ignores thousands of poisoned kids", that looked at the thousands of kids that are poisoned by lead paint … Continue reading Three TVs but No Food (Except for Lead Paint Chips)
Thanks, Creepy Clowns, for Ruining It for Us Real Clowns
I'm not sure the title above is the best way to express my feelings on this issue. You see, earlier in my life, I used to be a clown at kids' parties. I didn't really bring much to the table as a clown. My only clown-like abilities were juggling and making a small set of … Continue reading Thanks, Creepy Clowns, for Ruining It for Us Real Clowns
Penn & Teller – 40 Years Later
Last night my wife, son, and I had the chance to see Penn & Teller bring their Las Vegas show to Atlantic City. It was, as I expected, fabulous. The show started off with a clever trick involving an audience member's cell phone, and later included several memorable tricks, one of which was a cool … Continue reading Penn & Teller – 40 Years Later
Anticipation…
Dan Ariely, one of my favorite behavioral economists (yes, I do have several to choose from), has an occasional column in the Wall Street Journal where he answers readers' questions. Here is one of the recent questions: Dear Dan, I hate waiting for anything. I get very impatient when I have to wait for food … Continue reading Anticipation…
A Farewell to Vine
Twitter announced this week that is was shutting down its Vine operation. Vine was an app that allowed users to create six-second videos. When I first heard about it back in 2013, I thought how much could really be accomplished in a six-second video. As it turned out, quite a bit, actually. Here's a clip … Continue reading A Farewell to Vine
Another Win for the Internet and Nextdoor
The following message was posted on our neighborhood's Nextdoor web site this past week: Hi, I am K..., new to the neighborhood. My husband B... and I recently bought a house in the neighborhood and will move in this weekend. Nice to "meet" you all here! A day later, there was the following response: Welcome, … Continue reading Another Win for the Internet and Nextdoor
Who Said There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch?
In Philadelphia, one in four people are “food insecure,” which means that 25 percent of the city’s population don’t have access to a reliable, affordable food source. While there are several programs that try to address such a problem, most of these programs are isolating in that the only people participating in the programs are … Continue reading Who Said There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch?
Borden's Blather 