Facebook has certainly faced a great deal of criticism lately, much of it well-deserved. However, that still does not change my belief that Facebook at its most basic level is a powerful tool for connecting people and building communities. Just before heading to London I joined the London Vegans Facebook group, primarily as a way … Continue reading The Power of Being Part of a Tribe →

Why do companies charge amounts like $4.99 or $37? Why not just charge $5 or $40? It's a question I find interesting, and fortunately Wikipedia offers some insights on such pricing practices. This phenomenon is known as "psychological pricing", "price charming", or "price ending". I have only heard it described as "psychological pricing", so that … Continue reading Psychological Pricing →

I know it's a bold claim, but it all has to do with "ironic process theory". According to a recent article in the New York Times, research shows that thought suppression has counterproductive effects on behaviors. Carl Jung said it this way: “What you resist not only persists but will grow in size.” So the question … Continue reading Research Shows That Reading This Blog Can Put an End to Your Smoking Habit →

I remember reading this story over 15 years ago, and at the time, and still today, it seemed like amazing technology. The basic idea was that a group of grade school students in Queens was going to have a tug of war with a group of students from Lower Manhattan. And while the rope was … Continue reading A Virtual Tug of War with an Opponent 13 Miles Away; a Virtual Hug from Across the Country →

When I hear the word "printer" my first thought is of that clunky appliance that prints out documents and seems to have somewhat limited life span. Well now we've entered the age of 3D printers that can produce everything from plastic figurines to body parts to houses. That's right, body parts and houses. I want … Continue reading This Isn’t Your Father’s Printer →

From an apartment in Barcelona to a hotel in Newark, NJ in 14 hours. Here's the details (I know, no one really cares): walk from apartment to bus stop take bus to airport check on our luggage go through security go through passport control wait for plane departure depart from Barcelona and fly across the … Continue reading That’s Logistics! →

Well we certainly did that.  105 videos, 2,600 photos, and 1,089,052 steps. Our journey started January 3 at JFK Airport, and we were one of the last flights to get out of New York that night because of a snowstorm that was about to hit the city. We weren't so lucky on this end (well, … Continue reading Take Only Pictures, Leave Only Footprints →

There's good customer service, there's great customer service, and then there's Alejandro and Fernando. Alejandro and Fernando were our hosts at our most recent Airbnb stay in Barcelona, and they was fabulous. From answering all of our questions prior to arrival (how to get from the airport to their apartment, what's the most economical way … Continue reading The Power, and Pleasure, of Airbnb →

I know, I know. All these great little coffee shops and cafes on the streets of Barcelona, and we go to a Dunkin' Donuts. But what can I say, sometimes you just want a taste of home. This Dunkin' Donuts is located on Las Ramblas, perhaps the most well-known street in Barcelona. Las Ramblas is … Continue reading The Magic of Google Translate →

Many people may view the years spent at college as among the best years of their life, but for others it is a time of tremendous stress and anxiety. But before people start calling such students snowflakes and other derogatory terms, consider the fact that when a student harms himself or others because of a … Continue reading The Stress of Going to College →