If you ask most people, they will say that religion and politics are the two things you should never talk about with family or business associates. Those two topics are just too divisive – it’s too risky to even talk
Dopamine and How our Brains Look for Patterns
This past weekend I listened to a really fascinating episode of the Radiolab podcast about stochasticity (which is a fancy word for randomness) and finding patterns. One part of the episode explored the story of Ann Klinestiver, a teacher who
On Being a Draftsperson
I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands, and in college I took classes in jewelry and metals. I was taught by a Professor named David Peterson who is an extremely talented (albeit tough) teacher. After studying with David for two
Follow up on Taxes and Distrust for the Government
It’s been about a month since the article about my family appeared in the New York Times and a lot of folks have been reaching out to ask if we ended up pre-paying our taxes. The answer is yes! But,
My Picture in the New York Times and My First Significant Encounter with the Government
Yesterday (Saturday December 23rd), a picture of my family appeared in the New York Times. For those of you who still have a print copy laying around, turn to page A19. Alternatively check out this link. It all started 12
Lessons from the First Year of Being a Parent – and Almost Electrocuting Myself
Earlier today I was rushing to finish a small home project: re-locating the basement refrigerator. We were expecting company in the afternoon and I had to finish moving the fridge so I could watch our son Jack while my wife
Whistling Vivaldi and Stereotype Threat
I’ve recently started reading Whistling Vivaldi by Claude M. Steele, a book about how stereotypes impact our identities and our lives. The story is told from the perspective of Steele, a university professor and social psychologist studying (among other things)
Sapiens and the Recent Events in Charlottesville
I recently finished reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Hurari and it has safely earned a spot on the list of my favorite books. The story follows a rough historical timeline starting millions of years ago
Why is Diversity and Inclusion Important?
Last week Uber CEO Travis Kalanick resigned over a litany of diversity and inclusion (D&I) related troubles. I’ve read a lot of the coverage (including the blog post by Susan Fowler that started it all) and it’s pretty bad. Fowler
Real Diversity and Inclusion is Subtle
I participated in my first corporate diversity training about ten years ago. I remember it well. My company had hired a production studio to create films depicting “real life” diversity and inclusion scenes. Each scene would teach a different lesson