It’s almost a cliche now that unhappiness has been rising among young people. Surveys indicate that it’s a real phenomenon, and the suicide rate has increased sharply. Social media is often blamed, but as this article describes, the research on … Continue reading →
I think I may have first heard the word “charisma” in connection with JFK. He had it. I could tell. I recognized it and I even felt it. But of course back then I was a kid. Have I ever … Continue reading →
Yes, it happens: “It totally undid me that he could vote for Trump,” said McCormick, 73, who had not thought of leaving the conservative Republican before but felt “betrayed” by his support for Trump. “I felt like I had been … Continue reading →
Today I read this WaPo article by a woman whose best friend stopped communicating with her with no explanation, and how ten years later the author still grieves the loss of their friendship and is mystified by it. I could … Continue reading →
The hype on Ted Cruz is that nobody likes him, everybody hates him, he has no friends. The hype on Republicans is that they’re racist bigots. Here’s a story that could kill (or at least slightly injure) those two birds … Continue reading →
When I was a child I’d periodically become wildly enthusiastic about something I had read or some music I’d heard, and I’d run to show my parents. “Yes dear, that’s nice,” they’d say absent-mindedly, backing out of the room. I … Continue reading →
They’re trying to make Spain into Germany or something, to increase productivity. I don’t think they’ll succeed in changing the clock, but even if they do, will it change “productivity”? And are Spaniards any less productive than much of the … Continue reading →
Is Facebook making us more lonely? Well, it’s not making me more lonely, because I’m not on it—although I suppose if I thought about it, the fact that I’m not on Facebook could make me feel more lonely. But I … Continue reading →
I’ve long been a Janine Turner fan because I’ve long been a big, big “Northern Exposure” fan. And I’ve been aware that lately she’s became a conservative political commentator, because I’ve seen her now and then on TV in that … Continue reading →
A while back, commenter “Steve H.” asked a question. It’s one to which I unfortunately still don’t have a good answer, although I’m highlighting it because it’s a question I’ve been increasingly asking myself for some months now: We all … Continue reading →
It hardly seems possible that a year has passed since the tragic and untimely death of FredHJr, one of the most memorable and prolific commenters here. His loss to this community is a great one, and I miss him still. … Continue reading →
The other day I was watching an in-depth personal profile of Scott Brown by Fox’s Greta Van Susteren. It featured interviews with the newly-elected senator’s friends, neighbors, former colleagues in the state senate, ex-coaches, and even the guy who fixes … Continue reading →