“There’s a difference between a happy life and one filled with purpose. They may overlap, but they don’t always go hand in hand (think of a social activist jailed for expressing her beliefs, or a Doctors Without Borders volunteer who contracts Ebola). But even with its challenges, a meaningful life … Continue reading →
“Never being popular as a kid was always an insecurity for me. Even as an adult, I still have recurring flashbacks of sitting at lunch tables alone or hiding in a bathroom stall, or trying to make a new friend and being laughed at. In my twenties I found myself … Continue reading →
Have you ever had one of those really, really, really bad days? How does it measure up to the really bad day experienced by the woman I’m about to discuss? Firefighters were called to the top of Mount Walker in Washington to rescue a woman who fell headfirst into an … Continue reading →
In case you haven’t noticed, it seems Americans are living in completely separate realities these days. This isn’t all that surprising: perception is a fickle beast, dependent upon a myriad of factors. People can see the same situation in completely different ways depending on their knowledge, experience, hopes, aspirations, insecurities, … Continue reading →
Scientists at the University of California conducted a study to get lobsters high on marijuana. Why, you might ask? Apparently, they were inspired by a restaurant owner in Maine who said she gets the creatures stoned before boiling them alive. How considerate of her. If I were about to be … Continue reading →
We humans are silly little creatures, and abstract beliefs rule our lives. On a routine basis, we destroy ourselves over ideas that exist only in our minds. Perhaps no incident illustrates this point better than the case of a 15-year-old Pakistani boy who cut off his own hand due to … Continue reading →
“In my whole career I’ve been passing men with greater bravado and confidence. Confidence gets you off to a fast start. Confidence gets you that first job and maybe the next two promotions. But confidence stops you from learning. Confidence becomes a caricature after a while. I can’t tell you … Continue reading →
How much do you know about your world? Here are 3 things many people claim to know, followed by some important facts on each topic that will instantly make you smarter. Read through each one and make a mental checkmark next to each item you already knew to be true: … Continue reading →
What’s in a word? Apparently a whole lot. A Catholic priest in Arizona has been forced to resign after using the “incorrect” word in baptisms he performed over decades. Andres Arango would say, “We baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy … Continue reading →
To call someone a barbarian is not a very polite thing to do. Just ask my grandma. She hasn’t sent me a Christmas card since. But in my defense, how else am I supposed to react when someone bakes raisins into a batch of chocolate chip cookies? Raisins! In chocolate … Continue reading →
