Perfect Popcorn – and Challenging Conversations.
Those of you that know me well know that popcorn is one of my favorite food groups. It’s the entire reason that movies in theaters still exist. At least for me. Popcorn is kind of fascinating. It’s bred for two very specific traits: a hard, moisture-sealed outer hull and a precise moisture balance inside the […]
Cortina – and the question of staying.
When the original bid for the 2026 Olympic Games was first launched by northern Italy, the venue plan included a major renovation of an abandoned track at Cesana Pariol, which was built for the Torino 2006 Olympic Games. According to Wikipedia, it was in much better condition than The Cortina Sliding Centre, also known as […]
An Olympic Torch – and ruined carpet.
24 years ago, the 2002 Winter Olympics were hosted in Salt Lake City. At the time I was living just one block from the torch route. It was a big deal and so exciting and many people in my life – myself included – were so caught up in the grandeur of such a fascinating […]
Waiting for Late Season Snow.
A special report issued just this last Monday by the National Resources Conservation Service noted that snowpack levels measured this winter across the state of Utah are among the lowest recorded since the SNOTEL measuring equipment was installed in 1980. Utah’s water system is built around mountain snowpack as delayed storage. Typically, snow falls in […]
Ernest Shackleton – and unfavorable conditions.
On March 9, 2022, the New York Times published this incredible news: “The wreck of Endurance has been found in the Antarctic, 106 years after the historic ship was crushed in pack ice and sank during an expedition by the explorer Ernest Shackleton. A team of adventurers, marine archaeologists and technicians located the wreck at […]
The question Darren didn’t ask.
One of Darren’s most embarrassing moments happened over 50 years ago, and he still thinks about it. Seriously. It was the End of the Year 6th Grade Field Day. A big deal. Darren, being the “star” athlete that he was, was competing against the other 6th grade class’s candidate, a boy who Darren knew was […]
Backing up Blind.
Several years ago, my brother and his wife were moving back to our home state after some schooling. I was standing with our Dad on his long driveway while my brother tried to back a huge moving trailer into it – straight and clean. He was struggling a bit to get it into position. I […]
Three-lane Future.
Do you have a minute? It’s a weird week, so you might have a minute. I’m going to walk us through an imagination exercise. There is no pressure, I just want you to explore with me. Ok? Ready? We’re going to imagine three parallel tracks our lives could take from right here, right now. For […]
When the bill breaks.
In 2009, behavioral economists Priya Raghubir and Joydeep Srivastava designed a series of studies to observe how people handle cash. They found that a single large bill carried more psychological weight than the same amount divided into smaller ones. Participants who received a fifty-dollar bill tended to keep it intact. Those given the same amount […]
Wyna’s Herrings (and Thinking Sideways).
The New York Times Connections is a daily online word puzzle designed by puzzle maker Wyna Liu where players must group 16 words into four categories of four words each. For instance, these 16 words: Twist Fan Mint Fab Just Only Petit Spread Merely Fantastic Olive Connect Cherry Simply Radiate Branch Darren hates it. And […]
