The Number of Days before I Die

The Number of Days before I Die

My life is filled with useful numbers. Body measurements track my health. Bank statements gauge our finances. Thermometer readings inform the coming day. Even my job as a social scientist has me working with numbers every day. One number in my life is different from...
The Misleading Appeal of New Ideas

The Misleading Appeal of New Ideas

I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur. My son Joshua is an up-and-coming entrepreneur out in Silicon Valley. It’s fun to think about starting a venture with him. One morning last spring, I woke up with a great idea for what we could do together. It was perfect. It...
Reconsidering Facebook

Reconsidering Facebook

Several years ago, I posted a photograph to my Facebook page.  It was a beautiful moment, and it got many likes and comments. It also demonstrated several significant problems with using Facebook. Selective Presentation. The photograph showed several people who my...
Moderation vs. Abstinence

Moderation vs. Abstinence

Do you have behaviors in your life that you would like to do less often? Me too. Cutting back on a behavior falls under the heading of moderation or temperance. It’s about doing the right amount of a behavior. Moderation is good. It can also be very difficult....
Is The News Safe during Unsafe Times

Is The News Safe during Unsafe Times

Are you watching, reading, and listening to the news a lot these days? It makes sense, doesn’t it? The Coronavirus is a serious disease. It spreads exponentially. We must avoid things that we’ve always done. There are shortages with essential items. We have an...
How to Use Money to Buy Happiness

How to Use Money to Buy Happiness

It’s Christmas time which means money and giving. This season, I’m thinking that I’m spending my money wrong. Not wrong as in credit card debt or no savings (though we have done these too). Rather, wrong as in not spending money in ways that would make me...