The Download

The countdown to America’s 250th anniversary has begun. Soon we’ll celebrate with fireworks, cookouts, baseball games, and neighborhood gatherings — the traditions that make the Fourth of July uniquely American.…

Ever hear a song and then it gets stuck in your head for hours? Well, it happened to me this week. And the song that set up camp in my…

Growing up, one of my parents’ lectures seemed to be on permanent repeat: “No fighting.” The rule applied to everything. Don’t fight with your siblings. Don’t fight with the neighbor…

Children fear monsters under the bed. Adults, meanwhile, seem to embrace them. Monster trucks. Monster movies. Monster energy drinks. But one monster is very real — and it may have…

It’s a quest as old as civilization itself. Humans have been searching for longevity hacks for as long as they’ve been telling stories. From mythical fountains that restored youth to…

While The Download takes time to observe Memorial Day, a few thoughts for the long weekend. For many Americans, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer — a weekend…

When it comes to Mother’s Day, there are certain things most of us already know. It falls every year on the second Sunday in May. It’s a day to recognize…

There are some things that define a moment — and then quietly fade away. Video rental stores. Pay phones. Telephone books. Floppy disks. And, of course, my personal nemesis: paper…

The phrase “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” has been around so long that it almost feels like a law of life. You hear it in economics classes,…

Spring has finally arrived, and I welcome most of it. The flowers are blooming, the trees are budding, and birds are chirping again. But spring also signals the return of…