In the 1991 movie Other People’s Money, Danny DeVito plays a slick corporate raider who proudly admits he doesn’t build anything—he just buys and sells using other people’s cash. The film is a sharp satire…

“Radical” can mean a lot of things. In math, it’s a symbol for a root. In culture, it describes rule breakers—people who challenge the norm, stir things up, and sometimes make others squirm. The word…

Legend has it that P. T. Barnum, the great showman, once quipped, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Whether or not he actually said it, the quote endures because it rings true — especially when…

For years, I couldn’t wait for 9 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. Not because of a favorite TV show—but because that was closing time at the bridal salon where I worked during high school and…

It’s that time of year again—Fat Bear Week! Katmai National Park’s brown bears strut their salmon-stuffed bellies in a March Madness–style bracket to see who’s packed on the most pounds. Fans around the world cheer…

I’ve always liked the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It’s a solid motto—until the espresso maker that’s sputtered for months suddenly refuses to brew. What worked yesterday doesn’t always hold tomorrow, and…

It’s been a week — and in too many ways, not a joyful one. This week marked the 24th anniversary of 9/11, a day of lives lost and lives forever changed. For many first responders,…

President Harry Truman once remarked, “There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know.” It’s a quote worth remembering whenever we’re tempted to believe we’re living through unprecedented times. What feels…

What comes to mind when you hear “Inheritance”? For most of us, it’s cash, a house, maybe a family heirloom.  I used to think I hadn’t inherited much at all—other than the basics like eye color,…

August 22 is no ordinary day on the calendar. It’s World Plant Milk Day, National Eat a Peach Day, National Pecan Torte Day, and even National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day. But stealing…

Sam has heard it all. “Why are you wearing a long-sleeve shirt in 90-degree heat?” “How come you never go to the beach?” “Is your skin supposed to look like that?” Then there are the…

I’ll be honest—tennis was never my sport. I took it in college just to check off a health requirement, and my lack of hand-eye coordination quickly proved I wasn’t headed for any winning matches. Still,…

Who Wants to Live Forever? Queen once asked the question. Alphaville, Bob Dylan, and Rod Stewart all sang about wanting to be Forever Young. Just the other day, Forever Young became the soundtrack to a strange coincidence. After…

This year marks the 40th anniversary of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, the classic children’s book by Laura Numeroff.  Years ago, I read it to my son more times than I can count—along with…