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…

When you hear the word token, what comes to mind? Cryptocurrency? A subway pass? Maybe a security key for your computer? Turns out, tokens also have a long history in consumer credit — long before…

The ayes have it—or maybe it’s the “eyes.”  And these eyes come in many forms. Sure, there are the eyes we blink and tear up with emotion. But eyes are everywhere: in sewing kits (hook…

Now here’s something surprising—an early edition of The Download. Like millions across the country, I’m logging off for a bit to celebrate the Fourth of July! Whether on water or land, Americans have their own special…

What was I thinking? Clearly, I was not. I was feeding my Pembroke Corgi, Watson—who’s quite certain he’s just as royal as the ones Queen Elizabeth kept—while half-listening to a podcast previewing the next day’s…

The stories of Roman gods often seem timeless. Take Mercury—the god of commerce, communication, and, curiously, thieves. With his winged sandals and helmet, he zipped between worlds, overseeing the movement of goods, people, and ideas.…

I used to believe no movie was worth watching more than once—time is a scarce commodity, after all. Then I had a child. That rule didn’t just bend—it shattered. My son’s early obsession with The Lion…

Today marks the anniversary of the D-Day invasion — June 6, 1944 — when Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in one of the most daring and pivotal operations of World War II. It…

Believe it or not? What comes to mind? Probably Ripley’s Believe It or Not! — a collection of the weird, wild, and wonderfully unbelievable. Meet Ripley: The King of the Bizarre Robert Ripley was a…

When it comes to Memorial Day, there’s one all too common faux pas that even the most patriotic among us may make—and no, it has nothing to do with mismatched socks or talking with your…

If you’ve ever heard a child yell, “That’s not fair!”— you know how early that sense of justice kicks in. As adults, we don’t always say it out loud, but we still feel it. Whether…

Americans are expected to spend a record-breaking $34.1 billion on Mother’s Day this year — up from $33.5 billion last year. That’s nearly $260 per person on cards, flowers, jewelry, brunch and other gifts. That’s…

Ever suddenly remember a toy from your childhood? For me, it was paddle ball — a soft rubber ball tethered to a plywood paddle with an elastic string. The goal was simple: hit the ball…

We love to imagine the past as a time when food was pure — natural, straight from the farm, and untouched by chemicals. But that golden age of wholesome eating? Total myth. Even as far…