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…

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.…