Why Americans are Over the Moon for UnderdogsLike most Americans I am easily inebriated by underdog stories. Give me a few swigs of an unlikely hero story and I’m flushed beyond…Apr 4Apr 4
How Artificial Intelligence is plotting our Eventual StupidityCall me old-fashioned, but up until recently “AI” meant nothing more to me than the sound you make at the end of the day when you lay on…Feb 1Feb 1
How to Reinvigorate Unpopular Family Holiday TraditionsThis Christmas will mark the 18th year that I have been forcing my kids to make homemade gifts for each other. It has been a source of…Dec 23, 2023Dec 23, 2023
To Tree or Not to TreeI have a complicated relationship with trees. To me, a big, old, wind-toppled maple tree is both a heartbreaking sight as well as a…Nov 10, 2023Nov 10, 2023
Welcome to Vermont: Home of the Garden Zealot!If there is a role columnists take very seriously it is that of a social watchdog — sounding alarms when troubling trends arrive. In light…Jun 7, 2023Jun 7, 2023
Why it’s Hard to be Happy about Finland’s “Happiness Streak”Finland has just been awarded “Happiest Country in the World” for its sixth straight year and while I’m sure they are all marvelously…May 8, 2023May 8, 2023
In Defense of SentimentalismI recently saw a movie called “A Man Called Otto”. It was a shamelessly sentimental film with a predictable storyline, and it reduced me to…Mar 23, 2023Mar 23, 2023
How Frozen Pipes Helped Build My Character While Destroying My BasementIn Vermont it’s advisable to hold your tongue about cold winters until you’ve weathered at least a few good pipe freezings.Feb 8, 2023Feb 8, 2023
In Defense of Scandalous Family Christmas LettersEach Christmas season I experience strange and uncomfortable irony as an English teacher. Come December my wife morphs into a schoolmaster…Dec 16, 2022Dec 16, 2022