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The Psychology of Being “Liked”
One of the fundamental traits of humanity is the need to be liked. We crave acceptance from our friends, peers, and loved ones. This isn’t egotism talking; it’s built into our DNA. For our long-ago ancestors, survival was a group effort – if you were banished from your tribe, you were pretty much issued a…
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Safe Travels and Muzzles
I have never been so relieved for the start of a new week. I barely survived last week, you see, and I am being quite literal. Tuesday morning I came inches away from being hit by a car. Friday, I was bit by a dog. It was that kind of week. First off, the car:…
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The Anatomy of a Viral Post
WordPress recently shared a link to five posts that had gone viral. I was happy for these bloggers whose lives had been turned upside down with the push of the submit button. But it felt to me like a reminder of my own shortcomings. I’ve been blogging for 15 years, and guess how many of…
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Lamebrains, Lurkers & Monsters
I’m afraid I might be watching too much of The Walking Dead these days, because when I got to work this morning and two coworkers were complaining about being sick my first thought was, I hope this isn’t the start of the zombie apocalypse. They’re both sniffling, sneezing, coughing, and lethargic. So far there is no blood…
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Catching Up to Stonehenge
Every December(ish), I look at critics’ lists of the year’s best books, and add a bunch to my semi-official “To Read” list. Novels making the most recent cut include Delicious Foods, City on Fire, and The Incarnations. I am currently 39% through one of them: Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies. I bought this book because of the many glowing reviews I read. For…
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Hail, Caesar!
Happy Leap Day! Unless you’re a salaried employee, as I am. In which case you’re getting screwed. I’d always had a fondness for February 29th. It’s a novelty of sorts, a rare occurrence, which makes it unique. Leap Day is like the World Cup or the Winter/Summer Olympics or the Presidential election, a once-every-four-years anomaly that…
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