My dad used to call the little icons on his ’88 Ford Escort’s dashboard “idiot lights”. Why? Because they substituted the nuance and complexity of detailed analog gauges with big dumb binaries: NEEDS OIL NOW! {light} vs. KEEP CALM & CARRY ON {dark]. “They think we’re idiots, hiding the details…

On humility and perspective in politics — “Hey Bechtel… For someone who writes a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff, how come you don’t write a lot of stuff about politics?” ~Imaginary Frenemy “Good question, Imaginary Frenemy, glad you asked.” ~Me with a beer on a Friday night (There’s a lot more that can go…

In 1997, I lived in a basement flat in Bayswater, West London, England. Broke as a joke, I spent what little walking-around-money I had on blooms ‘n baubles for this young lady I’d met who’d eventually become my bride. Sticking to a diet of (mostly) baguettes and canned pasta sauce…

In defense of the greatest American artwork of the 21st century — Hamilton is now available for home viewing. (Which, if that were the end of my post, would get about 43 of you “already in the echo chamber” to click like or love, and that would be that.) I’m writing this instead to friends who have told me they’re uninterested in…

Field Notes from the Future, Vol. II — Tuesday, August 19th, 2030-Something Annabelle’s curiosity is turned up to 11. A Level 3 customer advocate, her watch has tapped her with an offer to help a “Mr. Kaiser” solve a particularly puzzling problem with his espresso machine. The projected difficulty rating (and associated payment) is an “8”; A reasonable…

Putting a name to a part of me — Tuesday April 25th, 2006. 2 AM — Home, Plainfield IL. I’m a newly minted 29-year-old dad, rocking my one-month-old son Brady back to sleep after feeding him a bottle. It’s dim. Pitch black defeated only by the classic Winnie the Pooh nightlight stuck into an outlet on my right. Matching Pooh Bear table lamp dimmed to that barely-there dreamsicle orange…

Field Notes from the Future, Vol. I — Wednesday, September 25th, 2030-Something All packed up and en route to this year’s healthcare conference. Glad for the chance to share laughs and break bread with the team. Randy, in particular, is a riot every time we go to Vegas. “Chief Energizing Officer” indeed. I remember a time, oh, 10–15…

That time I was defeated by a pink rubber band — March 30th, 2019. I’m at Play it Again Sports flanked by a bevy of literal soccer moms. It’s a scrum. We’re all buying used shoes for our kids’ upcoming seasons. Annabelle had requested “cute” shoes. “With purple”. …

An essential style guide for professionals who are new to working from home — One of my favorite authors, Henry David Thoreau, said “Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes.” Like Henry, I’m typically the kind to be more concerned about one’s inner stylings than their sartorial splendor. That said, my 20+ year career has…