Recent Comments
Category Archives: Holidays
Fifty States of I Do
On this Valentine’s Day I wish to invite you to my dubiously legal quest for interstate matrimony. Remember that giddy, slightly unhinged feeling when you first get married, where every grand gesture seems perfectly reasonable? For my wife and me … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Holidays, Society
Tagged bigamy, collectibles, commitment, law, legal drama, marriage, Valentine's Day
Leave a comment
Superstition, Statistics and Our Unshakable Love of Spooky Math
It’s not quite Halloween. There are no ghosts, no monsters, no spooky hauntings, no plastic skeletons on the lawn, no “fun-size” candy bars clogging the pantry and no neighbors dressed as inflatable dinosaurs, at least not in the costume aisle … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Holidays, Society
Tagged black cats, Friday the 13th, Halloween, luck, psychology, science, superstition, triskaidekaphobia
Leave a comment
I’ve Seen This Boom Before: A Guide to Corporate Gold Rushes
Howdy, partner! Listen close, ‘cause it’s Talk Like a Grizzled Prospector Day. It’s a durn fine chance to look at these fancy-pants modern gold rushes through the dusty eyes of old-timers, back when a rusty pick, a sturdy shovel and … Continue reading
National Lost & Found Day: The Other Search and Rescue Mission
Every December 12, while search and rescue teams across the country gear up for winter missions in the backcountry, a different kind of operation quietly unfolds in households everywhere. No avalanche beacons. No helicopters. No GPS tracks. Just you, a … Continue reading
Silent Steel Stalks Sudsy Serenity
Once a year the universe aligns in a way that makes absolutely no sense, placing the pinnacle of martial discipline and the height of soapy self-indulgence side-by-side. December 5 is both International Ninja Day and Bathtub Party Day, a pairing … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Holidays
Tagged bath bomb, Bathtub Party Day, International Ninja Day, loofah, ninja, rubber ducky, self care, stealth
Leave a comment
The Waddle and the Wattle: A Turkey’s Eye View of America
Thanksgiving: the annual ritual in which Americans express gratitude by overeating and pretending not to notice the kids drinking hard cider in the garage. The one day a year we collectively celebrate as a nation. What exactly are we celebrating? … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Holidays, Humor
Tagged alternate history, America, American History, Benjamin Franklin, Founding Flock, gobble cycle, parallel Earth, politics, Thanksgiving, turkey, Turkey Bomb, wattle
Leave a comment
Chaos Never Dies Day: Just Stop Fighting It — Even Your Laundry Has Given Up
Today, November 9th, is a day of great philosophical importance. It is Chaos Never Dies Day, a perfect celebration for anyone whose life currently resembles a poorly organized junk drawer. There are a lot of weird holidays out there — … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays
Tagged Chaos Never Dies Day, disorder, holiday, laundry, messy, organizing, surrender
Leave a comment
Paying to Be Terrified: The Curious Case of “Safe Fear”
There’s something deeply odd about human beings: we actively seek out fear. No other species on the planet does this. You’ll never see a deer buying tickets to a prance though a predator habitat or a raccoon strapping itself into … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays
Tagged adrenaline, dopamine, fear, fight or flight, Halloween, horror, neuroscience, psychology, risky behavior, scary things, thrill seeking
Leave a comment