A few weeks ago, I received an email from Consumer’s Union asking me to visit their headquarters in Yonkers, New York. I would be attending an “event” regarding the organization’s “National School Safety Coalition.” I was invited because this blog has often discussed children’s safety issues. My favorite topics are ...

In late October, my son Seth was invited to join a math club that specialized in word problems. (You know: If car X goes 80 miles, and Car Y goes 60 miles in the opposite direction in 12 minutes, how fast was Car X going? Bonus points: Why can’t dad ...

I solved a mystery today. No, not the meaning of life. That’s next week. No, this has to do with a freezer and a bathroom. You see, every now and then, all the food in our deep freezer starts to melt. That’s because home builders – either because of code ...

I solved a mystery today. No, not the meaning of life. That’s next week. No, this has to do with a freezer and a bathroom. You see, every now and then, all the food in our deep freezer starts to melt. That’s because home builders – either because of code ...

My wife is afflicted with MJD. When I met Anne back in the 1990s, the symptoms were mild and mostly contained to beads. For whatever reason, the disease did not take root in me, though sometimes the beads would become ingrained in my flesh when I stepped on them. In ...

My wife is afflicted with MJD. When I met Anne back in the 1990s, the symptoms were mild and mostly contained to beads. For whatever reason, the disease did not take root in me, though sometimes the beads would become ingrained in my flesh when I stepped on them. In ...

My wife comes out of our daughter’s bedroom after trying to put her to sleep. “Lael says I smell funny. Do I?” I get up from my computer. “No, you smell pretty good to me,” as I give her a playful sniff and a hug. That elicits a laugh. “Good, ...

I always feel guilty when I don’t keep my kids busy with art projects. As a child, I didn’t really bond with art. I don’t know the reason. Was it a personality flaw? Was it the teacher who told me I sucked at it? So I resist doing art projects ...

While I’ve used Typepad since I began this blog in Spring of 2004, I never much talk about it. I suppose that’s because it’s worked so well for us. In fact, my wife and I run several blogs through our Typepad account. The biggest is now Cybils, which honors the ...

Why are our identities so mixed up with our work? Is it just the financial stress, or is it something deeper? Regardless, American families are being turned upside down by the continuing scourge of unemployment. Some families are faring better than others, reports The New York Times. In many cases, ...