"Don’t trade up..."

That's a rule that "starts out as a bit of simple, practical instruction — don’t back out of a social engagement just because a sna...

2 passages read recently on what makes an artist.

I've been rereading Tom Wolfe's "The Painted Word" in Kindle the last couple days, and I ran across a great passage that ...

"The Power of Negative Thinking."

"Both ancient philosophy and modern psychology suggest that darker thoughts can make us happier. " Just thinking in sober detail a...

"I'm free and I love to be free/To live my life the way I want/To say and do whatever I please..."

Consider the use of the old Lesley Gore song — "You Don't Own Me" — for political, pro-Obama purposes: Now, I love old Lesley...

David Rakoff has died.

I'm really sorry to read about the death of this wonderful writer, who was only 47 . Over and over, I've listened to his gentle, hum...

How can you possibly avoid saying the wrong thing to someone who's ill?

Instapundit links to an article called "10 things not to say to someone when they’re ill." The things are all things that an ord...

"But, has anyone else been as creeped-out on this blog, as I've been lately?"

Says Jay Vogt , off topic, in the "Science of sitting" post. He continues: Over the past two days, we been presented with posts on...

"I walk like a runway model, but I shake hands like a lumberjack."

Says David Rakoff — one of my 2 favorite audiobook writer-readers — to Dave Hill — a comedian I'd never heard of — at the end of this am...

In the middle of writing about pessimism, David Rakoff finds out that the burning pain in his shoulder, that pinched nerve...

... is a tumor. Here he is — bald and hilarious — talking about his book. Watch for the reference to the Roberts Court... The Daily Show Wit...

Asking to be insulted and getting it.

I just ran across this passage written by David Rakoff, in an essay — from this book — about Paris fashion shows: All of the designers I ha...