Novel looks at the wacky US, composed by an American doctor
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The Music of Washington, DC: It Kind of Stinks
The music of Washington, DC. What can I say? Listen, the capital of the US has a ton going for

Why I Can’t Stand (and Love) Washington, DC
Washington, DC. 1 Are you a bastion of democracy? Do you deny your citizens representation in US Congress?
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10 Hints You Should Lay Off the Weed
Marijuana, like alcohol, has been normalized. But let’s not pretend we’re talking about parsley. Here are a few clues that

Jamaican Patois: Celebrate It!
Here’s what you need to know about Jamaican Patois. The Ingredients Imagine an island inhabited by native peoples. The
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The Questions Bob Marley Made Me Ask
Bob Marley. He’s been with me all along. But my questions have changed. August 1995 I was an idealist.
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10 Hints Your Work-Life Balance Sucks
Work-life balance. When you hear this expression, the vision is that of a frazzled professional, hardly able to eke out
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Jack White: Are You Famous or Not?
It was June 7, 2018. I had just parked the car, and I glanced back at my 10-year-old son. My wife
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The 12 Best Bands From San Francisco
Before the Bay Area became strip-mall-laden, Tesla-obsessed, tech-Jesus-spawning, sterile-wine-pushing, wannabe-chill-but-actually-cutthroat, and just plain overpriced, it produced some good music. Here
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Usher: 10 Songs You Should Know
In the 1990s, I spent my free time listening to Nirvana and Soundgarden, occasionally taking a few minutes to update

Grammy Trivia for the Pensive Types
Unlike most Grammy trivia questions, these have no real answers. It’s just that after engaging with the 2024 edition—as in

The Music of Washington, DC: It Kind of Stinks
The music of Washington, DC. What can I say? Listen, the capital of the US has a ton going for

Why I Can’t Stand (and Love) Washington, DC
Washington, DC. 1 Are you a bastion of democracy? Do you deny your citizens representation in US Congress?

10 Hints You Should Lay Off the Weed
Marijuana, like alcohol, has been normalized. But let’s not pretend we’re talking about parsley. Here are a few clues that

Jamaican Patois: Celebrate It!
Here’s what you need to know about Jamaican Patois. The Ingredients Imagine an island inhabited by native peoples. The

The Questions Bob Marley Made Me Ask
Bob Marley. He’s been with me all along. But my questions have changed. August 1995 I was an idealist.

10 Hints Your Work-Life Balance Sucks
Work-life balance. When you hear this expression, the vision is that of a frazzled professional, hardly able to eke out

Jack White: Are You Famous or Not?
It was June 7, 2018. I had just parked the car, and I glanced back at my 10-year-old son. My wife

The 12 Best Bands From San Francisco
Before the Bay Area became strip-mall-laden, Tesla-obsessed, tech-Jesus-spawning, sterile-wine-pushing, wannabe-chill-but-actually-cutthroat, and just plain overpriced, it produced some good music. Here

Usher: 10 Songs You Should Know
In the 1990s, I spent my free time listening to Nirvana and Soundgarden, occasionally taking a few minutes to update

Grammy Trivia for the Pensive Types
Unlike most Grammy trivia questions, these have no real answers. It’s just that after engaging with the 2024 edition—as in