Novel looks at the Rust Belt, composed by an American doctor
Get my free weekly newsletter, The Friday Mix
Latest Articles
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
What Is Neuralink?
What is Neuralink? Normally, I would have waited to dive into this one, as the implications for humanity seem far
2 Things You Didn’t Know About Detroit!
It’s January 2024, and yet another Rust Belt city has bitten the dust in the NFL playoffs. First, it was
Quiet? 20 Quips for the Loudmouths in Your Life
Quiet. From personal experience, I’ve learned that this tag is definitely not a compliment. In a world designed for loudmouths,
How Being a Nephrologist Jaded Me
Being a nephrologist, I reminded myself, was my choice. It’s just that, as I looked into her eyes, I couldn’t
The 2026 Great Lakes NFL Preview
Who would come to a random blog by a part-time doctor about the Rust Belt for an NFL preview? No
The Other Guy Who Hates Free Trade Agreements
Where others see an apocalypse, I prefer to look for logic. And that which drives Trump 2.0, as chaotic as
My Favorite Song From Rochester (NY)
Some nepo babies get a real estate empire or worldwide fame. Others get a blog post about a favorite song
Indian Man Found Wandering Along Lake America
In a shocking turn of events, on August 30, 2026, authorities in Rochester, New York, reported having seen what looked
When Dolly Parton Held My Hand
Dolly Parton, the legend, was there for everybody. That includes me, the wannabe coastal elite with the superiority complex. It
I’m a Hipster in Dad Shorts
Sometime around 2012, the hipster thing reared its ugly head. Two years earlier, I had moved with the family to
How New York’s Data Center Ban Kills Upstate (Again)
Yeah, yeah—I know it’s not really a data center ban. It’s a moratorium barring state approvals of hyperscale data centers
How New York State Is Digging Its Own Grave
The beauty of New York State, if one sticks around long enough, generally results in anger. In Upstate New York, it’s
Dear Tennessee: Who Are You Anyway?
Dear Tennessee: I know what it’s like to be misunderstood. I am from the Rust Belt, after all. But