Novel looks at the Rust Belt, composed by an American doctor
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Dave Grohl: 15 Questions for the Naysayers
Dave Grohl is the musician Generation X grew up with—and the one who’s mercifully still around. Yet despite massive success—or

The Breakup Song for the Old Married Couple
The breakup song is in. Just ask Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo. But there’s an inherent injustice in this market.

Happy New Year: A Poem
How happy will it be When the champagne wears off? What exactly will you see When you’re alone in your

The Hypocrisy of Taylor Swift
Who would take the time to write about the hypocrisy of Taylor Swift? Only some thinning, graying, out-of-shape, and grumpy

The 11 Best Songs of 2023
Listen, I’m allowed to create clickbait every now and then. And here it is—the 11 best best songs of 2023.

20 Winning Slogans for ComposeMD
In an attempt to monetize this nonsense, I recently applied to a semi-selective ad network. Within minutes, I received a

Diabetes and Kidney Disease: The Basics
When coerced into giving a talk at the hospital, there’s only one option—turn it into a blog post. So here

Who Is Anitha Shrikhande? The Legend in Song
The better half—aka Anitha Shrikhande—is, well, just better. (Of course, in this case, that might not be saying much.) Regardless,

Shohei Ohtani: 10 Numbers You Need To Know
Shohei Ohtani. He’s arguably the greatest baseball player of all time. But because he’s Japanese, and because baseball has been

Tribalism: What Does AI Have To Say About It?
Tribalism. The human brain seems wired for it. But does it actually need to be? Here’s what AI, also known

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


