Novel looks at the Rust Belt, composed by an American doctor
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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
March Madness: The Cash Flow
We’re told that March Madness—the annual college basketball tournament—is about the stories. You know, the perseverance, the elation, the heartbreak,
The 10 Best Songs About Being Crazy
Part of blogging is becoming creative at wasting time, convincing yourself that a given exercise was somehow productive, and later
In March, Americans Are Even More Annoying
It’s March, American It’s that time of year When you prove yet again That your madness is sincere First
A 12-Hour Trip to Canada I’ll Never Forget
Even my daughter was excited. That’s how I knew I had a win on my hands. Well, minus the paying
Can I Just Be American Again?
I was American once. Back in the 1980s. The memories. They don’t lie. Well, they can lie. But they don’t.
What Is Go-Go Music?
After a recent post on the scrawniness of the Washington, DC, music scene, the backlash was severe. And by that,
10 Hints It’s an Election Year
By election year, I’m talking about the American presidential election. And it’s the worst. Right wingers talk even louder than
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