Novel looks at the Rust Belt, composed by an American doctor
Get my free weekly newsletter, The Friday Mix
Latest Articles

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

What Is Canada Day? (For the Dumb American)
I am a dumb American who happens to live near Canada, making me more than equipped to take on this

What Is the PGA Tour? 10 Numbers You Should Know
As humans, it’s kind of hard to predict what’s going to be popular. I mean, who would’ve guessed that watching

The History of Jazz in Less Than 5 Minutes
Listen, you’re busy. You got work, bills, the gym, that extra class you’re taking, and the occasional happy hour to

Gun Lingo for the Non-Enthusiast (With a Soundtrack!)
If you’re a gun enthusiast, I highly recommend you read something else—perhaps this article about Twenty One Pilots (although there’s

What Is Juneteenth? The Quick Answer and a Soundtrack
How, you might ask, can you take an ugly history and make it something beautiful? Juneteenth has the right idea—acknowledge

The 10 Best Twenty One Pilots Songs
I didn’t want to be accused of being one of those people who claims that the music they listened to

The History of the NRA in 20 Numbers
When people think America, they think a few things—apple pie, generous portion sizes, an obsession with tipping, SUVs, and, of

A Definition of the Great Migration With 10 Key Stats
Before diving in, I wanted to reiterate a point that I’ve made many times—the concept of race is…garbage. Unfortunately, in

The City of Buffalo: It’s Awesome
Given my location in Rochester, NY, the city of Buffalo is like family. It’ll get on your nerves, but you

Who’s Elon Musk? The 10 Key Numbers
Listen, if you do posts on a writer (Shakespeare) and a painter (Monet), you got to do one on the


