Novel looks at the Rust Belt, composed by an American doctor
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Why LeBron James Chose Syracuse
LeBron James, by text, is a very candid man. The following thread has been abridged for the sake of brevity.*

What Parenting Taught Me About the Rust Belt
I’m no parenting guru. In fact, about a decade from now, I’ll find out how I f****d it up royally.

I Hate You IKEA—but Thank You
Nostalgia, they say, comes with rose-colored glasses. But in the case of IKEA, it can also come with nausea—and not

How The Odyssey Saved Rochester, NY
You know The Odyssey—that Christopher Nolan film with Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway. And you know Rochester, NY—that rusty town

Why Spain Is Actually Playing Italy
Don’t fall for the hype about Spain playing Argentina. (Or, if you’re reading this after July 19, 2026, I hope

Confessions of a Rust Belt Addict
The Rust Belt addict, mercifully, is not always found with a needle in his arm. The addicted, I’ve learned, get

How Being a Writer Ruined the World Cup
Being a writer, as you must know by now, is a dream. By that, I mean it’s a nightmare, something

Thank You, European, for Being So Damn Smart
Dear European, I know you’re smarter than me. How do I know? Because you tell me. Anyway, I’ve come across

These World Cup Population Numbers Will Blow Your Mind
World Cup population numbers are for the worldly—and the weirdly obsessive. Without formally committing to either category, I’ve created this
I’m Officially an Idiot
On June 26, 2026, it became official—I’m an idiot. I’d like to thank my fellow human beings—without you, I would

The Origins of April Fools’ Day
I kind of took it easy on myself. Because even though the title of this piece suggests that some research

What Does NIL Mean? Money
For years, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) went out of its way to prevent its athletes from monetizing their

March Madness Trivia
I previously dabbled in relatively useless Super Bowl facts, making this transition to unhelpful information about an amateur sport rather

Which Countries Are in NATO? (And a Bonus Q&A)
Let’s jump right in. Which countries are in NATO? These 30. 12 Original Members (1949) Belgium Canada Denmark France Iceland

NATO: The 10 Greatest Hits
In 1949, twelve nations—Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United

What Does Daylight Saving Time Mean? Confusion
Every year, you kind of look this up, later forgetting the details and/or realizing you didn’t totally understand them in

10 Songs About War You Have to Know
A world run by artists would be a great world. Granted, we might all still be living in huts, but

How the Price of Oil Is Determined
Keep in mind that I used a passbook savings account well into my twenties. So to say that I’m an

Who Was Claude Monet? The 10-Number Answer
As I mentioned in my post about Shakespeare, I’ve spent countless hours watching football and downing cheap lagers. That said,

Los Angeles: The 15 Numbers You Need to Know
I received a note from the State Department that I was writing too much about China. (Play along—no one actually


