The luggage carrier perched atop the SUV in front of me on a Chicago interstate one recent July afternoon reminded me of two facts: 1. Never get behind a vehicle with a luggage carrier if you are trying to read upcoming road signs. 2. Summer vacation season is upon us. As I peer into cars…
DetailsPat Sajak is going to snap on his final episode
DetailsI recently attended a neighborhood art fair — the kind that springs up on city streets during warm weather months and creates pleasant chaos as artists share the block, or in this case four blocks, with longtime retail merchants. I saw everything from painted bamboo rods to sculptures created out of discarded auto parts to…
DetailsLeave it to Instagram to tell me I do not know how to organize. I’ve always considered myself a tidy person, living, since college, with nary an article of clothing tossed on floors, slung over furniture or hanging from ceiling fans. OK, the fan incident occurred once, but I believe it had something to do…
DetailsHello and thank you for applying for the open position at WE KNOW EVERYTHING, the world’s leading web design, development, and digital marketing company. You have been invited to take a skills assessment test so our executives can focus on your abilities, giving all candidates an equal opportunity to shine. In other words, we’d rather…
DetailsLately I have been messing around with ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chatbot destined to make our society even lazier than it is now. While reviews of ChatGPT have been mixed — Elon Musk called it ‘scary good” while professors and other humans not named Elon Musk fear students will never realize what it takes to…
DetailsI gazed around the enclosure, wondering how such a small space could be the source of bullying, harassment, and a political maelstrom that shows no signs of abating. Then I zipped up and exited the bathroom. But not just any bathroom; a gender neutral restroom in a Chicago restaurant. Normally I don’t do so much…
DetailsMary Louise and Marty showed up faithfully at the park each morning at 7:30. Stopping their SUV in the same space, Mary Louise, 68, emerged with a bowl of water, followed by her husband, 85, and armed with a tennis ball. They opened the car’s hatch as if they were pulling back a Broadway curtain…
DetailsThe art of face-to-face communication took a huge hit due to the pandemic, and, as a traveling comedian, it has sadly also affected my favorite solo traveling game. I’ve titled the game, “Walk Into a Bar and Get One Person Off Their Phone.” I often find myself alone in strange cities and, rather than ordering…
DetailsDon’t worry, loyal reader; I will not ask you to take any “brief surveys” after reading this column. Nor will I find your cell number, contact you and then ask you to “stay on the line” and rate the experience. I promise not to offer you an Amazon gift card or a sweepstakes entry if you…
Details“Get off my pickleball court!” I know, I know. That phrase may never reach pop culture status like, “Get off my lawn,” which curmudgeonly Clint Eastwood famously uttered in “Gran Torino” and, ultimately, became an ode to petulance and turf wars. But, come on, when did these Gen Z types, these “kids,” start playing the…
DetailsHard to believe Christmas 2022 has come and gone. It seems like only yesterday the 2021 holiday was upon us and people were freaking out about attending festive family gatherings because of COVID-19 germs and a toxic political environment. It’s nice to know some things never change. What did change, as always, were Christmas wish…
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