This column originally appeared as part of the Tribune Content Agency Humor Hotel feature April 1, 2005. It was one of those days Chicagoans like to call “Fake Spring.” At 5:30 p.m. temperatures hovered in the high 60s. Scores of…
This column orginally appeared as part of the Tribune Content Agency Humor Hotel package March 17, 2025. When it comes to breakfast, I am the opposite of a solomangarephobic. Bounce the word “solomangarephobia” off your therapist or that friend or…
One of the chemical compounds found in cannabis and hemp plants, CBD, as it is commonly called, is fast becoming the bitcoin of 2017 and the Donald Trump election of 2016: Everybody is discussing it, many are jumping on its back, but nobody knows whether or not it will have a positive impact on society.
I recently visited the Gateway Arch, the St. Louis monument that represents westward exploration and is consistently referred to as an “engineering marvel.” But, after watching a 30-minute video detailing the Arch’s construction, I am convinced this U-shaped structure, rising…
Loyal readers, if any of you hear of an entry-level job in pile driving, I have a request. DM me. ASAP. At 62, I have little interest in pounding large foundational supports for bridges and other construction projects into frozen…
The recent California wildfires have restarted the “why would anybody live there?” conversation. These doomsday chats always seem to surface whenever the Golden State endures an epic disaster be it fires, mudslides, earthquakes or the LA Chargers’ playoff performance. Ditto…
Now that the “Best of 2024” lists have faded from conventional and social media, make way for the “What to expect in 2025!” articles that have begun dotting the media landscape. These prognostications can range from “How high will the…
Time for my annual end-of-year reflections and, when warranted, confessions. Regarding the latter, I have a big one this year; one that has haunted me since I committed a crime. Up until now, in my 62 years of life, I…
This column originally appeared as part of the ”Humor Hotel’ series for Tribune Content Agency. ’Tis the season for inadvertently clicking on online shopping offers from merchants and spending the weeks leading up to Christmas firmly in their crosshairs. In…
BARRE BOOTCAMP! The phrase screamed at me as I entered my health club shortly after 5 a.m. last week. Written in blue marker on a whiteboard, “barre,” for those not familiar with ballet, is the horizontal bar dancers grip while…
Imagine treading water wearing a business suit. Blue jeans. A sweater. Or whatever you chose to wear when you left the house that morning. Unless you’re at a pool party, and alcohol aided your decision to enter the water, you’re…
My cell rang about 2 p.m. on Nov. 5, some three hours before election polls closed on the East Coast. “What network are you watching tonight?” my friend asked. “I’m watching CNN. In fact, I put it on when I…
Hey, it’s my birthday today! The sun is shining and the day should be full of nothing more than fun and possibilities. I’ll start my own personal celebration just as soon as I run a few errands. Let’s do it…
I am struggling to keep my eyes open as I write this column, having just completed an overnight stay in North Carolina, which included a night of restful sleep. That’s correct; I slept great. The exhaustion occurred the following morning…
I have tried, since I first heard the term, to stay away from artificial intelligence. The problem is, artificial intelligence won’t stay away from me. If AI is not recommending an alternate restaurant to the one I was planning to…