While vacationing last October in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, I saw a TV commercial for a candidate in neighboring Virginia. I don’t remember the office the candidate was campaigning for, but it was a statewide election. In other words, no small change. The pitch: the candidate vowed to outlaw spoofing calls by telemarketers. “Wow,” I…
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I qualify as only a casual sports fan. However, having cut my journalistic teeth as a part-time sportswriter in high school, I still follow developments in the sports world. And, when it comes to sports, I would label last month’s Supreme Court decision opening the door to widespread sports betting as one of the most…
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In his younger, single, more carefree days, a friend working as a congressional aide lived near Capitol Hill, giving him a short walk to work. The only way he could afford to live there: he split the $1,800-a-month rent with five other guys so they could afford their modest rooming house. So, I wasn’t a…
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It seems everyone has heard of sriracha, the ubiquitous spicy sauce. It’s not my favorite, but only because I discovered another tasty brand at Aldi’s (a clue that we are bargain shoppers). However, I had not known of the 2013 documentary on the sauce and its maker, Huy Fong Foods, until I picked up a…
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When it comes to iPads or other devices, I’m a Johnny-come-lately to the party—some would say Neanderthal. I only acquired an iPad mini recently when a friend bought a new Kindle Fire and was willing to part with his old Apple product at a fraction of its original price. Were I traveling regularly as I…
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With Amazon reportedly working on a home robot to be introduced by the end of 2018 and new books out like Human + Machine, the engine known as artificial intelligence (AI) appears to be gathering steam. It would appear there is no stopping AI. Yet, yet at the same time I feel I must hold…
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It will soon be six months since I took an accidental tumble after my foot slipped near the top of the stairs while I was taking a wastebasket up to my home office. I thought the injury problems would clear up in two or three weeks. They wound up taking nearly five months, including six…
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Until I edited Beyond the Swipe—a new book out this week—I never knew that “swiping” right or left represented a response to a dating app invitation. Now that I’ve been educated on this brave new world, I can confidently say that I’m not sorry I missed out on this 21st century phenomenon. In several email…
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I recently tossed the old gooseneck desk lamp next to my computer desk, albeit reluctantly. It was a forced decision. A kitchen light had blown and our efforts to restore power by flipping the circuit breaker failed. But by a quirk of jury-rigged home design, that also knocked out power to part of my office…
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Thanks to the normal April 15 deadline falling on a Sunday and Emancipation Day (a legal holiday in Washington, D.C.) on a Monday, beleaguered taxpayers have two extra days this year to file their latest federal tax return. I’m not sure how much help that will offer. This time of year generally induces panic among…
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