Recently, I found myself in my doctor’s office with an ever-growing list of concerns. My doctor spent most of the consultations asking me questions while facing her laptop, typing out what I said. Then one morning, I woke in excruciating pain and was unable to stand. When I called my doctor, the person who answered […] … learn more→

Growing youth unemployment remains a socio-economic challenge in Africa. Several initiatives, including foreign development aid programmes, are being deployed to address this. Many come with noble intentions. But they are undermined by the flawed approach of parachuting solutions made in the West. A study focusing on a seven year old multi-million dollar programme from the […] … learn more→

With college tuition perpetually increasing, parents are highly motivated to cut costs. One way to cut costs is to enroll kids into “AP courses” in high school. Advanced Placement courses provide college credit, at least if the students can pass the AP exam…and there’s the rub, as that test costs around $100 to take. Because […] … learn more→

Michael Foley, my high school Shakespeare teacher, was a known tyrant. As underclassmen, my friends and I would walk past his closed door, peer in the narrow vertical window, and see him gesticulating wildly at some hapless senior, blood vessels popping in his forehead. We were genuinely terrified. I would eventually discover that Foley wasn’t […] … learn more→

My sister is fond of reminding me that, in 1992, after returning from my first overseas trip to Europe, I told her I wanted a career where I could “get on and off planes and talk to people for a living”. It’s appropriate then, that I write this post while flying high above the red […] … learn more→

In his wonderful collection of correspondence, Letters of Note, editor Shaun Usher includes one from Robert Pirosh, a New York copywriter. Pirosh wanted a job as a screenwriter and in an attempt to secure such a post he composed what Usher describes as: One of the greatest, most effective cover letters ever to be written. […] … learn more→

While just a few years ago, headlines predicted eBook supremacy and the demise of the paper book, that’s now reversed. They’re now saying the Kindle is clunky and unhip and paper books are cool and selling well as eBook sales crash. But are today’s claims any more accurate than those of 2012? The latest round […] … learn more→

Should you cite yourself? Ever? Never? Sometimes, and if sometimes, when? And how much? When does sometimes become just too much altogether? There are mixed views on self-citation. Some people think that it’s quite unseemly to cite yourself at all – it’s nothing but ruthless self-promotion and bragging. And of course, there are people who do […] … learn more→

Uber has shaken up the taxi industry and is trying to put driverless cars on our roads. Now the company aims to have flying ride-sharing vehicles in our skies by 2020. Uber is not alone in working towards flying cars. But is this realistic, or just marketing hype? To many of us, the concept of […] … learn more→

“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.” –Bertrand Russel It really seems like reality is not nearly as objective as it should be. My pointing at empirical evidence regarding global warming, for example, does no good. “You are […] … learn more→