Category: Uncategorized
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In 1984, graffiti in Boston was in “Perpetual Motion.”
If you worked or lived or shopped or went to school in downtown Boston back in the mid 1980s, you probably walked by – and maybe even took a minute to gaze upon – a certain type of graffiti that was ubiquitous, playful and very political in nature. These stenciled slogans and evocative images were, apparently,…
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It’s just a fad. (1970s edition.)
One by one, all the fads made a drive-by appearance at our house on Lowe Ave. in Stoughton between 1971 and 1979.
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The stuff we keep.
Tackling the “Museum of Me” challenge, with a little help from the author of the must-read book “Discardia.”
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I had the Time-Life of my life
One day in 1969, when I was about three years old, my parents gave me the earth and the universe.
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The gift of time: A customer service Christmas miracle
Time is running out to enjoy this true story.
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Are you emotionally and physically capable of wearing pants, and other key questions to ask before your next business trip.
Are you emotionally and physically capable of wearing pants again?
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Have you heard about this thing called “the Internet?”
One of my favorite things about this article from 1994 is how I had to put so many words and concepts that are commonplace today in quotation marks: “online,” “e-mail,” and “cyberspace.” And, yes, I used the term “information superhighway.” It was a simpler time.
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A long time ago, in a suburb far, far away…less was more.
There was a time, children, when Star Wars content was hard to find.
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Mistakes? I made a few.
I know, I know…people make mistakes, especially young people just learning the skills of what they hope will be their life-long career. And my first few years in journalism were filled with a couple of doozies.
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That moment when you realize it’s not all about you
When you remember a “teachable moment” from 32 years ago, it really should be shared.
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Confessions of a teenage industrial spy
It was the best summer job, ever. 40 years later, I realize I wasn’t actually an industrial spy. I was simply conducting market research.
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Good memories, bad photos and ringing ears: I really miss live concerts.
With 150,000 Americans dead (and climbing) from COVID-19, it’s undeniably petty and selfish to bemoan the good old days when you could go to live concerts. But I really miss those nights out, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my fellow strangers, waking up the next day with ringing ears and no money in my wallet.
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Re-reading “Being Digital,” 25 years later
Re-reading Nicholas Negroponte’s book now, 25 years after it was released (and just a few weeks before my son Evan turns 25), I realize that it told me everything I would need to know about the kind of world my son would be growing up in, and how to navigate it.
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Working from home? Maybe your kids should sign an NDA.
Sure, your kids are cute. But you can trust them with your company’s secrets?
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An uncertain path
A much-needed walk with the dogs after weeks of worrying about family, health, work, money, toilet paper and the fate of the world.
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Terror at the gas pump: A morning story
This may be where the end began, but at least I got a receipt.
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Doomsday? This calls for popcorn and Milk Duds.
Did all those apocalyptic movies we watched as teenager in 1980s ruin us, or did they prepare us for today’s headlines?
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My puppy stole your password
Even upside down, the little yellow square piece of paper was easy to read — and even easier to remember given the simplicity of the chosen username and password. It wasn’t quite “user” and “password123” but it was pretty darned close.
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True story: “Dad…there’s a guy with a gun…”
He sounded calm, my son did, when he left me the voice mail about the crazed gunman on campus.
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Talking cyber security
There’s nothing like stepping into a professional recording studio to make you feel like a rock star. Of course, they didn’t let me sing — but the folks at Verizon did let me host a recent podcast about cybersecurity.
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The Angry Tour Guide
The angry tour guide does not want to pose with you for a picture as you toss the tea into the sea, but he will, because it is his job.
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Mourning a sibling, 25 years later
AIDS took my brother on June 19, 1992, but his death wasn’t entirely senseless — thanks to my mom’s courageous speaking tour.
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The happy guy
Mike was certain that if it hadn’t been for the drone footage, everything would have turned out maybe just a little bit better. A short prison sentence, perhaps. But not planetary humiliation.