The Ig Nobel Prize ceremonies have been held at Harvard University every September for the last 27 years. And if you’ve been wondering whether anyone has ever won an Ig Nobel award for studying the medical uses of car batteries, I’m here to tell you that they have—and Continue reading →

I did it—I finally tried yoga. And I’m here to tell you that yoga instructors want to kill us. Continue reading →

I woke up at 2 a.m. last night wondering why my stomach felt weirdly bloated and tight. By 2:05 I was in the bathroom, and I spent the next three hours hoping my kids wouldn’t find me there, dead, in the morning. I’ll spare you the details, but I would like to pass along the lessons I learned during Continue reading →

It’s been a rough week for Brett Palmer. Brett—a 34-year-old Australian—caught a fish off the coast of Victoria. Unfortunately, the fish was a shark. Equally unfortunate: Brett was in a kayak, and he didn’t let go of his fishing rod. Continue reading →

I’m sitting here sipping a hot cup of mud (that’s turmeric tea—a brew that I highly recommend if you’ve already lost the will to live). I’m doing this because, a few nights ago, I watched the Canadian women’s hockey team compete in the Olympic games and now I’m inspired. Not to play hockey, of course—that would be ridiculous. The last time I put on skates, Continue reading →

A few days ago, one of my kids stopped by for a visit. On his way out, he started coughing uncontrollably.

“Huh,” the cocky lobe of my brain thought. “It’s been four years since I’ve been sick. I must be quite healthy.”

“You shouldn’t even think that!” my anxiety lobe screamed. “You’ve heard of Murphy’s Law, haven’t you?” Continue reading →

I knew that if I tried hard enough, I could learn to calm my mind, focus and even—dare I say it?—meditate. Turns out I was wrong. Continue reading →

I won’t be traveling anywhere in the near future (or the far future, for that matter). But you might be—and that’s why I’ve taken time out of my busy schedule of wine drinking and cat petting to create this helpful guide for travelers. You’re welcome.

Hate long plane flights? Scotland offers the shortest commercial flight in the world. It travels 1.7 miles from Westray to Papa Westray, and takes just 53 seconds. Unfortunately, Continue reading →

A lot of people aren’t making New Year’s resolutions this year. I think they should. New Year’s resolutions give you the opportunity to look ahead and mull over exactly how much you’re willing to change in a 12-month period. Here are my resolutions for 2018:

1. I will accept, and even embrace, my total dependence on caffeine to get through the day, and wine to self-medicate in the evenings. Continue reading →

Champagne, parties, fattening food…there are a lot of things we associate with New Year’s Eve. But if you’d like to try something new—and you like throwing stuff—here are some fun traditions to consider:

Tired of your dishes? In Denmark, people grab their ugliest plates and bowls, then skulk around on New Year’s Eve throwing them at the front doors of their friends. Apparently, Continue reading →