The Lego Movie 2. I actually never saw the original in its entirety even though we own it. Maya Rudolph as the mother is a pleasant surprise. I’m a bit exasperated by the continued depiction of fathers as buffoons. The plot is interesting, and I don’t think I can write much about it without spoiling […]
I Play Things: Monopoly (Two New-to-Me Versions) and Mastermind
Monopoly Junior. David, my youngest, has wrecked me at this version of the game three games in a row. Every time, he has reminded me that “Monopoly isn’t everything.” It’s dramatically simplified, with a smaller board–two property groups and a chance space on each side, no railroads, no utilities, no houses or hotels–and it makes […]
I Eat (Too Many) Things: From Shoney’s to Chez Fonfon
Shoney’s. It was a childhood institution when I was growing up. On drives to and from visits to family in Nashville and Alabama (from our home in Ohio), Shoney’s—usually the one in Elizabethtown, Kentucky—was the place where we stopped to eat. I thought Shoney’s had disappeared, but one has opened recently just off I-65’s exit […]
I Watch Things: “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and the Worst Christmas Movie Ever
Alone for Christmas. You know how people refer to Under Seige as “Die Hard on a boat” and Speed as “Die Hard on a bus?” Alone for Christmas is “Home Alone with a dog.” It’s one of the most painfully bad movies I think I’ve ever seen. Naturally, the kids loved it. And I have no one to blame but myself […]
I Watch Things: Teen Titans GO! To The Movies
We’ve been waiting for Teen Titans GO! To The Movies for quite some time now, and we’re glad we got to see it on opening day. It doesn’t disappoint. It’s very self-aware: the movie hits a lot of superhero movie tropes and has a lot of fun at the expense of the genre. You can pick […]
I Write Things: 2018 Stuff for Forbes.com
Since 2010 I’ve been a contributor to Forbes.com. I agreed a few months ago to publish more, and ideally I’ll be producing 1-2 articles per week (at least). One of my major goals in this will be to summarize and apply research (recent and classic) in articles suitable for classroom use. Here’s what I’ve written […]
I Eat Things: Brats & Burgers & Fries
We’ve taken to rotating who gets to pick where we eat after church on Sundays, and during my wife’s recent weeklong trip I let each kid pick where we ate dinner one night. Here are some highlights. Brat Brot. I wasn’t expecting much on my first visit–I figured it’d be another overpriced hipster joint with […]
I Read Things: Life From the Ground Up
Dante, The Divine Comedy (Audible). I love Audible because it lets me listen to the classics on my (short!) commute. You can get a Kindle version for $0 (click the image). My current listen is Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained. Thomas Sowell, Discrimination and Disparities. This reminds me a lot of Wealth, Poverty, and Politics, which came out a few […]
I Watch Things: Silly Movies With the Kids
We’ve been watching a lot of movies in recent weeks with a move away from iPad and computer games and such, and as my wife recently spent a week out of town we watched more movies than we otherwise would’ve. Here are a few. Sherlock Gnomes. Our friend Matt and his daughter Cora invited us, […]
I Write Things: Economics and the Environment
I’ve always been interested in environmental issues, and I’ve written some papers, articles, and reviews on the issue. Here’s sort of a one-stop shop for those. The Creation of Knowledge in Society: Waste Defined by Property and Exchange (Independent Institute, July 25, 2017) More and Better: Resources Defined Through Property and Exchange (Independent Institute, May […]