Having grown up in L.A., pre-Metro, I used to drive 300-400 miles a week when I last lived there. I’ve been commuting to downtown DC for twenty years. I live a little over a mile from DC’s Metro and walk back and forth (well, not home during the winter when it’s dark). But, it’s now light enough to walk both ways.…

In the ‘80s I had a guava shake at a McDonald’s in Kyoto.

I work in the same building as the National Portrait Gallery and got to see technicians put the final touches on the lighting the day after the ceremony. Here are a couple photos I took:

In my “few years old” Acura, set the light to Auto and the car will drive with its running lights on until it senses that it’s getting too dark. Then it will automatically turn on the headlights.

I have a non-compliant license too. But, my state is now issuing compliant ones. I can use mine to travel until my expires next year, when I will get a new one. I would contact your state DMV for clarification.  

I just renewed my passport in December and I believe it cost $140. Not expedited.

That is not true, for the most part. Every American flying has to have some approved photo ID. And, a driver’s license is all one needs, with this caveat. There is a specific form that license must have. Most states have adopted this form. Some are in the process of adopting it (like Maryland). There are a few states…

I don’t know how it would work with toddlers. As it is, whenever I mention this as a safe and easy method, I get the “look.” Nasal irrigation is a hard sell. But it works.

It’s not irresponsible to choose not to update. These notifications are for every single app you’ve downloaded from the App Store. Most of which are not Apple apps. And, some I barely use. I keep abreast of security updates. That’s not hard. But, having my Mac notify me every single day that there are updates is…

The problem with many of these OTC cold remedies is that they often treat every single symptom one can have with a cold. If you don’t have a cough, for instance, don’t get medicine that treats coughs, alongside things you do have. Don’t overmedicate. “More” is not necessarily better.

My ENT has given me this regime when I have a bad sinus cold: Afrin (or the generic) for three days. Once my sinuses are open, do nasal irrigation. I don’t use a neti pot; I use this which is much easier: NeilMed Sinus Rinse. You can get it almost anywhere, like CVS. And, yes, use distilled water.

Less strict than a “freeze” is a fraud alert. It’s free from any of the three reporting agencies and you only have to set it up at one of them. They will inform the other two. It lasts for 90 days and is renewable.

Don’t be afraid of balding. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me, hair-wise. So easy to take care of.

First time I drove a RHD was after a 13 hour flight from LA to Auckland during morning rush hour. That was harrowing (and fun). We drove all through New Zealand. My wife and I decided that whomever was not driving would be the navigator. And, rather than say, “Turn left up here,” we found that we associated left turns…

I’m a dad in a multi-racial home. Four years ago, we were racially profiled on a ferry going to Cape May, NJ. As I was taking my annual photos of my daughters (they are both Asian), a man came up to us and questioned whether I might be involved in a human trafficking scheme. After I brought my children inside, I went…

I dunno. This could be quite a Sisyphean task.  

Having grown up on the West Coast, the female version of “dudes” is “dudettes.” ;-)

Peets is, by far, the best “coffee-to-go.”

Part of the problem with Starbucks is its bitter aftertaste. This is probably because the coffee isn’t freshly brewed. Ask for a “pour-over” (where they actually make one cup of coffee just for you). It doesn’t cost anything extra and I’ve found it to be much better than the stuff that comes out of their vats.

Related question: on my Mac, how can I block my daily notification to update my apps? I want to stop that.