Category: Essays
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The Tortoises of Westwood
When people think of Westwood, they think of the Apple Pan, Diddy Riese, and UCLA. Tucked into the neighborhood is a much quieter pair of residents: two tortoises. They live on the same street, on the same side of it, about five blocks apart. One just north of Wilshire the…
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The Allen Wrench: The People’s Champ of Tools
If you’re a parent, you’ve probably built more furniture than you ever dreamed possible. Cribs, play kitchens, gymnastics bars, shelves, tables… if it came flat in a box, it’s probably been in your living room at some point. And let’s be honest sometimes that box sits there until you finally…
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I’m Vegan. I’m Chill. Stop Making It a Thing.
Yes, I’m vegan. No, I’m not judging your food. And no, I don’t need to give a TED Talk every time I say no to brisket.(Though… hey, since you’re here checking out my blog, it might as well be my TED Talk.) Look, I’ve got my strong opinions deep down,…
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Of Course I Thought I Was Gifted (The Test Disagreed)
My son has started kindergarten and being in that environment made me think back to my elementary school days. There’s something about a public school auditorium that feels the same no matter where you went to school — the tiny chairs, the faint smell of crayons, that weird echo. The…
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How My Son Fell in Love with Gymnastics: The Start of Our Unexpected Journey
When my son first attempted a cartwheel after watching the 2024 Olympics, we had no idea it would spark a full-blown gymnastics obsession. From bouncing off furniture to memorizing Simone Biles’ routines and collecting UCLA trading cards, gymnastics has become his world — and ours too.
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Introducing WeMakeTracks
As the father of a passionate train and car enthusiast, we’re always creating exciting new tracks, and some of our designs end up being pretty cool.
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NBA Rule Change: The Designated Free Throw Shooter
day. The odds of an NBA team looking for a 5’5 guy in his 30s who hasn’t played a competitive game since high school (and now plays incredibly infrequently) are pretty low. But they can never take away a passion for the game and my ability to dream.
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Jason’s Proximity to Greatness – Tom Brady
Tom Brady won his first Super Bowl in 2002, I was a sophomore in High School. Now almost 20 years later he is still winning Super Bowls! Some people consider Tom Brady to be the GOAT of Quarterbacks and it’s hard to deny his status with his impressive resume. I…
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Jason’s Current Sneaker Thoughts
The demand for sneakers is at an all time high. If you’ve been around it long enough you know how crazy it has become. The perfect mix of hype and limiting of supply makes it near impossible to ever walk in to a store and get that shoe you’ve been…
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One Year of Viseland!
In 2020 my brother Michael and I finally decided to launch a podcast. We’d discussed the possibility of making a podcast for a few years, but never could nail down the what, where and how of it. We decided to go with the one thing we’ve spent the majority of…