Leaving Facebook

I’m considering deleting my Facebook account and am seeking advice on a tech stack to replace its various functions in my life. Facebook provides a valuable service, but unfortunately its business model is not aligned with the value it provides. It makes decision after decision that I disagree with ethically and it has been weaponizedContinue reading “Leaving Facebook”

Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Review

Tonight we attended the first showing of Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker and boy do I have some thoughts. My TL;DR non-spoiler review is that the film isn’t terrible, but it’s very disappointing. It was mostly an OK film, but then a couple of key decisions ruined it for me. In hindsight,Continue reading “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker Review”

So Proud of Katie!

Tuesday I had the enormous privilege of attending Katie’s public Ph.D. dissertation defense. What an incredible moment it was as my wife stood before her colleagues and presented her research findings, the culmination of her last six years of work and the reason for our cross-country move to North Carolina! To be clear, Katie’s dissertationContinue reading “So Proud of Katie!”

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 4

Can we talk about how OP Hermione is? She’s the smartest (IQ) of the Power Trio by far and then this scene (when Harry arrives at 12 Grimmauld Place and Hermione anticipates how he must be feeling / how to talk him down from his lashing out) demonstrates how she has the highest EQ asContinue reading “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 4”

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 2

As we are winding down for bed each night, we read a little bit with our toddler. Currently we are making our way through the Harry Potter series and just finished book 4 / started book 5. Book 5, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, is where my online Harry Potter book clubContinue reading “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 2”

Guest Post: Memo to Expecting Parents

This is a guest blog post from Katie, an amazing mother, partner, friend, and scientist: To my expecting friends, Congratulations on this exciting, terrifying, and amazing path you are traversing! Here are a few musings that may be worth exactly what you are paying for them, but they are things I was thankful others preparedContinue reading “Guest Post: Memo to Expecting Parents”

Congratulations on Retirement, Mom!

I had the great honor yesterday to deliver some brief remarks at my mother’s retirement from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. As a curator of post-Apollo human spaceflight, Mom has had one of the coolest jobs in the world and I am incredibly proud of her. The party was a lot of funContinue reading “Congratulations on Retirement, Mom!”

Enchanted By Ireland 6: Dublin

We spent the last few days of our Ireland trip in Dublin. Upon our arrival we had afternoon tea at House Dublin (where we would be staying the night) and then went for a run along the nearby Grand Canal. Even though we were in the most urban Irish environment yet, everything was still soContinue reading “Enchanted By Ireland 6: Dublin”

Why My Toddler and I Participated in Today’s Climate Strike

Today I took our toddler out of daycare (with his mom’s permission!) and participated in the Climate Strike in downtown Chapel Hill. It was a youth-organized, peaceful protest against climate inaction, featuring student and faculty speakers. The gathering started at Peace and Justice Plaza, where there was music, chanting, and some speakers. We then processedContinue reading “Why My Toddler and I Participated in Today’s Climate Strike”