Some friendships are lifelong. Those people who will tolerate your foibles if you’re lucky enough to connect with them. They’ll have your back. You’ll have a real and genuine bond with them, the kind of bond that can weather years and endure drama. I have a few people like that in my life and I figure that makes me luckier than I deserve. In my experience, those friendships tend to be the exception and not the rule. Most friendships are temporary. Those people you hung out with in high school? The smart money says that inside of ten years, you won’t be in touch with them beyond the occasional... Read More

Okay, folks, time for a thought experiment. Imagine you’re a whale, a sperm whale to be precise, living in the year 1820. While most of your kind measures 50 feet long, you’re a big sucker that’s around 85 feet long. You spend your days hanging out with your pod, hunting squid, enjoying the freedom of the open ocean. Life is good, right? Well, that’s where we get into a good news/bad news scenario. The good news is that, as the largest toothed predator on the planet, you don’t often get hassled. The bad news is, inside of your head is a liquid wax called spermaceti.... Read More