life, travel, stories – Join the journey, Love Raven
Dear Reader, When you tell people that you play the piano, they very often assume that you are good at the piano. Because adults who play the piano very likely began during childhood, and 10+ years of playing the piano is probably long enough to attain mastery. I have met and seen adults my age,... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Literature, as a medium for comedy, is sorely underrated. I have so often heard people lament, “ugh, I should read more…”. Well, if that’s the way that you feel, I would highly recommend that you start with comedy — they’re real page-turners! Here are a few of my more recent recommendations: “Meaty” and... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, To quit or not to quit one’s day job? “Don’t quit your day job,” has become a bit of a throw-away line that we hear when one is being dissuaded from diving headfirst into their creative passion (that frankly, one may not have the requisite talent to pursue full-time). I am not about... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, What’s so special about tall ships? If you are native to Erie, Pennsylvania, you already know the answer. Enclosed by Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, New York, and Canada, Lake Erie is the fourth largest and shallowest of the five Great Lakes. Today, I am typing to you from one of Lake Erie’s southern borders... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, How well can you really get to know someone from a dating app? I’ve been on the apps for a while now (obligatory breakup post here) and have tried a few dating "methods" (more here and here). Today, I would like to write about what I have learned about people (read: straight/ bisexual-young-adult-[mostly... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Data about oneself has become a hot commodity, and, also, one that I cherish. This feeble realization did not just occur to me, but I think about it now as I have recently received my results from the Everlywell Food Sensitivity test. As the name implies, the test measures one’s immune response (more... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Glowing, festive lights are set against the dimming evening sky, and I am happy. Today, my magical twilight rendezvous takes place at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. Although I’m not a fan of animals, I can find great amusement in zoos (more here). This zoo outing, however, was not for the purpose... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, “Helluva Burger, Heavenly Shake” — this is true. If you are in the Pittsburgh, PA area and you want to try an exceptional (and, frankly, high-caloric) meal, do consider Burgatory. I find Burgatory to be special for a few reasons. First, the company works with local dairies, butchers, and other producers to make... Continue Reading →
Dear Reader, Words matter… a lot, especially, when you are giving feedback. When I was a graduate student, I had an adviser who advocated for the “compliment sandwich” — start with a compliment, proceed to give critical feedback, and, then, end with a compliment. It can be hard to hear criticism, sometimes we even try... Continue Reading →
Wow. I don’t usually have too many emotions about non-fiction books, but Chuck Klosterman’s “The Nineties” in one word must be w-o-w. Klosterman opens the book with an introduction to an era not punctuated by the date January 1, 1990, rather with important events to close the 1980’s like Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment (which leads to... Continue Reading →
Curious Words Blog 