There have been two fascinating articles published in the past few days talking about how we perform under pressure. Both are fascinating reading. In the first, The Guardian examines why athletes choke. The short answer: you think too much. When you’re a master athlete, you have muscle memory and your actions are literally built into… Continue reading Under Pressure
Not Much of a Return
I was walking around the neighbourhood the other day when a historic plaque caught my eye: …the workingmen’s cottages on Warren Place were among the first planned low-income housing in the nation when they were built in the late 1870’s. At that time, rent for a four-room apartment was $1.93 per week. Wow! $1.93 a… Continue reading Not Much of a Return
Hot Diggity Dog
New York is crushing on the hot dog right now (witness this and this). As a result, Wen and I decided to devote Saturday to eating hot dogs. Our first stop was at Dogmatic near Union Square. You get to pick your dog (i.e., pork vs. beef vs. lamb, etc.) and then pick your sauce… Continue reading Hot Diggity Dog
The Joy of Brooklyn
As I write this, the sun is starting to set over the New York harbour. One of the true pleasures of our new apartment is watching the sunset. We’ve got a great view of it and it’s amazing how dynamic it is; I guess this is what people did before they had television. Don’t take… Continue reading The Joy of Brooklyn
Unanticipated Consequences
I’m always fascinated by the unanticipated side effects of people’s actions. Here’s an interesting one related to housing. Housing has definitely started the current economic crisis – but no surprises there; it’s just simply people taking on too much debt. However, it might make it worse than other crises. Why? Well, when people buy houses,… Continue reading Unanticipated Consequences