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grin and bare it

A blog by Matthew Dicks

Golfers are tough

By mattyd | April 25, 2024

Professional golfer Akshay Bhatia won the Valero Texas Open last month by beating Denny McCarthy on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. And he did it playing hurt. Despite entering the back nine with…

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Navigating the world

By mattyd | April 24, 2024

A recent study examined why some people seem to have an innate sense of direction while others do not. The study found that people tend to fall into three groups: Those who make good mental…

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Sans CGI

By mattyd | April 23, 2024

Peter Parker’s iconic tray catch scene from 2002’s Spider-Man took 156 takes, but it was done without CGI. The old-fashioned way. It’s odd how twenty years ago, you’d think, “Of course, it was done without…

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You never know what might happen when you make stuff

By mattyd | April 22, 2024

I was speaking to a young person about the importance of making stuff. She’s an artist who one day hopes to make her living making art, but she’s plagued with worries about investing time in…

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We may be doomed.

By mattyd | April 21, 2024

According to a recent Cash App Taxes survey, a whopping 25% of Gen Z taxpayers said they’d need a therapist to deal with the stress of tax-filing season. Additionally, 54% said filing taxes has either brought…

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Best names I have been called

By mattyd | April 20, 2024

Every now and then, my school’s cafeteria serves “Nachos Grande.” When I announce this meal option to my students, I add that “Nachos Grande” might be an excellent nickname for me that they might want…

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Big, fat religious liars

By mattyd | April 19, 2024

The National Bureau of Economic Research has made a shocking discovery. Polling data routinely indicates that about 22 percent of Americans report attending religious services on a weekly basis. However, by analyzing geodata from the…

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Only $250?

By mattyd | April 18, 2024

I was teaching a storytelling workshop last month when one of the participants lamented that his parents had “only given $250 in pocket money” per month while he was attending college. And this was in…

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Sometimes golf is perfect

By mattyd | April 17, 2024

The weather has finally turned. I stand on the precipice of the golf season at last. A time of unknown, unimaginable possibilities. Golf can often be frustrating, disappointing, and even ridiculous. But there are also…

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First Prize?

By mattyd | April 16, 2024

While performing in Schenectady, New York, a couple of weekends ago, I drove by this restaurant, which, as far as I can tell, could be: “First Prize Mike’s Frankfurts along with First Prize Hots with…

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