How to have conversations
The older I get, the more baffled I am by how bad people can be at having normal conversations. You would think it comes naturally to people – two or more humans in the...
Category: how to
How to discuss politics at Thanksgiving (or whenever)
“Well, now it feels like Thanksgiving,” Brian laughed. We hadn’t talked about politics or the election up until that point, but the topic of transgender athletes came up, and I made what I thought...
How to get selfies with pro athletes
“Is Friday selfie day or is Saturday selfie day?” I asked. “Everyday’s selfie day,” Andy replied. It was our second trip to LA in as many months to watch beach volleyball, and we were...
How (not) to do a blind taste test
It all started with my first visit to Eataly at Valley Fair, when I wandered the groceries section in search of truffle chips. Well, I found the Urbani chips my friend posted about on...
How to be grateful this holiday season
Disclaimer: So…I meant to write this right after Thanksgiving, but obviously didn’t make time for it. Better late than never, though, right? tldr: Be specific One of my favorite Thanksgiving dinner traditions is to...
Ask better questions, part 1
If I had to break down what it takes to be a good conversationalist, I’d say the 3 components are: Listening Storytelling Asking questions Whilst being a good listener is probably a more important...
How to give advice
When I told my friend Tim that I wanted to write a blog post on this topic, he burst out laughing. “Oh Ted…only you would give advice on how to give advice.” I laughed,...
How to give good gifts
“I hate gift-giving,” Jim* declared. I laughed, a bit surprised. “Why? Who doesn’t like gifts?” “I mean, I appreciate the thought…but it’s just awkward if it’s not something I like, or the version I...
How you should vote for the California propositions
Having spent most of my life in Bay Area, I had no idea how ridiculous California’s proposition system was until my roommate Cory pointed it out. It never occurred to me to wonder why...
How to get good customer service
If you know me, you know that I value the following: Rules Common sense Good customer service I found myself at the intersection of those 3 things when I tried to return an air...
Ted, thanks for your courage for speaking out your thoughts, especially right after this horrible event. It's been a a…