A transcript follows. Read Dan’s daily smorgasborg of the bizarre side of D.C. sports at the D.C. Sports Bog. ____________________ Dan Steinberg: Hello sports fans. So I tried to cancel this chat in advance, seeing as how my daughter’s preschool is closed for the week and this i...

In this corner: collectivism, where individuals may be selected for sacrifice to benefit the group (i.e. the Aztecs). And across the ring: individualism, whose most ardent followers consider altruism tantamount to mental disorder (i.e. Ayn Rand’s objectivism). Surely there is a happy medium ...

[LIFE'S BIG LISTS] :: paper-cuts masterfully avoided by @jenilee In the Western world, having a full schedule is a sign of productivity and usefulness; having nothing to do is a sign of laziness. But Lao-Tzu, the founder of Taosim, says some things need to be empty first before they can become use...

[LIFE'S BIG LISTS] Leonardo da Vinci—arguably the most creative, intellectually diverse man in human history—dreamed up a number of incredible contraptions that he never physically created but invented nonetheless. Everything from an airplane and helicopter to sophisticated weapons of wa...

Remember that time you heard an awesome guitar riff and it prompted you to go straight to the music store, where you bought a Fender Stratocaster, amp, gig bag, and designer picks? Oh, and you also chatted up  the clerks about the profound music you were going to make. Then, seven days and $1,0...

[CHALLENGE: SP-TWEET] Asking for a sign from God: Lame. Sending a sign TO God: Totally awesome. If you could send a sign to God letting him know what’s on your mind, what would you say? Tweet it with the hashtag #signtogod and post it below so that God (and everyone else) can see it. :: sign...

[LIFE'S BIG LISTS] “I wish I had invented blue jeans. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity—all I hope for in my clothes.” —Yves Saint Laurent Sure, we all wish we were the mastermind behind one of life’s big moneymakers, like Post-Its or Velcro. But cas...

The two of you have been together for what seems like an eternity, but sometimes you feel boxed in. You like the view, but you need a little breathing space. Or maybe you’re just looking for a way out. Whatever the case may be, take a moment to contemplate this: If spirituality is an importan...

Art can stand the test of time, right? Well, if we’re talking about the Mona Lisa, then the answer is probably yes. Thanks to careful handling and continued maintenance, Da Vinci’s masterpiece will probably be with us for centuries. But not all art is permanent. The Japanese, for isntanc...

If you cleared out your bank account, turned the cash into pennies and gave one penny to everyone you met, it would benefit nobody and you’d end up broke. In this case, just because you’re being selfless doesn’t mean you’re helping anyone. Can you ever be too generous? If so, how can you...