Author: <span>Ben Wilkoff</span>

Question 136 of 365: What is a family reunion?

Image via Wikipedia I have never been a part of a family big enough to require a reunion. We have had many family gatherings over the years, but never a reunion. Father’s side, mother’s side, and weird couplings around weddings. These are the closest that we have come. This week …

Question 135 of 365: Why don't we say shut up more often?

Cover of 3 Ninjas I have been reliving my childhood through netflix on-demand. It seems as though all of the movies that I loved when I was a kid are available for me to pull up at any hour of the day and watch with my children (with the notable …

Question 134 of 365: What can Diaspora teach us?

Image by Intersection Consulting via Flickr Until this week I had only ever heard the word Diaspora to describe Jews who are living away from Israel. It had such a specific meaning that I didn’t really think about just how powerful decentralization could be as an idea that can energize …

Question 133 of 365: When should you pack up and leave?

Image via Wikipedia “Last Night” is the title of one of my favorite songs (by The Strokes) and my favorite movies (A Canadian Indie Film). The former has a driving beat and the latter has an exquisite plot device. Last night is something that just happened, and that I am …

Question 132 of 365: Who's shadow are we in?

Image by Rennett Stowe via Flickr I traveled with my father when I was young. To Australia, to Japan, to Spain. He went there to talk to people about his passion: electrophysiology (the study of heart rhythms). They asked him to come. Paid for him, even. And he brought me …

Question 131 of 365: Am I dressing for the job that I want?

Image via Wikipedia For an entire year, I wore only sports jackets and ties to work. No matter how hot and no matter how what day of the week, I wore a self-imposed uniform. Better yet, I had a total of three sports jackets to cycle through. A green checkered …

Question 130 of 365: When are we open for business?

Image via CrunchBase I am a part of the first generation of file sharers, the first set of adults who felt entitled to free music and software. More than anything else, peer-to-peer networks have shaped the way I think about ownership. When .mp3 files became more numerous than word documents, …

Question 128 of 365: Why should we smoke?

Image via Wikipedia I got to know my wife by smoking hundreds of cigarretes with her. We would sit outside of the dorm and talk about what we were going to do with the rest of our lives. We would meet each other after class and hop in her car …