Do you have a relative who is "Mr. Long Joke?" It's usually an uncle or grandfather who takes forever to tell a "funny" story. The…
Mark ShatzApril 2, 2025
When the first car pulled into the first McDonald’s drive-thru, the parents were not thinking about food pyramids, trans fats, or insulin resistance. They wanted…
Mark ShatzApril 1, 2025
I have an AARP card, so I’m banned from Snapchat, TikTok, and most social media – the exception is Facebook. Yet, age discrimination doesn’t prevent…
Mark ShatzApril 1, 2025
I was a parental ATM. Now that my son is college-bound, I’ve expanded into a full-service financial institution. During the golden parenting years, pre-puberty, it’s…
Mark ShatzMarch 30, 2025
As writers, we play various roles – author, editor, and number one critic. And the solitary act of writing works fine for most genres, except…
Mark ShatzMarch 30, 2025
I will never forget my first day of school. My mom woke me up, got me dressed, made my bed, and fed me. Man, did…
Mark ShatzMarch 30, 2025
Most email ends with a sender's signature that includes name, job title, contact information, and an organizational logo. Often, the signature contains an inspirational or…
Mark ShatzMarch 29, 2025
Unlike gender, humor is binary. Something is funny or not. In most higher education settings, students and instructors self-assign a gender classification. Humorists don't have…
Mark ShatzMarch 28, 2025
The parental holiday playlist is lengthy and seemingly never-ending: birthdays, Christmas, and graduations. The easiest and least expensive one is the first anniversary of your…
Mark ShatzMarch 27, 2025
I love being a college professor. But I hate reading student papers. Hate it. Like too many men, college students believe that size matters. Students…
Mark ShatzMarch 22, 2025
A professor is one who talks in someone else’s sleep. —W. Auden A teacher’s task is to educate, not entertain. And it’s certainly not an…
Mark ShatzFebruary 7, 2025