Q. Kraken? . A. Thanks to the Seattle Hockey naming czars, that Kraken is getting even more attention. As if this mythical, massive Norwegian sea creature wasn’t already lording its pop-culture prominence over Jörmungandr, Six-Headed Scylla, Lernean Hydra, and all the other mythological sea monsters. We’ve seen Kraken in video

Q. “I now pronounce you…” The formal ceremony is over, the couple have kissed, family and friends are standing, clapping, dabbing at tears. Now, it’s time for the newlyweds to turn and walk back down the aisle. What music will lead them out? . A. For some, Mendelssohn’s Wedding March

Q. Sixty years! It’s been sixty years since the brilliant Dr. Seuss – aka Theodor Seuss Geisel – wrote Green Eggs and Ham. ‘I do not like them, Sam-I-am. I do not like green eggs and ham.’ One of Seuss’ great gifts was his ability to make up words that

Q. If you happened to visit the Gulf Islands last August, you might have noticed two strange things: i) a lot of people smelled like cloves, ii) there were no cloves to be found in the grocery store. Why was there a late summer run on cloves and should we

Q. Ten, twenty years ago, who knew that goats would so dominate – in memes, at yoga, on Zoom. We know they can scream, sprint, hop, and dance. But what do we call this onslaught of goats? What is their collective noun? . A. A gathering of goats is officially

Q. What are the most important qualities of true friendship? All these months of social distancing have led many to think deeply about the friends they miss and treasure the most.   A. ‘I have a new friend.’ So starts the charming bestseller My Best Friend, a 2020 picture book

Q. What do co-workers see as the most annoying office habits? A. At least for now, more people are starting to trickle into the workplace. Perhaps we’ve all missed each other enough that nothing our co-workers do will annoy us. Ah. Listen to the dulcet tones of your slurping your

Q. What are sugarplums? Wee fruits in hot, dry lands? Ordinary purple plums coated in sugar? Fairy tale fancies? A. Tchaikovsky gave the fairy in charge of these mysterious edibles a signature Nutcracker Dance and a sparkling celesta accompaniment. . Nina Kaptsova. Bolshoi Ballet. 2010 . Poet Clement Moore celebrated

Q. More and more people are recognizing how important it is to have a diverse range of voices in power positions on organizational boards. But how to get on? . A. One thing I have seen over years of consulting with organizations: meaningful change does not happen without active support

Q. What would it take to throw a wrench into the rigid world of Edwardian dinner parties? . A. Revenge is a dish best served backwards. In the fastidiously ritualistic world of Edwardian Britain, it was easy to exact revenge on one’s nemeses at dinner. Want to mortify the hosts?