Archive for November 2018

Please, take this idea: The Supreme Court of Social Media

Facebook was a messy place to be during the 2016 Presidential Election. Almost every day I would see a post that started with, “I don’t normally talk about politics on here, but…” I’d read that first sentence and think, “Oh boy. Let the fireworks begin.” Within five minutes, there would be someone with the polar opposite... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
November 26, 2018 at 7:31 am • 

Medium Rare Trip to Italy: An epic lace chase in Burano

Three seconds on the clock. John Stockton passes the ball to Chris O’Brien. Two seconds. One second. Shot goes up. It’s good! Jazz win! Jazz win! Like every kid in their childhood driveway, I imagined taking the last shot of the NBA Finals. But unlike 99 percent of my neighbors here in Chicago, I spent 1997 and 1998 rooting for... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
November 21, 2018 at 8:35 am • 

Medium Rare Trip to Italy: Venice, movie stars, and one really aggressive pigeon

We got off the train from Rome to Venice and I remember looking out at all the buildings along the Grand Canal with this mixture of, “Woah.” “Where am I?” and, “What in the world is going on??” In Rome, it felt like I could at least comprehend what I was looking at. The brain... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
November 19, 2018 at 8:03 am • 
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Medium Rare trip to Italy: Roman Colosseum, The Vatican, and Pope on the Slopes

I like the security of having money in savings. I like talking myself into what the 401k will look like in 30-40 years. I like the cheap thrill of an Uber pool. And since my Squirrel side is always burying acorns, by the time we get to the 14th or the 29th of the month, our checking account... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
November 14, 2018 at 7:32 am • 

Medium Rare trip to Italy: From London to Rome, with a side of jetlag

Our trip to Italy started with a flight to London. We got through security at O’Hare, arrived at the gate, and right outside the window was the biggest plane I’ve ever seen. The Airbus looks like a Beluga Whale with wings. How this thing gets off the ground makes no sense to me. It’s like seeing... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
November 12, 2018 at 6:54 am • 

Wait, expensive hospitals aren’t the best choice? Guest Post By: Dave Chase

The first Monday of every month, I’ll be running a new series here called “Medium Rare Healthcare.” The premise: Healthcare is incredibly confusing and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be and there are a lot of people out there working hard to turn things around. The goal of this series is to bring these experts in who provide... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
November 5, 2018 at 7:10 am • 
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Introducing Medium Rare Healthcare

Healthcare is incredibly complicated. And it’s weird, because I almost take comfort in the confusion. If my doctor says things I don’t understand, part of me thinks, “Alright, well, they should be smarter than me. The fact that I’m confused is probably a good thing.” But in that confusion comes a lot of wasted money. For... Read more »
By Chris O'Brien,
November 2, 2018 at 7:19 am •