David Lidsky's Blog, page 133

Housing market shift: Foreclosures are creeping back up again

Foreclosures are up 40% year over year, but they’re still 13% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

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I’m a high schooler who does Model U.N. Trump’s America First ‘diplomacy’ is ruining the experience

At the Yale Model U.N. Conference in Europe, high school students from around the world tried to simulate real diplomacy—and ran into the wall of American exceptionalism.

The United Nations was in a crisis: Elon Musk had taken control of the European Space Agency and all of its outposts in space to further the development of Starlink. Delegates to the U.N., already in a special committee discussing equitable ways to militarize outer space, discovered Musk’s plans. Hurriedly, the representatives from Japan, Germany, and Egypt came up with a way to rein in the rogue billionaire: kidnap him. Musk, ever noncompliant, hid out on the moon, took several ESA scientists hostage, and lobbed threats at the U.N. After a day-long stalemate, the delegates found a way to bring Musk safely down to Earth, regaining control of the ESA. 

11 reasons why racehorses end up with such weird names

Pay Billy and Sandman are just two of the intriguing horse names in this weekend’s Preakness Stakes. Here’s how top horses get those quirky names.

When a friend and I began investing in thoroughbreds in 2018, it wasn’t fantasies of running in the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness Stakes that excited us most. It was naming the racehorses. We’d seen California Chrome and American Pharoah etch their names in the sports lexicon. And while producing a horse of that caliber was a longshot, just the prospect of the announcer yelling, “Here comes [name we chose] down the stretch!” was unexpectedly thrilling.

The real reason Starbucks baristas are so angry about its new dress code

Starbucks union workers aren’t as upset about the dress code; they’re upset about the lack of a contract.

On Monday, Starbucks rolled out a new dress code as part of its larger corporate overhaul. But union workers say the change is both restrictive and unproductive—and now, baristas are walking out.

Treat yourself to a taste of the weird web of yesteryear

This simple website is your window to a whole other world.

The web wasn’t always like it is now. It used to be weirder—in a good way. And it still can be.

5 ways to help your elderly parents prepare for hurricanes

Emergency preparedness plans too often overlook the specific needs of elders in America’s aging population, many of whom live alone.

When I lived in Florida, I had a neighbor named Ms. Carmen. She was in her late 70s, fiercely independent, and lived alone with her two dogs and one cat, which were her closest companions.

5 tips for leaders to actually inspire their teams

There are a lot of things within leaders’ control that can make workloads sustainable.

Paula Davis is the founder and CEO of the Stress & Resilience Institute. She is a globally recognized expert and adviser regarding burnout prevention at work and building resilient teams. Previously, she practiced law, and then during her postgraduate training for her psychology master’s degree, she was selected to be part of the University of Pennsylvania’s faculty teaching resilience skills to soldiers for the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness program.

Traveling abroad? Skip Apple Maps and Google Maps. Try these apps instead

Why Citymapper, Moovit, Naver Map, Rome2Rio, and Transit all have the edge outside of the U.S.

Americans often receive a lot of grief for being less internationally traveled than citizens of other countries. But in recent years, more Americans are traveling abroad than ever before. Numbers compiled by the digital magazine Travel and Tour World (TTW) show that in March 2025, 6.56 million Americans flew outside of the country. That’s 1.6% more than the same period a year earlier, and more than 22% more than in 2019—the year before the pandemic caused international travel to grind to a halt.

When a disaster hits, AI can show where help is needed using social media

Using social media to help during disasters sounds great, but it’s not always easy.

When disasters happen—such as hurricanes, wildfires, and earthquakes—every second counts. Emergency teams need to find people fast, send help and stay organized. In today’s world, one of the fastest ways to get information is through social media.

From lab to market: Monetizing R&D

There must be a system for turning ideas and research into real-world products.

It’s one thing to invent something cool within controlled laboratory environments. It’s entirely another to scale that new baby for sale.