Author Archives: Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Uptown Girl Looking for Her Dr. Bennett

Where do rich people live in Los Angeles? If you ask that question to an Angelino (a resident of Los Angeles), you will get many different answers, but one answer you will not get is “South Los Angeles.” Everyone who … Continue reading

Posted in Life in the United States | 25 Comments

Top Chef: Fake Edition

One of the more popular reality television programs in the United States is Top Chef, a cooking competition for young professional chefs (cooks). On the show, contestants (people who are participating in the competition or game) try to cook the … Continue reading

Posted in Life in the United States, Television and Movies | 30 Comments

The Company You Keep (And Where You Keep It)

Imagine that you are walking down the street and suddenly you see a letter on the ground. It is addressed and stamped, but clearly (obviously) has not been mailed. It appears that the person who was planning on sending the … Continue reading

Posted in Books and Reading | 15 Comments

Fat Cats

When I was growing up, a fat cat was a very rich and powerful businessman who gave money to politicians and tried to influence the political process (and, yes, the term typically referred to a businessman, not a businesswoman). Today, … Continue reading

Posted in Life in the United States, News and Current Events | 24 Comments

Five Questions: American Life

In the late ’90s, there was a popular comedy show host who would ask his celebrity (famous) guests (people invited to appear on the show) five questions at the end of his show. The questions were usually funny or related … Continue reading

Posted in Life in the United States | 18 Comments

So Why Is “So” So Popular?

So I wanted to write something about the use of the word “so” to begin a sentence. Traditionally the word “so” in English has served (been used for) a couple of purposes. You can say “so” as a conjunction to … Continue reading

Posted in Language & Terms | 31 Comments

Are You Smarter Than a 12th Grader?

There was a game show (a competition on television for money) a few years ago called “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” (a fifth grader is a student in grade five, about eleven years old). In the game, adults … Continue reading

Posted in Life in the United States, Television and Movies | 37 Comments

What Does It Mean To Be Happy?

Aristotle said that the goal of every human being is (or should be) happiness. The ancient Greeks had their own definitions of what happiness was, and nearly every important philosopher since that time has tried to give a definition of … Continue reading

Posted in Life in the United States | 44 Comments

Test Your Knowledge of American Education

We are in the middle of another school year in the United States, and I thought it might be fun to look at a little quiz (small test) on American education. Try to answer the following seven questions as best … Continue reading

Posted in Life in the United States | 14 Comments

A Drinking Song

William Butler Yeats was one of Ireland’s most famous poets in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I came across (discovered without trying to find it) a short poem of his that made me smile, and I hope will … Continue reading

Posted in Books and Reading | 24 Comments