Bertie Allison

Dec 143 min read

12. Why Wrapping Paper Is the Real Christmas Miracle

Every year, as December rolls around and the scent of cinnamon begins wafting through the air with a frequency that feels suspiciously...

Bertie Allison

Dec 42 min read

11. The Stuffer and the Stuffed: A Philosophical Look at the Nature of Stockings

Every December, as the cold descends and we pretend we enjoy the taste of eggnog, a curious ritual begins to unfold. We hang stockings.

Bertie Allison

Nov 242 min read

10. Relish: Proof That a Little Bit of Tart Can Make Life Sweeter

Cranberry relish is the the palate-cleansing, perspective-shifting note that turns a pile of food into a meal worth remembering.

Bertie Allison

Nov 113 min read

9. The Turkey's Legacy: How One Bird Manages to Make November All About Itself

A bird that suggests abundance without actually being any good...

Bertie Allison

Oct 293 min read

8. The Conspiracy of Shrinking Fonts: My Battle Against the Fine Print

I was confronted by a tiny paragraph in a font that could only be read by a wide-eyed mosquito. It dawned on me: the fonts were shrinking.

Bertie Allison

Oct 202 min read

7. The Cake Pop and the Decline of Western Civilization

There is something inherently sad about witnessing a once-mighty cake reduced to a mere sphere...

Bertie Allison

Oct 133 min read

6. Masks, Monsters, and Misfits

For one night, we all get to set aside the roles life has assigned us—the responsibilities, the expectations, the regular routines—and trade

Bertie Allison

Oct 84 min read

5. Compliment Crisis

Why We Find It So Hard to Say Something Nice Listen along on YouTube or Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. There’s an odd,...

Bertie Allison

Oct 43 min read

4. Wrinkles: Nature’s Roadmap to a Life Well Laughed

Listen along here on YouTube or Spotify. Or find it wherever you listen to podcasts. I remember the first time I spotted a wrinkle. I was...