Rebuilding Rob

  • 134 – 1: Michigan is the Lone Survivor of My 2026 March Madness Bracket

    134 – 1: Michigan is the Lone Survivor of My 2026 March Madness Bracket

    Rob breaks down a historic Elite Eight as UConn overcomes a 19-point deficit and a 134-0 stat to stun Duke at the buzzer. With the bracket in tatters, Michigan stands as the “Lone Survivor” and the final hope for a 2026 championship.

  • The Soundtrack of Now: “Alive As You Need Me To Be”

    The Soundtrack of Now: “Alive As You Need Me To Be”

    Rob reflects on the “Soundtrack of Now,” featuring the latest Nine Inch Nails track from the Tron: Ares soundtrack. Explore the immersion of Trent Reznor’s music and why a 1982 classic still defines the sound of 2026.

  • Rob’s Elite 8 Bracket Update Day 1: I Can Do This All Day (Unfortunately)

    Rob’s Elite 8 Bracket Update Day 1: I Can Do This All Day (Unfortunately)

    Saturday’s Elite 8 action was a total bracket-buster for me. With a 0/2 record and my original picks nowhere to be found, I’m feeling like Captain America in a losing fight—bruised, battered, but somehow still saying, “I can do this all day.” Here’s the breakdown of the wreckage from Illinois…

  • Picard’s Nephew and the Pearl Jam Rabbit Hole

    Picard’s Nephew and the Pearl Jam Rabbit Hole

    Rebuilding connections as a divorced dad often means missing the ‘becoming’ in my sons’ lives. A powerful line from Star Trek: Generations about lost experiences resonates when I witness my 10-year-old process the same raw 90s grunge anthems (like Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy”) that validated my own ‘outsider’ survival. From Spotify…

  • Rob‘s 2026 March madness bracket update – Sweet 16 edition, day 2

    Rob‘s 2026 March madness bracket update – Sweet 16 edition, day 2

    “My bracket is a train wreck. It’s ugly, and yet I cannot bring myself to look away.” After a 2-for-4 Friday night, see why I’m still clinging to hope for a Michigan/Duke national championship and what the “Old Man” taught me about the secret to winning basketball games.

  • 8-Hour Loops: The Sleepless Knight at 3 AM

    8-Hour Loops: The Sleepless Knight at 3 AM

    Ever feel like your thoughts are on a loop like an 8-hour YouTube clip? Exploring the reality of being a “Sleepless Knight,” the impact of financial stress, and why some of us find it so hard to just turn off the brain and decompress at 3:00 AM.

  • Rob‘s March madness bracket update – Sweet 16 edition, day 1

    Rob‘s March madness bracket update – Sweet 16 edition, day 1

    My 2026 March Madness bracket is officially in shambles after an 0-for-4 start to the Sweet 16. From Iowa’s comeback over Nebraska to Purdue’s 79-77 nail-biter against Texas, I’m breaking down the Day 1 scores and analyzing where my picks went wrong. See how Arizona’s 109-point blowout and Illinois’ defensive…

  • The 40th Birthday Bass: Restringing the Potential

    The 40th Birthday Bass: Restringing the Potential

    Thinking about picking up an old hobby? From a 40th birthday bass guitar gift to mastering “Blitzkrieg Bop” on Rocksmith, I’m looking at why it’s time to finally restring and play again.

  • The “Crying Word” Effect

    The “Crying Word” Effect

    NPR’s recent look at the word “gaslighting” highlights a growing problem in our lexicon: the watering down of heavy-hitting language. As an English teacher, I explore the “Crying Word” effect—how misusing terms like “gaslighting,” “bullying,” and “narcissism” minimizes the impact of genuine trauma and devalues the precision of our speech.

  • Digital Body Language: Closing the Context Gap

    Digital Body Language: Closing the Context Gap

    From a “hoity-toity language guy” to an emoji convert—explore why text messages often fail us and how “digital body language” bridges the context gap. Whether it’s a Starfleet-style “Understood” or a Gen Z thumbs-up, find out why emojis might be our modern-day hieroglyphics—and why that might actually be a good…