Know-It-Owls

Curious Thoughts by Don Harrington

Fifty-seven journals. One searchable nest.

The Owls

Browse by subject, search for a thought, or simply choose the title that makes you curious enough to turn the ball around.

0 owls found

5 min read

They are stealing more than you know

The Plastic Mafia

Interest rates, swipe fees, recurring charges and Don's case that credit cards make everyday life more expensive.

Behind the Headlines

Don revisits the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege, the Panama Canal and a hidden history inside a Picasso.

Aviation

Three observations about Flight 191, the Challenger disaster and what really makes an airplane ride feel bumpy.

The Big Decisions

An uncle's wonderfully compact answer about the secret to a lasting marriage.

The Internet

Two short observations about public investment and digital privacy.

Corporate Incompetence

Don looks at how two giants helped create their own future—and then failed to recognize it.

Hoaxes

Two entries about Y2K anxiety and the language used to describe how weather feels.

Headlines

A tiny headline with an enormous afterlife: ‘Dewey Defeats Truman.’

Health Notes

Ice, antioxidants, coffee, vaccines and dizziness: several health thoughts from Don's journals.

Government

A long-form collection on bureaucracy, welfare, economic promotion zones, government debt and personal privacy.

Famous Quotations

From Alexander the Great to Elsie Harrington: quotations collected across a lifetime of journals.

What’s Wrong With Our Schools?

Don argues that the way teachers mark what's wrong may train students to see the world through negative reinforcement.

Wheels

If the wheel is evidence of a culture's intelligence, what does its distribution really tell us?

Truth

Four short journal entries about perspective, politics, dimensions and the victor's version of events.

Trust

People often say ‘you can trust me.’ Don answers with a less comfortable rule.

Sports

To play in the NFL, Don says you need three things.

Space Exploration

Does exploring the cosmos benefit humanity—and is winning the race enough reason to go?

Second Thoughts

Two stories about rules, unexpected uses and people finding a different answer than the one they started with.

Science & Invention

A short thought about Thomas Edison's formula for invention and the possibility of free energy.

A Simple Remedy

A practical note about using hydrogen peroxide on blood-stained fabric.

Religion

Four journal entries about the Bible, the King James edition, Mormon teaching and married priests.

Myths

A general rule, one famous assassination and a mirror left on the moon.

For Moms

Don's gratitude for a mother who gave, taught, protected and asked for very little in return.

Why Are People So Uptight?

Why modern comfort hasn't made us calmer—and what IBM, 3M and an airport sign might teach us about attention.
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