A-Cappella Singing

I sing soprano and alto in a six-part a cappella group, Smorgaschord. My husband Larry sings bass and vocal percussion. We sing a wide range of music -- pop, jazz, classical, and other genres. Check out the annual Harmony Sweepstakes a cappella festival in Marin each May if you want to hear the best a cappella out there.

Social Dancing

Hustle, foxtrot, waltz, and swing; these are a few of my favorite things. Oh, and salsa and two-step. We particularly like Stanford dance workshops and Jammix dances led by Richard Powers. His music choices and cross-step waltz classes are lovely. Cubberly Ballroom in Palo Alto is also casual and friendly. Swing Camp Catalina is also fun if you want a crash course on lindy hop. This picture is from our wedding waltz.

Jewelry-Making

My best friend Christine Halverson designs and makes beautiful jewelry, and has recently inspired me to give it a try. I've taken a couple of classes at the (now closed) Bead Shop and adult school classes in Palo Alto, and really like wire work.

Talks

There are some great monthly talk series in the bay area. I've enjoyed BayCHI talks for years; lots of great speakers on issues related to the design and evaluation of human interfaces. The past couple of years I've also been attending Long Now seminars in San Francisco about long-term thinking. They feature excellent speakers on topics related to thinking about, understanding, and acting responsibly over the long term. I highly recommend their podcasts. Cafe Scientifique is another great place to explore the latest ideas in science and technology.

Reasoning with Numbers

How do people use numbers to formulate or justify their beliefs? Can we improve people's numerical literacy and rationality? These are research questions being addressed by Michael Ranney (my former advisor) and his reasoning with numbers work. Recently, I worked with Michael on his More Numerate project. I find this work fascinating, but then I've long been interested in reasoning and estimation. Humans are good at thinking linearly, but many interesting and important phenomena lead to exponential change over time (e.g., compounding, evolution, global warming). People often overestimate effects in the short term and underestimate them in the long term. Could we develop curriculum or tools to help people grasp exponential change and better understand the huge impact of things like compounding interest, natural selection, and carbon emissions over time?

Financial Planning

The last few years I've been reading lots of articles and listening to podcasts on financial planning. I've also developed forecasting spreadsheets, and considered taking classes toward a CFP certificate. It's just a hobby for now, but I do enjoy advising family and friends. What I tell them: Think low-cost index funds from excellent investment institutions like Vanguard (best) or Fidelity in a globally diversified portfolio, and save like crazy as early as you can to take advantage of compounding. Ignore advertisers and "manufactured wants" (you mute or tivo past commercials, right?), and avoid recurring fees (think TV antennae and free online videos instead of cable). Don't bother with managed funds--studies show that lower cost funds almost always outperform more expensive funds, given the fee handicap. Higher fees just mean that managers transfer more of your wealth to themselves. Don't try to pick stocks (unless it's with "play money" that you can afford to loose) and don't churn your investments. Remember, our intuitions fail us more than we realize. Maintain a portfolio allocation that is appropriate for your horizon, and buy on sale when others are scared and selling. Oh, and don't buy an SUV. Live near your work. Simplify. A wonderful benefit is that by consuming less, you can not only save more an retire earlier--you can also help save the earth.

Want to learn more? My favorite finance podcast is Steve Pomeranz's On The Money, and my favorite finance book is Andrew Tobias's The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need.