Good Names, Good People
A running, dated feed of short, positive profiles of real people — historic and present-day — who share popular names. New posts appear here on a regular schedule; every name's own detail page always shows the full set of profiles researched for it.
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October 28, 2026
George Washington — George
George Washington basically founded the ultimate startup and then, once it was actually working, voluntarily stepped down from being in charge instead of just running it forever, which even by today's standards is a…
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October 27, 2026
Brian Cox — Brian
Brian Cox has brought the wonder of space and science to millions of people through his television series, and I think what makes him effective isn't just the science itself but the genuine warmth in how he explains it…
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October 26, 2026
Brian Wilson — Brian
Brian Wilson was the creative force behind The Beach Boys, and even though the harmonies aren't quite the Patsy Cline and old hymns I grew up on, I understand enough about music to recognize when somebody's put real,…
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October 25, 2026
Brian May — Brian
Brian May is the lead guitarist of Queen, one of the biggest rock bands there's ever been, and he also holds an actual PhD in astrophysics, which is about as unlikely a combination of skills as I can think of, like…
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October 24, 2026
Kevin Bacon — Kevin
Kevin Bacon co-founded SixDegrees.org, using that whole 'six degrees of separation' idea people used to joke about with his name attached to it, and turning it into an actual charitable platform connecting celebrities…
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October 23, 2026
Kevin Durant — Kevin
Kevin Durant donated $10 million to fund a college access program for kids in his hometown of Prince George's County, Maryland, which is exactly the kind of investment I spent 38 years wishing more people with means…
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October 22, 2026
Kevin Hart — Kevin
Kevin Hart built a global following through what by every account is just relentless, consistent work — years of grinding it out in comedy before the fame arrived, not some overnight break. I respect that kind of…
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October 21, 2026
Kenneth Grahame — Kenneth
Kenneth Grahame wrote 'The Wind in the Willows,' this gentle tale of friendship along a riverbank, and there's something about quiet, unhurried stories like that which appeals to a guy who's spent 22 years driving long,…
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October 20, 2026
Kenneth Clark — Kenneth
Kenneth Clark's research with his wife Mamie Clark on children's perceptions of race was cited directly in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, which is about as clear an example as exists of rigorous…
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October 19, 2026
Kenneth Branagh — Kenneth
Kenneth Branagh has spent a career finding new ways to make Shakespeare actually land with modern film audiences, which as a visual thinker myself, I find genuinely impressive — translating language written for a…
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October 18, 2026
Joshua Reynolds — Joshua
Joshua Reynolds was a leading English portrait painter and the first president of the Royal Academy of Arts, and the part of his career I appreciate most, having spent 38 years teaching, is that he spent real time and…
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October 17, 2026
Joshua Chamberlain — Joshua
Joshua Chamberlain was a college professor who became a Union Army officer, and his determined defense of Little Round Top at Gettysburg is remembered as an actual turning point in the battle — a moment where the…