Michael Benninger
Writer | Editor
Freelance word wrangler living in sunny San Diego. Here's some of my stuff.
PROJECTS
Pacific San Diego Magazine
D.E.W.ing His Thing
Every year around this time, Tim Herlihy visits scores of bars, pubs and restaurants across the country, extolling the many virtues of Tullamore D.E.W., the exceptional Irish whiskey with a history dating back nearly two centuries. As the national brand ambassador for the distinguished distillery, it’s this Irishman’s job to share his passion for the potent potable with as many people as possible.
blinkist.com
5 Fake Facts You Probably Believe (and 5 Books That Can Set You Straight)
Fake news may be something that we contend with daily, but how often have you yourself repeated a statement without checking whether or not it’s true?
Pacific San Diego Magazine
The Reel Deal: April 2018 Movies
Only a hulking primatologist can save the day after an unsanctioned genetic experiment transforms a gorilla, a wolf and a reptile into enormous, aggressive beasts bent on destroying everything they encounter.
Pacific San Diego Magazine
Blind Date: Throne Together
Blind daters Megan and Jason just met in the Epic Limo that’s taking them to dinner downtown at the newly opened Monkey King restaurant. She’s an award-winning interior designer, and he helps run a vacation rental business. So is it only a matter of time until she’s picking out accents to upgrade his properties? Or will a lack of sizzle lead this date to fizzle?
Pacific San Diego Magazine
Things to Do in April
Swim across Oceanside Harbor, bike along the coastline to San Clemente and back, then run along The Strand, where miles of sand lie between you and the finish line. Piece of cake, right?!
Pacific San Diego Magazine
April 2018 Food & Drink Events
Count on it smelling like Teen Spirit at this costumed drink-a-thon, which includes a free beer and a shot while touring several of P.B.’s best bars.
blinkist.com
Is a Robot Apocalypse Unavoidable?
Two of Silicon Valley’s biggest names have been bickering about how artificial intelligence will affect our future. It started last July when Elon Musk was giving an interview at a National Governors Association meeting...
blinkist.com
Authors Who Podcast: Listen To Our Top 10
Several of today’s top nonfiction authors aren’t only superb scribes — they’re also among the most profound podcasters in the industry. In fact, many of the minds behind the most popular titles on Blinkist have their own shows where they tear into topics ranging from finance and philosophy to religion and relationships. With so much compelling content out there, it’s clear that today’s most influential authors have a lot more to say than just what’s in their books.
blinkist.com
High Expectations: Why Legal Weed Could Mean Big Business
You pull up to the take-out place around the corner, browse your options for a moment, then ask for the daily special plus a side of greens and a cookie for dessert. You fork over some cash, and a seconds later, the friendly cashier hands you your order. “Enjoy your cannabis!” she says with a smile. Welcome to 2018, when a whole new kind of “happy meal” is on the menu in North America.
Pacific San Diego Magazine
Whatever Floats your Goat
While it’s not entirely unheard of for a PACIFIC blind dater to end their evening on all fours, it’s rare that both daters begin the night on hands and knees. And even less frequently are farm animals involved. Yet that’s what’s happening tonight, as Ashley and Kyle are about to do yoga with a herd of hooved creatures before going boating on Lake San Marcos.
Pacific San Diego Magazine
Devotion by the Ocean
Pacific Beach’s long-awaited Waterbar opened in time to kick off the New Year just south of Crystal Pier. Filling the 6,700-square-foot void left by the long-standing Joe’s Crab Shack, Waterbar continues the trend of upscale establishments slowly overtaking the coastal community.
Pacific San Diego Magazine
March 2018 Events
Indulge in bottomless mimosas, an unrestricted Bloody Mary bar and bites from 30 food vendors as the world's biggest brunch-centric celebration arrives in San Diego.
blinkist.com
The Future of Medicine
Next month marks 15 years since the completion of the Human Genome Project, an international effort to map—or sequence—the 3.2 billion pairs of nucleotides that make up our DNA and determine how they each affect our physiology. This ambitious undertaking lasted 13 years, cost more than $2 billion, and involved 20 teams of scientists from half a dozen countries.
blinkist.com
Low-Fat Pigs, Designer Babies, and the End of All Disease: How CRISPR is Redefining the Future
Have you ever wished you were taller, leaner, or maybe had a different eye color? Or have you ever wondered what life would be like if you possessed a genius IQ or an olympian’s physique? While it can be fun to fantasize about changing qualities about ourselves, the technology now exists to alter the traits we pass onto our children. Thanks to the astonishing strides made by genetic engineers in recent years, in the near future, it could be common practice for parents to enhance their offspring.
blinkist.com
Beyond Smartphones: What Will Tomorrow’s Tech Look Like?
Here’s a fun trick: Go to Google Image Search, type in “future phones,” and adjust the settings so your query only returns results from 2008 and earlier. (This link should save you some time.) You’ll find some pretty wild concepts, few of which look anything like the devices most of us carry around today. And though it might be hard to believe, it’s just as likely we have no idea what the technology of 2028 will look like. Yet that doesn’t mean we can’t speculate.