And a lesson in why you should always read your contracts. — There are so many examples. Gamestation is one. They intentionally tested customers in 2010. They wanted to see if people read the fine print, so they added an “Immortal Clause” to their gaming platform. The terms and conditions stated, “By signing this we own your soul for all eternity.” And…

A reflection on financial mistakes, from a former finance guy. — The only thing worse than wasted money is wasted money — and a permanent bad memory. It comes back every few months to remind you of how stupid your ideas are. Here are a few I’ve had. Beware of group vacations “We should do a group trip to Europe!” It was her idea and…

How to make things better from one moment to the next. — There are simple, easy things that make your life better, that might even seem painfully obvious. Yet most people don’t do them. Swap in these habits and it will make your life more efficient and free of tension. You’ll better connect with people. And you won’t be late. The peril of infinite distractedness The tall…

How to avoid the traps of inauthentic writing. — I can typically spot AI articles — and many other writers can too. Which is why I don’t recommend you use them. The more you do, the more you’ll risk being spotted. You risk losing credibility with readers. You dive right into a list With big open questions with no simple answer, such as, “How can…

A creative approach to advertising. — “Jane Matthews wants to roll a joint with your tax dollars.” “Mike Smith snatches ice cream from disabled toddlers in his free time. Imagine what he’ll snatch if he becomes your mayor.” Every four years, an ominous shadow stretches across Florida. People scream and grab their belongings. They run for…

How Project Blueprint might be innovating anti-aging medicine — or not. — Bryan Johnson is 45. His sparsely decorated room is completely dark. An expensive air filter hums while a white noise machine plays through the night. They seem to help: he routinely scores in the 99th percentile in sleep…

Changing societal standards are running up against actual parenting demands. — It all started with good intentions. A mother, who goes by Peavey Megan on TikTok, sent her 3-year-old son to school with a small bag of snacks. Later, she picked him up from preschool (which she was paying for). As she prepared her son’s lunchbox for the next day, she…

Narcissism isn’t nearly as common as people make it out to be. — We need to press the timeout — because it’s gotten out of hand. I’ve been blogging online for seven years, and few topics have enjoyed more popularity than that of the malevolent narcissist. The articles cascade across various blogging sites, generating huge buzz and, for some authors, great fortunes. Many…

A few insights into boosting your cognitive abilities. — My faulty memory was starting to tick me off. I was forgetting promises, commitments, and names. It felt like I’d taken up a part-time job resetting all my passwords. More importantly, my memory was hurting my relationships and performance at work. I’d resolved to do something about it. So I…