The Emotionally Invested Edition
First, I wish I could say this every day to at least one person: --- Second, anyone who has a significant other can relate to this. Men and women: --- Third, this is the pun of the millenium:
The Hardcore Kid Edition
First, this kid is guaranteed to have gone places since this incident. --- Second, I call this phenomenon "The Curse of Competence". I wish I was capable of being terrible at my job and feeling OK...
The Confused All The Time Edition
First, this child is beyond his years. --- Second, I wish we could be this forthright at interviews. --- Third, am I spiritually a hippo?
The Future Is Meaningless Edition
First, I feel this way every time I have a chocolate bar after dinner. --- Second, I always want to convey this to people who email me with idiotic requests at work. --- Third, media that runs...
The Supreme Design Edition
First, this wisdom should be heeded by everyone. --- Second, pets are so entitled! --- Third, don't believe execs who claim companies need to run "lean" and then boast record profits.
The Unelected Wizards Edition
First, I like puns and this one is a classic: --- Second, this is an accurate description of the Supreme Court: --- Third, this is sad but true:
The Tungsten Arm O'Doyle Edition
First, I appreciate when someone takes accountability. --- Second, if you take your loved one to the ICU, cool it with the pseudoscience. You've already conceded that what you were trying isn't real....
The Victim To Vanity Edition
First: --- Second: --- Third, these are a couple of lines from a list of the most brutal entertainment reviews of all time: "calling Timberlake an "abjectly poor" lyricist prone to dropping clunkers...
The Disgruntled With Capitalism Edition
By now, everyone knows that I have been radicalized against the power differential in the employer-employee relationship. Here are some memes that say it much better than I ever could. --- First, let...
The Foolish Capering Edition
First, The Simpsons are always good for a great line: “My foolish capering destroyed more young minds than syphilis and pinball combined.” --- Second, As someone who has had coffee with almond milk,...
The Twitter Problems Edition
Elon Musk has dedicated himself to run Twitter into the ground as quickly as possible. So why not rethink how you interact with the platform? Our old pal Ed Zitron wrote a couple of Twitter focused...
The Extreme Reaction Edition
First, this is one of the more extreme reactions to messing up a poker game: Sam Peckinpah's later movies - He had a crew and some actors he hired for different movies, so they'd gotten to know each...
The MTV Grind Edition
First, this is how I feel whenever I see a bumper sticker: Given the existence of car magnets and window clings, anyone who rocks a bumper sticker is a person of limited intellectual means. ---...
The Dead Garden Edition
First, this obituary is very honest about the departed: His love was abundant when it came to himself, but for his children it was limited. --- Second, this line from a Bachelorette recap describes...
The Mahomes And Kelce Edition
It's now the second time I've sent a Thanksgiving newsletter. This officially makes this newsletter the longest creative endeavor I've ever engaged in. --- First, don't ever hate on Patrick Mahomes...
The Sentient Applebees Margarita Edition
First, this description of Marjorie Taylor Greene is devastating and wonderful: And sentient Applebee’s margarita Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted a lengthy and unhinged Twitter thread, --- Second,...
The Samantha Irby Edition
I love me some Samantha Irby. I haven't read her books, but if you haven't subscribed to her Judge Mathis recap newsletter, get on that immediately. --- First, this is how I describe my life: i had...
The Shallow Promises Edition
First, a great quote about Jesse Palmer as the new host of Bachelor in Paradise: "...let me be the first to say that I think Jesse will actually succeed as a Paradise host. He’s at his best when he’s...
The Leisure Class Edition
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The Buy Groceries From A Failure Edition
First, I love Gabby's vibe on the Bachelorette this season: She’s deeply invested in the power of therapy and making men feel bad about themselves in a fun way. ---- Second, I saw this quote on...
The Silver Market Edition
To commemorate the beginning of the NFL season, here's a story about how Lamar Hunt and his brothers tried to buy up all the world's silver: Eventually, the Hunts ran out of money to pay for all the...
The Pretty Wild Stuff Edition
I finally made the switch to Spotify. That means that I can now easily share interesting podcast episodes here as well. See below for more. When I was interviewing for a new job, the HR person at my...
The Hire A Dog Edition
I've become more and more radicalized against the current capitalist system. Here are some memes that say what I feel much better than I could. --- --- ---
The Vessel For My Mayhem Edition
--- Judge Lynn Toler from Divorce Court said the following to a guy who claimed he liked to make it rain at the strip club: At $7.25 an hour, how much precipitation can you cause? ---
The Essence Of Madness Edition
--- Ever since I saw this, I can never stop laughing when I see it: --- This Reddit post about Adolf Eichmann has some very deep insights about why people choose to believe in things like conspiracy...
The Out Of Office Response Edition
This is some good game from The Boondocks: --- I love the book Unplugged by Joe Barrett. Here are a couple of good quotes from the book: You have to admire a man who has so thoroughly given up on...
The Support Group Edition
Either George Carlin or Drew Carey said this, but it's still a classic. Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the...
The Pretty Woman Edition
English translations can sometimes be so spot on: --- If you're not getting paid what you feel you're worth but can't leave, follow this gentleman's lead: --- I loved the way different members of the...
The Puppet Master Edition
This quote perfectly sums up how I felt about some of my relationships before meeting my wife: [They] invoke the same sort of emotions one feels watching Werner Herzog movies: despair, hopelessness,...
The Child Must Not Be An Obstacle Edition
First, this was something a friend's dad told me when I first started working: If you're consistently working more than 40 hours per week, you're either bad at your job or the company is taking...
The Believe In Dinosaurs Edition
Mookie Wilson, when he was playing for the New York Mets, had an interesting way of looking at batting slumps: --- I love reading Naval Ravikant and listening to his podcast appearances. How to Get...
The Weird Situations Edition
This quote by Andy Warhol has always resonated with me as a way to explain my youth: When a situation develops gradually, no matter how weird that situation is, you get used to it. --- I spent way...
The 2015 Royals Edition
Welcome to another sports season! In honor of this event, here are some great-lines about the 2015 Royals. --- I love this quote from Grant Brisbee's article about this team: They took the momentum...
The Insults Edition
Naval Ravikant is a wise dude, but is put into that weird class of individuals deified by Silicon Valley. Remember, he's just a man: Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy until...
The Anxiety Cost Edition
I love Twitter memes. You'll be seeing more of them like this one: --- This has been an issue for me all my life: --- A co-worker told me he says the following to his kids when they just come to him...
The Christmas Edition
It finally happened: I had a direct Covid exposure. I've been working in the office at my new job, and found out that my boss tested positive. In a not-so-great move, I hadn't been wearing a mask at...
Live In A World Of Ghosts Edition
For the entire time I've been here in the US, I've never understood performative overwork to cover for bad processes. The week after I joined JPMorgan, the boos of my old team had us all working...
The Other Side Edition
The “Other Side” Is Not Dumb: Sharing links that mock a caricature of the Other Side isn’t signaling that we’re somehow more informed. It signals that we’d rather be smug assholes than consider...
The First Principles Edition
I'm going to be starting a new job on Monday. I've given a lot of you the blow by blow account of how the negotiations with my employer went. But the main takeaway from this exercise for me are the...
The Great Power Burdens Me Edition
I write these ahead of time. By the time this publishes, I'll likely have a new job. It took me exactly 5 weeks from the time I told my boss I was leaving my job to get the new one. This is a great...
The Arctic Wolf Hair Edition
For those who don't know, I've decided to find a new job. I didn't want there to be any ambiguity, so I told my boss the day after I'd made my decision. I feel both lighter and more anxious about...
The Wholly Repellent Edition
I really hope all of you are doing well. I write these way ahead of time, so the Delta variant of Covid may be a distant memory by the time you get this. But something tells me that won't be the...
The Samantha Bee Edition
Samantha Bee is one of the funniest people out there today. You may not agree with her political views, but her book is filled with some great-lines: Who among us didn’t enjoy unwinding with liquor...
The Rules Of Employment Edition
I couldn't pick just one or two of the points in this post, so I'm going to repost it. Stay calm. Remember, you can’t become worse off than when you started. Cultivate a professional mindset. You are...
The Show Me I'm Making A Mistake Edition
I have a mixed relationship with what people would call self-help. I think most of it is bogus nonsense. But there are some people who make sense. The point here is that there aren't any absolutes....
The Don't Want To Be Enlightened Edition
I'm worried that we've got an impassable gulf between the Trump faction and the rest of America. In times like this, I read history and it shows that there were times in the past when were similarly...
The Rented Family Edition
By the time you read this, I will have had some eye surgery. So this newsletter may or may not be getting sent to you from a blind man. :) First, John Scalzi accurately captures my feelings about...
The Hillbilly Elegy Edition
J.D. Vance is now one of the people he talks about it in this book. People say that it was plain to anyone that he would make his current heel turn into a die-hard Trumper. For me, this raises a...
The Infinite Choices Edition
One good thing about the pandemic: there is no longer a social obligation to hug people. I've never been a big hugger, but have grown to tolerate it. No more! I'm finally going to shake off the yoke...
The Barbershop Edition
Over the past 3 weeks, I've begun venturing back out into the world. It's been odd, but not nearly as jarring as I thought it might be. I feel bad for folks who are having a lot of social anxiety...
The Denialism Edition
I read this great articleabout denialism this week. I cast out a denialist from my life earlier this year, after realizing that he was entirely malignant and was employing "whataboutism" as a cover...
The White Man's Word Edition
I recently read Dave Parker's new autobiography, Cobra. There are tons of good stories in the book, but this one about what happened after a black player was unfairly fined by the league was my...
The Trolling Edition
I got the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine on April 29. On Sunday, I got sick with flu-like symptoms. It passed by Monday night. I'm sure there are some people out there who would use this experience...
The 24 Hours To Live Edition
I had an ethical conundrum a few weeks back. I saw that I could go to a small town in the southern part of the state and get vaccinated. After thinking about it, I decided to wait my turn here at...
The Nixon/Trump Edition
I’ve recently been watching a lot of the original “Head of the Class” series on HBO Max. This type of nostalgia has been very prevalent in my life recently. Over the past 3 months, I indulged in a...
Another Twitter Edition
In theory, I should be able to get a vaccine on May 1. I'm getting some some snacks, a lawn chair and a power bank. Me and my pal Steve might even tailgate at the line. This is absolutely something...
The Sibling Business Edition
Since this past October, I’ve been in a state of constant anxiety. First it was the election. Then it was the terrorist attack on January 6\. Then, it was the impeachment. But, I realize now that...
The White Terrorism Edition
Yesterday was one of the most shameful days in American history. We saw a group of domestic terrorists storm the Capitol and face no real consequences. This country is broken, and I don’t know how we...
The Antivaxxer Edition
This week, I present an excerpt from a book called Anti-vaxxers How: to Challenge a Misinformed Movement. I’ve often wrestled with a person I know from law school who can’t distinguish between...
The Focus Edition
Our brains are ravaged by a constant barrage of information. We aren’t meant to be in a state of such constant and persistent stimulation. I’ve really gotten into Cal Newport over the past few years....
The Frankenghoul Edition
I know someone who thinks the world is controlled by the Deep State. I wish there was a Deep State, because then perhaps we could talk to someone to see how the election will go. --- First, a good...
The Protest Pup Edition
I really appreciate the fact that we’re getting more aware of the racist core of our society. But, we must be careful to not let ourselves become as terrible as those we oppose. There are some good...
The I Don't Make Very Much Edition
In 2010, Matt Taibbi went to a Tea Party rally and saw the people who later voted Trump into office: Scanning the thousands of hopped-up faces in the crowd, I am immediately struck by two things. One...
The Killer Mike Edition
First, Matt Taibbi talks about the politicization of facts: We’ve become incapable of talking calmly about possible solutions because we’ve lost the ability to decouple scientific or policy...
The Trump Rally Edition
First, Drew Magary went to a Trump rally back in 2016\. His base hasn’t changed much since then: “I know the greatest negotiators in the world,” he said. “Now some of these people are horrible human...
The Look Good Edition
First, a great quote from Deion Sanders: "If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good." --- Second, a man plays “The Boys Are Back In Town” on a...
The Beastliness Edition
First, a couple of fans get close to their idol. Perk liked the idea of a digital shrine to his beastliness. --- Second, a message to the 2020 graduates: Who has time for grace right now? Who has...
The I Don't Have An Opinion Edition
First, how a black man and his white mother became estranged because of Trump: The next day, my mother showed her entire ass. She basically became Trump, in my own house. My mother decided to don...
The Old Man In Poverty Edition
First, a lawyer for the superrich who both exploits the tax code to save his clients money and sounds the alarm when a loophole feels too outrageous: He's not ashamed of this. His methods are...
The Egotistical Charlatan Edition
First, writing about Gordon Ramsay eviscerating a pretentious douche is very satisfying: It is brought about because Joe will not stop making elk quesadillas, a dish Gordon told him time and again,...
The Black Spades Edition
How to Play Black Spades, Part 1 First of all, spades is not a game, it is a skills contest that requires complex permutative calculations while winning a “game” only requires luck. Old black men who...
The Disagreement Edition
From Shane Parrish: …The first thing we usually do when someone disagrees with us is that we just assume they are ignorant. You know, they don’t have access to the same information we do and when we...
The Flabby Hope Diamond Edition
First, former University of Miami football coach Randy Shannon: “I've got two choices," he says. "I can sit back and say everything's against me, I'm going in the tank. Or I can accept the hand...
The Vice Edition
First, from reader Rachel, an important avenue of inquiry at the highest court in the land: This one, small act of human waste expulsion brought with it mystery, intrigue, and what was almost...
The Larry David Edition
First, When you’re taken hostage by Somali pirates, it’s important to focus on the right things: It was a small but disconcerting moment for the civilized world—evidence of the anarchy that prevails...
The Money Laundering Edition
First, if you’re an athlete who doesn’t want to be sober, go from being a small fish in a big pond to a colossal fish in a microscopic pond: After watching his new import drink enough liquor to knock...
All The Smoke Edition
A couple of weeks ago, I included a quote from All the Smoke, one my favorite new podcasts. The hosts are 2 former pro sports players, but they talk about a lot more than sports. The only way I can...
The Gucci And Thug Edition
I love this roast of Drake’s new house: --- Second, telling a story while using the people’s rap names is a thing that should happen more often: They thought Gucci was crazy and that he didn’t...
The Abolishing Work Edition
An interesting read about abolishing work (link): Anybody who says these people are “free” is lying or stupid. You are what you do. If you do boring, stupid, monotonous work, chances are you’ll end...
The Bulljivin' Edition
It’s been hard to focus enough to read anything, so I bring you some podcast episodes that you can listen to: --- You bulljivin’ me?- Shannon Sharpe on All the Smoke <iframe width="560" height="315"...
The Being Different Edition
On books that put forth a grand theory of everything: A good principle to remember is that if a book appears to be about everything, it’s probably not really about anything. --- On being different:...
The Unsettling Edition
On plastic toys: The loss of fantasy is the price paid for precision. --- On an enigmatic sports player: ... in December 2003, when the Red Sox were frantically trying to acquire Rodriguez from the...
The Bachelor Edition
This week, we look to The Bachelor. I know many of you hate the show. But that doesn’t mean that the people who write about it aren’t hilarious. --- On Peter Weber --- On Madison, “the good girl”