Blog

Blog

Musings on personal finance and more. Not written with AI since 2012.

Be wary, but don’t give in to conspiracy

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  I have been jokingly (I hope) accused of wearing a tinfoil hat. The reason for this is most likely related to my vigilance when sharing things online, my desire to be on as little social media as possible, and … Read More … Read More

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On poverty and self-description

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  When you’re offering advice, it’s sometimes hard to know what kind of tack to take to be most effective. Would it be best to offer some gentle hand-holding, or do they need a swift kick in the pants? I … Read More … Read More

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Spend more for food

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  When I lived in New York City, money was a big concern, and food was a big part of that. I never went out to restaurants, and in fact the once-monthly trip to the grocery store was a big … Read More … Read More

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Flex your discomfort muscle

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  What am I doing right now to challenge myself? I usually like to have some kind of challenge for myself in my life, some kind of project to embark on or task to accomplish, so periodically when I feel … Read More … Read More

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The benefits of venturing out alone

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  Out at dinner recently, I was making small talk with the waiter, and when he asked what my plan was for the weekend, I said that I was heading off to an amusement park. (I am a huge fan … Read More … Read More

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Why you have something to hide online

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  Google’s Eric Schmidt famously said that “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.“ I get writer’s block thinking about all the ways that this statement … Read More … Read More

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The four questions to ask yourself before posting anything online

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  Hi everyone. Read about any compromising pictures of famous people being leaked online lately? Pardon me while I bang my head against the wall. I’m not sure if I’m more angry at some people or mortified for others. I … Read More … Read More

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Can you help make places more people-friendly?

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  (200th post! Thanks everyone for your support.) I talked before about the pain of being in a place that isn’t designed for you. It might have seemed a bit heavier than the usual fare here, but then again, if we … Read More … Read More

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Why no one walks (or, this land was not made for you or me)

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  Recently, I spent some time in a small city in the US Southeast. Stationed in a hotel a few miles from the center of town and without a car, I spent a few days negotiating the area on foot. … Read More … Read More

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Why the Home Depot and Target breaches aren’t an argument for using credit cards

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  Another month, another major retailer announces that their internal records have been hacked, and their customer credit/debit card accounts stolen. This time it was 60 million accounts, making it the biggest breach ever. I was at dinner the other … Read More … Read More

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