I weighed in this morning at 224.5 lbs. It’s the heaviest I’ve been since I lost the sympathy weight after our first child was born. Last time, my heft resulted from a back injury, lots of business travel, and the cupcakes my pregnant wife would bring to the office. I…

In the old game show, Let’s Make a Deal, host Monty Hall tempted audience members to trade moderate cash winnings for the opportunity to take home a much bigger prize, like a new car, by taking a risk on Doors #1, 2, or 3. But all decisions were final and…

One man’s attempt to impose order over an inconsequential part of his life — “It’s quite simple,” I said to my wife and kids over dinner last week. “If you want to watch Amazon Prime, Starz, or AMC+, log into Amazon. To watch Disney+, Hulu, or ESPN+, go directly to those apps but use the Disney credentials. …

Few people have what it takes “Don’t confuse desire with compulsion.” — Felix Dennis If you want to be rich, you have to be unreasonable. You have to do things outside the realm of practicality, safety, and politeness. Because to earn vast wealth, you must be compulsively driven toward that…

I blame the Chicken Vindaloo — In the pre-COVID world of my dreams, I stepped up to the counter and greeted the cruise director. “Good morning. I’m Paul Ollinger in C-112. I think there’s an issue with our itinerary.” “Yes, Mr. Ollinger, what seems to be the trouble?” replied the kind woman in a snappy uniform. …

How to Chase Your Dreams, Part 1 The t-shirt read “Dare to Suck.” I was sitting in my first day of Intro to Sit-com Acting at Lesly Kahn and Co., a well-known acting school in Los Angeles where my instructor had just handed me a pre-shrunk welcome gift. Considering the…

The Diminishing Analgesic Effects of Wealth — When I was 12 years old, my dad took me to the dentist to get my first cavity filled. “By the way,” he said as we walked into the office, “don’t get the novocaine — it’s $20.” My father was a very good man — the most decent, humble person…

The Patriarchy is Totally Slacking off — “Does that mean women are receiving lower pay for equal work? That is possibly the case in certain places, but by and large, it’s not that, it’s something else.” -Claudia Goldin, Harvard economist A disturbing thing happened last week at my local meeting of the National Patriarchy Society. As you…

Or maybe you don’t, but that’s not the point — In the climactic scene of the 1992 western, Unforgiven, William Munny (played by Clint Eastwood) holds a rifle to the chest of a supine and wounded Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman), the corrupt sheriff who had tortured and killed Munny’s friend and partner. Little Bill looks up from the floor…