Author: Steve Ainslie

Many times, I’ll sit down at my laptop and write a post full of fury and frustration. My readers, fortunately, are spared from ever seeing these posts because I don’t publish them. After I’ve written a rant, I’ll usually save it as a draft and reread it the next day. 95% of the time, my…

While I used to like the idea of free college, the more I think about it, the less I agree with it. First, nothing is free. If the US was to provide free college tuition, then we would be paying for this with taxes. Second, I’ve come to realize that college, for many students, is…

I have been reading “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman. In it, he presents numerous studies, theories and examples of how people make decisions, predictions and analyses based on irrational reasoning. He writes about biases, sunk cost fallacies, poor risk assessment, probability miscalculations and other factors that weigh into people’s predictions for the future….

Scott Galloway frequently talks about three areas in life: He says that financial independence gives you the freedom to eliminate the “shoulds”. I completely agree. Being retired has eliminated all of the work related shoulds that I hated doing: The truth is, I started cutting back on all of these even while employed because I…

My predictions concerning the 2024 presidential election were a bit off. I could parse my post and point out where I was correct – or partially correct – while glossing over where I was wrong. But I won’t. I’m bad at predicting the future and don’t deny it. I’m much better at predicting the past…

Two recent tragedies sparked Go Fund Me campaigns – the LA wildfires and the murder of a coworker by the chef of a local Raleigh restaurant. Every time I see a Go Fund Me campaign, part of me is saddened by the recognition that when tragedy (or financial calamity) strikes in the US, the victims…

Anyone idiot could have predicted the California insurance crises after observing the last 10 years of climate driven disasters – hell, even I did. It was basic math for me. I witnessed (and lived) through the ongoing homeowner’s insurance crisis in Florida, driven by hurricanes, flood and wind damages. After decades of hearing about California…

Mel Robbins is doing the podcast rounds to promote her latest book and was interviewed on the Prof G podcast this week. I’m no fan of hers. To me, she’s just another pop-psych self-help pitching huckster like Ramit Sethi, Jay Shetty, Ryan Holiday, Huberman, et al. However, I like Prof G and was interested to…

The Senate confirmation hearings for Trump’s cabinet selections are happening this week. These are a complete waste of time. The results are more predictable than the jokes in a lame sitcom. We already know what’s going to happen. In the end, Trump will get every choice approved because the Republicans have the majority. As for…

When I started working with computers in the early 1990s, I quickly realized I had a knack for understanding technology and for making it simple for others to use. I started a lucrative side-business to install new computers and provide 1-on-1 training & support. I was good at it. My customers liked me and I…