Author: Steve Ainslie

I regularly listen to the Breaking Points podcast. Like all news commentary, it gets a bit histrionic about “what you need to know” and “why people need to be concerned”. But overall, I enjoy listening to the hosts and find their longer form stories at least somewhat information and entertaining. Yesterday, they were discussing the…

Lately there have been a number of news headlines, government “whistle blowers” and “credible sources” (including laughably, congressmen) who all purport that the US government has extensive information about UFOs. So naturally, the news media, pundits and conspiracy nuts are speculating constantly about this. Everyone seems to have an option that they want to share…

Yesterday, I visited a blog I used to occasionally read called “Get Rich Slowly”. This was one of the more popular blogs for the FIRE crowd back in 2008-2010. The author, JD Roth, built the blog into a money making business then sold it and officially retired early. A few years ago, he repurchased it….

A woman on a podcast I listened to this week told this story. At the age of 19, she was working a low paying service job, had skipped college despite her parents’ best efforts to encourage her to go and was a typical carefree young adult. One night, after going out dancing with a bunch…

A friend texted condolences to me for my recent loss of Snickers. As I thought about my reply, I was thinking how much I loved Snickers and why her death has hit me so hard. There are some obvious reasons: I have Wiggles. She’s been a loving, sweet and wonderful companion. But this doesn’t make…

So I just heard that Florida has relaxed its gun laws. It is now legal to conceal carry a gun in Florida without a permit. That doesn’t effect me personally today, because I live in NC where “open carry” is available without a permit but concealed carry still requires one (for one). I have owned…

I have been reading “The World Until Yesterday – What Can We Learn From Traditional Societies”, by Jared Diamond. It’s the 3rd book of his that I’ve read. In it, he writes about the lives of small tribal societies that still lived in recent history (1800s-1900s) as hunter gatherers. His research included written accounts from…

When I was searching online for a picture of the side-by-side duplex that housed my Grandparents on one side and my Aunt Essie, Uncle Bob and Uncle Russ on the other, I saw that my Gram’s former home is listed for sale. This is the first time I’ve seen pictures of it since I last…

On podcasts, people frequently gripe about not getting closure. They carry an expectation that they deserve closure after ending long-term romantic relationships. Or from a date who ghosted them after a few months. Or from a family member or friend who hurt them a long time ago. They want an explanation. They want an apology….

Some candid photos of four famous, glamorous women who I remember from TV when I was younger popped up as I was diving down an internet rathole last week. Maria Shriver – A wealthy Kennedy prodigy, a national newscaster who had some of the best cheekbones I’ve ever seen. She exemplified wealth, class, privilege and…