Author: Steve Ainslie

The news media, pundits, economists and corporations are all saying that the US economy is being sustained because wealthy people are spending more while poor people are spending less. They usually then go on to talk about how Trump’s tariffs, inflation, food price increases, prices rising for basic goods and cost of living increases all…

Many of the nonfiction books I read contain superfluous content, which I suspect is to increase the page count. I’m not the first person to point this out. One fluffing technique I’ve seen lately is spending the opening chapter defining the words that are central to the book’s argument. The author will fill several pages…

If you want a realistic perspective on the news, pay attention over a holiday break like Thanksgiving or Christmas. The news websites, podcasts and videos that were filled with “breaking news”, “what you need to know about”, “existential”, and “unprecedented” go dark. Why? Because everybody is on vacation. Suddenly all of these supposedly URGENT issues…

After my wife died when I decided to run away from society and live in the wilderness, I sought solace in the silence in nature. At the time, I lived in Florida across the street from a golf course. Between the golf course and my neighbors, my ears were assaulted by lawnmowers, trimmers and leaf…

The news breathlessly reported that a recent meta-analysis research study of GLP1s concluded that the weight loss people had while on GLP1s reversed after they discontinued using the drugs. In a side note, the report mentioned that some of the researchers were employees of the drug manufacturers. Thank you Mr. Obvious. Who decided a study…

The news (and pundits) frequently speak about how China is “eating the US’s lunch” when it comes to infrastructure builds, AI development, economic growth, manufacturing, military strength, cybersecurity, cyber hacking, quality of living and more. China’s progress is often used as a foil to critique US economic, business and social issues. Why isn’t anyone other…

This is what I say to myself that helps me cope with 90% of what I read about (or listen to) in the news. It has been a surprisingly effective way for me to quell my own consternation, disappointment, worries and anger. For whatever reason, saying this dismisses all of this from my head so…

Through an unexpected combination of circumstances, I qualified for some government aid for health insurance and for food assistance during the past two years. The process to qualify, the paperwork required, the phone interviews and the bureaucratic hoops I had to jump through were annoying. It was still worth the effort because both saved me…

I have often regretted my college experience. I picked the wrong school. I dove headfirst into an intense curriculum and grueling schedule without truly considering what I wanted to do with my life. After wasting 2 full-time years and 3 part-time years, I left without a degree. Looking back, I think, “I could have become…

This line from Radiohead’s song Creep kept echoing through my head as I walked the dogs this morning. I’ve been thinking this when I visit online forums that are dedicated to my way of life including: I feel the same way in the offline world too, as evidenced by my loner by choice lifestyle. Not…