Writing
Thinking out loud about work, health, and midlife.
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10 Expensive Things That Are Worth the Money
Ten purchases that earn their keep every day, from Instacart+ to a navy blazer. The real test isn't the price tag, it's whether you're still using it a year later.
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The New Standard: Why Google Sheets Is Outperforming Excel
Google Sheets has moved well past lightweight web alternative. Here is why it now outperforms Excel for collaboration, big data, AI, and automation.
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The Case for Reading Slowly
Why reading fewer books more carefully is worth more than racing through a list. A reflection on pace, attention, and what stays with you.
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Claude Cowork and the Rise of Agentic AI
Claude Cowork is part of a new wave of agentic AI tools that can perform tasks on your computer. Here is what it is, why it matters, and how to start.
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Make TextEdit Open With a Blank Document
How to make TextEdit launch with a new untitled document instead of the Open panel, and how to change it back.
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Finishing Anna Karenina and What It Stayed With Me
Reflections on completing Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and my connection to Levin, the novel’s tragic core, and the force of its characters.
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Why Watching Movies at Home Is the Future
The movie theater is no longer the default. Streaming reflects how people actually live, watch, and choose today.
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What I Took from Part Six of Anna Karenina
Tolstoy’s contrasts in Part Six made me think about steadiness, restlessness, and the fragile ways we try to find balance.
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What I Took from My Struggle Book 1 by Karl Ove Knausgaard
Ordinary moments, teenage embarrassment, and a father's death examined with unflinching detail in Knausgaard's autobiographical masterpiece.
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How to Build a Daily Reading Habit
Practical strategies and examples for creating a consistent reading routine that lasts.
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The Prime of Life at Fifty: Tolstoy on Aging and Midlife Vitality
Tolstoy viewed fifty as the prime of life. A reflection on midlife vitality, aging with strength, and why turning fifty can mean growth, not decline.
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What I Took from Part Five of Anna Karenina
Marriage adjustments, travel, and the weight of unfinished decisions in Part Five of Anna Karenina.
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What I Noticed in the Quiet
During three weeks alone at the beach house in Ocean City, I walked, read, ate simply, and paid attention to the shape of my days. This post reflects on that stretch of solitude without a car, without much noise, and without the rhythms of family life, and what surfaced in the stillness.
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What I Took from Part Four of Anna Karenina
A deep dive into Part Four of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, exploring Anna’s emotional unraveling, Vronsky’s growing isolation, and Levin’s ongoing moral and existential search. This reflection examines the consequences of love, societal judgment, and personal choices in one of literature’s greatest classics.
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Folded Egg Breakfast Wrap (Dairy-Free, Low Carb)
A clean, satisfying breakfast with protein, fiber, and flavor, made in under ten minutes. One egg now, one for tomorrow.
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Wellness Without the Noise
After a second heart attack in my 50s, I realized I couldn’t wait to take care of my health. Here’s how I’m rebuilding my wellness from the ground up—one walk, one meal, and one mindful habit at a time. A realistic look at men’s health, aging, and sustainable routines without the noise of trends or quick fixes.
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What I Took from Part Three of Anna Karenina
Reflections on Levin’s search for purpose, Kitty’s quiet growth, and the emotional undercurrents of Vronsky and Anna’s affair in Part Three of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.
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The Long Goodbye: Notes from a Former Stay-at-Home Dad
As our youngest graduates high school, we look back on the two decades we spent raising three boys and reflect on what it meant to show up, together, every day.
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The Great Gatsby at 100: Chasing Shadows Across the Bay
Reflections on rereading *The Great Gatsby* during its centennial year and what it still reveals about ambition, loneliness, and the American Dream
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Tools I Actually Use: MX Master 3 and MX Keys
How I use the Logitech MX Master 3 mouse and MX Keys keyboard to speed up my workflow and reduce friction in daily work.
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How to Notice What’s Actually Happening
Most people react to noise. The skill is learning to spot what’s real. Here’s how to build that habit and think more clearly.
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Group Chats Are the New Front Porch
From the family thread to the chaos chat, how group texts have quietly replaced the front porch.
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Trade as Soft Power: What We're Giving Away
The U.S. has used trade to quietly shape global influence. But shortsighted tariff wars and domestic political posturing are undermining that leverage.
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What I Took from Part Two of Anna Karenina
Reflections on Anna's conflict, Vronsky's selfishness, Levin's authenticity, and Kitty's collapse in Part Two of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.
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A Saturday Morning with Santiago
Reflections on rereading *The Old Man and the Sea* in one sitting and what it reveals in midlife
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Tools I Actually Use: Todoist
How I use Todoist to manage my work tasks efficiently, stay focused, and keep my productivity system lightweight.
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What I Took from Part One of Anna Karenina
Personal reflections and literary analysis of Part One of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, focusing on the themes of charm, betrayal, endurance, and honesty through the experiences of Stiva, Dolly, and Levin. Written from a modern perspective and enriched by group discussion, this post explores how Tolstoy’s characters navigate emotional compromise and societal expectations.
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Why Every Man Should Read More Fiction
Reading fiction sharpens your thinking, deepens your emotional intelligence, and builds imagination. Qualities every modern man needs.
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Tools I Actually Use: Raycast
Raycast is more than a Spotlight replacement. Here's how I use it daily to speed up my Mac workflow and stay focused.
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10 Real-Life “Cheat Codes” That Actually Work
Ten practical hacks that make life easier, from the 5-minute rule to automating kindness. Small adjustments that reduce friction and build momentum.