Reveling in the Chaos of It All
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Author: Theodore Lee

Theodore Lee is the editor of Caveman Circus. He strives for self-improvement in all areas of his life, except his candy consumption, where he remains a champion gummy worm enthusiast. When not writing about mindfulness or living in integrity,  you can find him hiding giant bags of sour patch kids under the bed.
Life Experiences

Confessions of a Compulsive Liar

I learned to lie the way some kids learn to ride a bike—gradually, with plenty of scrapes and falls along the way, but once I got the hang of it, I never forgot how. It started as a survival mechanism. A way to navigate a world that often felt unpredictable, where the truth didn’t always work in my favor.

My childhood was filled with landmines. Say the wrong thing, get punished. Show weakness, get ignored. Tell the truth about something you did wrong, and you learned very quickly that honesty wasn’t always the best policy—it was the fastest route to consequences. But a lie? A lie could smooth things over. A lie could buy time. A lie could protect me.

Read the rest: Confessions of a Compulsive Liar
Advice Column

“My girlfriend wants me to lend her $15k to pay off part of her $50k debt.”

My girlfriend has around $50,000 in debt that started when she was about 20 and gradually grew over the years. It is spread across several banks and includes credit card debt, personal loans, and debt from a trip to Europe last year that I advised her against taking at the time.

She makes about $60,000 a year. Recently, she asked me, somewhat hypothetically at first, if I would lend her $15,000 so she could pay off one of her debts and avoid the ongoing interest. Her plan is to pay me back $1,000 a month for 15 months.

Read the rest: “My girlfriend wants me to lend her $15k to pay off part of her $50k debt.”
Links

Linkage

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18 Fascinating Photos Collected From History – Ned Hardy

Attention screentime addicts! This is worth buying if you want to stop mindlessly reaching for distracting apps by adding a physical barrier that forces you to be more intentional with your phone. – Amazon

The End of Google Search—and the Internet—as We Know It – The Ringer

I Traded Coffee for Energy Drinks—and Nearly Lost My Mind – WSJ

A SpaceX rocket will crash into the moon this week. Why is it on a collision course? – Space

Texas halts data center connections to power grid amid overwhelming demand – Ars Technica

How misinformation drove thousands to rush the Ceuta border – YouTube

24 Memes That Are Unreasonably Accurate – Ned Hardy

This is great because it can map, navigate, avoid obstacles, and mow your lawn automatically without perimeter wires, giving you a consistently maintained lawn with very little hands-on work. – Amazon

The simple idea that helped prevent millions of traffic deaths – Archive.ph

BMW is forcing a weird Spider-Man ad onto its dashboard displays – Engadget

How to Protect Yourself From This Massive Ongoing Cryptocurrency Hack – Lifehacker

MIT professor gave the same ‘How to Speak’ lecture for 40 years. Here are his 5 pearls of wisdom. – Upworthy

America’s Renewable Energy Boom, in One Chart – Visual Capitalist

Douchebag biker finds out that he is not the law – Reddit

Advice Column

“My 16 year old daughter wants to have a baby. What do I do?”

daughter wants to get pregnant

I had to check my 16 year old daughter’s phone. I know people will have opinions about that, but there were genuine reasons for my concern. I didn’t do it behind her back, and I wasn’t trying to invade her privacy for no reason.

While I was checking, I found messages where she was telling her friends that she wants to get pregnant and have a baby. From what I can tell, she also has a boyfriend. I don’t have a problem with her having a boyfriend. What worries me is that she’s been talking to him about wanting a baby, and it sounds like they both want the same thing.

Read the rest: “My 16 year old daughter wants to have a baby. What do I do?”
History

Could You Have Become a Samurai in Feudal Japan?

You’ve watched Shōgun. You’ve played Ghost of Tsushima. Maybe you’ve imagined yourself standing in polished armor with two swords at your side, sworn to a powerful lord and living by the legendary code of bushidō.

But if you had actually been born in feudal Japan, what are the odds you would have become a samurai?

Unfortunately, they’re not very good.

Read the rest: Could You Have Become a Samurai in Feudal Japan?
Answers

Is China Actually Communist Anymore?

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Walk through the financial district of Shanghai and you will see gleaming skyscrapers, luxury boutiques, Teslas, Ferraris, Starbucks on nearly every corner, and a stock exchange handling billions of dollars in trades.

China is also home to some of the world’s richest entrepreneurs, global technology companies, and more billionaires than almost any other country.

None of that sounds particularly communist.

Read the rest: Is China Actually Communist Anymore?
Links

Linkage

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28 Parents Reveal What It’s Like When Their Child Turns Out To Be A Terrible Person – Ned Hardy

This fire sensor is a must-buy because it monitors your home’s electrical system 24/7 for hidden arcing and wiring faults that can start electrical fires before you’d ever know there’s a problem. – Amazon

The Best Parenting Hack Is Being Rich – Archive.ph

Ariana Grande to step back from public life following anorexia scrutiny – People

Why are so few young people finding love? – Archive.ph

My Journey Into The Slop Factory – Usermag

Nearly 500 readers shared stories of deathbed visions. Here are 10. – Archive.ph

Why high beef prices are making cookouts look different this summer – USA Today

The Photos That Exposed the Dark Side of Gilded Age New York – Ned Hardy

Put this in your emergency bag. It gives you critical weather and emergency alerts when the power, internet, and cell service go down—exactly when you need reliable information the most. – Amazon

AI Bots Can Steal Your Login Credentials, but You Can Protect Yourself – Lifehacker

How to Stop Being So Defensive During Arguments – Time

Spidey Surprise! ‘Brand New Day’ Lands Top Opening Weekend Ever With $360M, Beating ‘Avengers: Endgame’ – Hollywood Reporter

New blood test to detect colon cancer clears FDA approval – The Independent

How headlights got brighter, whiter, and more blinding after dark – Ars Technica