
How to Raise a Kid Who Could Get Into Harvard

Imagine hiring an elite college admissions consultant on the day your child is born.
The consultant’s job is simple: maximize your child’s chances of eventually getting into Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Yale, Princeton, or another highly selective university.
You might expect the consultant to recommend early tutoring, advanced math classes, private schools, and SAT preparation.
But a smart consultant would probably begin with a very different message:
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What Makes a Cult Different From a Religion?

If you ask ten people what a cult is, you’ll probably get ten different answers.
Some will say it’s just “a weird religion.” Others will point to a charismatic leader, matching outfits, or isolated compounds. The truth is more complicated. One person’s religion can look like another person’s cult, especially when it’s new or unfamiliar.
So what actually separates a cult from a religion?
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The Truth About Living in the Middle of Nowhere

The first thing people ask is usually, “Don’t you get bored?”
The second is, “What happens if you have an emergency?”
Nobody ever asks the question that actually matters.
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The Difference Between Frugal and Cheap

People love to talk about how “good” they are with money.
But then you watch them re-gift a used candle at a baby shower, or fake a bathroom break when the group bill comes.
Congratulations, you’re not frugal—you’re just cheap. And there’s a big difference.
How to Choose a Tattoo You Won’t Regret: 8-Month and 2-Year Waiting Benchmarks

The tattoo removal business is booming. By 2027, the laser removal market is projected to hit nearly $800 million. That's a lot of people paying a lot of money—and enduring a lot of pain—to erase decisions they made in a flash of enthusiasm.
I almost joined them. A few months back, I seriously considered getting the Caveman Circus logo inked on my arm. I love this brand. I believe in what we do.
But I stopped myself when I realized something uncomfortable: the thing I'm passionate about today might not represent who I am a decade from now. The logo would be a fossil of a former self. That's the risk with any tattoo, even the meaningful ones.
Here's what I've learned about getting a tattoo you'll actually want to keep.
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The Dumping Grounds
Living With the World’s Most Painful Headache

People hear the word “headache” and immediately think they understand.
They don’t.
What I have isn’t something you lie down with until it passes. It isn’t something you take an aspirin for and complain about at work. It’s something that completely takes over your body, your mind, and eventually your life.
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Why Are People Drinking Raw Milk Again?

If you spend enough time on social media, you will eventually come across someone pouring a glass of raw milk and talking about how it is “real food.” It has become a symbol of everything from traditional farming to skepticism of modern food processing. Celebrities drink it. Wellness influencers swear by it. Farmers’ markets have waiting lists for it. In some circles, raw milk has become less of a beverage and more of a philosophy.
“Husband told me to f*** off”

We have a newborn, and my husband is such a deep sleeper that his agreed upon night shift barely happens. The baby will start fussing and sucking on his sleeves because he’s hungry, but my husband won’t wake up. Sometimes he’ll briefly wake up, shush the baby for a few seconds, and go right back to sleep. The baby stays hungry, I stay awake listening to it, and eventually I have to shake my husband awake and practically beg him to feed our son so I can get back to sleep.

