Index
A thematic guide to every article
This page collects every essay I’ve published, grouped by theme instead of chronology. If you’re new here, think of it as the table of contents for a book I’m writing one chapter at a time — except the chapters arrive out of sequence, are mostly irrelevant, and sound like the ramblings of an clueless, incensed, dysfunctional dimwit.
🏁 Start Here
Three good entry points if you’re new.
Five Musicians and an Astrophysicist Walk Into an IKEA
A commencement‑style essay about effort, talent, and reinvention.
A humorous dive into the Dunning–Kruger Effect.
The Two Words That Ruin Your Day
A look at interruptions, attention, and why “quick question” is never quick.
🧠 Cognitive Biases & Human Decision‑Making
Essays about how our brains misfire, misunderstand, and misbehave.
A humorous look at the Dunning-Kruger Effect, and why the least informed are often the most certain.
Getting Nicked by Hanlon’s Razor
Why misunderstanding beats malice — and how this bias shapes everyday life.
Brain Wreck — Part I: When Feelings Pretend to Be Facts
How emotions distort reasoning and hijack our sense of truth.
Brain Wreck — Part II: When Math Laughs in Your Face
Probability, intuition, and the mathematical pratfalls we all take.
Why comfort feels safe — and why it quietly sabotages growth.
When Putting Off a Task Is Off‑Putting… And When It’s Not
The difference between procrastination and strategic delay.
People Have More Bugs Than Code
A programmer’s guide to the glitches in the human operating system.
The surprising power of silence in persuasion and conflict.
🏢 Workplace Culture & Corporate Myths
Essays on life in the workplace — funny, sharp, and painfully accurate.
Professional Facepalms Series (Parts 1–6)
A six‑part guide to the mistakes, lessons, and facepalms of professional life.
Part 1: Burning Up and Burning Out
Why overwork feels noble until it quietly wrecks your health, clarity, and career.
Part 2: Step Away and Take the Time You’ve Earned
Why rest isn’t optional — and why ignoring it makes you worse at your job.
Part 3: Keep Learning Beyond Your Job Description
How curiosity keeps your career alive while stagnation quietly kills it.
Part 4: Moving Up or Moving On
Why promotions aren’t the only path forward — and how to know when it’s time to leave.
Part 5: Feedback Isn’t Optional
Why avoiding feedback feels safe but guarantees you’ll repeat the same mistakes.
Part 6: Pass It On Before You Move On
Why sharing knowledge is the final step in mastering your role.
Mythunderstanding — Multitasking
Why multitasking is a corporate myth that refuses to die.
How accidents, failures, and missteps shape innovation more than planning ever does.
The Wit and Wisdom of The Office
Workplace lessons from the world’s most dysfunctional paper company.
The Two Words That Ruin Your Day
Why “quick question” is never quick — and how interruptions hijack your brain.
What old code teaches us about old habits — and why both are hard to change.
Why I’m Writing a Blog After 32 Years in IT
A reflection on career, identity, burnout, and reinvention.
🧩 Psychology, Identity & The Human Inner Circus
Essays about the strange, funny, and revealing ways our minds behave.
A tour through the internal “team” that derails every simple decision.
The psychology of recognition and why being seen matters.
The To-Don’t List (In Six Quotes, From Zen to Zevon)
A better way to simplify life by choosing what not to do.
🌍 Science, Math & Other Weird Facts
Fun and quirky facts about science, math, and the natural world.
A curriculum of bizarre truths school forgot to teach.
A celebration of π, math, and the infinite absurdity of numbers.
🍕 Domestic Battles, Petty Preferences & Everyday Absurdities
Essays on the tiny skirmishes, household quirks, and irrational hills we defend with surprising conviction.
The Two Words That Ruin Your Day
Why “quick question” is never quick — and how interruptions hijack your brain at home as much as at work.
How silence becomes a tactical weapon in everyday disagreements, negotiations, and domestic standoffs.
🎓 Creativity, Effort & Personal Growth
Essays about learning, mastery, reinvention, and the stories that shape us.
Five Musicians and an Astrophysicist Walk Into an IKEA
A commencement address about talent, effort, reinvention, and the IKEA Effect.
How creativity often emerges from accidents, missteps, and unexpected moments.