Stephen King has made himself a wealthy man by writing books that play on people’s deepest fears; scary dogs (Cujo), scary prom dates (Carrie), and the scary consequences of meddling with dark forces to resurrect the dead (Harry Potter and the Semetary of Pets). In real life there aren’t that many demon dogs, telekinetic [...]

  My wife — and I say this with all love and respect — is a huge fan of reality TV shows. She focuses on her favorites with an intensity normally associated with complex tasks like performing neurosurgery, composing a major symphony, or playing that game where you try to pull wooden blocks out of [...]

  I recently started an exciting new long-term relationship. I made promises and if I renege, it’s going to cost me a bundle and could ruin my life. As you’ve probably already guessed, I bought a car on credit. Sealing the deal involved an hour-long meeting with the credit manager during which I had to [...]

  When my son was born nineteen years ago, coupons for disposable diapers appeared in my mailbox within the week. The Pampers Network of Spies and Informants was on to me. The military should have used those people for intelligence gathering in Iraq. Not only would they have found the Weapons of Mass Destruction, but [...]