How I conquered subscription expenses

One of my biggest budget busters has been subscriptions, particularly the $5 or $10 monthly subscriptions. While individually, these may seem small, they add up quickly. Companies often offer discounts for paying annually, which can make it seem like a good deal, but if you’re like me, you may forget about them and end up […]

Lessons Learned on My Journey to Health and Weight Loss in 2022

In 2022, I made a significant change in my life. At the end of 2021, I weighed 365 lbs, the heaviest I had ever been. Seeing myself on TikTok videos made me realize how fat I had become and that I needed to make a change. While scrolling through TikTok, I came across Chris Terrell, […]

Why I am retiring from the Microsoft MVP program

Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals, or MVPs, are technology experts who passionately share their knowledge with the community. They are always on the “bleeding edge” and have an unstoppable urge to get their hands on new, exciting technologies. They have very deep knowledge of Microsoft products and services, while also being able to bring together diverse […]

Can we stop the toilet paper math?

If you have been shopping for toilet paper or paper towels lately, you have noticed that the rolls keep getting bigger. I don’t know what the board that sets the standard measurements of toilet paper rolls is, but every package you see claims that the rolls it contains are four times bigger than standard rolls. […]

I want to go to the zoo

One thing I was not prepared for as a dad was the feelings that come as your kids grow up, and you miss the things you used to do with them when they were younger. When your kids are young, it seems like your life is consumed by things like watching animated tv shows and […]

Ambiverts unite! (but not too much)

Am I the only one out there who doesn’t identify as an introvert or an extrovert? I see people describing themselves as either social butterflies, always out there getting energy from other people, or as introverts curled up in the corner reading a book and not wanting to be around anybody else. I’ve always disliked […]

Being a parent in a digital world

Note: multiple friends have asked me what I use for screen time monitoring with kids/teenagers, so I am writing about it here. Being a parent is a great and challenging experience. This is especially challenging in the digital world, as kids and young teens want to interact with their friends online and in social media. […]

What I’ve learned about podcasting

I started my first podcast six years ago and since then have published over 700 podcast episodes. But I don’t consider myself to be a podcast expert–I’m still learning what makes a good podcast and finding ways to be better at it. In this post I wanted to share some of the things I’ve learned. […]

Toy Story 4 and Secondary Trauma

This post contains spoilers from Toy Story 4, and also discusses Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder. I am not a therapist, but I have been diagnosed to have secondary trauma, and I speak from my experience. Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder (or caregiver fatigue) is “a natural but disruptive by-product of working with traumatized clients. It is […]

Pixar movies ranked by my 11 year-old son

My son is a connoisseur of Pixar movies, and he has watched most of them enough times to be able to quote them from memory. After an extensive three-round ranking process, the following are the Pixar Movies ranked from best to worst, according to my 11 year old son: Finding Nemo Coco Monsters University Cars […]