Published inForge·PinnedMember-onlyThe Best Advice I Got About My Child’s Smartphone AddictionGreat tips from readers — A year ago, I wrote a story called My daughter was a creative genius, and then we bought her an iPhone. It went viral— 219k views — with hundreds of people commenting. Some readers called me an idiot for the way I’d handled things; others made me laugh. Some shared…Parenting4 min readParenting4 min read
5 days agoMember-onlyI Want Some Joy for ChristmasHoliday Cheer — It’s three weeks ‘til Christmas and already I’m stressed. There’s so much to do. Shopping, decorating, a tree to buy, gifts to pack and ship to the US, thank you notes/gifts/money for teachers, charities, trash collectors, our postman. The school raffle and fair. …Christmas3 min readChristmas3 min read
Nov 23Member-onlyThe Loneliest SeasonCoping with loss during the holidays — My brother Mitch lost his husband in October. A blood clot; gone in an instant. “God needed Joe for other things,” explained Mitch, not one usually given to spirituality. I’ve been thinking about grief lately. How you cope with great loss, and particularly how you cope during the holiday season. …Loss2 min readLoss2 min read
Oct 10Member-onlyWe Know Less Than We ThinkArmchair Pundits — Friends are over for dinner. We talk about pollution and the future of food, and is it morally right to eat meat (we’re having steak). Ice cream is served and it’s onto politics, Ukraine and possible corruption in Ukraine. Things get a little heated — everyone has such strong opinions…Media3 min readMedia3 min read
Jul 14Member-onlyIt’s Good to Be the KingDomestic Serfdom — We’re driving to Italy tomorrow from the UK. There are so many little things to do. I wonder what I’ve forgotten. …Marriage2 min readMarriage2 min read
Jul 3Member-onlyEnough with the America BashingIndependence from Stereotyping Day. Please. — I’m a big fan of Financial Times columnist Gillian Tett. I read her all the time. So imagine my irritation when a favorite British writer takes a gratuitous swipe at Americans. In a story about cell phones and the confusing near-coup in Russia, she writes: “If a revolution can be…America3 min readAmerica3 min read
Jun 24Member-onlyIt’s the Little Things That Make Wimbledon GreatCommunity Spirit — I walk out my front door and run into my friend Tina. She’s rushing off for the first day of a new job: Wimbledon Driver. Like other people I know, Tina will be carting around the world’s greatest tennis players for the tournament, which starts on July 3. Locals are…Tennis4 min readTennis4 min read
Published inThe Generator·Jun 6Member-onlyIn Doubt as a Parent, Ask ChatGPTDistracted Parenting — A friend’s son is bringing home a girlfriend. Like any good parent, the dad (an early Internet pioneer), consults ChatGPT for advice. “My 20-year-old son is bringing home his girlfriend to meet us for the first time,” he tells the chatbot, before adding a joke. …ChatGPT4 min readChatGPT4 min read
Published inThe Generator·May 5Member-onlyNewsbots are Coming for Your JobsAI and reporting — An old adage went that newsrooms were quiet because reporters were out interviewing people. Then they were quiet because reporters, instead of interviewing people, were silently scanning the Internet for news. With ChatGPT, the chatbot developed by OpenAI, newsrooms will be quiet because there won’t be any reporters. Media companies…Artificial Intelligence3 min readArtificial Intelligence3 min read
Mar 11Member-onlySaying Goodbye to GretelSentimental car journey — I washed the car and put in premium gas before driving 80 miles to sell her for £250. Note the “her”. Our car isn’t an “it”. Not to us. We’ve had her for 25 years. Her name is Gretel. Our car still looks great (see photo), has under 93,000 miles…Cars4 min readCars4 min read
