Steve Gillman

Good Metaphors - What They Do For Us

Good metaphors, apart from just sounding nice to the ears, do at least two other things. First, they make it easier to think about something. For example, if you were to try to explain to a first-time computer user that bits of electricity create binary c... Read >

Unclaimed Property - A Government Scam?

Every state has an unclaimed property department of some sort. This is where uncashed checks, forgotten bank accounts and other "abandoned" monies go. The idea is simple enough; if money or other things of value are not claimed, they are turned over to th... Read >

Memory Tips You Can Use Today

The following memory tips are for all ages. Although memory loss often comes with old age, that does not mean it is a necessary result of aging. In fact, there are often specific causes, and a declining ability to remember things can be reversed in many c... Read >

How Self Awareness Leads To Better Brainpower

At the highest levels, better brainpower cannot be separated from higher self awareness. Your own reactive mind often gets in the way of the clearest and deepest thinking, and you have to see this happening to correct it. Part of the problem is what's som... Read >

Cheap Backpacking - A How To Guide

Cheap backpacking is accomplished in two basic ways? The first is to cut the cost of the trip. The second way is to spend less on the gear you buy. Here are some tips for doing both of these. Cheap Backpacking Gear Don't bother with high-tech gear. ... Read >

Three Money Making Ideas For Kids

Here are three money making ideas for kids. All of these possible businesses can be started with just a little bit of money. Of course, if the profits are reinvested they can become much bigger enterprises. Fishing Worm Business This might be one of... Read >

A Better U.S. Constitution?

If you've read it, you may have noticed that the U.S. Constitution, in designating how representatives were to be apportioned by population, excluded "untaxed" Indians, and counted each black slave as three fifths of a person. That's in the first couple p... Read >

Backpacking In High Mountains

The high mountains of Colorado still had a lot of snow in mid June. In fact, the Arkansas river was close to flooding here in Canon City, despite there being no rain in weeks. The snow melt was enough to raise it to its highest level in years. But my frie... Read >

Getting The Best Travel Deals

Would you like to get the best travel deals available? Then get ready to be open-minded and flexible. Consider going to any one of several destinations, and going at different times than you may have originally planned on, and even doing different things ... Read >

Financial Mistakes You May Be Making

All of us make financial mistakes, and research in the new fields of evolutionary economics and behavioral economics are starting to explain why. It will be good to have this knowledge someday. But in the meantime, here are ten of the more common money mi... Read >

Realistic Lateral Thinking Problems

Lateral thinking problems are often just simple puzzles that lead you to make certain assumptions. To solve them, then, you have to look at the assumptions you're making and try to get beyond them. Let's look at an example. A librarian used a book he h... Read >

Crazy Ideas Can Be Valuable

Sometimes it is just fun to create and share crazy ideas. For example, I recently read about one man's idea to give away free gas. The catch was that there were remote-controlled paintball guns with cameras on them, connected to a web site on the internet... Read >

The Best Relaxation Music

How do you choose the relaxation music that works best? You can certainly start by experimenting with many different types. After all, it seems likely that what one person finds relaxing another will find irritating. But is it all just a matter of persona... Read >

Six Good Backpacking Habits

When backpacking, habits matter. A better sleeping bag may keep you a bit warmer, and a cell phone or GPS unit definitely makes a trip safer, but the things you regularly do while on the trail are just as important. Here are six habits you should develop ... Read >

A Deep Thinking Technique To Try

Albert Einstein used a technique for deep thinking, which he referred to as "thought experiments." He didn't invent the technique, but perhaps made it more popular. It was essentially the practice of relaxing and setting a visualization in motion while wa... Read >