Columnists
Monday, June 1, 2026 · Bradford County
The Thing About Affirmations Nobody Tells You: They Work Better When They're Specific to Your Actual Life
Most affirmations fail because they're too vague to believe. Here's how to write ones that actually stick—and why your brain will thank you for it.
The Traitors is TV's Most Honest Show About Why Your Friends Suck
Every reality competition pretends to test strategy and nerve. The Traitors actually tests something scarier: whether you can live with yourself after betraying someone who trusted you.
Monday, June 1, 2026
The Great Skincare Pivot Nobody's Talking About (But Should Be)
We've gone from 10-step routines to "just water," and honestly? The pendulum swing is making everyone look worse.
Monday, June 1, 2026
The Viral Dance Trend That Actually Proves Gen Z Has a Better Eye Than We Do
Everyone's been roasting those 30-second TikTok dances, but they're actually doing something classical ballet companies have been struggling with for decades—making movement feel alive.
Monday, June 1, 2026
My Sister Borrowed My Car and Returned It With the Gas Tank Empty—Now She Won't Apologize
A reader is furious over a simple favor that turned into a lesson in entitlement. Darla weighs in on whether this is worth a family war.
Monday, June 1, 2026
You Quit Your Job Without a Backup Plan. Now What?
A reader ditched their stable job for a dream that evaporated fast. Here's how to stop free-falling and actually land somewhere.
Monday, June 1, 2026
My Kid's Teacher Won't Stop Texting Me at 10 PM — And I'm Losing My Mind
A parent's question about boundary-stomping educators reveals a bigger problem: we've normalized the idea that caring about your job means being always-on. It's not.
Monday, June 1, 2026
The Guy Who Texts His Ex at 2 a.m. (And Why He Keeps Doing It)
You know you shouldn't. You do it anyway. Here's what's actually happening—and how to stop.
Monday, June 1, 2026
I Cashed Out My 401(k) at 35 to Start a Business. Now What?
One reader took the nuclear option with their retirement savings. Here's why that decision haunts them—and what they can actually do about it.
Monday, June 1, 2026
I Maxed Out My Credit Card on My Mom's Medical Bills. Now What?
A reader faces $8,000 in credit card debt after helping a parent through a health crisis. Here's how to dig out without drowning in guilt.
Monday, June 1, 2026
My Kid's Teacher Says He's "Gifted" But Won't Stop Lying — Should I Believe Her or My Gut?
Smart kids can be the best liars. One mom wonders if her son's intelligence excuses his dishonesty, and Mama Mae has thoughts.
Monday, June 1, 2026
My Husband Won't Stop Texting His Ex—And I'm Losing My Mind
She says it's "just friendly." He says I'm being controlling. Meanwhile, their text threads look like a romance novel. Here's what's actually happening.
Monday, June 1, 2026
The Art of the Productive Digression—Why Wandering Minds Built Civilization
Some of history's best ideas came from people who were supposed to be doing something else entirely. Here's why your tendency to go off on tangents might be your secret superpower.
Monday, June 1, 2026
The Fed Just Admitted Its Math Was Wrong, and Nobody Cared
Federal Reserve officials acknowledged this week they've been overestimating inflation's stickiness for months. The market yawned. That's the real problem.
Monday, June 1, 2026
Why We Need More Bad Poetry (Yes, Really)
The internet has convinced us that every poem must be polished, publishable, profound. It's a lie that's killing the thing poetry actually does best.
Monday, June 1, 2026
The Affirmation Nobody Tells You About—And Why It Changes Everything
Most affirmations fail because they ask you to believe something you don't yet. Here's the one that actually works because it starts with what's already true.
Monday, June 1, 2026