CBS/The Mentalist

Successful and admired people all possess the same quality: charisma. It’s a highly prized and powerful quality of influence. In fact, dictionaries define it as “a divinely conferred gift or power.” But lest you think it’s a divine gift only available to a special few, charisma is a collection of skills that can be learned by anyone. It has nothing to do with race, gender, being an introvert or extrovert.

Here are 10 strategies for becoming a more charismatic person:

1. Talk with your hands.

People who speak with their hands are perceived as more trustworthy and appealing according to studies. One of the first areas we look at when meeting someone new is their hands. Evolutionists explain it was crucial for human survival in our “hunter-gatherer” days to make sure they were not carrying a weapon.

Using hand gestures not only puts others at ease, but also helps you communicate better. It’s called “embodied cognition,” meaning there’s a strong correlation between what your mind is trying to say, and your body movements. Hand gestures help the words come out.

2. Use their name.

It’s the sweetest sound to the ears — hearing your own name. Scientists using fMRI found that unique parts of the brain were activated when people heard their own name. Using someone’s name makes them feel significant, and the fact that you’ve actually remembered it wins respect and admiration.
When someone introduces themself, take extra care in remembering their name and then use it in the conversation.

3. Watch your posture.

Slouching is known as a “low-power pose.” It will make you feel less confident, and you’ll be perceived as reserved and unapproachable.
Changing your physical posture will change your psychology. Standing tall and taking a “high-power pose” causes your brain to release dopamine, making you feel better and be more confident.

4. Listen and ask questions.

The ancient Greeks had a saying, “We should listen twice as much as we speak because we have two ears and one mouth.” People enjoy sharing their life stories; giving someone a platform to do this by asking questions and listening instead of dominating the floor will make you the kind of person others want to be around.

5. Cut out fillers and vocalized pauses.

Vocalized pauses (“ahh,” “umm”) and fillers (“like,” “you know”) will severely cramp your communication. Charismatic people are eloquent and articulate, and that comes from ironing out your speaking skills.

Be a fly on the wall to your own conversations and note how often you use fillers and vocalized pauses. They’re often used when we’re unsure of what to say. Simply replace them with silence as you look for your next word. You’ll unclutter your speech and be a more charismatic speaker.

6. Mirroring.

Humans posses an interesting thing called “mirror-neurons.” We’re social creatures and wired for community and relationships; mirroring allows you to empathize and connect through naturally mimicking the body movements of people you engage with. It’s often unconscious — think of the last time you just crossed your arms at the same time the other person did.
Subtly mirroring the stance and body language of whoever you’re conversing with will make them more comfortable and increase rapport.

7. Compliments.

Compliments have been shown to boost people’s self-esteem by up to 34 percent. Being seen as charismatic has much to do with how you make others feel. Give someone the “warm fuzzies” next time you’re having a conversation — identify one thing that you could make a nice comment about.

8. Initiate and introduce yourself.

It’s common to see most people stand back and be hesitant at social and networking events. Charismatic people take the initiative to introduce themselves and spark a conversation. It shows confidence through being active rather than passive.

Take the first step at your next event. Set aside any fear of judgment and any self-consciousness.

9. Tell stories.

Everyone loves a good story. Charismatic people have mastered the art of telling great stories — it doesn’t take long for people to start gathering around them. One of the key elements and foundations of storytelling is to “open and close the curiosity gap.” Raise a topic that will perk the interest of others. Speak with passion, use imagery and emotions.

10. Smile.

Simple, yet highly effective. Smiling sets off the brain’s reward mechanism in the same way exercise does, or eating chocolate. And smiling is rarely un-reciprocated; it will give both you and the other person a rush of positivity. According to researchers, people who smile are perceived as trustworthy and easier to cooperate with, and of course, this will add to your charisma.

The post 10 Simple Ways To Boost Your Charisma And Confidence appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Shutterstock

These days, most couples might not feel the pressure to get married. They’re committed to each other, live together, and don’t feel the need to get married, and that is becoming more and more socially acceptable. If you’re on the fence about marrying your partner, you might want to think twice and weigh the pros and cons. Marriage is more than a big party and a piece of paper; there are benefits you need to know about before you decide what to do in your relationship.

1. True Love

Sure, it should be obvious, but let’s just put it on the record. If you’re crazy in love with someone, getting married is a great way to solidify that commitment and show the world that you choose each other.

2. Improved Mental Health

It might sound crazy, but happily married people are more stable, mentally. There’s just something to the security of marriage, of having someone by your side for better or for worse, being your cheerleader and helping you through the ups and downs. Sure beats trying to handle that rollercoaster with no support system.

3. Filing Joint Taxes

When you’re married, you can file separately or jointly. The perk to filing jointly is that, if your spouse makes more money than you, you can file under your lower income to keep from being put into a higher tax bracket. You also get to take a larger standard deduction for being married. And, don’t forget, you only have to file taxes once instead of once for each of you.

4. Estate Tax Deductions

In addition to the annual federal and state taxes, you get other tax benefits if you’re married. When someone dies and leaves their estate, there is a hefty tax that the recipient has to pay when they receive the estate. If you’re married and leave your estate to your spouse, there’s no estate tax to pay.

5. IRA, Pension Plan, And Social Security Benefits

When it comes to IRAs, pension plans, and Social Security benefits, being married means that both spouses can accept the money whether they’re employed, have plans of their own, or not. Marriage is a combining of assets, and these benefits show that it’s really true. If you were simply in a domestic partnership and wanted to take advantage of these plans, you’d have a long legal journey ahead.

6. Health Insurance Savings

Being married means you can have a family insurance plan. You get to “shop” for insurance if both spouses are employed. Whose job offers the best insurance? Sign up for that one. Or if one spouse doesn’t work or is self-employed, they can get insurance through the other’s employer.

7. Family Leave From Work

If your spouse is battling an illness, you can take family leave from your job to stay home, or work from home, and support them. If you’re just living with your partner with no legal ties, your job won’t let you take this leave, unless they’re very understanding.

8. Visitation Rights

Whether your spouse is in the hospital or in jail, sometimes the only visitors allowed are family. It would be horrible to not be able to see your partner during such a hard time just because you’re not married.

9. Dying Without A Will

It’s an awful thought, but if your spouse dies without a will, belongings are left to family. If you’re not married, this might mean that your spouse’s estranged siblings get everything and you get nothing! Instead of fighting it out in court, being married means that the spouse is the next of kin in regards to this, and in many other legal matters.

10. Making Medical Decisions

This is another example of a spouse being next of kin, and being allowed to make major decisions. It’s important for your spouse to know what you want in case of a horrible accident and a lengthy hospital stay, or a debilitating illness. They’re the ones who get to call the shots. If you’re not married, your partner might know you don’t want to be on life support, but the decision will go to your immediate family, whether they know what you want or not.

11. Buying A Home

It seems unfair, but married couples usually have an easier time buying a house. Mortgage companies often see domestic partners as high risk for a home loan because they might break up and have to sell the house before it’s paid off. Of course, it’s true that married couples can break up as well, but they would legally have to divide assets, so it’s still a safer investment for mortgage companies.

12. Insurance Savings

Most insurance companies offer discounts for family coverage, but this goes beyond health insurance! If you and your spouse share an insurance company, you could get discounts on car insurance for having multiple vehicles, and a more affordable home insurance for being a family.

13. Spousal Privilege

Spousal privilege is a legal term that will keep you from testifying against your spouse in court, and vice versa. This applies to civil and criminal cases, and applies from the start of your marriage and goes beyond divorce or death. Hopefully you won’t need this one, but it’s always nice to know it’s there. You can tell your sweetie all your secrets without fear of incrimination.

14. Immigration/Residency Benefits

If you’re trying to become a citizen of another country, marrying a native will grant you that citizenship. Within the United States, marrying a resident of a different state and moving there to live will make you a resident of that state, too.

15. Adoption

Adoption if you’re single or unmarried isn’t impossible, of course, but it’s infinitely easier if you’re married. This applies whether you’re adopting a baby from another country or your partner’s children from a previous marriage.

These benefits are laid out so you’re informed before you make a decision to marry or just live together. Trust your feelings and know if you should marry your partner or not. None of these benefits mean anything if you’re not happy in your relationship.

The post 15 Benefits Of Getting Married You Might Not Realize appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Fox/New Girl

Weirdos are making a comeback.

Remember when everybody wanted to be cool and pretty, like characters in movies like “Clueless” and “Legally Blonde,” or shows like “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Melrose Place?” Today, these kinds of films and shows don’t seem to have nearly as much screen time. Instead of attractive, popular, and generally “too cool for school” protagonists, our film and TV entertainment today highlights the school misfits, the ones who used to play second fiddle to the Cher Horowitz’s and Elle Wood’s of the world.

There’s Fat Amy in “Pitch Perfect,” who undeniably steals the film and has some of the best one-liners. There’s the entire cast of “Glee,” which, like “Pitch Perfect” and “Pitch Perfect 2,” embraces an entire team of “freaks and geeks” whose quirkiness comes across as charming and endearing. These are the kids we may have needlessly felt sorry for in high school and college (if we weren’t among them), but these days, there’s no need to feel pity. Because the kids (and adults) are all right; they have a lot of pride in themselves.

There’s something incredibly refreshing about the way film and television have taken on the conventional definition of “cool.” The protagonist of the popular Fox show “New Girl,” Jessica Day, wears big glasses, has bangs, and confesses in one episode, “I like being weird!” No character in the show “Modern Family” adheres to archetypes of having it together, being “normal,” or being poised, cool, and collected. Claire and Phil Dunphy are the kind of parents who, in one episode, come home, see their kids, and say, “Thank God no one’s dead.” Their daughter Alex is a nerd who’s proud of being smarter than her family; the kids’ uncles are a gay couple — Mitch a neurotic lawyer, and Cam a goofy and overly optimistic music teacher. Even the “cool” child, Hayley, may be pretty, but she’s also extremely vulnerable and normal. When her sister, Alex, says to her, “What kind of stuff do you have? Too many boys chasing after you? Too many parties?” Haley has a decidedly uncool response: “I’m flunking biology, and now I have to take summer school. And all my friends are talking about going to college, while I don’t think I’ll even be able to go to college. Is that enough stuff for you?”

In shows like “Modern Family,” “Glee,” and more, being cool and entertaining doesn’t mean being heterosexual, pretty, skinny, laid back, or successful. Our favorite characters come in all shapes, sizes, personality types, intelligence levels, and sexual orientations. And for once, they’re actually relatable because they don’t necessarily have their sh*t together.

What Does It Mean to Embrace “Uncool?”

This refreshing change in storytelling is exciting for a variety of reasons. It means young people may start to see that it’s okay to be the way they are. It’s okay to have glasses and braces, and think you’re attractive; it’s okay to be the kid who doesn’t like sports and would rather sing. You can have a great group of friends and be heavy set, the only minority in your school, or the kid in class who just can’t keep up with everyone else. High school doesn’t need to be awful because you’re different.

This kind of entertainment can also help the young people who are the perfect kids: the pretty ones who get good grades, are athletic, and seem to have lots of friends. Recent news has made it clear that even the ones who try to have it all together struggle tremendously. We’ve read stories about numerous high school and college students struggling with depression, resulting not only from being bullied, but also from being successful. For every girl who’s bullied, there’s also a Madison Holleran, who was pretty, popular, and by all accounts a high achiever.

Nevertheless, she battled depression and a desire to “have it all” that culminated in her suicide. Maybe more flawed protagonists and women who aren’t blonde bombshells with boyfriends and a Harvard degree will help young women and men embrace being flawed.

Seeing A Difference

We’re also seeing social media turn “uncool” into something cool again. Twitter accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers, like Common White Girl, embrace being quirky. Typical tweets from Common White Girl include a screenshot of a text message conversation where a guy writes, “Your friend’s gorgeous.” The header on this tweet reads, “Story of my life.” Another popular Twitter account, Sincerely Tumblr, recently posted a picture of a plethora of junk food and simply wrote, “Mood.” These kinds of relatable posts that embrace feeling rejected, down on yourself, or simply not that great, remind us that other people feel crummy too; we’re okay, we’re normal, and there’s humor to be found in our situations.

Other social media devices like Snapchat and Instagram also embrace being silly, awkward, or just plain different. Snapchat stories, let’s just speak frankly here, are usually weird and involve making funny drawings, singing in the car, dancing on your bed, or something else goofy and candid. Dubsmash has recently become popular, and has made it fun and popular to lip synch and look ridiculous. Instagram, in spite of its filters, has become a forum for seemingly “perfect” celebrities like Taylor Swift to post candid moments. Swift recently posted a video of herself getting burned during a cooking class, and notoriously posts photos of herself surrounded by cats, calling herself a “cat lady.”

It was never a bad thing to be uncool. But it seems like pop culture is finally starting to see it that way: Showing men and women of all ages something that we already know, but could always use a reminder of — everyone’s far from perfect. It’s normal to be baffled by your ability to keep your kids (or dogs, or even plants) alive; there’s nothing wrong with preferring pizza and Netflix to a sexy date night; and you can still have friends even if you wear thick glasses and get hit in the face every time you “play” basketball. So let your freak flag fly, everyone. It doesn’t make you weird anymore.

The post Embracing Awkward: Pop Culture Has Made It Cool To Be Uncool appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Universal Pictures

I’m all for embracing your body. I don’t believe in diets, I think all foods are okay to eat, and I learned after years of body image issues that exercise doesn’t need to be an everyday, hour-long activity that makes your bones ache. So before you accuse me of shaming people who aren’t in great shape, let me tell you I’m the first to shut down anyone who criticizes someone else’s body. I’ll be on your case in two seconds flat for saying that girl in short shorts “shouldn’t be wearing that,” or that guy in a swimsuit looks “like a beached whale.”

But as a woman, I have to say, guys, “the dad bod” is not hot. Supposedly, women disagree with me. Apparently, it’s super sexy. They love that it makes guys seem “human, natural, and attractive,” the antithesis of an intimidating hot body.

I don’t know who those women are. Every twenty and thirty-something woman I’m friends with doesn’t understand the appeal of this type of body (even if our boyfriends/husbands have it, we’re not obsessed with it). It flies in the face of everything I find attractive about men.

The Coolness Of Looking Like You Don’t Care

My question is this: when did it stop being cool to look great? Since when, ladies, do you want to look at a guy and think, “He clearly eats pizza; looks like he only works out occasionally; that guy definitely drinks a lot of beer”? When I see someone for the first time, particularly a topless guy, I’d like my first thought to be, “Wow, he’s in great shape.” After all, your first impression of someone is the way they look (let’s just be honest here), and wouldn’t you want a first impression to be something, well, impressive?

I know it’s not realistic for everyone to be in great shape. But it’s great to look like you at least try. As I was watching a single friend swipe through Tinder the other day, I noticed that she swiped left on every guy who clearly had a “dad bod.” I asked her about it and she simply stated, “Why would I pick a guy with a gut when I have a choice?”

Fitness speaks volumes about a man. It points to numerous positive qualities. It tells you that a guy likes to care for himself; it says that he may want you to look great, but he’ll also look great for you; it says that he’s more likely to live a longer, healthier life. The fit guy at the gym is the guy who can play with your kids on the playground without getting tired, who has the energy to take your dogs to the park with you, who you can definitely go hiking with, ski with, and let’s be honest here, who can keep up with you in the bedroom.

So, Can Women Have Some Flab Too?

For individuals who do have the “dad bod,” more power to you. I’d say, great, if you’re happy and healthy, then the woman you’re with should be happy. And of course, there are more important things to worry about in life than your body.

Unfortunately, this Internet trend also points to what can only be defined as a double standard, as Time Magazine points out. The only praise that we’ve seen of women with clearly imperfect bodies, or “mom bods,” has been in response to the “dad bod” trend. Other than that, the only times we’ve seen women embraced for their flaws is in marketing campaigns by companies like Dove. I have yet to see a flood of articles about how hot it is when a woman looks like she eats a little too much chocolate with her red wine. I’ve heard men say that they like women who are a little heavier, but in my own experience, it’s been few and far between — and it certainly hasn’t become an Internet sensation.

While articles on the Internet have jumped on the “dad bod” sensation, praising hot male celebrities with beer guts, you’d be hard-pressed to find articles on hot female celebrities with stretch marks, cellulite, or protruding stomachs. Most seemingly “out of shape” women appear in magazines like US Weekly under headings that read, “12 Celebs Who Have Gained Weight” or, “The unflattering bikini shots celebrities wish you hadn’t seen.” Funny how women in bikinis are shamed in this latter piece for having the female equivalent of the “dad bod.”

Judged For Seeming Judgmental

I get it: we get married, and sometimes out of complacency, busy lives, or having kids, we stop working out and eating right. But extolling the virtues of men who look out of shape seems to be stretching it.

I’m sure men love hearing that women love the dad bod, but as a woman who knows lots of women, I just don’t know any who do. I lived with sixty-four girls in a sorority house for six months. Not one of us posted pictures in our bedrooms of guys with “dad bods.” On the plus side for the dudes, claiming that women like this look makes it easier for them to justify letting themselves go. It also reinforces a double standard for what “hotness” looks like.

The worst thing about the “dad bod” trend is that it makes women like me, who see nothing attractive about a “dad bod,” sound like we’re being “unfair,” or judgmental. Why can’t women say that they like the same thing a lot of men like — a super-hot and fit body — whether it comes across as superficial or not? I just don’t understand why it’s so great for a guy to look like he could stand to lose a couple of pounds.

If we’re talking looks exclusively, I like the complete opposite of the “dad bod.” I like a man who appears strong, like he cares about himself, and like he leads a fun and active life. That’s the only kind of body I find attractive. And you know what? There should be nothing wrong with saying that.

The post Who Are These Women Into The ‘Dad Bod?’ (And Where Are The Men Praising ‘Mom Bod?’) appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Disney

From “Cinderella” to “Maleficent” to “Into the Woods” to the upcoming “Beauty and the Beast,” “Pan” and “The Huntsman,” there have been and will be a lot of fantasy and fairytale adaptations in movie theaters lately. The question is why? Has Hollywood run out of original ideas? Probably, but that’s not the only reason; Hollywood also knows that fairytale movies appeal to teens and young people in general for a very specific set of reasons.

1. You need to escape.

via giphy

Fantasies and fairytales are extremely unlike real life, which is why they’re the perfect escape. Opulent settings, magical powers, talking animals, gorgeous dresses… it’s all escapism, and movie producers know that. They also know that most millennials’ lives are notably short on things like jobs, magical powers and financial independence. So they know young people will gladly surrender themselves to the big screen for a few hours in order to immerse themselves in a fantasy world.

2. You don’t have any money.

And people who don’t have any money need escapism! It all comes full circle. Also, movies about castles and princesses usually feature amazing costumes, sparkling jewelry, and shiny gold and silver things and often end happily ever after. You know, when the heroine gets to live in a castle and doesn’t have to spend all her time futilely searching for jobs or paying off student loans.

3. Childhood classics are comforting…

via tanikayforever.tumblr.com

They bring you back to the days of naïve childhood innocence, when you didn’t have any adult cares or responsibilities.

4. … and adaptations provide a darker, more adult twist.

You get that same familiar childhood story from a new angle. Even if that angle is completely predictable and unoriginal, it still comes with the comforting fairytale you know and love. So you’ll take it.

5. ‘90s nostalgia is all the rage right now.

via 90s90s90s.com

Many classic Disney fairytales came out in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s: “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “Mulan,” “The Little Mermaid.” These were major life influences for people who are now in their 20s, and we’ve finally reached a time when the ‘90s are far enough in the past that it’s socially acceptable to be nostalgic for that decade. Therefore, new versions of the movies we loved in the ‘90s are going to be used to attract millennials to the theater in a catnip-like fashion for some time to come.

6. Fairytale morality is black and white.

There will be an evil stepmother or evil pirate captain, and that person is nasty. In some cases, that person will be good and the supposedly good king or queen or princess will be evil. Either way, someone is evil and the hero of the movie has to triumph over that evil. This gives you a clear-cut sense of control and righteousness that is missing from real life, where you cannot drive a sword through the heart of everyone who offers you a low wage or threatens to raise your rent.

7. Good people usually win.

via gh-05-t.tumblr.com

Horrible things might happen to them first, but they’ll be all right in the end. This is something millennials need to believe in.

8. Romance is alive.

Most people would scoff at seeing a romance movie, but put that romance within the context of a fairytale and it becomes much more acceptable. It also contributes to the general feeling of happiness and optimism you get from a fairytale, what with all the magic and love, and bad guys dying horrible deaths.

9. So is actual magic.

via giphy

Fairytales have magic in them. Magic = awesome special effects = fuel for your daydreams about how you’d like to destroy your office and declare yourself the new ruler of the kingdom you just invented.

10. Fairytale logic is completely insane, but also satisfying.

There’s something refreshing about random rules like only being able to stay out until midnight, at which point a coach will become a pumpkin and footmen will become mice, or people who take revenge on others by cursing them or their children in creative ways instead of just killing them. It’s nice to watch movies in which everyone just admits what they want and that they’re not afraid to curse someone to get it.

11. You can never be embarrassed seeing a fairytale movie.

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Basically, any embarrassing aspect of the movie can be written off with the excuse that it’s a fairytale and it brings you back to your childhood. “But I loved this story when I was a kid!” you can say to anyone who questions your viewing choices, and then they’ll feel bad about themselves.

12. There won’t be any singing… but there might be.

There are so many choices these days that you can have whatever you want. Want a movie without singing? There are plenty! Want an adaptation of a Broadway musical? You can have that, too!

13. It helps remind you that crazy, imaginative stories aren’t just for kids.

via giphy

Even adults need their imaginations stimulated once in a while; it’s not all about escapism. Fairytales have so many interpretations, versions and settings that it’s possible to see two different versions of one story and get something completely different out of them. Inspiration can be found in the corniest of places.

14. Modern versions of fairytales usually have powerful heroines.

Unlike many of the older Disney versions, where things usually just happen to someone and she needs a prince to rescue her, modern fairytales at least try for a little empowerment, which is nice.

15. Mythical animals.

via Reddit

Everyone loves dragons.

16. Fairytales make you believe in the impossible.

Post-college life in this economy is mostly the opposite of a fairytale, and it’s pretty easy to get caught up in the work-bills-shattered dreams cycle of figuring out what you want to do with your life, how you can do it, what you’ll do if you can’t do it, and whether you’ll ever be able to afford anything. Fairytales, however implausible and unrealistic they may be, remind you how important it is to believe in things that seem impossible — maybe they actually will be possible someday. (Although you probably still won’t have a dragon.)

The post 16 Reasons Fairytale Movies Are Perfect For Millennials appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Shutterstock

Marijuana: It’s highly debated, and its reputation is often highly embellished in the public eye. Those who hate it demonize it with wild tales of cancer and addiction, while those who love it tell wide-eyed stories of how the Founding Fathers used to smoke it. But are any of these stories true? To make a long story short, no. Here are some of the most prevalent (and colorful) fictions about pot that have circulated their way around the globe since the late 1800s — and in some cases, still persist today.

1. It’s a Gateway Drug

Marijuana is not a gateway drug, says Psychology Today, which notes that alcohol and tobacco are the two most common “drugs of abuse” and that most people begin their substance use with these two — not weed.

2. It Kills Brain Cells

According to MIT’s The Thistle, this myth appeared when an experiment showed structural changes in the brain cells of animals that were exposed to high doses of marijuana. Not only were these results never replicated, but two more studies involving monkeys later showed no evidence of physical brain alteration. Although marijuana can cause temporary short-term memory loss in heavy users, it does not actually destroy brain cells.

3. It Causes Cancer

Smoking weed “regularly and heavily” does not lead to lung cancer; in fact, it may have a protective effect. After a National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded study was completed in 2006, Donald Tashkin of the University of California at Los Angeles told the Washington Post, “We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between marijuana use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use… What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect.”

4. It Will Kill You

The infamous 1936 movie “Reefer Madness” comes right out and calls marijuana a “deadly narcotic.” There have been many rumors over the years about weed overdoses, but as CNN reports, a marijuana overdose is “extremely unlikely” ever to occur, considering that a 160-pound person would need to eat 48 pounds of pot in one sitting to overdose. (And honestly, eating 48 pounds of anything in one sitting sounds like it would probably kill you anyway.)

5. It’ll Make You Crazy

Yes. I remember. Just a young boy… under the influence of drugs… who killed his entire family with an axe.”

– Dr. Carroll, “Reefer Madness”

People (especially the creators of “Reefer Madness”) loved to paint a terrifying picture of pot as an addictive, highly hallucinogenic drug that would drive anyone who even smelled so much of a whiff of it into an insane, blood-soaked rampage in which they would murder small children and innocent puppies. In a 2010 interview with KPBS, Assistant Professor Isaac Campos of the University of Cincinnati stated that in the 1890s and early 1900s, marijuana was “reported to turn users into wild maniacs who would run down the street with a knife and stab everybody in their way.”

6. Lucky Strike Cigarettes Contained Marijuana

In 2006, someone emailed Snopes, saying that they’d heard Lucky Strikes got their name from the occasional bonus joint that would appear in random packs. Unfortunately for those hoping they’d find some free weed in their next pack of cigarettes, Snopes debunked this myth, reporting that Lucky Strikes got their name from the Gold Rush days.

7. Everyone Was Smoking in the ‘60s

College students in the 1960s weren’t quite as pot-crazed as everyone seems to believe. In the spring of 1967, just 5 percent of students surveyed said they’d tried marijuana; by the spring of 1969 that number had risen to 22 percent, but by the fall of 1971, it was a whopping 51 percent, according to the University of Louisiana. Pop culture might make it look like the ‘60s took place in a cloud of marijuana smoke, but apparently people were still quite tentative about smoking at that time.

8. ‘Satanic’ Jazz and Swing Music Existed Because of Marijuana

1937’s Marihuana Tax Act made pot illegal; this act was spearheaded by Harry Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. According to the Gazette, the following quote is attributed to Anslinger as part of his anti-pot propaganda campaign in the ‘30s: “There are 100,000 total marihuana smokers in the United States, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing result from marihuana use.” Unbelievably, it gets even more offensive from there, as Anslinger refers with horror to the possibility that white women under the influence of “marihuana” might be tempted to have “sexual relations” with men of other races.

9. Smoking Weed Makes You a Communist

It’s unlikely that most people actually believed this one, but based on the other propaganda that was believed at the time, who knows? Communism was a pretty big deal in the 1940s and ‘50s, reaching national witch-hunt levels during the era of McCarthyism. The classy Mr. Anslinger, always a consummate professional, declared that “marihuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing,” says the Post-Gazette.

10. Newspaper Magnate William Randolph Hearst Was the Driving Force Behind Marijuana Prohibition

According to popular conspiracy theory, William Randolph Hearst, owner of the San Francisco Examiner and the New York Journal, wanted to stamp out the marijuana business because hemp was in competition for paper. Supposedly, Hearst owned vast tracts of timber that he used to make paper to print his newspaper on, and he didn’t want hemp becoming a viable alternative to wood-based paper. Although it’s a fascinating and plausible-sounding theory, there’s no evidence that it’s true. Skeptoid reports that Hearst didn’t own any timber empire; he paid for the paper his news was printed on. He did own quite a bit of land, but none of it was ever used for lumber harvesting.

Dr. David Musto of Yale University agreed during a 1997 interview with NPR, saying, “There’s no evidence that [these theories] were correct. I think they come from people who can’t believe that you could actually just be against marijuana just because it’s marijuana.”

11. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson Grew Pot

In response to a reader’s question in 2009 that asked if the “ubiquitous” rumor that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson traded marijuana blends with each other, the Straight Dope listed a lot of facts, including the fact that hemp was used for rope, paper and clothing in colonial Virginia and that Washington and Jefferson both attempted to grow hemp on their farms. They also traded hemp seedlings with other farmers. Since hemp, unlike the type of cannabis that is smoked, is low in THC and is not smoked (in fact, it’s not even possible to get high from smoking it), it’s quite unlikely — some might say impossible — that the Founding Fathers were getting blazed on their industrial hemp crops.

The more you know!

The post 11 Myths About Marijuana That People Used To Believe appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

CBS/Big Bang Theory

Change is scary for just about everyone, but some people approach change with more trepidation than others. For some, change is a challenge or an adventure or just something that exists; for people who emphatically do not like change, however, it’s a source of constant anxiety and stupid new things. If the following things are familiar to you, then there’s a chance you might not be comfortable with change and all the stupid new things that it brings.

1. You need to be in control at all times.

Keeping everything the same usually means that you’re always on top of everything. If you carpool to work, for example, and each person drives on a specific day of the week, you always know exactly what to expect. But if someone says they need to switch their day, thereby throwing off your control of the situation, you get anxious, because now that you’re no longer driving on Thursday, anything could happen. You need to be in control, and being in control means always knowing what to expect.

2. You get freaked out by minor events like someone else getting a haircut.

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It’s not even your hair that’s been cut, but it still freaks you out. Your image of that other person has now been changed; they have different hair, which means that things are different. Instead of just complimenting them on their new haircut, you descend into a spiral of self-doubt in which you wonder what else will change as you stand by, powerless to stop it. Clothes? Glasses? Life as we know it? Nothing is too minor to freak out about.

3. You hang onto electronics for years.

You keep dead laptops and unused digital cameras because you’re so used to having them that you can’t stand the thought of throwing them away.

4. Instead of coveting shiny new objects, you treasure the old ones.

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When you get an upgrade for your phone or a brand-new, sleek computer, you actually resent it at first because it’s nothing like your trusty old one. Later, once you’ve finally adjusted, your new phone/computer/whatever is now your trusty old one and the suggestion that you replace it makes you start hissing like Gollum.

5. The thought of failing paralyzes you.

Change means new things, which means the potential for failure. If the thought of failing at anything makes you freeze up, chances are that change will make you freeze up, too, and you’ll probably resist it every step of the way.

6. Website redesigns make you irrationally angry and/or lost.

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How could they do this to you? YOU LIKED THE OLD SITE THE WAY IT WAS. There was nothing wrong with it, but now it’s all ugly and modern and weird. This will ruin the rest of your week… possibly the rest of your month.

7. When you find a shirt or pair of jeans that you like, you buy four. Or five. Or six.

You’ll never be able to find these jeans or this shirt again, but once you’ve worn them for a while, you’ll kick and scream at the thought of having to settle for a different (i.e., inferior) shirt or pair of jeans. Therefore, you need to buy a lifetime supply right now.

8. Breaking your routine makes you feel weird for the entire rest of the day.

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When eating scrambled eggs instead of oatmeal and going to the gym an hour later than usual throws off the whole rhythm of your day, you may have a small problem with change.

9. You make up excuses not to try new things.

A vacation to Europe instead of to the same beach you go to every year? No, thanks; you couldn’t possibly take that much time off work. You also hate security lines at the airport, and it would be too expensive anyway. That’s what you tell people, at least. The reality is that you just don’t want to do something different.

10. New flavors of old foods freak you out.

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Whereas many people would be ecstatic to see the gross/delicious majesty of a new product like, say, Red Velvet Oreos appear on the shelves of their local grocery store, you view it as an unholy abomination. And even if you don’t, you know you’ll never try them because what if you buy them and they suck? Better stick with plain old Oreo-flavored Oreos.

11. You still remember when they changed the color of paper money.

And you still sometimes wonder if orange was really the best choice for the new color scheme, which you still think of as “new” despite the fact that it has existed for over 10 years.

12. When TV shows end, your universe is upended.

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It’s just a TV show… or is it the focal point of 90 percent of your existence? If the death of this TV show leaves a hole in your life and makes you feel like an actual person has just died, change is probably kind of a big deal for you.

13. You don’t like to buy new versions of books.

When your copy of a beloved book starts falling apart and you discover that publishers have changed the book covers that you remember fondly from your childhood, you prefer to spend a productive two to three hours on eBay tracking down the vintage versions to replace your copy instead of just getting a new one at the bookstore.

14. Going to new restaurants makes you anxious.

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What if the new one isn’t as good as the one you always go to? What if it’s a total waste of your time and money? It’s the Oreos problem all over again.

15. You don’t like getting a new driver’s license.

Not just because it’s a pain in the ass, but because you liked your old one. The old one was just fine; why do you need a new one? Why do they make you get a new picture taken? The old picture was way better than the new picture, which totally sucks, just like you knew it would.

16. You spend weeks planning life changes.

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Sometimes it’s necessary to spend weeks planning big life changes, like if you’re seriously considering changing jobs or going back to school. Other times — such as when you’re thinking about changing gyms or buying a new coat — it’s overkill.

The post 16 Signs You’re Not Comfortable With Change appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

Image via Flickr/ Brett Davis

Snowstorms are getting quite the reputation these days. They get labeled as Snowmageddons, snowpocalypses, storms of the century and other made-up words designed to make people hate and fear snow. Unless they’re knocking out your power or causing damage to your home, however, snowstorms are actually pretty awesome. Lest we forget the gifts that winter brings us, here are 20 reasons to appreciate those glorious, blizzardy storms. Don’t forget to wear snowpants!

1. Snow days.

Whether you go to work every day or are still in school, a big snowstorm means you get a snow day. There are few things more glorious than getting to sleep late, not working, not going to class and spending the whole day watching movies and going sledding.

2. Bragging rights.

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You’ll be able to tell your future kids and people who don’t live in the area that you survived the great blizzard. You can describe to them how even though there was 3 feet of snow and hurricane-force winds, you weren’t scared; you’re used to storms. You’re tough. You sneer at snowstorms. In addition, you have the satisfaction of knowing that you can always embellish the storm to make it sound way worse than it was and tell people about how you had to walk 10 miles through the snow uphill just to buy some whale oil for your lamp so you wouldn’t freeze to death.

3. Sweatpants.

Snow days mean sweatpants. You don’t have to put on real pants for the next 24 hours!

4. Pillow forts.

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When there’s so much snow that you physically can’t go outside, you have permission to stay inside and build pillow forts with the pillows from your couch.

5. Emergency rations.

You can spend the whole day consuming things like popcorn, cookies and hot chocolate and justify your actions by claiming that these are your emergency rations. They’re all that you have, and you couldn’t possibly be expected to go to the grocery store and get real food in weather like this.

6. Shoveling.

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Yes, shoveling sucks sometimes, but don’t forget that it also provides you with much-needed exercise. Less than an hour of shoveling is a full-body workout that will make you use muscles you didn’t even know you had, leaving you sore but feeling healthy and strong instead of like a sluggish, flabby couch potato.

7. Down time.

Assuming you’re not experiencing the kind of terrible storm that knocks out your power, damages your roof, floods your basement and buries you under 50-foot drifts of snow, storms can be relaxing. You’re trapped inside and completely unable to do the things you normally do, which means you’re also unable to worry about the things you normally worry about. Big meeting? Not today. Too many classes stressing you out? Not today; today you have literally nothing to do.

8. You’re forced to think outside the box.

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It’s rare to have a completely free day in which you have no obligations, nowhere to be and no deadlines to meet. What do you even do with the gift of a free day? And what if your power goes out? Finding novel activities like snowshoeing or going through old pictures — real, physical photographs — or cleaning out an attic allow you to rediscover old memories or make some unique new ones.

9. You don’t have to drive.

During a bona fide snowstorm, there’s no waffling about whether it’s safe to drive or not: it’s not. No one will think any less of you for being safe and staying inside; there’s a certain kind of relief on those days when everyone agrees that they’re just not going to drive.

10. Naps.

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You’re at home all day! You can nap whenever you want!

11. Chores are totally irrelevant.

What’s that you say? You have a big pile of laundry to do? Well, there’s a huge snowstorm going on right now, so it would be pointless — nay, even irresponsible — to put things in the washing machine when it’s very possible that the power could go out at any minute.

12. You can do all the random things you’ve always wanted to do but never have time for.

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Want to have a Twister marathon? Want to learn to cook in the French style as taught by Julia Child? Want to start learning how to draw? You can do those things during a snowstorm, assuming you have basic life essentials like a Twister mat, a kitchen, pencils and paper.

13. No one’s going outside, so no one’s posting pictures of themselves/their kids/their animals playing in the snow.

For at least one day, you’ll be safe from pictures of people bundled up in parkas and kids bundled up in snowsuits while they throw snow at each other. You can relax in the blissful knowledge that you won’t have to see 500 nearly identical shots of the snow with captions like, “OMG so much snow!” or “So beautiful” or “I’m so blessed to have such a wonderful family.”

14. It’s actually pretty beautiful.

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Facebook and Instagram photos aside, a landscape coated in a magical white blanket of snow is usually a lot prettier than a slushy, gray, wet landscape coated in a mixture of salt, dirt, slush and dog pee. Snowstorms can be very peaceful and calming, and taking a walk in the snow after the storm is over is a great way to appreciate winter.

15. You get to wear snow boots.

Come on. Don’t pretend that snow boots aren’t awesome. Don’t pretend you’re too cool to wear boots. Just embrace it and be the most fashionably snow-booted person on your block.

16. Animals either love to prance through snow or are really confused by it.

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If you have a cat or dog, chances are that they’ll spend a large chunk of time floundering adorably through the snow, eating snow, rolling in snow and generally having the best time of their lives. If they don’t like it, it’ll still be entertaining to watch them try to figure out what it is, why it’s so cold and how they can walk in it without getting any of it on their paws.

17. Snowflakes are literally special, unique, perfect snowflakes.

They’re amazingly complex and beautiful, and it’s probably true that no two are alike.

18. It creates a surface for skiing and snowboarding.

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If you’re into winter sports, you probably love storms because they create real snow, allowing you to enjoy the slopes to their fullest.

19. You can act like a kid.

When the snow lets up, you can sled, tube and slide down hills to your heart’s content. You can make snow angels or even the dorkiest snowman ever, complete with hat, scarf and carrot nose. Everyone does it after a snowstorm. Everyone.

20. Once the storm is over, you get to complain about it.

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“Can you believe how much snow we had? My car was buried! My house was buried! I spent 12 hours digging myself out and I’m still not done!” “My apartment is buried under a glacier! I can’t believe I had to miss school yesterday; that storm messed up my entire week.”

… but secretly, you’re glad that it messed up your week.

The post 20 Reasons To Be Grateful For Snowstorms appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

NBC/Parks And Recreation

The late 20s are to the early 20s what the early 20s are to the teens: a time when you wonder what you were thinking most of the time and why you ever wore those jeans. Once your age starts to creep up past the 25 mark, you’ll start to see the slow, subtle decline of giving a crap about anything and the slow, less subtle increase in embracing your inner weirdo. Here are 20 thoughts you might be having if you’ve recently joined the club of late-20-somethings.

1. Is Netflix getting rid of one of my shows??!!

via We Heart It

Doesn’t Netflix realize that you’re emotionally invested in this show? What does it expect you to do, buy DVDs? What will you watch before you go to bed every night? Your whole world has been turned upside down.

2. I don’t want to look at my 401(k).

How’s it doing? Is it getting bigger? Smaller? If it’s actually growing, is it growing fast enough or will you end up living in a cardboard box under a bridge during your retirement?

3. What? A set of OXO pop storage containers for only $39.99? Sign me up!

The level of excitement induced by a good deal on high-quality storage containers is almost unseemly when most of your kitchen supplies have either been scavenged from your parents’ house or bought at Walmart.

4. Oh God, is that someone I went to high school with?

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Running into people from high school is no longer commonplace now that you’re not in college and constantly coming back home for holiday and summer breaks. Now you either live and work in the same area you grew up in — in which case you’re desperate to avoid people you went to school with so they won’t know you still live in the same area you grew up in — or you live farther away and only come back about once a year, in which case you’re desperate to avoid awkward eye contact with someone you’re not sure that you actually recognize, who may or may not actually recognize you.

5. Oh hey, I have a credit score.

Not only do you know what that score is, you also realize that you’re going to need it someday if you ever want to do anything like buy a house.

6. What will happen to my brain when I stop getting carded?

Will all your confidence whoosh out of you like a deflating balloon? Will it be oddly gratifying that the person not carding you can see that you’re a mature adult and not a teenager? Will you actually care, or will it not be a big deal until you realize your mid-life crisis is only about 10 years away?

7. I wonder what technology will be like in the future.

Seeing children with iPhones makes you realize that they are the future, and their technology will not be the same as the technology you use now. Phones are already getting weirdly big; soon they could be flexible. There are probably at least 50 apps out there that you’ve never heard of, and some of the ones you have heard of are apps that you could never fathom using, like Lyft. Seriously, riding in a car with a stranger? What has society come to? This makes you wonder what other weird crap the future will come up with and what kinds of technology will exist that you won’t understand when you’re 50.

8. There’s some kind of conspiracy going on here.

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No one told you about all the things you’d have to deal with in your 20s. You had no idea things would be this expensive and that you’d have to constantly part with your precious money just to pay for things you don’t actually want, like health insurance and car maintenance. You also didn’t know you could be this age and still have no idea what you’re doing or what you want to do with your future. Why didn’t anyone tell you that people don’t magically have things figured out after age 25?

9. I wish I didn’t know how bad for me these ingredients are.

When you were a fresh, dewy-eyed, naïve 20-year-old, you had no problem eating microwave cake. Even though it made you feel like death afterward, it tasted good! (Well, it tasted OK.) Now you look at the list of ingredients and feel like death without even eating the cake.

10. If I don’t make it to the grocery store before the rush hour rush, I will murder everyone in the store.

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You need some goddamn sweet potatoes and some goddamn lentils, and if anyone gets in your way or makes you to wait in line for more than 10 minutes, you will not hesitate to do terrible things. Terrible, terrible things.

11. Gaahhhh they don’t make [insert object here] anymore!

You always knew this day would come. Whether it’s a favorite beverage, a model of smartphone, a style of sneakers or some other random thing, that thing you love is now a thing of the past. You are now one of those people who will constantly say, “Hey, remember when they used to make that thing? That was so much better than the junk they have now.”

12. I totally missed that trend, and I don’t care.

What once would have sent you into spasms of agony now barely gets a “meh.”

13. I’m either smarter or dumber than I was in college, but I can’t tell which.

You feel like if you were in college now, you’d totally ace all those classes you didn’t ace the first time around, either because you’d apply yourself more or because you’ve finally reached a new level of understanding in which your thoughts all cohere and you have a more multi-faceted, mature perspective of the world. Then you look at one of your old math exams and it looks like it’s actually in another language.

14. I haven’t heard this song before and I don’t know who the singer is.

The awesome thing about this is that just like the trends that seem to be coming and going faster and faster, you don’t care.

15. I don’t want to do fun things if it involves going outside when it’s cold… or when it’s hot.

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You’ve searched your soul and discovered that you’re actually fine with not doing things if it means that you can sit inside in your pajama pants and eat/watch TV instead of bundling up and packing your pockets with two boxes of tissues for a ski trip or slathering yourself in sunscreen and bug spray that you will immediately sweat off during a summer hike.

16. For some reason, my hair looks good in all styles.

It never did this before. Have you hit some miraculous age plateau where your hair has finally decided to cooperate and look normal at all times and in all positions? Has your face changed shape? Does your hair have a new, sleek, late 20s texture? Or this yet another example of you caring less and less about things and just not flipping out about how your hair looks all the time?

17. I could still be an astronaut if I really put my nose to the grindstone.

Everyone contemplates the mid-career change before they’ve even really had a career, and everyone flails around trying to fulfill their childhood dreams in totally unrealistic ways for a little while. Or at least they daydream about it.

18. This would look great in my future house.

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You constantly have your future house in the back of your mind, even if you’ve still barely moved into your first adult apartment. Maybe you’ve even contemplated what kind of fruit trees you’re going to have in the backyard and how many solar panels you’ll install. Everyone on your future street will be jealous of how eco-friendly and technology-forward you are.

19. Maybe I should look into one of those standing desk things.

In your late 20s, you’ve probably finally started to realize just how much sitting you’re going to do as an adult. Your ass cheeks will be crying out for less chair time, and you’ll give it serious consideration.

20. I hate people, but in a less bitter way.

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Your teens and early 20s were probably all about angsty hatred masked with sarcasm. Your late 20s, you have come to realize, are about collectively hating humanity for horrible things like war, sexual assault, starvation, pollution and global warming, but individually liking a lot of people.

The post 20 Weird Things People Think When They Reach Their Late 20s appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.

NBC/The Office

Procrastinators have it rough. To a procrastinator, every day presents a to-do list that will never go away; a procrastinator’s very existence is plagued by a never-ending catalog of things they need to get done and stuff that will have to wait until tomorrow. Even a regular day is a struggle for procrastinators, who have to face the following grave, life-or-death decisions each and every day.

1. When to get up.

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Alarms have little to no meaning for procrastinators. It’s not so much when the alarm goes off in the morning as it is how long it’s been since the alarm went off and how much longer you can get away with staying in bed.

2. What to do first.

You definitely have some work to do, but do you really want to start it now? It’s so early and you just don’t quite feel in the groove yet. Maybe you should put it off until later and get something else done now… except then you’ll have to do it later. Maybe you just shouldn’t do anything.

3. When to go to the bathroom.

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You kind of have to pee now, but you can always wait a little longer. If you get up now, your concentration will be broken and you’ll never be able to decide which project you should tackle first, even though it’s been three hours and you really should figure out what you’re doing with your day.

4. What to do after you’ve gotten back from the bathroom.

Now that you’ve gotten up, you feel like you should take a break. All this sitting isn’t healthy, anyway, and you’re clearly not going to start anything anytime soon. Maybe taking a break will help you focus and summon the energy to get something done.

5. Should you give in to your routine or ignore the routine and get a head start?

You really should just sit down and get things done, but you won’t be able to concentrate if you don’t check all your regular news sites and your multiple emails, then spend at least an hour on Facebook. Do you try to force yourself into working or do you give in to your urges and spend some time catching up with the Internet?

6. Whether you should take a nap.

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Maybe you’re not feeling motivated because you’re still tired. Taking a quick nap will re-energize you and make you ready to seize the day! Just half an hour… or maybe an hour would be better. A short two-hour nap and you’ll be good to go.

7. Whether it’s time for another snack.

Food gives you energy. You need energy, therefore you must need food. And you clearly need it in the form of an elaborate snack that will take 15-45 minutes to prepare and consume.

8. How many lists you should make.

Lists will help you organize your day. First make a checklist of everything you need to do today, then make a sub-checklist for each item. If you list things you’ve already done, like eating breakfast and brushing your teeth, you can cross off a few items and feel like you’ve already had a productive day.

9. If you should check Facebook/Twitter/Instagram one more time.

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You’ve already checked each one about four times, but you still feel unsatisfied. What if something huge has happened since the last time you checked?

10. To coffee or not to coffee.

If you drink coffee, perhaps that will provide the physical and mental boost you need to stop procrastinating and actually get something done already. On the other hand, by the time you’ve gotten up, made coffee, prepared it exactly to your liking and started drinking it, your concentration will be totally destroyed. In an hour, you’ll be exactly where you were before, except now you’ll be overly caffeinated.

11. Whether cleaning is a legitimate excuse for not doing anything else.

Your day can’t really be wasted if you’ve cleaned things, right? If you work in an office, sometimes the most important decision of the day is whether to get some work done or totally ignore that work in favor of dusting your cubicle, wiping it down with antibacterial wipes, spraying your keyboard with compressed air and recycling a whole bunch of useless papers that were really bothering you. If you work from home or have schoolwork to do, your options are even broader: laundry, dishes, vacuuming, organizing… a whole world of domestic cleanliness is within your grasp, and no one can tell you that it’s a waste of time. Although if you decide to clean, you’ll probably just end up putting that off, too.

12. Netflix.

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You’ve got a huge project/paper/exam due tomorrow, but you have the entire night to do it/write it/study for it and your computer is just sitting there, begging you to use it to watch stuff on. Your Netflix queue is loaded and — oh shit, they’re taking away two of the movies you wanted to watch. Maybe you should watch them; technically you’re being productive, since you’re watching movies that will no longer be available in two weeks. You’re buckling down and getting things done.

13. If you should ever research anything again during your lifetime…

… because you know that within 10 minutes of when you started looking things up, you will be so far down a Wikipedia hole that there’s no coming back. Even when you start out with the best of intentions, you’ll end up reading up on the different species of tortoises and looking on Amazon for tortoise terrariums.

14. Do you work out now or later?

Getting it done now makes you feel like you’re putting off your other work, but if you put off exercising until later, there’s a good chance you just won’t do it at all.

15. How many Food Network shows you’re able to cram into one day.

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This is extremely important. If you’re going to procrastinate, you’re going to do it right, and if doing it right means watching 12 episodes of “The Barefoot Contessa” followed by at least three hours of “Chopped,” then damn it, you’ll make that sacrifice. Someone has to find out what Ina is making for Jeffrey this weekend!

16. Whether you should commiserate with a friend or not.

If you text someone in an attempt to get them to motivate you, you might just end up texting each other for the next two hours.

17. How much work you can put off until tomorrow.

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Even if today was a total loss, it’s OK; there’s always tomorrow. Tomorrow, you’ll magically get everything done that you were supposed to do today in addition to all the work you have to do tomorrow — and maybe you’ll even get a head start on the next day’s work. Either that, or you’ll procrastinate some more.

The post 17 Monumental Decisions Procrastinators Face Every Day appeared first on Wall Street Insanity.