8 tips for finding the right thing to say in a difficult situation

I often feel like I don’t know the right thing to say. I’ll be desperate to find the right words, but in a tough situation, I just don’t know what to say to make a person feel better. I often find myself switching the topic of the conversation -- so quickly that I've changed it before I realize what I've done.
8 tips for finding the right thing to say in a difficult situation

A Do-It-Yourself Guide to a Romantic and Highly Frugal Date Night

I’ve been collecting ideas and tips for a while and I’ve come up with some fairly modular options for coming up with a frugal romantic date. Choose one option from the “Dinner” section and the “Entertainment” section and then top it off with one item from the “Follow-Up” section.
A Do-It-Yourself Guide to a Romantic and Highly Frugal Date Night

The 10 Things I Won’t Give Up Just To Save Money

Times are tough and they may be getting tougher as inflation and unemployment rates rise. There are 10 things that I could cut out of my expenses to save money right now but these measures will likely cause my earning power to shrink and my cost of living to rise in the long term.
The 10 Things I Won’t Give Up Just To Save Money

New in Labs: Stop sending mail you later regret

Sometimes I send messages I shouldn't send. Like the time I told that girl I had a crush on her over text message. Or the time I sent that late night email to my ex-girlfriend that we should get back together. Gmail can't always prevent you from sending messages you might later regret, but today we're launching a new Labs feature I wrote called Mail Goggles which may help.
New in Labs: Stop sending mail you later regret

Critic’s Notebook - Old Gender Roles With Your Dinner?

To Jenny Moon, the whole business of giving menus to women before men, taking orders from women before men and clearing women’s plates first just didn’t make sense, not in the East Village in 2008.
Critic’s Notebook - Old Gender Roles With Your Dinner?

How to Save Money on Your Wedding: ASK!

Eight people from the wedding industry had gathered to swap hints, tips, and stories. They talked about networking, about wedding expos, and about dealing with problem customers. They also talked about some of the financial aspects of their business.
How to Save Money on Your Wedding: ASK!

Airport shoe-scanner device could prevent stupid shoe-removal ritual

Could this be what we've all been waiting for? Israel's Ben-Gurion International has added a gizmo called MagShoe to its security checkpoints in Terminal 3, meaning some passengers will be able to leave their shoes on.
Airport shoe-scanner device could prevent stupid shoe-removal ritual

UK to install clusters of cameras to catch speeders

The UK is going to install camera clusters on hundreds of roads next year to "monitor drivers’ average speed on all routes across a wide area."
UK to install clusters of cameras to catch speeders

Hosting Overnight Guests: 10 Easy Tips To Help Your Visitors Feel Welcome

As you’re reading this, we are hosting out-of-town guests in our home for a few days. Some people where we live kindly refer to us as a “bed and breakfast” because we have so many guests pass through our hallways - and we love it.
Hosting Overnight Guests: 10 Easy Tips To Help Your Visitors Feel Welcome

24 Words the CED Want to Exuviate (Shed)

Here are a list of words the Collins English Dictionary want to discard to make room for up to 2,000 new entries.
24 Words the CED Want to Exuviate (Shed)

9 Signs You Need to Fire Your Financial Planner

In tough economic times, financial planners are on the front lines. They are the gateway to investment returns when the markets are good, and are the buffer against financial disaster when the markets are bad.
9 Signs You Need to Fire Your Financial Planner

Forged Elvis Passport Accepted By Airport Security

A group of hackers has released a video showing a forged Elvis Presley passport - the RFID-protected kind that can be scanned by computers - being run through and accepted by a Dutch airport security machine.
Forged Elvis Passport Accepted By Airport Security

Retirement Plans in a Down Stock Market

Stocks are inherently a risky investment. If you look at the long term history of the stock market, there are a lot of years where the stock market goes up 15 to 20% in a year. There are also a lot of years where the stock market drops 20% in a year. Over the very long haul, these average out - that’s why holding a broad range of stocks (like in an index fund) is a good idea if you’re investing for the far future.
Retirement Plans in a Down Stock Market

To improve your marriage -- be quiet

Forget everything you've heard about frankness, sharing your feelings, getting him to express his. New research into the male mind makes it clear that discussion may be the fastest way to shut down communication. (Oh, you noticed that, have you?)
To improve your marriage -- be quiet

OUP UK’s Word of the Year is…

Drum roll please! Today sees the announcement of OUP UK’s Word of the Year, as chosen by Countdown’s Susie Dent. And, perhaps unsurprisingly given what is going on in the world’s economy at the moment, that word is....
OUP UK’s Word of the Year is…

Go ogle Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on Google Maps!

Although there’s no “Reef View” to rival the Street View on Google Maps, a bird’s-eye view of the Great Barrier Reef using new map data and satellite imagery is now available for anyone to go ogle!
Go ogle Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on Google Maps!

Make Your Clothes Last Longer (without spending big)

With everyone trying to stretch their dollars further these days, it makes sense to take care of the things we have, rather than buy replacements. This goes for clothing as much as anything else we own and use on a daily basis.
Make Your Clothes Last Longer (without spending big)

Google 2001

In honor of our 10th birthday, we've brought back our oldest available index. Take a look back at Google in January 2001. (hmmm Google is such a pup, The Black Stump is over 13 years old!)
Google 2001

12 Greek Words You Should Know

Along with Latin, Greek is probably the language that most influenced other languages around the world. Many English words derive directly from Greek ones, and knowing their origin and meaning is important.
12 Greek Words You Should Know

Warren Buffett’s Ten Secrets to Wealth and Life

Warren Buffett is the richest man in the world, yet his reputation for frugality, folksy wisdom, and straight talk make him seem like just a regular guy, like he might be the billionaire next door.
Warren Buffett’s Ten Secrets to Wealth and Life