David Lidsky's Blog, page 283

Why teens engage in deadly social media challenges like the ‘choking game’

The ‘skull breaker challenge,’ the ‘Tide Pod challenge,’ and car surfing are but a few of the deadly games popularized through social media.

The “choking game” has potentially deadly consequences, as players are challenged to temporarily strangle themselves by restricting oxygen to the brain. It sounds terrifying, but rough estimates suggest that about 10% of U.S. teenagers may have played this type of game at least once.

Forget greatness. Manage your time like a lazy genius

The goal of excellent time management shouldn’t be to achieve maximum productivity and perfection. That approach is a recipe for fleeting satisfaction amid anxiety and shame.

Kendra Adachi is the host of The Lazy Genius Podcast and the New York Times bestselling author of two books, The Lazy Genius Way and The Lazy Genius Kitchen.

3 new Mac menu bar shortcuts will make you even more productive in 2025

Quicker, easier ways to access passwords, maintain focus, and look stuff up.

Anyone using a Mac in the workplace knows it’s a productivity powerhouse. Not only do Macs run business staples like Microsoft Office and Google’s suite of online software but, thanks to Apple Silicon chips, modern Macs are absolute workhorses capable of driving advanced design, media creation, and scientific apps with ease.

Image Architect Law Roach takes our career questionnaire

In November, Law Roach unveiled his new educational initiative, School of Style.

As a stylist, Law Roach has helped stars like Zendaya, Celine Dion, and Anya Taylor-Joy stand out on the red carpet, dressing them in his signature mix of haute couture and vintage finds from designers such as Bob Mackie. Roach is also the author of How to Build a Fashion Icon, a guide to developing personal style. After announcing his retirement from day-to-day styling on Instagram in 2023, he launched School of Style, an educational program intended to help new stylists build a portfolio and get a foothold in the industry.

No shipping needed: 5 last-minute gift ideas you can deliver now

Just because you forgot to buy something special for the holidays doesn’t mean they need to know you forgot.

Shipping deadlines? Checkout lines? Traffic? Christmas morning panic? Amateur hour—all of them.

Party City wraps up 40 years in business, will close all locations imminently

The festive-goods supplier has struggled with changing consumer habits as Americans cut spending amid high inflation.

The party is over for Party City, which is closing all its stores and going out of business after 40 years of supplying balloons, cups, candles, and tableware for everything from birthday and anniversary parties to Halloween and Super Bowl celebrations. The New Jersey-based retailer is the largest party supply store in the U.S., with more than 800 locations.

Trump threatens the EU with tariffs if they don’t buy more U.S. oil and gas

The EU already buys the lion’s share of U.S. oil and gas exports.

President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday that the European Union may face tariffs if the bloc does not cut its growing deficit with the United States by making large oil and gas trades with the world’s largest economy.

Sexism could put women at higher risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia, says study

According to new research from Columbia University, gender inequality may be even more harmful to women’s mental health than previously thought.

We already know sexism is bad for women’s paychecks, as women are paid 84% of what men are paid, on average. We also know it’s historically been bad for women’s mental health. But now, we’re learning that it could be harmful in ways we hadn’t even realized.

Farmers, wildfire and hurricane victims, and others wait for Congress to approve $100 billion in disaster aid

About $21 billion of the disaster aid in the earlier version of the spending bill was assistance for farmers.

American farmers, small business owners and wildfire survivors are among those who will suffer if Congress cannot agree on a new spending bill after President-elect Donald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan that included more than $100 billion in disaster aid.

Tesla’s 15th recall of 2024 hits 700,000 Cybertruck, Model 3, and Model Y Owners

A faulty tire pressure warning light is the latest in a series of recalls for the Elon Musk–led automaker.

Tesla is issuing a major recall on nearly 700,000 vehicles, including its 2024 Cybertruck.