It’s Halloween week, and I love a proper, watch-through-your-fingers, bum-clenching horror film.

Which can be a slight social hazard whenever someone asks, “Seen anything good lately?”

“YES! (Insert latest zombie massacre…or the news).”

"Oh... I hate horror. Can't stand it."

Tumbleweed.
Body count: one conversation.
Dead on arrival.

The temptation, as your brain screams, “WHAT?!” is to recruit them to the cult: defend the genre, recommend five classics, and explain the cinematic nuance of a chainsaw.
The amateur move. (I did it for years.)
Nothing ends a conversation faster than aggressively defending fictional murder.

Now, I Dig or Ditch (less alarming than it sounds).

🪏 DIG: Try another angle.

"What don't you like about it?"

"It’s scary."
Fair enough.
(Bit of a design flaw in the genre, admittedly).

"Was there a film that put you off?"

If they start describing childhood trauma involving The Exorcist and a sofa cushion, brilliant! Follow that thread.

If all you get is "Just not my thing"...

⚰️ DITCH: Avoid the autopsy

"Fair enough. What do you like watching?"

Let them choose.

The topic gets killed off, but the conversation survives.

And you can leave the chainsaw at home.

💡 PRO TIP: Works on any topic that glazes eyes: cricket, crypto, craft beer…

⛔ DON'T SAY: “You just don't get it.”
(Clearly, you don’t get people).

“Horror films don't create fear. They release it.”
(Wes Craven, American film director, 1939-2015)

👇 Answer at the end

Turn headlines into talking points.

My one-year-old dachshund has a limited skill tree.
Sleep, bark at nothing, chew socks and lie in the sun like a retired mafia boss.

Hardly SEAL Team Six material.

Warhound might change that.

The $200 million start-up, conceived by the founders of Colossal Biosciences (yes, the 'dire wolf' crowd) and tech-defence Anduril (named after a Lord of the Rings sword), has a mission:

Genetically enhanced military dogs.
(Total 1980s Jean-Claude Van Damme vibe).

Warhound's plan:

First puppies expected in 2027.
(Good luck explaining that pedigree down the dog park).

The CIA is funding it, while American Humane is advising on animal welfare.

Ethical questions? A kennel full.
But if the technology eventually reaches ordinary pets, what's next?

Karate-kicking cats? Budgies with bomb loads?

The real money is probably pet longevity.

More time for my dachshund to do absolutely nothing.

💬 FOLLOW-UP: "If you could genetically upgrade any animal, what would you change?"

⛔ DON'T SAY: "I need to get me one of those!" (Bit of a red flag.)

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Oct. 28th is National Chocolate Day.

Even $200 million genetically enhanced warhounds can’t eat the stuff.
It’s toxic to dogs.
(Give them time.)

Meanwhile, kids will spend Halloween hoovering it up until they feel sick.
(Well, kids and me).

Some tasty chocolate trivia for your next coffee break:

💡 PRO TIP: Chocolate is easy international conversation fuel. Ask about unusual local flavours.

💬 FOLLOW-UP: "What's the strangest chocolate flavour you've ever tried?"

⛔ DON'T SAY: "White chocolate isn't real chocolate!"
(Hello chocolate police.)

Remember looksmaxxing from issue #59?

Well, maxxing is now officially Dictionary.com's 2026 Word of the Year.

Meaning? Taking something to the extreme, or optimising it to death.

Just add ‘-maxxing’ to almost anything.

Sleepmaxxing: Optimising your sleep (exhausting.)
Dogmaxxing: Warhound's genetically enhanced superdogs.
Chocmaxxing: Halloween kids pushing their blood sugar into orbit.
Sockmaxxing: My dachshund's lifelong mission.

It’s the ultimate plug-and-play slang suffix.

💬 FOLLOW-UP: "What are you maxxing at the moment?"

Genetically enhanced Warhounds?
Bah! We want dystopian futuremaxxing.

Meet Unitree's H2-X: Kung Fu Legend Guardian bot.

Backflips, kung-fu kicks, smashes cars (??) and stops knife attacks.

It even ‘rescues’ a child dummy from a car... by launching it across the pavement.

So, no safetymaxxing, then.

💬 FOLLOW-UP: Robot bodyguard or genetically enhanced dog — which would you trust to guard your home?

Anthropic (the people behind Claude) filed for what could be the biggest IPO in history this week. Potential valuation? A ridiculous $2 trillion.

Meanwhile, I joined Claude Code Club, a private community of people building with Claude Code, and I’m learning loads.

If you're curious about building things with AI, have a look here.

Full disclosure: That's an affiliate link. I earn 30% if you join.
(Sadly, not 30% of the IPO.)

For when your brain needs a biscuit.

Jack Nicholson plays a struggling writer whose winter caretaker job at an isolated hotel turns into a family holiday from hell.

💬 YOUR TURN: What’s the scariest film you’ve seen?

A) 🎸 Never! Keep it coming. (44%)
B) 🥱 Love the music, exhausted by the brand (22%)
C) 🙄 Yes. Let it be. Please. (28%)
D) 🤷 Beatles? Not my thing (6%)

💬 Your Two Cents

S: The Beatles are the exception to the “too much of a good thing” rule

A: Never! You should see how many times we've taken visitors on our own personalised Beatles tour around Liverpool. It's crazy how many people request it… Oh, and it's definitely three geniuses, not two.

S: Blow hot and cold…But wouldn’t be without it. McCartney is cracking on in age so perhaps trying to rinse as much value from it while can?

A: Four films? Will anyone watch Ringo's?

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Let me know what you think.
I’ll reply to every single comment.
Pinky swear ;)

Alex

P.S. Ever get stuck starting a conversation?
My guide Kill Awkward Silence has 21 openers that work.
Take a look →