Turn headlines into talking points

War… huh… What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing.
(Unless you sell oil, gold… or missiles.)

America's back in the Middle East. Again.
(Like an obsessed ex who swore they'd moved on, but just… can't.)

As Operation Epic Fury (Epstein? Who?) drags them back in, the latest beneficiaries aren't just the insider traders on Polymarket.
(Named Eric, or Baron, by any chance?)

It's AI.

Anthropic – the people behind Claude (my personal fave) – refused to let their models be used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons against Americans.
(Human-controlled? Foreign people? Apparently fine.)

Trump's furious response?
The White House labelled them "a supply chain risk to national security."
Same category as the crafty Chinese spies (allegedly), Huawei.

Result?

#1 on the Apple App Store (despite Katy Perry's endorsement).

Trump ordered agencies to CEASE IMMEDIATELY (always with the caps).
Then quietly added… “within six months.”
Classic TACO move. Rage first, negotiate later.
(While the CIA begs not to switch to Microsoft Copilot.)

But skip talking about the politics and focus on this:

The most powerful military in history is using a $20-a-month AI to help select bombing targets.
Not some secret Pentagon alien-tech supercomputer (TBA…)
The same one you use to draft emails…or ask about that weird rash on your foot.

Like we talked about last week:

AI isn't optional in conversation anymore. It isn't just a tech story.

It's a war story.

And the bombs are already dropping.

Spare a thought for world leaders.
Negotiating with someone whose ego fills the entire room must be exhausting.

My youngest daughter is nine and already has a similar strategy.
She refuses to apologise first. Ever.

Someone else must go first — preferably while she stands there sulking, crying… or both. (Impressive range, if I’m being honest.)

Drives everyone in this house insane.

The funny thing? A lot of adults never grow out of this.

Politics. Families. Group chats. Offices. (Especially the Oval.)

Psychologists call them “high-conflict personalities.”
People who run entirely on ego fuel.

They demand apologies for your perfectly reasonable behaviour…but would rather combust than offer one themselves. (Ringing any bells?)

High ego. Low accountability (yet endless stamina.)

So what actually works?

Stop waiting for them to admit fault. (Not happening.)
Stop apologising just to keep the peace. (It won’t.)

Instead, try my E.G.O. Method:

It avoids the ego battle and moves the conversation toward solutions, not blame.

Will it fix every conflict? No.
But it often removes the oxygen from an ego fire.

And sometimes… that's enough.

💬 FOLLOW-UP: “Who’s the most ego-driven person you’ve ever had to deal with?” (Dare you say it out loud?)

⛔ DON'T SAY: "I think you owe me an apology." (You'll be waiting. Bring snacks.)

Forced to apologise? You’re eating humble pie.

But humble was originally “umble” — the offal of a deer. 🦌
In medieval England, servants ate umble pie while the lords feasted on prime cuts (not much has changed then).

Over time, umble became humble.

Turns out swallowing your pride has always taken a bit of guts.

“Big egos have little ears.”
(Robert Schuller, motivational speaker, 1926-2015)

👇 Answer at the end

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Need a break from difficult people?
Tokyo has a solution.

A new "coffin relaxation salon" is inviting visitors to climb into pastel-coloured coffins and spend 30 minutes contemplating mortality.

Yes. Really (Japan can make anything cute…even death.)

The idea comes from Japanese meditation practice: confront death for a moment… and life looks considerably better when you climb back out.
Open or closed coffin. Music or silence. Images projected on the lid.
(Time to think inside the box…)

Price of enlightenment? ¥2,000.
(About $13/£10. Less than your hotel cocktail).

Fans say it's energizing. Critics may say it's unsettling.
Both are right, and that's exactly why it works as conversation fuel.
Because wellness crazes never stop evolving.

Sound baths. Goat yoga. Scream therapy.
Now: coffin time.

Everyone will have an opinion on this one.

And if the conversation gets awkward… well, at least you know where to lie down.

💡 PRO TIP: Weird trends make great small talk. Try: "What's the strangest wellness craze you've seen?"

💬 FOLLOW-UP: "Would you try coffin meditation?” (Silence? Give your answer first.)

⛔ DON'T SAY: "I bought one for my house." (Some things are best kept to yourself.)

A software engineer accidentally gained access to live camera feeds, microphone audio, and home floor plans from 7,000 robot vacuums across 24 countries.

He just wanted to drive one with a PlayStation controller.
(Guess he got tired of waiting for GTA 6.)

Millions of Chinese-made robots quietly mapping homes worldwide.
Convenient cleaning… or the world’s tidiest surveillance network?

💬 FOLLOW-UP: "Would you trust a robot vacuum in your home?"

Will Ferrell as a 1970s San Diego news anchor with perfect hair, a glass of scotch… and absolutely no self-awareness. When an ambitious female reporter joins, his ego takes a direct hit.

💬 YOUR TURN: What’s your favourite line from a comedy? Let me know!

A) 🧍 Humans still on top – 20%
B) 🤖 AI runs the economy – 7%
C) 💼 Humans + AI hybrid world - 60%
D) 🐻 Should’ve chosen the bear – 13%

💬 Your Two Cents

B: “Really difficult to know how this one will play out…Go Humans!”
M: “A very few humans and AI hybrid; the big seven sinners who have control of the AI platforms!”
S: “Like the bear analogy👍”

FPL?! Don’t know what you’re talking about…

That's it for #60

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