Two articles in today’s Wall Street Journal caught my eye. (Unfortunately I can’t link to either article because WSJ’s website is subscription only.)
The first article discusses changes in the “Ferberizing” and William Sears’ attachment method. Ferberizing involves letting a baby cry, without any comforting, so long as the baby is dry and fed. The attachment method involves always responding instantly to the baby’s cries, even if that means never getting any sleep. The big surprise: advocates of both methods now acknowledge that a balanced approach is better than either extreme. Yes, the common sense of the gazillions of moms and dads who came and went long before Ferber and Sears prevails. Duh.
The second “duh” article involved how to determine whether an online purchase will be subject to state sales tax. The writer suggests first Googling the selling company to determine whether they have offices in your state that might subject them to local sales tax. After that, the article says, try a “purchase run-through” by hitting the “checkout” button. Again, duh! Why bother with all that Googling, which is likely to get you mired in links about arcane state tax law issues. Go right to the “checkout” button. If you see sales tax listed, you’re paying it, and if you don’t want to pay, don’t confirm the purchase. Unless you find state tax law inherently interesting, in which case you probably need to take an Ambien and get a good night’s sleep.