An irregular round-up of interesting reads.  Most of these made me go "hmmmmm," none of them imply concurrence:

Quote of the Day:
"In short, there’s nothing inherently corrupting about market forces determining prices. In fact, paying your way is dignifying." - Deirdre McCloskey

• How to understand the well-being gap between liberals and conservatives.
• A review of 1,500 government regulations to reduce emissions finds that less than 5% of them do. A 95% failure rate is not a positive testament to the intellect of the state. 
• Meanwhile, the curvilinear relationship between conspiracy mentalities and political affiliation is studied.
• Falsified scientific research papers don’t just undermine trust in “science” but also cost lives – hundreds of thousands!  Or more aptly titled, "When 'Science' kills..."
• Memento Mori!  Compare your life expectancy with everyone else on the planet:
• How long would it take to read the greatest books?  And why would want to go through life without doing so?
• New study confirms that government regulations disrupted the “supply chain.”
• Reflections on how “price gouging” regulations fail and hurt the vulnerable.

Adapted from Red, White & Verse, my poem about the Great Lakes, "The Five Sisters," is my first musical release. Enjoy the lyrics adapted from my poem, with the score and vocals rendered by software.  

It was an honor to join Jim Holcomb and the Michigan Chamber's podcast, MI Business Matters, to discuss Red, White & Verse. 

What is this ancient impulse gifts impart,
To crowds, currying favor, hearts to sway?
Did not the Gracchi brother’s wealth depart,
Spreading it wide to gain power’s bright array?
Did Cleopatra not her rivals thwart,
Robbing the few, the many’s needs to lay?
Such deeds of old, how echoes still remain,
In time’s vast stretch, this urge we can’t restrain.

What is this timeless urge, these rallying cries,
Against the elites, the masses to incite?
Did Cleisthenes not from high ranks arise,
Bringing down nobles, wielding his own might?
Did Jan Žižka, with peasant voices wise,
Challenge the enterprising, stir the fight?
So Socrates might ask, with wisdom keen,
Are these not truths we’ve ever plainly seen?

Order here:  ​https://amzn.to/4cwMD3v

An irregular round-up of interesting reads.  Most of these made me go "hmmmmm," none of them imply concurrence:
 
Quote of the Day:
“The conception of freedom under the law … rests on the contention that when we obey laws, in the sense of general abstract rules laid down irrespective of their application to us, we are not subject to another man’s will and are therefore free. It is because the lawgiver does not know the particular cases to which his rules will apply, and it is because the judge who applies them has no choice in drawing the conclusions that follow from the existing body of rules and the particular facts of the case, that it can be said that laws and not men rule.” – F.A. Hayek

• The debate over personality traits rages on with new research suggesting that heritable rates of personality are higher than previously reported.
• A new study challenges the safety of psychedelic therapies.
• The case against left turns.
• Research suggests a correlation between IQ and earnings.
• More evidence that seeding young people with mental health challenges as an identity yields poor outcomes.
• Oh, the irony: GPT-4 beats psychologists on tests of social intelligence.
• Intra-party class divides are larger than amongst the general population.
• Research affirms the enhanced “electability” of more pronounceable names.
• Good news: Homicide rates decline in the U.S.
• Dropping out in middle school – the rapid decline of reading amongst U.S. middle schoolers.
• More evidence supports that what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
• George Will:  The principled act of not voting.
• A freer market means less corruption.

A poem from Red, White & Verse.

Unfurl the flags, O Michigan! First of all states to remember,
To mark the day of those who’ve gone, in the glow of late May’s ember.
From Decoration to Memorial, the name, it has evolved,
Yet the essence of its purpose, in our hearts remains resolved.

Once upon the thirtieth day, now the last Monday we find,
The calendar bows to the rhythm of the nation, the rhythm of mankind.
In the pleasant early summer, when the air is warm and light,
We pause to remember those who gave their all in the fight.

Michigan's Big Show with Michael Patrick Shiels - May 8, 2024

Salman Rushdie’s "KNIFE" emerges not merely as a memoir following a profound personal crisis but as a meditative, philosophical exploration of violence, survival, and the indomitable spirit of the word against the sword. With "KNIFE," Rushdie again demonstrates why he remains one of our most crucial voices against the fascism of certainty.

Rushdie’s self-reflections are neither deep nor profound.  He is a much better writer than he is a thinker.  His orthodox critical theory genuflections grow tiresome.  But as a survivor on the front lines in the battle for free minds, he’s a hero.

The book’s 224 pages are not just a recounting of the horrific attack on Rushdie but introspection and interrogation of the forces that continue to shape our discourse around freedom of speech and extremism.

An irregular round-up of interesting reads.  Most of these made me go "hmmmmm," none of them imply concurrence:
 
Quote of the Day:
"Above all, do not lie to yourself. A man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point where he does not discern any truth either in himself or anywhere around him and thus falls into disrespect towards himself and others. Not respecting anyone, he ceases to love, and having no love, he gives himself up to passions and coarse pleasures, in order to occupy and amuse himself, and in his vices reaches complete bestiality, and it all comes from lying continually to others and to himself. A man who lies to himself is often the first to take offense. It sometimes feels very good to take offense, doesn't it? And surely he knows that no one has offended him, and that he himself has invented the offense and told lies just for the beauty of it, that he has exaggerated for the sake of effect, that he has picked on a word and made a mountain out of a pea--he knows all of that, and still he is the first to take offense, he likes feeling offended, it gives him great pleasure, and thus he reaches the point of real hostility" - Fydor Dostoevsky

• Counter narrative: China and the United States military spending are at near parity according to a new study.
• Evidence that “experts” are more confident when they are wrong than non-experts when they are wrong.
• Counter narrative: New research debunks the “studies” that claimed corporations had enhanced profitability who had enhanced “diversity” practices.
• The power of telling stories – about yourself - watch:

​“The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.”
― Albert Einstein

An irregular round-up of interesting reads.  Most of these made me go "hmmmmm," none of them imply concurrence:
 
Quote of the Day:
“Human beings are born with different capacities; if they are free, they are not equal.  If they are equal, they are not free.” - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn​

• An interesting read on what to teach children, here. 
  
• Only 56% of Americans read "a book" last year.  It doesn't take much to be a 1% of readers. 
  
• "Race," an anti-science concept. 
  
• Parenting advice from Arthur Brooks. 
  

An irregular round-up of interesting reads.  Most of these made me go "hmmmmm," none of them imply concurrence:
 
Quote of the Day:
All governments suffer a recurring problem: power attracts pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it is magnetic to the corruptible.  - Frank Herbert

• If accurate, a sad look behind the growing assisted suicide industry in Canada.
• Mercantilism appears alive and well.
• Correlated (not causative) data and resulting conclusions suggest that one’s learning track is fair set by the fifth grade.
• The dangerous world of state-actors – that is governments – framing the definitions of what “disinformation” is. 

Hatching an egg, Another laid
 
Fatal Discord, Erasmus, Luther, and the Fight for the Western World. | Michael Massing, HarperOne
(2018) 1008p.
 
Dense, yes. Hefty, absolutely. However, neither of these qualities should be off-putting to those curious about the world we inhabit. This is not a tome merely for the academically inclined; it is much more relevant to today’s current events than its subject matter unsuspectingly suggests. To reach this relevance, the reader must slog through amazingly detailed accounts of obscure internecine battles and absorb precise delineations of a distant time.  While this context density extends the journey, its travelers are provided an understanding previously only available to those with advanced medieval studies. 
 
The author's central thesis is that the break with the medieval world, which birthed the modern, is the fault line of disagreement between Martin Luther and Desiderius Erasmus. This intensely pitched divide ultimately unfolds as the division between what we now recognize as Christian humanism and Christian evangelism.   

​An irregular round-up of interesting reads.  Most of these made me go "hmmmmm," none of them imply concurrence:
 
Quote of the Day:
 
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
― Marcus Aurelius

• Is the rapid rise of Autism somewhat attributable to a change in diagnostic criteria a study asks.
• Listen to a fascinating conversation about the rise of a new surveillance state as big corporations and government converge against citizens
  
• Pro-trade yet anti-China, a winning U.S. policy framework.
  
• Illegal immigrants and crime put into perspective, here.
  
• Corporate cronyism, California edition.
  
• Yet the freer the market is, the less corruption thrives, here and here.
  
• An enlightening conversation on wellness preservation, watch it here:

An irregular round-up of interesting reads.  Most of these made me go "hmmmmm," none of them imply concurrence:
 
Quote of the Day:
It seems almost a law of human nature that it is easier for people to agree on a negative program—on the hatred of an enemy, on the envy of those better off—than on any positive task. The contrast between “we” and “they,” the common fight against those outside the group, seems to be an essential ingredient in any creed which will solidly knit together a group for common action. It is consequently always employed by those who seek, not merely support of a policy, but the unreserved allegiance of huge masses. From their point of view it has the advantage of leaving them greater freedom of action than almost any positive program. […].  - F.A. Hayek 

• Sign of the times?  Next generation trust Chat GPT for advice more than their managers? 
• There are lots of counter-narrative data tips here: America doesn’t lead the world in obesity-related deaths. Or: “Globally, twice as many people die from suicide than from homicide. In Germany, 18x more people die from suicide than from homicide (primarily a result of low homicide rates).”
• The cooling power of trees.  Pretty cool stuff. 
• The “airplane mode” scam.
• Robots to the rescue. 
• A conversation with Bill Ackman:​

THE BOOK OF CHARLIE: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man | Donald Von Drehle, Simon & Schuster (2023), 208p.

In this book,” Donald Von Drehle presents an enriching narrative transcending conventional biography. It's a captivating exploration of Charlie's life, an American centenarian who spans over a century of significant historical events and societal changes. This book review delves into resilience, kindness, and life's transient nature, as seen through Charlie's experiences.

Von Drehle's portrayal of Charlie is not just a chronicle of a long life; it's a deep dive into human experience. The narrative beautifully intertwines the personal with the historical, shedding light on Charlie's journey against the backdrop of pivotal American epochs. From World War I to the Civil Rights Movement, Charlie's life offers an in-depth perspective on these landmark events, enriching the reader's understanding of history through someone who witnessed it firsthand.

​An irregular round-up of interesting reads.  Most of these made me go "hmmmmm," none of them imply concurrence:

Quote of the Day:
"People are all alike in their promises. It is only in their deeds that they differ.”
- Moliere

• A fascinating study looking at the daily behaviors of “conservatives” and “liberals” in America.  Conservatives spend more time being social and walking, liberals more time at work and online, as well as on social media (which might explain why other studies indicate more significant depression amongst liberals).
• With all of the conversation regarding historical selective breeding practices in the ancient world, some science-based results indicate minor potential outcomes for all of the hullaballoo.
• Peter Thiel’s address at Harvard covered a variety of liberal topics:

​An irregular round-up of interesting reads.  Most of these made me go "hmmmmm," none of them imply concurrence:

Quote of the Day:

“"The more things you have, the more things you have to manage. Simplicity isn't merely cheaper, it's easier." – James Clear





​

• Road to Happiness?  Forgetting news.  No really.
• War on Work: Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty was a clear failure unless its goal was increasing dependence on the government per a new study.
• Progressive damage.  A new study suggests that progressive tax schemes lower wages overall.   While another research project concludes it retards GDP.
• Confirmed biases.  A deep dive into the partisan proclivities of the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
• Devaluing “book awards.”  The Hugo Awards nosedive to ideology over quality.
• Soviet philosophy appears ascendant. Globally, education bureaucrats prioritize producing compliant citizens over literate students.  

​MARCUS AURELIUS IN LOVE: The Letters of Marcus And Fronto | Translated & edited by Amy Richlin, The Univesity of Chicago (2006) p168.
​
Marcus Aurelius in Love: The Letters of Marcus and Fronto" offers a fascinating glimpse into the personal life of one of history's most esteemed philosophers, Marcus Aurelius, through a collection of correspondence with his tutor and friend, Fronto. This edition, expertly edited and translated by Amy Richlin, provides a translation of these ancient texts and a comprehensive analysis that adds depth and context to the letters exchanged between these two Roman figures.

Amy Richlin's translation skillfully captures the nuances of the original Latin, making the letters accessible to a modern audience while preserving their historical and linguistic integrity. Richlin's ability to convey the emotional depth and intellectual exchange between Marcus Aurelius and Fronto is particularly noteworthy, as it highlights the human side of the Stoic emperor and his relationship with his mentor.

The letters are a treasure trove of emotion, philosophical reflection, and rhetorical finesse. They reveal a side of Marcus Aurelius that is seldom seen in his more famous work, "Meditations." Through these letters, readers witness the development of a deep and enduring friendship characterized by mutual respect, intellectual exchange, and genuine affection. The correspondence covers various topics, from personal health and family matters to philosophical discussions and literary critiques, offering a comprehensive picture of their relationship.

Readers might be shocked - as I was - to read of Aurelius complaining of an “anxious heart, shackled by worry.”  Or when he is about to experience something he longed for - return to Italy - he is nearly goofy and describes his conduct as “giddy.”

Reviving this lesser-known collection of Aurelius’ writings helps round out the image of a genuinely human man of action wrestling to align his conduct with his stated moral objectives.

Moreover, Richlin's introduction and commentary throughout the book are invaluable for understanding the historical and cultural context of the Roman Empire during the 2nd century. She provides detailed backgrounds on both correspondents, shedding light on their personal lives, roles within Roman society, and the philosophical and rhetorical themes pervading their letters. This context enriches the reader's appreciation of the correspondence, offering insights into the period’s education, politics, and daily life.

In conclusion, this edition is a remarkable achievement that combines scholarly rigor with engaging storytelling. Amy Richlin has not only provided an accessible translation of these important historical documents but has also illuminated the complex relationship between two significant figures of the Roman Empire. Her contributions make "Marcus Aurelius in Love" an essential read for those interested in ancient history, philosophy, and the art of letter writing.