Sunday Reads...

An irregular roundup of thought-provoking reads. Most made me go “hmm…” — none should be mistaken for endorsement.

Quote of the Day:

"A sunny disposition is worth more than fortune. Young people should know that it can be cultivated; that the mind, like the body, can be moved from the shade into sunshine." - Andrew Carnegie

• Check out Mark Twain’s boyhood home. 

• Painter Frederick Church’s Hudson Valley estate.

• A magical blue forest, here. 

•  Type “C” Parenting is also known as modernity’s obsession with labeling things.  

• For every in-person complaint a Congressional office receives, research suggests it would take 47 complaints online or via social media to have the same impact. 

• A deep dive into the “tech laws” driving change in our world – these are fascinating! 

• Listen to an episode about one of the West’s first poet celebrities, Lord Byron. 

• This essay explores the notion that more people are discovering religion.  How long until people start worshiping AI?

• New research lauds the role that “whaling” had in fighting the North American slave trade. 

• How Scottsdale, AZ has become the new millionaire hub. 

• Giving “AI” a reading comprehension test – here are the grades. 

• Another data point is that the first rule of capital is stability. Research indicates that the stock market fares worse under a divided government. 

• Checking out the Vatican’s wine scene.

• Counter-narrative:

  • Job applicants with criminal records face greater discrimination if they are white versus non-white in this research study. 

  • Little to no impact on child academic achievement is associated with family income levels. This finding was supported by this research as well. 

  • Being a local official does not improve one’s future effectiveness as a state legislator, per this study. 

  • Periods of “calm” correlate to less tolerance of non-majority groups, per this study. 

  • Do Black and White populations view the police differently?   Not per this study; however, they do view the justice system itself differently. 

• A review of over 100 years of congressional speeches indicates that Members of Congress are becoming less “evidence-based” in their arguments.  

• Banned baby names – here. 

• The history of “corporate jargon” is chronicled here. 

• Some “dooming” about an AI future. 

• Walmart readies home drone deliveries. 

• A teenager keeps the tale of Revere & Dawes alive. 

• The wages of divorce, per this study, for children: reduced adult earnings, college attendance, increased incarceration probability, and teen pregnancy. 

• The history of Ketchup, unbottled. 

• Research suggests that the decline in local media results in lighter consequences for corrupt local and state officials. 

• What’s the difference between a National Park and a National Monument?  Answer, here. 

• The nearly forgotten history of Nazi U-boats off the U.S. coast sinking American ships. 

• Scorsese on Hitchcock: