Sunday Reads...

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

Quote of the Day:

Let him begin by treating the Patriotism or the Pacifism as a part of his religion. Then let him, under the influence of partisan spirit, come to regard it as the most important part. Then quietly and gradually nurse him on to the stage at which the religion becomes merely part of the “cause”, in which Christianity is valued chiefly because of the excellent arguments it can produce in favour of the British war-effort or of Pacifism. The attitude which you want to guard against is that in which temporal affairs are treated primarily as material for obedience.

Once you have made the World an end, and faith a means, you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what kind of worldly end he is pursuing. Provided that meetings, pamphlets, policies, movements, causes, and crusades, matter more to him than prayers and sacraments and charity, he is ours — and the more “religious” (on those terms) the more securely ours. I could show you a pretty cageful down here,

Your affectionate uncle,

SCREWTAPE. (From the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis)

•  A round-up of clips from Watergate. 

• Gerald Ford’s unique role in U.S. history. 

• SCOTUS:  What heavy metal band is each Supreme Court Justice?

• Maybe the metal band thing is working…SCOTUS is one government branch gaining favorability amongst the mob. 

• Even the NYT seems a little less certain about the autopen that was the President. 

• Meanwhile, 7 out of 10 Americans want accountability for “Russiagate.”

• Giving “scandals” the “-gate” treatment. 

• What are the trends in domestic migration (who is leaving or moving into a state)? This new resource can easily explore these trends. 

• The history of prestige television (how long will we have the word TV?). 

• The history of the word “dude.”

• Luxury smoothies?  

• No, thank you!  A ketchup smoothie.

• The top 10 worst HBO series. 

• More content providing a map on how to turn off your phone addiction. 

• Kids’ screen time linked to bad health – shocker! 

• The science behind managing beer head. 

• Reflecting on 100 years of Art Deco design. 

• Family over fame, the Rick Moranis story. 

• More on that declining U.S. birth rate. 

• Dive into the history of hip-hop, here. 

• Why do cartoon characters wear gloves?

• How to teach kids to regulate emotions (hint: you start with the premise that emotions are to be controlled). 

• An essay reflecting on the benefits of reading aloud to youngsters – and of course, not all books are created equal. 

• Walk softly and watch out for the gigantic walking sticks?  No, really, it’s a bug thing. 

• As we age, we literally see more “black-and-white.”  But given our globally aging population, this might explain the decline of vividness in the dominating color patterns. 

• All you ever needed to know about Tempestology, here. 

• The fascinating, and mostly true story, of Sheridan Bruseaux. 

• Air Conditioning as population control – of course. 

• The history of the debt ceiling. 

• Satire of power – a very American tradition. 

• Another voice against the abuse of preaching “victimhood.”

• What is the “Hatch Act?” you ask?  Watch here. 

• Reflections on those “radical” ideas in the Declaration. 

• A summer reading program that caught on!

• Now is your chance to bid on a Russian oligarch’s super yacht!

• Charting the animal zoo escapes.

• What do all the world’s super agers have in common? Learn here. 

• Deleting the U.S. Constitution?  

• Consumer debt is at an all-time high (again). 

• Ice Cream that doesn’t melt?  No, thank you.  And it should be called something else. 

• How to tell if real Ice Cream has gone bad – find out here. 

• The role of biological sex and disease susceptibility is studied. 

• 9-year-old heroes! 

• Married by mayonnaise?

• AI:

  • Is AI slop addictive to the retirees?

• TRAVEL:

  •  Nine unusual festivals in the U.S. to visit. 

  •  What was riding the transcontinental railroad like?

  • Top 25 most popular cities in the Americas. 

  • The new “beach resort” in the DPRK that only Russians go to. 

  • Could you survive an 1880s wagon train?  Find out! 

  • 21 of the weirdest things you ARE allowed to bring in an airplane. 

  • Scotland, the next summer retreat? 

  • Top 10 wealthiest states. 

  • The return of walkable cities. 

  • The best cities for a “Workation.”

  • America’s underappreciated “islands.”

• Revisiting “tractor beams” is a read that will pull you in! 

• Watch a heart warming tale: