Sunday Reads...
- Greg McNeilly
- Dec 21, 2025
- 4 min read
An irregular roundup of thought-provoking reads. Most made me go “hmm…”
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Absolute discretion is a ruthless master. It is more destructive of freedom than any of man’s other inventions." — Justice William O. Douglas in United States v. Wunderlich
Old school Liberals find themselves a bit lonely these days.
The destruction of online gambling continues unabated.
Terrorism: Spot the pattern? Here.
Good News: A Pro-“Palastanian” terrorist cell plotting bombing Los Angeles, California was thwarted.
Authorities stop another Islamic attack on Christmas.
Communism gets beat in Chile’s election.
MUST READ: A piece exploring the experiences of those on the receiving end of anti-white male prejudices.
Boondoggle: The indebted U.S. government launches “Tech Force.”
Luxury beliefs tested: South Africa backs away from affirmative action business requirements.
Mapping the chances of a White Christmas:
Art imitating Life: True crime producer apparently a criminal.
How tech helped crack the case of the J6 pipe bomber.
Hate is a Family Value: An Islamic family value that is - Bondi father-and-son combo, cheered by their mother, slaughtered Jewish children at a beach.
An elderly couple went out with fight - resisted the cowardly terrorist - and sadly lost their lives.
The rise-and-fall of iRobot.
John Cena fought his final fight for the WWE.
Reflecting on the cinema art of the recently murdered Rob Reiner.
Home owners’ wealth massively outpaces that of renters - duh. Save, make a down payment, buy a house. Google: “Success sequence” and take some agency in your life ya’all.
2025’s best aerial photos per Reuters.
Couch surfing: The “Therapy Scholar” is running science notes this essay.
Iran killed one of its whistleblowers notes the Atlantic.
How woke is Vice President J.D. Vance?
Can liberal university professors save conservatives?
Charting the decline of U.S. families with children under 18. Oddly, the peak year was the year the iPhone was introduced.
Double duh: Weber University erred in creating prohibited words list.
Pop the bubble: The benefits of conservatism in Higher Ed.
Professors revolt against logic notes the WSJ.
Yup. McDonald’s CEO provides some tough love to his insta-mob.
Last pennies auctioned off, for $16 million.
RIP Norman Podhoretz died.
Why older people are happier, per the science.
Seasteading Deux: The libertarians are at it again.
Vanity Fair’s Year One Trump profile is out.
The rules for the new media landscape are unpacked by Marshal McLuhan’s grandson Andrew.
Ugh. More women in the U.S. are seeking sterilization.
Ben Shapiro evisorates his critics at a recent Heritage speech.
WaPo unpacks the conversations that unfolded with Charlie Kirk’s killer right after.
Smart: We are selling $11 billion in arms to Twain to defend themselves against Chinese Communist aggression.
NYT: They surveyed 600 readers, these were the top gifts for Christmas per their survey.
Making addiction easier, the case against rescheduling Mary Jane.
Six states fight back.
Remembering C.S. Lewis’ wisdom on why technology matters little.
Cardinal Dolan’s emotional retirement.
A four-week experiment: No phones.
Shrinking: U.S. homes are getting smaller.
The nation’s worst President - ever! Well he’s not living. Learn more.
Unpacking Santa Claus:
The beginnings, watch here.
Santa Mayam, the Bacchus period of St. Nick.
The anti-Santa: Krampus.
Elephant’s Nesting: The modern illustrative form of Santa revealed.
Tracking Santa starts early.
Leaving cookies for Santa a new habit.
The origin of the mall Santa.
Originally Santa wrote letters, not receive them.
A deep dive into the state of pop music lyric crafting and production, here.
Switzerland is noting that U.S. military protection is unreliable and that Russia is overly aggressive. Apparently, it’s tough to live a life of neutrality in a hostile world.
Eight animals that went extinct recently.
Higher Ed has wrecked itself by becoming insular, less tolerant and less curious notes this research.
AI:
Stanford predicts the 2026 future of AI.
CHINA & RUSSIA:
A UK Intelligence group urges its government to take a tougher posture against China’s aggression.
COURTS:
The U.S. Sixth Circuit blocks a Michigan law that permitted only Government sanctioned speech by therapists.
2025 SCOTUS year-in-review by the National Constitutional Center.
POLS BEHAVING BADLY:
Dems:
Reps:
Spot on essay noting how Leftist some “new” elements of the “rights” have become. It’s somewhat a clarification issue but much of the current GOP is not conservative, so let’s not pretend it’s a new “conservatism.” It’s merely Leftism in a coalition with Republicans.
Under Trump, public control of private entities continues in the Defense sector.
Four House Republicans have backed a Democrat plan to fund health insurances companies driving up the cost of health care.
Trump’s socialism continues unabated.
Rep. Massie casts shade on the Epstein files release.
