Sunday Reads...
- Greg McNeilly
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
An irregular roundup of thought-provoking reads. Most made me go “hmm…”
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“People are not rational. They are rationalizing. Once you understand this simple fact, all the oddest human behavior will suddenly make way more sense.” - Billy Markus
Remembering MLK.
His last speech.
Recalling the 250th anniversary of the publication of Common Sense:
If accurate, a vivid on-the-ground account of the capture of Maduro.
Leadership reading material recommendations from big-name CEOs, here.
Tracking down the history - and folklore - of the mangled jingle bell snark “Batman smells…”
The U.S. and Greenland have been in a long buy/reject conversation. Check out the history.
Pew exodus: A deep dive into the reasons Americans leave the faith of their childhood.
Masculinity (independent, active, competitive, makes decisions easily, never gives up easily, self-confident, feels superior, stands up well under pressure) is linked to lower depression.
Why we no longer trust our Doctors.
Zooming in on Zoomers.
Good news: People are loosing their “political identity” that is not confusing their meaning with the impermanent things.
Iranian genocide, in-depth look here.
Freedom aloft: Starlink provides internet connectivity to Iran amidst counter-revolutionary protests.
Meanwhile, the body count of protestors is mounting and mounting.
Mass trials leading to mass murder mounts in Iran.
Iran threatens the U.S. POTUS.
Islamic leaders still calling for the execution of civil protestors.
Calls for U.S. to aid the protestor’s goals, mount.
Recalling how Islamic theocrats linked with leftists than crushed them.
Thoughts on how Congress can react to Trumps’ latest series of over-reaches.
Remembering the life of an incredible entrepreneur: Steve Sheetz.
Charting the world's military by strength:
A profile of an immigration lawyer focused on defending illegal aliens.
Good news: 5-year cancer survival in the U.S. hits record high.
Unpacking Iran’s failures, including in providing basics, like water.
A premier on space as an economic and national security frontier.
Has the Pentagon solved the Havana Syndrome puzzle?
Recalling Edmund Burke’s advice to historians.
Hurting the under served: NYC nurses go on strike.
Same-sex primate activity continues to get studied.
Ranking the world’s languages by number of speakers!
K12 failure factories: Gen Z arriving at college unable to read.
States that legalized online sports betting, saw a nearly 30% spike in bankruptcies.
The youth loneliness crisis gets more attention.
Decriminalization fail: British Columbia reverses drug decriminalization due to unwanted consequences.
MSM meme: ICE screening and training is the issue. Maybe a system with immunity is a bigger issue!
Blues: Dying your hair unnatural colors is a signal of depression.
Mapping Greenlands role in the security of freedom.
Good news: Another most wanted captured (in Mexico).
Trash Talk: The rise of Political Potty Mouths.
The rise of the two-way street in urbanscapes.
AI:
Visualizing the AI investment waves.
Thus far, the biggest impact for companies with AI deployment is increasing the rate of decision making.
Reflections on learning with AI.
Report suggests the benefits of AI in k12 education are swamped by the risks.
AI fails at leadership apparently.
He lived for 104 years and voted for both Washington and Lincoln.
CHINA & RUSSIA:
Social cohesion is so weak in China they are now using an app to monitor if someone is dead.
China plans control of UK infrastructure from a new London bunker.
China tries to block India’s development, an opportunity for the U.S. largely ignored at present.
Awesome if true: Russia’s GDP declined along with average household incomes. Pressure mounts!
BRICs Navel Drills off Africa.
COURTS:
SCOTUS ruled:
That a federal candidate had standing on election laws (how was this disputed?).
That police only require a “reasonable” cause to enter private property for a safety check.
A quantifiable review of how recent POTUS-candidates have discussed their approach to SCOTUS nominees.
2026 legal predictions.
ECONOMY:
Best U.S. cities for job hunting, here.
Craft Brewing fizzles.
Jobs that growing, jobs that declining, detailed.
Inflation appearing tamed.
And the 10-year run rate - uber tame. It is almost like someone wants us to feel bad about everything.
Understanding inflation from 1635 to 2026.
Housing. Shut-up about institutional investors in housing - it shows you are not a thinking person.
Shifting taxes on house selling would distort the market less and open it up.
Rent Control is another failed big-government policy killing housing.
POLS BEHAVING BADLY:
Dems
Bipartisan splurge: Senate moves to spend more than taxpayers can afford.
Dem leaders tell base to “get shot” resisting Trump policies.
Liberal nonprofits train protestors as civil war secessionists.
Hillary and Bill Clinton pull a Steve Bannon (who went to jail for it) and refuse to adhere to a Congressional subpoena.
Antisemite laughs about setting synagogue ablaze.
Bagged crime boss Maduro is represented by Dem donor in Court.
Insurrection: Attacks on federal law enforcement soars.
Another day, another Democrat fraud case moves forward.
Ex-Mayor Lightfoot sued for unpaid bills.
Researcher at University of Washington calls for assignation for school choice advocate.
Mamdani slammed for his non-Black cabinet.
Federal Judge claims Gavin Newsom engaged in racial gerrymandering.
Newsom’s spine-implant fails in podcast interview.
Reps
TRAVEL:
Reserve now! Hotel room on the Moon, yes the real Moon.
Top tree houses from around the world.
The best days to visit Disney World, here.
How travel has changed in the past 25 years, noted.
2026 party destinations recommended.
A generation of “stay at home boys” is explored.
Landholder versus Shareholder.
Iconic watches or timepieces tracked from movies.
Profile on John Ternus, potentially Apple’s next CEO.
The exclusionary ad value in finding the right customer.
The Philadelphia roots of Girl Scout cookies.
Dive bar doubles as a church, in Washington, D.C.
