July 9, 2015

+ Article - "Why We Can't Fall Asleep" by Maria Konnikova at The New Yorker - Why?  Why???  Read it here.

+ Article - "We Must Put an End to Gender Conversion Therapy For Kids" by Dan Karasic and Diane Ehrensaft at Wired - It is clear it does not work and that it causes real harm.  Read more here.

+ List - "The Best Books, Movies, and Podcasts to Learn About American History" by Greg Goldstone at Gear Patrol - It is clear from the social media posts I have suffered through the last few weeks that everyone could brush up on this subject.  See the list here.

+ Humor - "How Smart Phones Would Have Changed World History" by Teddy Wayne at the New Yorker - What if Moses had Siri?  By the way, everyone with an Iphone should ask Siri what zero divided by zero is.  She is a savage!  Read it here.

+ Article - "Shaming Spy Chiefs by Plastering Them All Over the World" by Laura Mallonee at Wired - Art can have power.  Read about it here.

+ Article - "Kids of Helicopter Parents are Sputtering Out" by Julie Lythcott-Haims at Slate - What kind of parent are you?  Can I be a Harrier jet?  Read more here.

+ Profile - "The Perfect Wife" by Ariel Levy at the New Yorker - This is a long read, but I really hope you make the effort.  This is a very human and romantic tale of love.  I think that if everyone had just one meaningful relationship with an LGBT person their opinions on the issues of the past few weeks would be different.  Read it here.

+ Art - Unknown.

June 25, 2015

+ Article - "What This Cruel War Was Over" by Ta-Nehisi Coates at The Atlantic - This is an excellent and in-depth article that calls bull on all of the revisionist history floating around this week. The Civil War was about slavery and white supremacy in the South.  Period. Read it here.

+ Article - "Equality and the Confederate Flag" by Jelani Cobb at The New Yorker - I take exception with "the flag" as the symbol of Southern pride.  Beyond that, it doesn't matter how I view the flag, or what its original purpose or history were.  Its symbolism and power only matter now because it has been appropriated by people who hate. It is a powerful symbol of prejudice and I believe our citizenship and our faith demand we stand on the right side of this issue.  The flag should come down.  Read it more here.

+ Article - "Millennials are Just as Racist as Their Parents" by Scott Clement - We are not the enlightened generations.  Read it here.

+ Article - "Charleston and the Next Time" by Adam Gopnik at The New Yorker - As a hunter I am currently very confused about my feelings regarding gun control.  Read more here.

+ Article - "Prison Revolt" by Bill Keller at The New Yorker - "Criminal justice reformers like to say that if a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged, a liberal is a conservative who has served time."  Read more here about conservatives leading a charge to reform our prison system.  Its time.

+ Article - "The Joy of Work" by Rashida Jones for Wired - Noting revolutionary here, but the format is awesome and it is an enjoyable read.  Read it here.

+ Article - "There's no Business Like Slow Business" by Philip Delves Broughton - I'd be happy to lead this movement in America.  We are way too busy being busy.  Read it here.

+ Article - "A World Without Work" by Derek Thompson at The Atlantic - These are interesting times.  We automate more and more and yet we are rediscovering the value of things made by hand, or locally grown.  Read more here.

+ Song - "Funny How Time Slips Away" by Willie Nelson - Put this on in your kitchen, grab your one true love, and dance.  You'll thank me later.

+ Art - Artist Unknown.

June 18, 2015

I apologize for the unannounced two week hiatus.  Life sometimes gets in the way.

+ Article - "How to Stay Alive" by Jack Seemer at Gear Patrol - Advice on the 10 essentials approach to back-country preparedness.  Read more here.

+ Article - "How to Tie 12 Knots" by Tucker Bowe at Gear Patrol - Video tutorials for a host of useful knots.  Learn em!  Watch here.

+ Article - "Murders in Charleston" by Jelani Cobb at The New Yorker - I had decided that I was going to post nothing but fun links this week because I'm emotionally exhausted.  However, this tragedy can't be ignored.  This is the convergence of the race issues we face as a country AND the fact that its far too easy to be a mass murderer in America.  Read more here.

+ Article - "Always Innovative Toronto Public Library Lets us Check Out Humans as Well as Books" by Paul Gallant at Yonge Street - This is just a really cool idea.  Read about it here.

+ Listen - "Strange Trails" by Lord Huron.  This is a great rock album.

+ Book - "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway - I consistently list this as my favorite book, but I can't really put my finger on why.  I have read it at least once a year since I was in high school.  Order it here.

+ Art - "In the Dust" by Mark Maggiori.  I have really been missing Texas lately and have been staring at these paintings.

May 28, 2015

+ Article - "Why it Pays to Be a Jerk" by Jerry Useem at The Atlantic - Traits that serve you in one context don't necessarily serve you in another.  You must be adaptable.  Read more here.

+ Article - "The Triumph (and Failure) of John Nash's Game Theory" by John Cassidy - You are likely familiar with John Nash from the movie A Beautiful Mind.  This is why he was important.  Read more here.

+ Article - "The New Rules of Business" by Chris Elvidge at The Journal for Mr. Porter - If I could transplant one gene into the people I work with it would be Rule #1.  Read them here.

+ Article - "The Rise and Fall of Silk Road Part II" by Joshuah Bearman at Wired - I posted Part I several weeks ago and highly recommend that you finish the story.  Reality is often better than fiction.  Read it here.

+ Article - "Man & Boy: Velvet Revolution" by Mr. John Brodie at The Journal for Mr. Porter - There is something to be said for not enjoying the good things in life until you can pay for them yourself.  As an admittedly spoiled only child I've found myself questioning many of my assumptions as I guide two little people through the world.  Read more here.

+ Art - "Buffalo Herder" by Mark Maggiori.

May 14, 2015

+ Article - "The Cruel and Unusual Execution of Clayton Lockett" by Jeffrey E. Stern at The Atlantic -  If you read nothing else this week I think you should read this.  If you support the death penalty you definitely need to read this, and then go think long and hard about why you support it.  Read it here, but be warned - it is a tough read.

+ Article - "Home Economics: The Link Between Work-Life Balance and Income Equality" by Stephen Marche at The Atlantic - This article hits a lot of issues and seems to struggle to find a thesis, but is still a great read on a very important topic.  Read it here.  Read this one too...

+ Article - "The President and Poverty" by Paul Elie at The New Yorker - Class segregation is real and is happening all around us.  Read more here.

+ Video - "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Paid Family Leave" from HBO - John Oliver is smart and funny and tackles tough issues with wit and sensitivity.  Paid family leave should exist.  We are basically the only country in the developed world (and much of the undeveloped one) that doesn't offer it.  We can't claim that the family is the foundation of American society while totally ignoring the realities of family life.  Watch it here.

+ Art - Photographer unknown, but I would title this one "Life Goals".

May 7, 2015

+ Article - "The G.O.P.'s War on Science Gets Worse" by Elizabeth Kolbert at The New Yorker - Climate change is not up for debate.  Deal with it.  Read more here, and vote better next time.

+ Article - "The Unexpected Pleasure of Doing Things Alone" by Joe Pinsker at The Atlantic - When I was in law school I would go out to eat or to movies by myself all the time.  It is weird to me that people are afraid to be alone.  Read more here.

+ Article - "What Norway Can Teach the U.S. About Getting More Women into Boardrooms" - A lot probably.  Read more here.

+ Article - "What Does Middle Class Even Mean?" by Gillian B. White at The Atlantic - As the inequality gap grows, so too does our perception that we are poorer than we really are.  Read more here.

+ Article - "The 2016 Presidential Race: A Cheat Sheet" by David A. Graham at The Atlantic - Oh my God I'm already tired of talking about this, and we have a long way to go.  I think at this point John Stewart is our best bet.  Get depressed here.

+ Art - "Michael Jackson and Bubbles" (1988) by Jeff Koons - I'm sorry.  You'll never be able to un-see this one.

April 30, 2015

+ Article - "Wearing a Suit Makes People Think Differently" by Joe Pinsker at The Atlantic - I wear a suit almost every day, even though I work in an environment where casual dress is the norm.  I don't just do it to "look nice".  I've long believed that slipping on a well tailored suit makes you feel like your best self.  Turns out I was right.  Read more here.

+ Article - "The Untold Story of Silk Road" by Joshua Bearman at Wired.  This story has fascinated me for a while now, and this is an excellent article on how a kid taught himself to code and became one of the world's biggest drug kingpins.  Read it here.

+ Article - "The Childless Millennial" by Olga Khazan at The Atlantic - All the single ladies...All the single ladies...Attention humans - you are never going to have it all figured out and the timing will never be right.  Just do it.  See what I did there?  Read more here.

+ Article - "The Genius of 'Want to Grab Coffee?'" by Olga Khazan at The Atlantic - Young people I demand that you learn these skills.  Learn to speak to people and build relationships.  In business (and life), it is all about who you know.  Not just to get the job, but to keep it.  Success in business is all about relationships and influence.  Learn how to build both.  Read more here.

+ Article - "The Virtual Candidate" by Ryan Lizza at The New Yorker - Elizabeth Warren is the most interesting thing happening in the Senate right now.  Read her profile here.

+ Article - "Staying Alert with the UPS Hot Spares" by Jan Tegler at Gear Patrol.  Ever wonder how UPS (almost) always gets your overnight packages to you on time?  They scramble the jets!  Read more here.

+ Art - Artist unknown, but seriously if I was a skeleton, I'm pretty sure this is what I would look like...