“Trump and Pelosi’s Abject Surrender” in Bill Bonner’s Diary

This essay is Bill’s take on the recent budget “compromise.” My favorite line: “The Pentagon may have had some setbacks in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, but it sweeps the field in its most important fight – the battle for money.”

“7 Surprising Facts About the Boston Tea Party” on History.com

“When Mexico Became a Surrealist Mecca”

A good essay on Surrealism in Mexican art: how women artists played a major role and left behind a treasure worthy of its own museum.

“Newest Science Myth: the 10,000-step rule”

I don’t know why, but I’ve never cottoned to the 10,000-step rule. Family members and friends that count their steps… I wish they would do it more discreetly. I mean, okay, go ahead and do it. But don’t talk about it. And don’t act like you are being virtuous when you hit or exceed the mark. Really. It’s annoying. Why don’t they count and/or measure their bowel movements and boast about them?

In any case, I was happy to read this article in MarketWatch that exposes this silly idea.

“The Man Who Invented the Calendar”

“BJ Novak was an actor in and one of the writers for the US version of “The Office.” He’s a smart, funny man. I read a book he wrote recently – can’t remember the name. Very good. This little piece, published recently in The NewYorker,  is a good introduction to him, if you don’t know him already.

“The Cruise Ship Nightmare That Ended in a Mutiny” on History.com

An interesting story about a cruise liner that ended its lifetime career of luxury service by treating its customers like chattel.

So much of what we assume to be true is bullshit, and the percentage is higher when it comes to politicized issues.

Here’s a good example: “Ford, GM don’t make the most ‘American-made’ car. Here’s who does” on Apple News.  

“Cracking Skulls for a Good Cause” in Taki’s Magazine 

“The Women’s Soccer Outlaws Who Could Beat the Men”

From History.com: In the 1920s, a group of female soccer pioneers in England drew huge crowds until they were banned for threatening the popularity of the men’s game.

Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril by King Abdullah II of Jordan

From the book jacket: “King Abdullah II was schooled in America and at Sandhurst and heading for a life as a successful career soldier, when his father fell ill and he was unexpectedly named King of Jordan. Fiercely loyal to his country but also possessing an outsider’s perspective on the political difficulties of the region, King Abdullah has since spent every effort to better Jordan – improving its economy, education standards, and rights for women – and find security for his people and their neighbors. In this seminal work by a man at the very heart of the complex Middle East situation, King Abdullah puts forward what may be our best chance yet for Israeli-Palestinian Peace.”