Welcome to Friday,
The highlight of my week was yesterday’s much needed chop, in which I lopped off about eight inches of long overgrown hair. A haircut’s as good as a holiday, they say, and I am dancing straight into the weekend!
Here are the most interesting links from around the web this week:
A closer look at a national trend I’ve noticed even here in remote west Texas – every restaurant is looking to hire. A recruiter on why restaurants are having such a hard time finding workers.
A new study suggests the most effective place to memorize facts or learn static information may be sitting comfortably at your desk. It turns out sitting for short periods while reading may improve crystallized intelligence. Going for a run or other aerobic activities tend to help with creativity and sparking novel combinations, but sitting may help us to solidify the facts we use in those novel combinations. With that in mind, sitting or walking might be ideal depending on the kind of thinking you plan to do.
“Be a radical and rebel. How? By paying close attention, and doing everything you can to build a life that promotes it.” It’s amazing the dramatic changes we can make by simply Paying Attention.
A closer look at the man once called, “The Evil Genius of the Republican Party,” Thaddeus Stevens, and his place in American history. While Stevens views at the time were considered radical, by today’s standards they seem almost moderate. This essay looks at how his contemporaries viewed him, but also how modern historians’ views differ; Stevens is arguably deserving of more respect and honor today, at a time when many Civil War-era figures are increasingly objects of scorn. Stevens’ life illustrates why the Reconstruction Era may be the most important time to study right now.
Honestly, I’m just impressed the Poles made it so far before anyone noticed.
Currently reading: First We Read, Then We Write by Robert D. Richardson
Enjoy your weekend.
