@Chad
Seasoned nonprofit executive. Libertarian. Miles/points hobbyist with travel to 50 states and 34+ countries. Cocktail snob. 1 wife, 3 cats.
www.linkedin.com/in/chadwilcox/Focused reader — 2 sources in 90 days
"We’re getting near the point where wealthy people are going to get chased around the country like 19th-century Mormons." This, among other very well-made points. I will never be a billionaire, but my life is made better every day for them.
wsj.com
wsj.com
Ilya Shapiro writes a Dave Barry column about the past 20 years, except all of the statements are true. Minus his personal stuff, nearly all of this resonates with my own experience.
What Stale Hell Is This?
Lessons from my first two decades in the swamp.
ilyashapiro.substack.com
Sports is a far superior and less coercive way to channel animosity than politics.
wsj.com
The first ~30 minutes of this is IMO a good discussion by thoughtful right-leaning pundits about the theme of Ezra Klein and Derek Johnson’s new book “Abundance.”
Abundance About-Face | Roundtable
Podcast Episode · The Dispatch Podcast · 03/21/2025 · 1h 14m
podcasts.apple.com
Identitarianism is not just morally problematic because it doesn't approach people as discrete and complex individuals; it is pragmatically problematic in that it can lead one down the wrong path in assuming what "society" wants.
Opinion | Why We Got It So Wrong
It turns out a lot of people don’t behave like ambassadors from this or that group. They think for themselves in unexpected ways.
nytimes.com
A solid argument that when journalists pick sides rather then seeking and reporting truth, it not only makes our information problem worse but can backfire on their own interests for doing so.
Dear Journalists: Stop Trying to Save Democracy
Journalists who turn themselves into political activists inadvertently undermine democratic institutions.
yaschamounk.substack.com
"Not a prediction, merely an explanation."
The "Stop the Madness" Election
Not a prediction, but an explanation.
kristensoltisanderson.substack.com
I had not considered spending the eclipse at the zoo until now.
April's total solar eclipse will bring a surreal silence and confuse all sorts of animals
Scientists are gearing up to observe animals at multiple zoos during April's eclipse. They were surprised at what they discovered last time.
usatoday.com
The chancellor of my alma mater takes an admirable stand on one of the divisive issues of the moment.
The Need For Institutional Neutrality At Universities
Free speech and open inquiry on college campuses are based on three principles: open forums, civil discourse and institutional neutrality.
forbes.com
I know this looks like a long and fascinating story about football, but it is actually a long and fascinating story about the media business. (And RIP John Madden.)
The Great NFL Heist: How Fox Paid for and Changed Football Forever
An oral history of the most important deal in sports TV history, when Rupert Murdoch and Fox stole the NFL and John Madden out from under the Big Three networks, created the modern pregame show, invented a new way to see football, and launched a television empire
theringer.com
More evidence Seabird is on the right track by being judicious about engagement: turns out "dislike attacks" are such a big problem that YouTube is addressing it.
YouTube is removing the dislike count on all videos across its platform – TechCrunch
YouTube today announced its decision to make the “dislike” count on videos private across its platform. The decision is likely to be controversial given the extent that it impacts the public’s visibility into a video’s reception. But YouTube believes the change will better p…
techcrunch.com
Haidt and Lukianoff: adding the "like" button to Facebook was ground zero for the hyper-polarization of society. Free advice for Seabird!
Haidt and Lukianoff: The Polarization Spiral
How the right's monomania and the left's Great Awokening feed each other
persuasion.community
"Christchurch, New Zealand, is parting ways with its official city wizard after more than two decades. His offensive remarks about women and the local government's new tourism strategy reportedly spelled his doom."
A New Zealand city is taking its official wizard off the payroll after over 2 decades
The Christchurch City Council will end its contract with Ian Brackenbury Channell, reportedly the world's only state-appointed wizard. The "Wizard of New Zealand" has had a long and unique career.
npr.org
Long but epic read. Dominic was the smartest guy in the room for the Brexit referendum and UK Conservative Party election. File under "sociopaths are usually right!"
Regime Change #2: A plea to Silicon Valley - start a project NOW to write the plan for the next GOP candidate
The goal is not 'reform' but *a government that actually controls the government*
dominiccummings.substack.com
Matt gets a lot right here -- especially movies from 1999! A useful reminder that folks who think the people they disagree with are the problem keeping us from solving all the other problems are usually themselves core to the problem.
The case against crisis-mongering
We face problems. As have all societies ever.
slowboring.com
One of the few silver linings of COVID is getting treated to an epic rant from John Cochrane every couple months.
Covid incompetence
WWII started badly for the United States. Our tanks blew up. Our torpedoes were duds. Our airplanes were outclassed. Many commanders were incompetent, soldiers green, supplies chaotic. We lost a lot of battles. But we learned. The lessons of each mistake were incorporated, incompetent commanders sacked, soldiers learned their terrible craft.
johnhcochrane.blogspot.com
Arnold Kling comments on a (long!) George Packer essay. The meat is in the Packer essay--many historical and contemporary insights on current political divisions, I learned a ton. But I link via Kling to note my agreement that Packer spilt way too much ink ripping on libertarians!
George Packer rediscovers four traditions
He echoes David Hackett Fischer and Walter Russell Mead
arnoldkling.substack.com
