I'm so much taller than my parents that people laughed when they walked me down the aisle during my wedding. My mom always answered questions about my height by explaining that the milkman was quite tall. I've never seen my height (6'4) as an advantage. Height limits which cars you can fit into, your legroom on flights, seems to cause increased back and neck problems, and for what it's worth, I don't see a lot of really tall, really old people walking around. And of course, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Which brings us to America, the once worldwide leader in height that seems to be shrinking. WaPo (Gift Article) examined this very clear trend and discovered it's connected to factors such as aging, obesity, immigration, modern medicine, inequality, school lunches, and more. Why are Americans getting shorter? (Oddly, the article omits any mention of the retirement of my childhood milkman.) 2Punt, Pass, and CliqueAre you ready for some football? That used to be a relatively simple question. But in recent years, our answer to that question has (like so many other things) become dependent on geography, income, and yes, politics. Let's head to the gridiron to tackle the latest line of scrimmage in America's endless Culture Bowl. WaPo (Gift Article): The Changing Face of America’s Favorite Sport. "In much of Mississippi, which has the highest poverty rate and highest rate of high school tackle football participation in the country, the risk-reward calculus remains tilted heavily in favor of playing. According to the NFL, the state has the fourth-most players in the league this season on a per capita basis, behind Georgia, Louisiana and Alabama." 3Kill SwitchAccording to data gathered from cities across America, the murder rate dropped by about 13% this year. Yes, we're killing each other less. "And it’s not just murder. FBI data for the third quarter show that every category of crime except for motor-vehicle theft is down, some of them sharply, year over year from 2022. (As for the car thefts, they seem—in one of the weirdest data flukes you’ll ever see—to have been driven almost entirely by TikTok videos showing the ease of breaking into certain Kias and Hyundais.)" The Atlantic (Gift Article): America’s Peace Wave. 4Netflix and ill"Adults can also have what doctors call a post-viral cough that lasts for three weeks or more after other symptoms go away." This year, it seems like there's coughing everywhere. Are we just more attuned to coughing since the pandemic or did staying away from each other for all that time make us less efficient at fighting off viruses? NYT (Gift Article): The Case of the Never-Ending Illness. "Post-pandemic, winter has become one big blur of coughs and colds. Did something change?" 5Extra, ExtraRecession Supression: "The economy is ending the year in a remarkably better position than almost anyone on Wall Street or in mainstream economics predicted, having bested just about all expectations time and again. Inflation has dropped to 3.1 percent, from a peak of 9.1. The unemployment rate is at a hot 3.7 percent, and the economy grew at a healthy clip in the most recent quarter. The Fed is probably finished hiking interest rates and is eyeing cuts next year. Financial markets are at or near all-time highs, and the S&P 500 could hit a new record this week, too." Everyone expected a recession. The Fed and White House found a way out. 6Bottom of the News"Humans are a basically civilized species. We know not to go barefoot in restaurants, treat our friends’ living rooms like landfills or nap on the shoulder of our office cubicle mate. And yet, as soon as we step inside an airport or onto a plane, our manners seem to vanish. Perhaps it’s the delirium of travel or the belief that everyday rules do not apply to vacations, much like calories don’t count on holiday and foreign currencies aren’t real money. Or maybe there has never been a canon for proper passenger behavior — until now." WaPo (Gift Article): The 52 Rules of Flying. Get a copy of my 📕, Please Scream Inside Your Heart, or grab a 👕 in the Store.
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