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The journal iScience recently published a study showing that the share of Americans who read books for pleasure has fallen 40 percent over the last 20 years. Unfortunately, this decline has endured for generations. For example, among high school seniors in 1976, 11.5 percent did not read a single book for pleasure; by 2021, this had risen to 41 percent. It’s a similar situation in Britain. A recent survey revealed that 47 percent of adults do not read books by choice—roughly half the population of England. More worryingly, two-thirds of 16- to 24-year-olds describe themselves as “non-readers” or “lapsed” readers....

The small church of Domine Quo Vadis, which is situated on the Via Appia, at the junction with Via Ardeatina, marks the spot where, according to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, Christ met Peter as the latter was fleeing Rome. Its official name is Santa Maria delle Piante (St Mary of the Soles of the Feet)

For the best part of two centuries, Britons have been flocking to the genteel seaside town of Bournemouth. Such was its place in the national affections that the resort, with its balmy weather and elegant Edwardian architecture, became known as the retirement capital of Britain, perfect for the twilight years of the nicely spoken. Fast forward to 2025, however, and the town is in the throes of a story with a very different accent.

The sudden closure of one of the country's very first Whole Foods stores has rocked the upscale Bay Area town of Mill Valley. Residents say Amazon has abandoned the beloved neighborhood staple that defined their community for more than three decades and are furious despite there being another store a mile away. The California store first opened in 1992 and became a local institution where the town's 14,000 residents caught up in the aisles and kids grabbed snacks after school. But after a rodent infestation and roof repairs forced a temporary shutdown over the summer, locals expected the market to...

(I don't believe people who just happened to be born on any of 365 days, deserve any special notice for it, but their Mothers do. My Mother, born in 1912, gave birth to me this day in 1954. So, to indulge myself, I thought I'd pass along this comedic poem from her birth year, 1912, from a children's book.) The Rocket Book (1912) by Peter Newell. Narrated at the click-link at Librivox by Phil Chenevert. The Rocket Book by Peter Newell at Gutenberg(Twenty-one comedic illustrations) [pg] The ROCKET Book by PETER NEWELL HARPER & BROTHERS NEW YORK [pg] COPYRIGHT, 1912,...

Book publisher HarperCollins UK issued an apology Tuesday after a recent book made claims that first lady Melania Trump was introduced to her husband through convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The publisher worked with Andrew Lownie, author of “Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York,” to remove “several passages of the book that made unverified claims” about the first lady, according to a statement posted on social platform X. Trump also shared the statement on her social media. “Copies of the book that include those references are being permanently removed from distribution,” the statement reads. “HarperCollins UK...

Thankfully, people in Washington DC are finally starting to realize the full scale of the Obama surveillance system. All of the evidence and datapoints -released and yet to surface- flow in one direction. Even the professionally reluctant are starting to admit. What Obama, Biden, Comey, Crossfire Hurricane, Robert Mueller, Arctic Frost and Jack Smith were doing, was using their offices -and govt systems- to watch their opposition, spy on them, then take action based on the results. Friend of the Treehouse John Spiropoulos put together a series of videos explaining how President Obama, FBI Director James Comey and CIA Director...

Welcome to the Unraveling the Scriptures channel. Did you know that in Sodom, women dressed in garments so light and translucent that almost nothing was hidden from the eyes of those who beheld them? On nights of celebration, it was common for them to adorn their bodies with pigments made from liquid gold, creating designs that shimmerred when touched by the silvery light of the moon. With every movement, these reflections transformed the female figures into almost supernatural apparitions, a mixture of sensuality and mystery, as if they themselves were part of the cosmic spectacle unfolding above them.

Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport has opened new facilities for Muslim travelers and other people of faith. Bush is among the first U.S. airports to offer an ablution room, an amenity that many Muslim travelers prioritize. "It is very good to hear about the new ablution room at George Bush Intercontinental," said Fazal Bahardeen, founder and CEO of CrescentRating.com, a website focused on the worldwide market for halal travel. "Having these airport facilities is an important criterion when we rank destinations on the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index." The group's 2023 report commends Singapore Changi Airport for best practices when...

Jan of the Windmill, by Juliana Horatia Ewing https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5601/5601-h/5601-h.htm JAN OF THE WINDMILL. A Story of the Plains. BY THE LATEJULIANA HORATIA EWING.AUTHOR OF “SIX TO SIXTEEN;” “FLAT IRON FOR A FARTHING;”“MRS. OVERTHEWAY’S REMEMBRANCES,” ETC. WITH ELEVEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY MRS. W. ALLINGHAM(HELEN PATERSON). FIFTH EDITION LONDON: GEORGE BELL & SONS, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN. 1890. DedicatedTO MY DEAR SISTER MARGARET.J. H. E. CONTENTS. PAGECHAPTER I.THE WINDMILLER’S WIFE.—STRANGERS.—TEN SHILLINGS A WEEK.—THE LITTLE JAN.1CHAPTER II.THE MILLER’S CALCULATIONS.—HIS HOPES AND FEARS.—THE NURSE-BOY.—CALM.14CHAPTER III.THE WINDMILLER’S WORDS COME TRUE.—THE RED SHAWL.—IN THE CLOUDS.—NURSING V. PIG-MINDING.—THE ROUND-HOUSE.—THE MILLER’S THUMB.20CHAPTER IV.BLACK AS SLANS.—VAIR AND VOOLISH.—THE MILLER AND...

If there's any recording worth keeping of Charlie, or sharing with the likes of those who don't know what he stood for, it's this one. It's no accident that God had this speech be one of the final marks he left on earth.

Wuthering Heights director Emerald Fennell has claimed that the literary classic is 'full of S&M' after her new film's raunchy first trailer was branded 'erotic softcore porn'. Starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, this racy new version of Emily Bronte's iconic novel is set to hit cinemas next Valentine's Day. Those expecting a faithful adaptation of the beloved work may be in for a rude awakening as Emerald's upcoming film is said to lean into the 'stylised depravity' she has become known for after directing the 2023 hit Saltburn.

Philemon 1:16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?

If Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, Drew Barrymore and Gwyneth Paltrow are peddling a memoir from their billionaire investor pal, who has a mind-blowing tale of self-actualization — maybe just maybe, there’s a little more to the story. We learned just how much more this week, in a blockbuster New York Times piece that dug into the narrative behind Amy Griffin’s bestselling memoir, “The Tell.” And the article is far more compelling than the book itself. SNIP However, her memories were recovered during therapy sessions while under the influence of the drug MDMA — a practice that is illegal and was...

Millions of dollars sent to Barack Obama’s foundation has ended up being donated to a progressive fund that supported anti-Israel groups, accused of setting up encampments at Ivy League universities, according to public documents. Donations to the Obama Foundation, set up by the former president to build a 19-acre campus including a museum, athletic facility and fruit and vegetable gardens in Chicago, totaling $2 million were instead sent on to Tides Foundation in 2022 and 2023, according to its latest available federal tax filings. The cash was earmarked to “support local organizations that are working to reduce violence in communities,”...

Bill Maher rejects Kamala’s claim that America wasn’t ready “for a ticket with a black woman and a gay man.” @billmaher: “I know the Republicans would say, “Well, if you had the right politics, we don’t care if you’re black. We’ve had Herman Cain run. We’ve had lots of people run. 20% of black men voted for Trump in the last election. And gay, we don’t care about that either.”

In Stephen King's first novel, 1974's Carrie, he brings up Bob Dylan not just once but several times. "Elsewhere in this book," he writes, "mention is made of a page in one of Carrie White's school notebooks where a line from a famous rock poet of the '60s, Bob Dylan, was written repeatedly, as if in desperation." The line in question is from "Just Like a Woman:" "Nobody has to guess that baby can't be blessed / 'Til she finally sees that she's like all the rest." Don't worry, we're not going to spoil Carrie for you. What we would...

As a cast member on the original Saturday Night Live, Gilda Radner created a compelling character named “Roseann Rosannadanna” who habitually ended her routine with the line, “It’s always something,” which was her father’s favorite expression about life. Radner chose the catch- phrase she made famous as the title to her brave, funny, and painfully honest memoir: the story of her struggle against cancer and her determination to continue laughing.

I asked for recommendations of contemporaneous histories of the post-Civil war Reconstruction in the South years ago, but lost the bookmark to that thread. Had several great replies, but I can't remember the authors. Looking for balanced accounts, preferably pre-WW1. Thanks for any tips.

"President Trump's presence in the UK is a multi-layered operation with one ultimate goal: to demonstrate conclusively that the old Atlanticist order is dead, and a new, America-First-aligned structure has taken its place. This is theater, but it's theater with a decisive, real-world objective....." "So, in laymen's terms what you need to do is Forget the handshakes and the photo-ops. This is a victory lap and an occupation. Trump is in the UK to formally accept the surrender of the British political class and to plant the flag of his movement on the soil of America's oldest ally. He is...