2025 Challenge: Read 100 new things

[Del Murder]

My challenge for 2025 is to read 100 new things. Should be much easier than doing 100 novel things but there is a catch. I'm keeping the spirit of 'novelty' in this, so it doesn't count if it was something I would have read anyway. So whatever book of Wheel of Time I'm on doesn't count, nor does random work related articles, unless I specifically target one I would not have read otherwise.

The goal here is to expand my horizons to different writings. I feel like I do fairly well on that already with the books I read, as I do all different genres, but I'm not so good at reading articles other than the local news.

Also, I need to actually read the piece. Not just the title or summary or to skim it. Actually read it.

Length doesn't matter as long as it is more than a couple paragraphs. Can be a book, article, blog post, editorial, but not a Tweet.

I will post updates in the thread and links if possible. Here goes!

[Del Murder]

1. Top places to visit in California in 2025 (https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2025/top-california-places-to-visit/) (1/5)

[Del Murder]

2. The Militia and the Mole (https://www.propublica.org/article/ap3-oath-keepers-militia-mole) (1/9)

[Del Murder]

3. James webb space telescopes little red dots come into focus (https://www.npr.org/2025/01/14/nx-s1-5258907/james-webb-space-telescopes-little-red-dots-come-into-focus) (1/14)

[Spuuky]

Could have done "read 100 novel things" and then read that many novels, but I suppose we all must choose our battles

[Del Murder]

I would never be able to read 100 novels per year, unless I quit my job and they were all novellas. Suggest an article for me Romeo!

[Del Murder]

4. What we get wrong about time. (https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191203-what-we-get-wrong-about-time) (1/20)

[Del Murder]

5. Improved radon gas mapping finds nearly 25% of Americans living in highest risk areas (https://phys.org/news/2025-01-radon-gas-americans-highest-areas.amp) (1/21)

[Del Murder]

6. Microsoft Chose Profit Over Security and Left U.S. Government Vulnerable to Russian Hack, Whistleblower Says (https://www.propublica.org/article/microsoft-solarwinds-golden-saml-data-breach-russian-hackers) (1/22) - I read a series of articles on this but it starts with this one.

[Del Murder]

7. No More Periods When Texting. Period. (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/29/crosswords/texting-punctuation-period.html) (1/26)

[Mr Gashtacular]

7. No More Periods When Texting. Period. (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/29/crosswords/texting-punctuation-period.html) (1/26)

ive long thought this, and experienced it during actual fights

You can tell when someone is really mad in texts/chatrooms when they start using grammar and full sentences, like this.

[Del Murder]

8. In the Wild West of School Voucher Expansions, States Rely on Untested Companies, With Mixed Results (https://www.propublica.org/article/school-voucher-management-classwallet-odyssey-merit-student-first) (2/1)

[Del Murder]

9. How Costco Hacked the American Shopping Psyche (https://archive.ph/nMoNi) (2/2)

[Del Murder]

10. Washington Governor Orders Team to Study Data Centers’ Impact on Energy Use, Job Creation and Tax Revenue (https://www.propublica.org/article/washington-data-centers-study-bob-ferguson) (2/5) - read this plus the original reporting.

[Del Murder]

11. My identity was stolen. This one tip could have saved me from the entire ordeal (https://www.sfchronicle.com/personal-finance/article/freeze-credit-prevent-identity-theft-20011780.php) (2/9)

[Del Murder]

12. 7 health benefits of walking (https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/healtharticle.benefits-of-walking?wt.tsrc=em&cat=2a&mkt_tok=NDkyLU5RVS0wMTQAAAGYnyGN5TS7eCCx_EsMFa8dc7gjHrKc9i2tAu0s5Fc-807bYftHngc1mp_yq_vlrIavP_BYt8xIUtRfApZNKXL__7QxNzTgTqE5-CWloRHHU8b5-w) (2/14)

[Del Murder]

13. Silicon Valley’s Macho Makeover Was a Warning, Not a Trend (https://www.wired.com/story/power-dressing-silicon-valleys-macho-makeover-is-a-warning-not-a-trend/) (2/16)

[Del Murder]

14. California’s almond crop threatened by ‘catastrophic’ honeybee losses (https://www.sfchronicle.com/climate/article/bee-almond-tree-california-20164083.php?utm_content=cta&sid=61e77a5092109b7957096b09&ss=A&st_rid=d990cd25-4cd6-45d9-9c81-082b8d1dc104&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=headlines&utm_campaign=sfcn%20%7C%20the%20must-read) (2/22)

[Del Murder]

15. This is Water by David Foster Wallace (https://fs.blog/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water/) (2/22)

[Cell]

12. 7 health benefits of walking (https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/healtharticle.benefits-of-walking?wt.tsrc=em&cat=2a&mkt_tok=NDkyLU5RVS0wMTQAAAGYnyGN5TS7eCCx_EsMFa8dc7gjHrKc9i2tAu0s5Fc-807bYftHngc1mp_yq_vlrIavP_BYt8xIUtRfApZNKXL__7QxNzTgTqE5-CWloRHHU8b5-w) (2/14)

I've really got to get back into doing my daily step count targets.

[Del Murder]

16. As Facebook Abandons Fact-Checking, It’s Also Offering Bonuses for Viral Content (https://www.propublica.org/article/facebook-meta-abandons-fact-checking-boosts-viral-content) (3/1)

[Del Murder]

17. Trump's Blockade of America (https://www.apricitas.io/p/trumps-blockade-of-america) (3/5)

[Del Murder]

18. Why 20-somethings are abandoning San Francisco — even when they can afford it (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/san-francisco-20somethings-exodus-20178534.php?utm_content=cta&sid=61e77a5092109b7957096b09&ss=A&st_rid=d990cd25-4cd6-45d9-9c81-082b8d1dc104&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=headlines&utm_campaign=sfcn%20%7C%20the%20must-read) (3/11)

[Del Murder]

19. Why can’t we remember our lives as babies or toddlers? (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/feb/16/why-cant-we-remember-our-lives-as-babies-or-toddlers) (3/15)

[Del Murder]

20. The Parallel Economy and the New Rules of American Power (https://open.substack.com/pub/kyla/p/the-parallel-economy-and-the-new?r=3wq67g&utm_medium=ios) (3/15)

[Del Murder]

21. The Great Salt Shake Up (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/04/kosher-salt-trend-cooking/681762/) (3/21)

[Del Murder]

22. The Nicest Swamp on the Internet (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/04/reddit-culture-community-credibility/681765/) (3/21)

[Del Murder]

23. Stuck In Place - Why Americans stopped moving houses—and why that’s a very big problem (https://www.theatlantic.com/press-releases/archive/2025/02/the-atlantics-yoni-appelbaum-stuck-in-place/681629/) (3/21)

[Del Murder]

24. UC’s most competitive major has a 1% acceptance rate, and it’s not computer science (https://www.sfchronicle.com/college-admissions/article/uc-csu-nursing-major-acceptance-rate-20230860.php?utm_content=hed&sid=61e77a5092109b7957096b09&ss=A&st_rid=d990cd25-4cd6-45d9-9c81-082b8d1dc104&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=headlines&utm_campaign=sfcn%20%7C%20the%20must-read) (3/23)

[Del Murder]

25. Growing Up Murdoch (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/04/rupert-murdoch-family-succession-james-murdoch/681675/) (3/26)

[Del Murder]

26. The brain makes a lot of waste. Now scientists think they know where it goes (https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/06/26/g-s1-6177/brain-waste-removal-system-amyloid-alzheimer-toxins) (3/29)

[Del Murder]

27. The psychology behind why children are hooked on Minecraft (https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250328-the-psychology-behind-why-your-childs-hooked-on-minecraft) (3/31)

[Spuuky]

26. The brain makes a lot of waste. Now scientists think they know where it goes (https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/06/26/g-s1-6177/brain-waste-removal-system-amyloid-alzheimer-toxins) (3/29)I don't need this article, I already knew it went to social media posts

[Del Murder]

No, that’s what creates the waste!

[Del Murder]

28. As special ed students are integrated more at school, teacher training is evolving (https://www.npr.org/2025/04/15/nx-s1-5247585/teacher-training-special-education-disabilities-schools) (4/15)

[Del Murder]

29. A Warning Out of Time (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/05/trump-executive-order-lawlessness-constitutional-crisis/682112/) (4/16)

[Del Murder]

30. Everything We Once Believed In (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/05/trumpism-maga-populism-power-pursuit/682116/) (4/17)

[Del Murder]

31. The World Porn Made (https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2025/04/what-porn-did-to-american-culture/682610/) (4/27)

[Del Murder]

32. Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College (https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/openai-chatgpt-ai-cheating-education-college-students-school.html) (5/9)

[Del Murder]

33. Right to Remain Secret (https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2024/police-clean-record-agreements/) (5/14)

[Del Murder]

34. We Are the Most Rejected Generation (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/opinion/rejection-college-youth.html) (5/22)

[Del Murder]

35. Meet the ‘Stealthy Wealthy’ Who Make Their Money the Boring Way (https://www.wsj.com/business/making-money-wealth-boring-8cc6c2cd) (5/22)

[Del Murder]

36. Cartoon Network’s Last Gasp (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-05-13/cartoon-network-and-adult-swim-struggle-to-survive-zaslav-and-streaming) (5/23)

[Del Murder]

37. Fast and Fatal (https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2024/police-chases/#) (5/24)

[Del Murder]

38. The Golden Age of the Fried Chicken Sandwich (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/06/fried-chicken-sandwich-food-culture/682618/) (5/25)

[Del Murder]

39. Mail By Mule (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/06/mule-mail-delivery-supai-arizona/682619/) (5/25)

[Del Murder]

40. SFUSD kills controversial grading proposal after backlash (https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/sfusd-kills-controversial-grading-proposal-20349399.php) (5/30)

[Del Murder]

41. America’s College Towns Go From Boom to Bust (https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/college-towns-economy-macomb-illinois-aae84dcc) (5/31)

[Del Murder]

42. AI is ‘breaking’ entry-level jobs that Gen Z workers need to launch careers, LinkedIn exec warns (https://fortune.com/2025/05/25/ai-entry-level-jobs-gen-z-careers-young-workers-linkedin/)(5/31)

[Del Murder]

43. Waymo is teaching its robotaxis cars to drive more like humans. Here’s what that means (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/waymo-robotaxis-driving-like-humans-20354066.php) (6/3)

[Del Murder]

44. The Gentle Singularity (https://blog.samaltman.com/the-gentle-singularity) (6/11)

[Del Murder]

45. Science Shattered (https://projects.propublica.org/nih-cuts-research-lost-trump/) (6/12)

[Del Murder]

46. Portland Said It Was Investing in Homeless People’s Safety. Deaths Have Quadrupled (https://www.propublica.org/article/portland-homeless-deaths-multnomah-county). (6/13)

[Del Murder]

47. Massive biomolecular shifts occur in our 40s and 60s, Stanford Medicine researchers find (https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/08/massive-biomolecular-shifts-occur-in-our-40s-and-60s--stanford-m.html) (6/15)

[Del Murder]

48. People are Losing Loved Ones to AI Fueled Fantasies (https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ai-spiritual-delusions-destroying-human-relationships-1235330175/) (6/17)

[Del Murder]

49. The Day the Music Died (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/06/american-pop-culture-decline/682578/) (6/18)

[Del Murder]

50. This simple fitness test might predict how long you’ll live (https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/06/18/sitting-rising-test-longevity/) (6/18)

[Del Murder]

51. Is Ian Still In There? (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/06/brain-injury-consciousness-science/682579/) (6/20)

[Del Murder]

51. Alone and adrift in the Pacific (https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/06/commercial-fisherman-shipwreck/682580/) (6/21)

[Wolf Kanno]

We're past the half way mark! :beer:

[Del Murder]

Yep, that subscription to The Atlantic is paying off.

Something I wish existed was a "pay per article" for these various news outlets. I don't want a monthly subscription just to read one article. In the old days, you could go to the newsstand and pick up that paper for a few cents. Although I get it for the companies from their budgeting that a subscription model is much more stable for them, I think it leaves money on the table for folks that just want the one off article hear and there. You just end up swiping it from some archive rather than going through the whole subscribe/unsubscribe process.

[Del Murder]

52. How Fantasy Fueled 60s Counterculture (https://sitarasgarden.substack.com/p/gandalf-for-president) (6/29)

[Del Murder]

53. Threat in Your Medicine Cabinet: The FDA’s Gamble on America’s Drugs (https://www.propublica.org/article/fda-drug-loophole-sun-pharma) (7/4)

[Del Murder]

54. The latest threat from the rise of Chinese manufacturing (https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/07/1119658/the-latest-threat-from-the-rise-of-chinese-manufacturing/) (7/8)

[Del Murder]

55. With social prescribing, hanging out, movement and arts are doctor's order (https://www.npr.org/2025/07/14/nx-s1-5434386/social-prescription-arts-exercise-loneliness) (7/14)

[Del Murder]

56. A New Era of Hunger has Begun (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/opinion/america-safety-net.html) (7/14)

[Del Murder]

57. A Push for More Organ Transplants Is Putting Donors at Risk (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/20/us/organ-transplants-donors-alive.html) (7/20)

[Del Murder]

58. Global hack on Microsoft product hits U.S., state agencies, researchers say (https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/07/20/microsoft-sharepoint-hack/) (7/21)

[Del Murder]

59. How Gen Z is Becoming the Toolbelt Generation (https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/gen-z-trades-jobs-plumbing-welding-a76b5e43) (7/27)

[Del Murder]

60. ‘It’s a crisis moment’: Bay Area grocery habits are changing the physical stores (https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/grocery-stores-online-shopping-20775964.php) (7/29)

[Del Murder]

61. A Parent’s Guide to Surviving Middle School (https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2024/10/parenting-guide-middle-school-advice/680368/) (8/4)

[Del Murder]

62. How a scientist’s lifelong obsession with vaults could transform medicine (https://www.uclahealth.org/news/publication/how-scientists-lifelong-obsession-with-vaults-could) (8/11)

[Del Murder]

63. It’s the Housing, Stupid (https://ofdollarsanddata.com/its-the-housing-stupid/?utm_campaign=as-npc105112516) (8/12)

[Del Murder]

64. Why Hasn’t Medical Science Cured Chronic Headaches (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/18/the-headache-tom-zeller-jr-book-review)? (8/14)

[Del Murder]

65. How to Live Forever and Get Rich Doing It (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/11/how-to-live-forever-and-get-rich-doing-it) (8/16)

[Del Murder]

66. A.I. is Coming for Culture (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/09/01/ai-is-coming-for-culture) (8/25)

[Del Murder]

67. Why We’re Leaving the Office Earlier but Still Showing Up on Time (https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/workplace/why-were-leaving-the-office-earlier-but-still-showing-up-on-time-5435ffe4) (8/26)

[Del Murder]

68. It’s happening: People are starting to talk like ChatGPT (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/08/20/chatgpt-claude-chatbots-language/) (8/26)

[Del Murder]

69. How Weekly Shōnen Jump Became the World's Most Popular Manga Factory (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/09/01/how-weekly-shonen-jump-became-the-worlds-most-popular-manga-factory) (8/27)

[Del Murder]

70. The New Millennial Parenting Anxiety (https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2025/08/millennial-travel-kids-intensive-parenting/684016/) (8/27)

[Del Murder]

71. Is Las Vegas really dead? Tourism slump a warning for Bay Area and beyond (https://www.sfchronicle.com/travel/article/las-vegas-tourism-economy-20826319.php) (8/30)

[Del Murder]

72. The Orgasm Expert Who Ended Up On Trial (https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/the-orgasm-expert-who-ended-up-on-trial) (8/30)

[Del Murder]

73. Yes, Cash Transfers Work (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/08/cash-transfer-economic-growth/684028/) (8/31)

[Del Murder]

Big update due to the long down time of the site, I’ll come back and number these later:

74. Auteurs, Inc. (New Yorker 9/7)
75. Why are Kids So Funny? (New Yorker, 9/7)
76. Why Don’t We Take Nuclear Weapons Seriously? (New Yorker 9/8)
77. The Debit Card Rebellion (Atlantic 9/9)
78. Does Society Have Too Many Rules? (New Yorker 9/10)
79. What the Comfort Class Doesn’t Get (Atlantic 9/10)
80. Boy Meets Girl (New Yorker 9/14)
81. Brazil Braces for a Verdict in Its Ex-President (New Yorker 9/15)
82. Can You Really Live One Day at a Time (New Yorker 9/17)
83. The Day the Earth Died (New Yorker 9/19)
84. The Behemoth (New Yorker 9/20)
85. Why You Can’t Get a Restaurant Reservation (New Yorker 9/24)
86. Can Progressive Mayors Redeem the Democratic Party? (New Yorker 9/24)
87. The AI Bubble is Coming for Your Browser (New Yorker 9/25)
88. Can Liberalism Be Saved? (New Yorker 9/25)
89. Canada is Killing Itself (Atlantic 9/28)
90. Prompt Diagnosis (New Yorker 10/1)
91. Should College Get Harder? (New Yorker 10/4)
92. Sticks and Stones (New Yorker 10/9)
93. This is What the End of the Liberal World Order Looks Like (Atlantic 10/9)
94. Spending on AI Is at Epic Levels. Will it Ever Pay Off? (WSJ 10/11)
95. Will AI Trap You in the Permanent Underclass? (New Yorker 10/11)
96. Mad King George (Atlantic 10/16)
97. Ready or Not (New Yorker 10/17)
98. Go Big and Go Home (New Yorker 10/22)
99. The Goon Squad (Harpers 10/24)
100. Dear Son (Atlantic 10/25)
101. Enemies of the State (New Yorker 10/27)

[Psychotic]

New Yorker? I hardly know her.

[theundeadhero]

I'm more interested in The Goon Squad. Well, I'm not interested in them, but I am interested in what kind of goons Del was reading about.

[Del Murder]

I'm more interested in The Goon Squad. Well, I'm not interested in them, but I am interested in what kind of goons Del was reading about.
Oh gods, you don't want to know. Words don't mean what they used to. And in full transparency, my wife texted me that one!

And look at that, at 101 now! Reading is fun.