Reading List on the Net {10.01.15}

It's been awhile. It's not that there's nothing to read on the internet but rather there is just too much. Ever feel you need a break?

I took a break.

But recently {as in the last two days literally} I have come across bits and pieces that I wanted to share. And wouldn't you know, I had a saved "Reading List on the Net" just waiting. It had to be a sign. {Okay, I'll believe what I want to...}

Since I've been out of it for awhile, I'll start small.

For Better Social Skills, Scientists Recommend a Little Chekhov

after reading literary fiction, as opposed to popular fiction or serious nonfiction, people performed better on tests measuring empathy, social perception and emotional intelligence

Why do you suppose this is? I'd love to hear your thoughts but since I don't know when that will happen, I'll go ahead and relay the why. {You can always leave me a comment anyway.} When a literary fiction work is read, there is more required from the imagination than say a popular fiction or romance book. Therefore the reader has to make inferences; the author hasn't given them everything. Encountering this in a book is very helpful for real life when presented with a situation where you have to use your imagination about what is going on, what's happened, how someone is feeling, or even if something will make someone else feel a certain way. You have to infer from their appearance and actions, not just their words.

Experts said the results implied that people could be primed for social skills like empathy, just as watching a clip from a sad movie can make one feel more emotional.

That 'Useless' Liberal Arts Degree Has Become Tech's Hottest Ticket

Throughout the major U.S. tech hubs, whether Silicon Valley or Seattle, Boston or Austin, Tex., software companies are discovering that liberal arts thinking makes them stronger...Lee says she’s in awe of her technical colleagues who write Slack’s code. They, in turn, respect her because of her untechnical ability to “connect with end users and figure out what they want...” Thus the digital revolution spreads a tiny bit further, thanks to whiz-bang code underpinning...–and the interpersonal skills of an English major.

You'll need to read the whole five pages to find where those quotes go but I really thought it got the point across. I mean really, not everyone can be a computer science major. Come on.

Speaking of majors: This reminded me of a Studio C video that my son showed me recently.

Poverty and the Social Welfare State in the United States and Other Nations

The United States spends an outrageous amount on welfare programs, and yet there is about the same rate of poverty in the US as other Western countries (but it's less than the UK). One question I've often wondered is, what makes someone considered to be in 'poverty'? I grew up in poverty but I had everything I needed; but not all my wants. According to this article by Robert Rector, the 'poor' in the US really don't have it so bad. Have a read and let me know what you think.