As usual, I have four or five stories somewhere early in development, as the film folk like to say. Some are pretty good late drafts. Most are just early drafts, notes, ramblings, musings, maybe even a rough outline. A few are still in the incubator. Dozens more exist only on lists I add to every time I come across an idea while reading. This week I took one side street after another and came across nearly a dozen things I began to write about, then set aside and continued on, following some threads and unraveling some sleeves.
Thursday I Was Still Writing Four Articles – Friday I Had First Drafts of Three
Saturday I had five starts to choose from, each needing a lot of attention. Sunday I had it down to two second drafts. But here I am on Monday, June 1, 2026, Monday being the day I’ve published a new article before sundown for more than 500 consecutive weeks. I’ve never missed a deadline yet, but I find I can’t do any of them the justice they deserve with the time I have left. You see my dilemma.
So I’ll take a day off and do you a favor instead
Nearly everyone is surprised to learn which is the most read and most cited article over the 10 years I’ve been writing them.
People praise it because it tells us so much more than we knew before. It tells us all that just because someone tars it with the label of racism doesn’t mean it is. And a matter of fact, sometimes it’s the exact opposite. It’s equal helpings of you can’t judge a book by its cover, a new way to look at old things, and it’s sometimes mildly amusing if you like that sort of thing. It’s one of my favorites, too, because I learned so much along the way.
It’s called Do The Name Ruby Begonia Strike a Familiar Note? Thousands read it every year and you can read it here.
Number 2 on LetsTakeACloserLook’s Top Ten is Which Line Is Longer? The Müeller-Lyer Illusion. This article pops up when people search for <a bat and a ball cost $1.10>.
