All of you, you and how you guys talk. The NYT published this American dialect quiz years ago, but I came across it only recently. It asks twenty-five questions about the words you use and how you pronounce them. Do you say you all or you guys? Crawfish or crawdads? Is it a garage sale, tag sale, or yard sale? It then creates a heat map of where people like you talk most. It guessed me to be from Oklahoma City and Tulsa, which is absolutely correct. Only two places I’ve ever been. when i shared Quiz on Substack NotesA group of people said it bothered them too. But this was not accurate for everyone; This may be less for people who have lived a large part of their lives in different parts of the country. See if it gets you right: The quiz takes just a few minutes and is a lot of fun.
Woolrock. This week our family drove an hour north from Tulsa to Woolrock. It is a ranch built in 1925 in the Osage Hills by oilman Frank Phillips (of Phillips 66 fame). This is a real hidden gem. Will Rogers once called it “the strangest place in this country.” We try to go there at least once a year. You drive through a 3,700-acre wildlife preserve with buffalo, deer, elk, and longhorn cattle. There is a museum that houses one of the best Western art collections, the most complete collection of Colt firearms in the world, and, even some shrunken heads. During the summer, they have a Mountain Man Camp staffed with re-enactors who give you a history lesson about 19th century hunting and trapping. Gus gets to fire a replica 1820s flintlock rifle. If you ever recover, definitely visit Woolrock – I dare say it’s the most Oklahoma-y destination in our state.
daylight computer tablet. I’ve had it for over a year now, and it’s become one of my favorite work tools. It’s an e-ink tablet, and I use it to read Kindle books and PDFs. When I make notes on it, it feels as if I am writing on paper. With no blue light, it’s easy on the eyes, and you can even use it outdoors.
art of thinking By Ernest Demnet. I’m not sure how I found this old book, but I’m glad I did. Demnet, a French priest, wrote it in 1928 and it was a big hit at the time. Before slipping into obscurity it was on the bestseller list, right next to Dale Carnegie’s. It’s full of practical advice on thinking better. They have chapters on how to read and write for better thinking, how to deal with distractions, and the “rigor of attention” needed to become who you are. highly recommend. The Kindle version is only $.99!
on our Dying Breed Newsletter, we published Sunday Firesides: You Are Not the Exception And paradox of skill.
quote of the week
This article was originally published on The art of manhood.
