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NoneImage Small Image Mark Kaufman Body It should come as no surprise that we’ve shifted from an “information economy” to an “attention economy.” Computer scientists and psychologists have been studying attention spans for about 20 years, over which time the average time that a person can focus on any one thing has dropped from around 21⁄2 minutes to around 45 seconds – even less if it’s a lecture you’re listening to. When was the last time you had any time at all free from distractions? Our brains are wired to pick up external cues like sights and sounds, all of which can distract us from the task at hand. Add technology to the mix – the time we spend in front of screens – and you begin to wonder how we ever get anything done. All kinds of things can contribute to a diminished attention span: sleep deprivation, stress, a noisy or cluttered environment, and screen time. Making changes to any one of these factors would help; so would full immersion in a book. There’s little doubt that reading is an activity that you have to consciously make time for, when there are so many other things competing for our time and attention. The challenge, of course, is to find just the right book to capture your attention and imagination, and keep you engrossed. Online, you’ll find algorithms designed to make suggestions based on past purchases. Instead, spend time browsing a bookstore and talk with a bookseller (usually a voracious reader), who will recommend something based on your interests and tastes. You’ll find more than 50 categories from which to choose, from science-fiction to romance, nature to current affairs, personal growth to faith. As the holidays approach, books are the perfect gift that can be opened again and again. You’ll never have to worry about viruses, software updates or changing the batteries. Even if you’re shopping for that impossible-to-please relative, you’ll find something among the 10,000 or so books a bookstore carries, or hundreds of thousands more that can be ordered and available within a couple of days. Author Sandi Richmond (“Milepost 75”) celebrated her 80th birthday by hiking rim-to-rim at the Grand Canyon. Physical activity, sensible eating, and time management all contribute to living longer, healthier lives. You can be sure that Richmond has kept her brain just as healthy. Trading screen time for a good book is a great place to start. Mark Kaufman is the co-owner of Story & Song Bookstore Bistro. mark@storyandsongbookstore.com
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DALLAS (AP) — Juan Soto gets free use of a luxury suite and up to four premium tickets behind home plate for regular-season and postseason New York Mets home games as part of his record $765 million, 15-year contract that was finalized Wednesday. The Mets also agreed to provide personal team security for the All-Star outfielder and his family at the team’s expense for all spring training and regular-season home and road games, according to details of the agreement obtained by The Associated Press. Major League Baseball teams usually provide security for player families in seating areas at ballparks. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Taylor Swift's 'Childless Cat Lady' Quip Tops 2024's Most Notable Quotations
On Monday (Dec. 2), a Black California lawmaker introduced a bill Monday that would prioritize the regarding the college admissions process. The tentative bill would affect the University of California and California State University, which are two of the country’s largest public university systems. Isaac Bryan, the Democrat who devised the bill represents parts of Los Angeles. He believes the bill will help with the discrimination that has and continues to take place at universities. It also comes after the Supreme Court reversed affirmative action at colleges, ending race-conscious admissions last year. “For decades universities gave preferential admission treatment to donors, and their family members, while others tied to legacies of harm were ignored and at times outright excluded,” Bryan to The Associated Press. “We have a moral responsibility to do all we can to right those wrongs. There is a growing understanding of California’s role in perpetuating the inequalities that arose from slavery, and there’s a willingness to try to rectify that harm, to heal that harm.” The outlet also reported that lawmakers held on Monday to consider ways to protect the California’s progressive policies ahead of Donald Trump’s second presidential term. According to The Hill, Trump has that he is willing to withhold federal funding over curriculum or diversity, equity and inclusions (DEI) measures in K-12 or higher education institutions. “Rather than indoctrinating young people with inappropriate racial, sexual and political material, which is what we’re doing now, our schools must be totally refocused to prepare our children to succeed in the world,” Trump has said. Bryan’s proposed measure will have to go through a legislative approval process that will last several months. Earlier this month, California voters rejected a ballot measure that would have amended the state constitution to get rid of forced prison labor—a proposal that was championed by Bryan and other members of the California Legislative Black Caucus.
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