July is a brutal writer’s reality check. It splits the year in half and forces you to reexamine optimistic January goals. It’s a second New Year’s resolution: reset your daily routine, adjust word count targets, and write fresh. I’m writing Chapter 8 of my WIP. Where are you?

Have you ever seen a UFO? 🛸 A declassified US Air Force and Navy map reveals over 200 military UFO contacts recorded 1947-1948. Data shows distinct regional waves across the USA during the initial UFO phenomenon. (Source: Daily Mail) If you've had a sighting, where & when? 👇

In honor of the 250th Anniversary of the USA:🇺🇸 👇 Hillsdale College - Revolutionary America Musical - 1776 Ken Burns - The American Revolution Schoolhouse Rock - America Rock Katharine Lee Bates - America the Beautiful History Channel - George Washington

Source: NPS

On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to approve the Lee Resolution, officially declaring the 13 colonies independent from Great Britain. #IndependenceDay

Bonus National Fact: Canada has two official national sports - ice hockey (winter) and lacrosse (summer). #CanadaDay #HappyCanadaDay #CanadianHistory

Happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦 Here’s 6 fascinating facts about our neighbor’s holiday. 👉 Which of these facts surprised you the most? Share the number in the comments! 👇

The USA changed for me when the USSR dissolved on December 26, 1991. It fundamentally shifted the USA from a Cold War mentality. Also, without a common enemy to rally against it seemed that American society fragmented and identified other Americans as the enemy.

My current WIP is set between 1975-1987, and it’s striking how much our world had shifted compared to today. When did the world (or USA) change for you? What event or period fundamentally rewired how you saw your neighbors, the government, or your own safety? Here‘s some major inflection points:

With the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in a few days, new data shows if you are an American not proud of the USA you are most likely a Democrat. Source: AP

Top 10 Things that actually work for KDP Authors in 2026 1. Treat it like a business 2. Professional book cover 3. Title + subtitle with hook + keywords 4. Blurb written like sales copy 5. Claim Amazon Author Central 1/2👇

AI just helped scholars virtually unwrap and read ancient Roman scrolls buried by Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago. History meets the future. What ancient secrets do you hope they uncover next? 👇

Happy Father’s Day! Do you know the origin of Father’s Day in the USA? It started with Sonora Smart Dodd in 1909. She wanted to honor her single dad: a Civil War veteran who raised six kids alone. It took over 60 years of lobbying to become a national holiday, from Presidents Wilson to Nixon.

Yes, how our brains map smells is a weird phenomenon. Smell is unique because the neuroanatomical wiring differs. For vision, hearing, touch, and taste, sensory signals first stop at the thalamus. Olfaction travels from the nasal cavity to the amygdala (emotion) and the hippocampus (memory).

That quote was not the from the two studies published by the NIH National Library of Medicine but from the Harvard Gazette article (last line). The studies suggested text is better for retention but about the same for comprehension.

Not you, Just David wrote “only” and that was who I responded to.

Do you use streaming devices connected to your phone or cloud services like Microsoft 365? If so, there’s a recent cyber risk you should know about. Cont.👇

I was just reading that Harvard Gazette article and was going to post it.👍

Retention is greater with text vs audio but both have similar comprehension. Audio also exhibits more mind wandering than reading text. I find I repeat audio books more than I re-read text. Have you noticed a difference? pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC... pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

To give you a closer look, here is the official Top 10 list over the last century. 📊 James and Mary hold the absolute crown! 👑 Let me know if your name made this ultimate 100-year leaderboard. 👇

Look to see the top names defining American generations over the last 100 years. From the Johns and Marys of the 1920s to the Olivias and Liams of today! 👇 Drop your birth year below and I’ll tell you the #1 boy and girl name from that exact year! 🔗 Source: Social Security Administration

History confirms that states which chronically fail to protect their citizens fail. They fall because this leaves the populace highly vulnerable, often fragmenting or succumbing to outside forces. This fundamental flaw frequently triggers a cascading effect..,

Look at Stage 7 on the map That’s exactly where most creators quit, and exactly where the story turns around. Writers: Which stage are you in? Drop the number below 👇

Are you writing your own version of Joseph Campbell‘s Hero’s Journey right now? George Lucas:“The secret is not to give up hope. It’s very hard not to because if you’re really doing something worthwhile I think you will be pushed to the brink of hopelessness before you come through the other side.”

Recently, I spoke with a longtime friend about work, friends, family, and life. Our consensus from over three decades was that no matter how much you prepare or how hard you work, timing and luck are always critical to success.

Do you want to be successful? Follow this simple formula… Great hook, but is it true?

🌕Blue Micromoon this weekend! Second full moon of May is the smallest & farthest of 2026. Bonus: brilliant star Antares photobombs Sunday’s sky. You watching? 👀 Drop your plans or best moon memory👇

In 1915 gasoline cost $0.15 in the USA! How much does gas cost where you live?

Do you cook your own meals? New Japanese research (published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health) tracked over 10,000 adults aged 65+ for six years. The finding: Cooking a meal from scratch at least once a week was linked to a substantially lower risk of dementia.