John Cox

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www.cbr.com

Calvin and Hobbes Debate Exactly How Santa Claus Defines the Term 'Good'

This piece introduces the first day of an Advent Calendar feature spotlighting Christmas-themed strips from notable comic strips, beginning with Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. The entry examines how Calvin navigates the seasonal pressure to appear good enough for Santa by philosophically debating the nature of goodness with Hobbes, even attempting to get a reference letter, while also featuring strips where Santa and his elves deliberate Calvin's worthiness and Calvin dreams of a poem convincing Santa to reward naughty children instead. The piece highlights Watterson's skill at blending clever wordplay with strong visual storytelling to explore Calvin's characteristically twisted imagination.

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www.newyorker.com

An Ancient Guide to the Good Life

# Summary This essay explores why Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, repackaged as a modern self-help guide called "How to Flourish," ultimately disappoints readers seeking actionable moral rules—and why that disappointment reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of Aristotelian ethics. Aristotle's central insight is that becoming a good person (developing phronesis or "good judgment") requires lived experience, habit, and the wisdom of well-lived lives rather than algorithmic principles or formulaic advice. The essay argues that contrary to contemporary culture's hunger for rules and shortcuts, genuine ethical wisdom comes only through slow, repeated practice within a community of experienced people—a truth evident in everything from cooking to the internet's "Am I the Asshole?" forum, where strangers help one another see situations clearly.

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www.scientificamerican.com

Do We Live in a Simulation? Chances Are about 50–50

Astronomer David Kipping applied Bayesian reasoning to philosopher Nick Bostrom's 2003 simulation argument, which posits that at least one of three propositions must be true: humans go extinct before developing simulation technology, advanced civilizations don't simulate their past, or we're already living in a simulation. Kipping's analysis assigns equal initial probabilities to the "physical hypothesis" (no simulations exist) and the "simulation hypothesis" (simulations do exist), concluding that the odds we live in base reality are roughly even—contradicting Elon Musk's claim that the odds are one in billions. However, Kipping cautions that if humans ever create conscious simulations, the mathematics would flip dramatically to suggest we ourselves are almost certainly simulated, while acknowledging that the simulation hypothesis may be fundamentally untestable and thus fail the standard of science.

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www.indiewire.com

The 10 Best Films for Our Current Political Moment

Armando Ianucci, creator of "Veep," drew parallels between Biden's delayed exit from the race and the final voting scene in his film "The Death of Stalin," where characters fear being the first to act against the prevailing order. The piece uses this moment to argue that art inadvertently captures political dynamics we struggle to acknowledge in reality, then expands into a list of ten films—from "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" to "Lincoln"—that offer deeper insights into contemporary political issues than simple sitcom comparisons can provide.

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www.indiewire.com

Quentin Tarantino’s Favorite Movies: 65 Films the Director Wants You to See

Quentin Tarantino's cinematic tastes span from canonical classics to overlooked gems and mainstream blockbusters, reflecting his encyclopedic knowledge of film history developed during his video store years. His preferences reveal consistent interests in stylistic audacity, practical action sequences, complex character development, and genre-bending narratives—from spaghetti Westerns and exploitation films to screwball comedies and martial arts movies. The article catalogs 64 of Tarantino's favorite films across decades and countries, demonstrating how his admiration for directors like Brian De Palma, Pedro Almodóvar, and Bong Joon-ho has directly influenced his own directorial approach and filmmaking philosophy.

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collider.com

5 Years Later, These Are the 10 Best Movies of 2021

A retrospective ranking of 2021's best films five years on, arguing that despite the pandemic's disruption of release patterns and awards attention, that year quietly produced an unusually deep field of enduring work. It runs from Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth and Villeneuve's Dune down through overlooked gems like Mass and Judas and the Black Messiah, landing on The Worst Person in the World at number one as proof of cinema's growing embrace of international, formally adventurous storytelling. Worth keeping as a corrective list-style piece that pushes back against films (like Licorice Pizza or West Side Story) getting overshadowed by their directors' bigger later hits or box-office flops.

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Consequence

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Consequence magazine released an updated version of its "100 Greatest Albums of All Time" list, 12 years after the original 2010 edition, reflecting significant shifts in musical culture, taste, and available recordings. The new list was compiled through extensive debate among staff members (only two of whom worked on the original), weighing factors like an album's impact at release, retrospective significance, influence on evolving musical trends, and the pure joy it brings to listeners. The publication acknowledges that readers will inevitably disagree with placements and omissions, but stands by the selections as a thoughtful assessment of musical greatness rather than a claim to objective truth.

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Collider

The 10 Most Underrated Sci-Fi Mysteries of the 21st Century, Ranked

This article ranks ten underrated science fiction mystery films from the 21st century, from Gareth Edwards' *Monsters* at number ten to James Gray's *Ad Astra* at number one. Each entry includes a brief description of the film's plot, thematic concerns, and performances, explaining why these commercially overlooked or critically underseen films deserve recognition from sci-fi fans. The list spans from 2002 to 2019 and includes notable titles like *Equilibrium*, *The Butterfly Effect*, *Southland Tales*, and *Code 46*, positioning them as worthy alternatives to mainstream franchises that have dominated the genre.

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Collider

The 10 Most Timeless Classic Film Noir Movies, Ranked

I don't have an article to summarize. The content you've provided appears to be a webpage from Collider featuring a ranked list of classic film noir movies, with detailed descriptions of ten films from *The Killing* (ranked 10th) down to *Sunset Boulevard* (ranked 1st). If you'd like me to summarize a specific article or piece of writing, please share the actual text or content you'd like me to condense.

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collider.com

10 Most Moving Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

A Collider countdown ranks the ten most emotionally affecting sci-fi films ever made, arguing that the genre's real power lies not in spectacle but in intimate human stakes—grief, memory, love, and mortality. It moves from animated tearjerkers like WALL-E and quiet meditations like After Yang and Solaris through romance-tech hybrids like Her and Eternal Sunshine, landing on Arrival and Interstellar as the pinnacle examples of cerebral, heart-wrenching storytelling. The throughline is that the best sci-fi uses cosmic scale to sharpen, not dilute, deeply personal emotional truths.

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www.businessinsider.com

The 50 best movies of all time list, according to critic reviews: Metacritic

This is Metacritic's ranked list of the 50 most critically acclaimed films of all time, based on composite critical reception scores. The ranking spans from classic Hollywood and silent films through contemporary Oscar winners, with *The Godfather* topping the list at a perfect 100/100 critical score, followed by *Citizen Kane* and *Rear Window*. The piece demonstrates how critical consensus values both timeless masterpieces and recent achievements, with notable directors like Hitchcock heavily represented across the rankings.

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www.theringer.com

The 100 Best TV Episodes of the Century - The Ringer

The Ringer updated its 2018 ranking of the 100 best TV episodes of the century to reflect seven years of new television, a period during which streaming services fundamentally changed how shows are made and consumed. The revision added 27 new episodes while maintaining the original list's commitment to representing television's full range of genres rather than limiting itself to prestige dramas. The methodology remained consistent: staff submitted favorites, with one episode per show allowed and only episodes released after July 2018 eligible for inclusion or replacement.

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www.goldderby.com

James Bond Movies Ranked From Worst To Best

This ranking aggregates critical and audience scores from Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and IMDb (combined out of 300) to determine the best and worst Bond films. Goldfinger emerges at the top with 261 points, while The Man With the Golden Gun ranks lowest at 149, with classic Connery films and recent Daniel Craig entries generally scoring higher than Roger Moore's 1980s outings. The list reveals that critical consensus tends to favor Bond films from the 1960s and recent reboots over the middling reviews given to many films from the franchise's middle decades.

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www.mensjournal.com

Best James Bond Movies of All Time, Ranked | Men's Journal

This article ranks all 25 James Bond films from worst to best, beginning with Timothy Dalton's *The Living Daylights* and culminating in Sean Connery's *Thunderball*. Each entry includes a brief assessment of the film's strengths and weaknesses, behind-the-scenes trivia, and memorable quotes, spanning from the franchise's 1962 debut through Daniel Craig's 2015 *Spectre*. The rankings reflect both critical perspective and the evolution of Bond's character across different actors and eras, acknowledging shifts in tone from campy to gritty to the influence of competing spy franchises like the Bourne series.

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The Points Guy

Redeem American Airlines AAdvantage miles for maximum value - The Points Guy

American Airlines' AAdvantage program offers several high-value redemption opportunities, particularly with Oneworld partner airlines where fixed award charts still apply—such as European business class seats for 57,500 miles on carriers like Iberia or Finnair, and first-class flights to Japan on Japan Airlines for 80,000 miles. The program uses dynamic pricing for American-operated flights, making off-peak travel and short-haul economy redemptions (starting at 5,000 miles) better values, while partner redemptions like Royal Air Maroc business class to Morocco at 57,500 miles provide consistent availability and pricing.

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The Points Guy

Amex Membership Rewards: How to earn, redeem and transfer - The Points Guy

Amex Membership Rewards points are valued at approximately 2 cents each and offer flexibility through multiple redemption options, with the highest value typically achieved by transferring points to airline and hotel partners rather than redeeming through Amex Travel or statement credits. The article compares six major Amex cards that earn these points, detailing their welcome bonuses, earning rates across spending categories, and annual fees to help cardholders choose the best option for their spending patterns. It also explains the mechanics of earning and redeeming points, including transfer partner options, tax implications, and redemption strategies that maximize value while warning against poor-value redemptions like gift cards or statement credits.

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The Points Guy

American Express Platinum review: Luxury perks worth the fee - The Points Guy

The Amex Platinum charges $895 annually but targets frequent travelers with extensive perks including broad airport lounge access, up to $2,039 in potential annual statement credits across travel and lifestyle categories, and 5x points earning on airfare and prepaid hotels. The card's value depends heavily on maximizing its scattered credits and elite hotel/airline status benefits, making it less suitable for those who want simplicity or primarily earn everyday rewards on dining and groceries.

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www.nytimes.com

How Churners Earn Money By Regularly Signing Up for Credit Cards

David Wignall profiles [[Matthew Palm]], a 57-year-old freelance television producer in [[Illinois]] whose side hustle is opening and managing an array of [[credit cards]]—about 50 at last count—to harvest signup bonuses and rewards. The article explains the mechanics of card-churning strategies, the allure of sign-up points and travel perks, and how disciplined spending, calendar vigilance and an understanding of issuer rules can make the practice lucrative for some while posing risks to others: potential credit-score impacts, fees, and complex record-keeping. Wignall situates churning within broader consumer-finance choices, interviews experts and participants, and notes industry responses and policy considerations, concluding that while churning can pay off for experienced, organized individuals it is rarely advisable as a casual side income. Appeared in [[The New York Times]].

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www.nike.com

Marathon Training Plan

Nike's 18-week marathon training plan combines guided runs, strength workouts, and recovery guidance through their app ecosystem to support both physical preparation and mental readiness for 26.2 miles. The program adapts to individual schedules and fitness levels, offering flexibility in training frequency and duration while incorporating coaching expertise on speed work, long runs, and recovery strategies. Rather than focusing solely on mileage, the plan treats marathon training as a holistic development process touching nutrition, mindset, and overall progress.

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tyr.com

TYR Sport

This is a promotional storefront page, not an article — a seasonal sale listing footwear like the CXT-3 Trainers, L-2 Lifter, and TECKNIT 2 Trainers with discounts up to 70% off. There's no real argument or reporting here, just product marketing copy, so it was likely saved as a shopping reminder rather than for its content.

Permalink gearfootwearrunningfitness