I love data, and yesterday I wrote about the ongoing national disgrace of gun violence. Here’s some data to use with your gun-loving friends and relatives. Maybe it won’t change their minds, but it helps me be certain that gun control is a big part of the solution.

So here are the two charts you need to win any argument over whether gun laws matter.

1. America, with more guns than any other high income nation, is a wild outlier of gun violence.

2. States with stronger gun laws have much less gun crime. pic.twitter.com/3MS7daGVfI

— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) November 23, 2022

I probably knew this, but among his other great achievements, our nation’s Thanksgiving tradition was created by none other than Abraham Lincoln. What a wise, wise man. I was reminded of this by reading today’s Letters From an American.

Lincoln would be appalled at our national culture these days. But that’s a story for another day. Today’s a day for positive thoughts.

We’re taking it easy today and breaking with a lot of tradition. Prime rib roast rather than turkey. No cranberries, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, or oddball casseroles. A tiny gathering rather than a large one – no parents (none left, sadly), no kids, no siblings, no local couples or gaggle of friends. Just the two of us plus one friend. A meal that’s easy to prepare instead of a relentless cooking frenzy during the day. It’ll be the smallest Thanksgiving in my memory, by any measure. It just kinda turned out that way, appropriate for 2022.

Today’s menu at Chez Nichols:

• Smoked and slow-roasted prime ribeye
• Pan-roasted vegetables with gnocchi (one of my favorite recipes – easy and delish)
• Scalloped potatoes
• Stuffing/dressing (even though there’s no turkey to stuff, we just like stuffing)
• Roasted asparagus
• Butternut squash with brown sugar and cinnamon
• Our estate olive oil with some good bread
• Pecan pie and whipped cream
• Your selection of over-the-top wines, starting with a 2014 Quintessa Cab

So I guess we won’t go hungry. Walk-ins are welcome.

The weather in Socal is cool and sunny – it would be perfect if we didn’t need rain so badly. Having said that, the greenery on our property is really looking great now that we have the well water all filtered and pure. Should have made that investment in filtration years ago. Better late than never, my motto.

Here are a few interesting things I read this morning via Hacker News:

• Blue whale songs have gotten significantly lower in frequency over the last 40 years, and no one knows why.
• FM radio had an interesting and tragic beginning. RCA and the FCC should be ashamed.
• A thoughtful essay on photography.

I enjoy my morning reading sessions quite a bit – it’s become a solid habit. There’s a lot to learn about the world, and here in the golden age of online publishing there’s almost no limit to what you can explore via your laptop. I’m thankful for that.