O. Henry and more
By O. Henry:
28. Money Maze. I found out later that this is actually part of a larger collection of stories, Of Cabbages and Kings. I read another chapter from this ("Fox-In-The-Morning") and really liked it. So I think I may in the near future read the rest of this. From what I've read, the chapters are loosely connected, and this bit stands well on its own. It has O. Henry's signature wit, plus a dash of intrigue. Focusing the fictional world of Anchuria, an investigator is sent to finding money stolen from that country.
29. Nemesis and the Candy Man. A bit of patience is needed for this one, it almost reads like two separate stories - until you find out the connection at the very end (although the connection is hinted at). It's hard to give a synopsis without giving away spoilers, so I'll keep it brief. The titular candy man is indirectly and innocently responsible for the reforging of one relationship and breaking another.
30. Memoirs of a Yellow Dog. Cute, if a bit misogynistic. The story is told from the first-person, errr - first-canine - point of view. The four-legged focus relates his coddled life with a woman and her husband. There's more than a few laughs to be had.
31. Man About Town. This was hilarious! An inquisitive man is bound and determined to define and meet a typical "man about town," and interviews several people to try to get a satisfactory answer. He does get his answer, but it's not what he expects.
NOT by O. Henry
32. Social Media and the Public Interest, by Philip M. Napoli. A worthwhile read, even if a lot of things have changed since this was written and published. Napoli goes into detail how social media, especially the larger sites, have completely upended how information is read and spread - and not usually for the better. While there have been efforts made to quash the amount of bad information, is it enough? Napoli outlines the issues, how several thoughts and concepts - such as the idea of stopping bad information with more information - don't work in today's hyperconnected world. He also goes into some possible solutions, such as considering the larger social media as publishers and bringing these sites under stricter FCC control (which is an idea that has been vehemently resisted). The problems and history are well-explained, and many of his ideas should at least be discussed (not sure I'm on board with a couple of them but they merit debate).