Category Archives: Blog stuff

“In the midst of the constant up-and-down of coronavirus news, both from science and the markets, it’s easy to lose sight of the scariest scenario of them all: the one where there’s no magic bullet. In this entirely plausible situation, … Continue reading →

A parable, or maybe just an allegory, about secrets, small towns, and people that everyone knows. “I feel like I’m hardly one to talk, since lockdown orders barely affect me at all. Still, these two charts suggest that Americans were … Continue reading →

If you are reading this, then we have not been obliterated by an asteroid. Whether that’s good news or bad news is a matter of opinion. A delightful Twitter thread featuring the creepiest objects in various museum collections. “Many security-conscious … Continue reading →

“The Answer to All of Your Social Distancing Loophole Questions Is No”. I happened to come across two strange but delightful stories about art on the same day late last week. They are about Pierre Brassau, Monkey Artist and the … Continue reading →

The most meme-worthy moments from every MLB team’s history, if social media had existed at the time. Some truly wacky stuff in there. “We’ve heard these arguments before. For years, they were offered by Republicans in defense of George W. … Continue reading →

“That’s more people than ever died in a single year from HIV/AIDS, drug overdoses, gun violence, or car crashes in the US. It’s more than American casualties during the entire Vietnam War. But it’s also a horrifying number, in part, … Continue reading →

“Aspects of America’s identity may need rethinking after COVID-19. Many of the country’s values have seemed to work against it during the pandemic. Its individualism, exceptionalism, and tendency to equate doing whatever you want with an act of resistance meant … Continue reading →

“Copper is antimicrobial. It kills bacteria and viruses, sometimes within minutes. In the 19th century, exposure to copper would have been an early version of constantly sanitizing one’s hands. Since then, studies have shown that copper is able to destroy … Continue reading →

“How the GOP’s War on Government Paved the Way for Trump’s Deadly Incompetence”. “Small disruptions create small societal shifts; big ones change things for good. The O.J. Simpson trial helped tank the popularity of daytime soap operas. The New York … Continue reading →

Beware The Ides of March. Especially the horn section. “I took a deep dive into the Trump administration’s failure to bring any new Voting Rights Act cases in the first three years of his term. This dry spell of new … Continue reading →

“Did Nate Silver and FiveThirtyEight Lower 2016’s Voter Turnout? A New Paper Says Yes.” “Now, as fears about the coronavirus spread, at least one historian is worried the Trump administration is failing to heed the lesson of one of the … Continue reading →

“Begun, the streaming wars have. Worse and far more harmful than the cable wars of years past. And with the new content wars will come a fresh internet hell.” “But why? What makes this cycle so unusual? This is a … Continue reading →

“On Feb. 14, 1990, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft captured one of the most iconic photographs of the space age; to commemorate the moment’s 30th anniversary, NASA has digitally dusted off the image.” “High Fidelity, which was released in 2000, doesn’t … Continue reading →

If you’re a fan of Lost and some other shows, you’ll be able to stream them for free soon. “The New Majority Behind Sex Work Decriminalization”. Finally got around to reading Diana Moskowitz’s story about the Netflix show Cheer and … Continue reading →

“So because Republicans have now become the party of intransigence, that is the new norm and gets a pass when it comes to accountability. The burden is placed on Democrats to conjure up some magic trick to stop Republicans from … Continue reading →

What might have happened in the next season of some TV shows that got canceled. Gotta say, as a fan of “Castle”, I’m glad the Season 9 that might have been never did happen. “[Alan] Dershowitz’s career is a testament … Continue reading →

“Trump May Be Even More Unpopular Than His Approval Rating Shows”. “This passage is one of many reminders that the equation of Christianity with homophobic, racist, misogynist and false beliefs did not originate with any of these writers. It’s an … Continue reading →