My feed is just horrible shit from the Epstein files + reporting on the Epstein files interspersed with almost satirical attempts on the part of the White House to deflect from it — first the "Trump-Kennedy Center" and now this

Had some very interesting conversations in my Instagram DMs with people working in higher ed re: which institutions are currently focusing on building housing for juniors and seniors Would love to hear thoughts here as well —

I had truly the most fun on @annehelen.bsky.social's Culture Study talking BIG KOREAN ENERGY. Some topics: Why Korea dominates Sephora, yellowface, why everyone's book club is reading Susan Choi, colonialism, and importantly why IDGAF what white Americans think about North Korea. I scream laughed!

Your Kitchen Objects Are Filled With Feelings!!! (This makes the very good case to USE THAT CHINA) www.patreon.com/posts/your-k...

a small but important difference between Patreon and Substack, specifically on the backend: the first thing you see is not a graph of the last six months of your annualized income, taunting you with where you've been and frightening you with where you're headed

MY MINI-TRUCK DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE

people, you have the chance to put my book ahead of Olivia Nuzzi’s on the bestseller list. put aside all other considerations and think how objectively funny this would be. #1, that Mountain Goats guy. #2, Antivax Man Has My Heart. funniest list of the century. We can do this if we try

I have something like 15 tabs open right now because of @annehelen.bsky.social's annual gift guide. It's pretty stellar.

New DESIGN OF CHILDHOOD interview at Culture Study @annehelen.bsky.social // we cover courtyards, Nugget couches, Unit blocks, junk playgrounds, car-free politicians … www.patreon.com/posts/design...

It's my favorite time of year: time to sell out a bunch of stuff from small businesses!!!! It's ONE GIFT GUIDE TO RULE THEM ALL from Culture Study 186 recs (give or take) for weird and wondrous small business gifts, with new bonus section *just for Canada* www.patreon.com/posts/one-gi...

This is actually not impressive www.semafor.com/newsletter/1...

People are calling my lede here "appalling," "nightmare fuel," "actively evil," and "a desecration of the human spirit"

One of the hardest things about moving from academia to journalism was the fetishization of access — and SCOOPS — and this Nuzzi/Lizza discourse underlines why it always felt like shit and still does

these people were supposed to be the cream of the crop of the industry, btw

"One of the most-cited articles in the sociology of gender argues that “man” and “woman” are not stable identities but roles we must constantly perform. It’s less “I am a woman” and more “I do woman.” www.patreon.com/posts/fascin...

Alice Wong, a writer and activist who was born with muscular dystrophy and who fought relentlessly for equal rights and access for people with disabilities, died on Friday. She was 51. nyti.ms/4r9WqEr

A woman on TikTok has been taping herself calling religious organizations across the U.S. asking for baby formula for her 2 month old baby, and keeping a tally of which ones say yes and no. Would *Your* Organization Give Someone Baby Formula? www.patreon.com/posts/would-...

such a good demonstration of how AI agglomerates knowledge through predicting text: this is every single bean recipe that you’ve ever seen in your life, all at once, complete with 1/8 spoon of cinnamon (just trust me)

I am obsessed with this guy in the Rancho Gordo FB Group who decided to spend hours working with AI to figure out "the best" bean recipe instead of.....looking at actual recipes Truly an abomination — and such a good example of how AI tricks us into thinking we can reinvent the wheel with its help

This is so freaking good. 👇 As a new retiree, I never had the cottage-in-the-country retirement dream. I want a cafe, grocery store, pharmacy, bike lanes, bus line, and MDs in walking distance. I want a place where rallies & protests are normal. I want a functional *community.*

can someone make this make sense www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11...

I wrote about The Broken Logic of "The Best Place to Retire" www.patreon.com/posts/142988...

My old pal Pete Coviello — one of the best writers and thinkers I've ever known — wrote the piece of the moment lithub.com/maybe-dont-t...

It takes a lot for my jaw to drop during political rhetoric but "turn the volume up" fucking did it

Them: Zohran is a socialist (extremely derogatory) Zohran: Eugene Debs motherfuckers

I wrote about what I love about not having kids (before you @ me read the piece!) www.patreon.com/posts/big-no...

“I want to...ask for something and hear the word “no,” and feel emotionally safe in that exchange, but it’s not how I grew up. I grew up to believe that you only ask for help when you really need it, and at that point, it’s not OK for someone to say no.” substack.com/home/post/p-...

I wrote about what all of this aspirational resilience does to the body. The comments are a wreck but also a solace: annehelen.substack.com/p/who-else-i...

okay let's try this: who's the person you follow here who, when they link something, you always click

Read this wonderful, highly personal collection of essays on rec of @annehelen.bsky.social. Boosting it here because worried people will think they're in for a lecture rather than funny, poignant, gorgeous reflections on family, shopping, working, money, and stuff. www.vogue.com/article/emil...

honestly the reason I've kept away

Charlie seems to like it here on this site and we live in the same house so I figure I'll give it another try, here's his latest

I’m one of the many who’s caught this most recent strain of Covid - my case was mild, but wow have I had lingering sinus/tooth pain, which is apparently more common in Omicron cases

Smart take on why unions are what can actually protect us from AI taking jobs: https://open.substack.com/pub/garbageday/p/unions-are-our-only-defense-against?r=h567&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post

WGA picket locations for folks in LA and NY who might be available to join in, cheer, bring some snacks, or just stop by https://www.wgacontract2023.org/strike/picket-schedules-and-locations Sharing from the discord : https://discord.gg/vkwtZMyRqM

Coming in hot on this site with the news that you can indeed get covid for the first time 3 years 2 months into the pandemic and you can also test positive 2 days after running a marathon and 2 hours before boarding your flight to Paris