"Instead of a pollster, the party should have hired a detective. If Swalwell’s supporters spread themselves so far and wide that Republican candidates Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton garner the most votes in June, the Democrats will only have themselves to blame." Seriously.

I happened to listen to this marvelous poem by Katie Farris while waiting for a DEXA scan that will tell me how the osteoporosis has progressed (or not).

This was really good. Would love to read the whole novel

Moving & candid essay by Amanda Peet in @newyorker.com “I admire people who can sit with uncertainty in matters of life and death. I’m not one of them. I suck at mindfulness. I run scenarios, even for minor matters that are not exactly my business and hard to predict…” Yep. Same

Today’s Silly Pangram: LENTPITY, n., the compassion (or show of compassion) non-Catholics feel for Catholics for their deprivations during the season of Lent. “It’s just for a few more weeks,” Naomi said to her friend Donna, voice full of lentpity. Then added, “But wow, this brownie is so good!”

Today’s Silly Pangram: ABITUARY, n., a very short obituary. “Unmourned by all but his most deluded followers, the tyrant died,” read the abituary. #NYTSpellingBee

Today’s Silly Pangram: CHEATMADE, adj., of a piece of ostensibly creative work that was actually produced by a machine. “Her debut novel, which reportedly garnered a six-figure advance, turned out to be an AI-generated cheatmade pastiche of other people’s work.”

Maybe we should stop naming things after people. Maybe we should be especially careful about naming things after men.

Today’s Silly Pangram: MONEYHOG. “The moneyhogs fleeing California over a one-time billionaire tax have elicited almost no sympathy from the general public.”

Today’s Silly Pangram: FLUBODE, a house in which a contagious illness is spreading among household members. “No, no, no,” the harried mom of three coughing children said when her mother offered to come & help. “Keep away from our flubode.” #NYTSpellingBee

A fascinating read by friend & former colleague @laurenmarkham.bsky.social about Americans seeking secondary citizenships for their kids. Curious about whether there’s a comparable move among Asian-Americans. Seeking a Second Passport at @newyorker.com

Today’s Silly Pangram: EXCLINGING, an unhealthy or lingering attachment to a former lover or partner. “Enough with the exclinging,” her friend said. “I’m not!” “You still send him birthday cards.” “I’m just being nice.” “And Christmas presents.” “….” #NYTSpellingBee

Just saw "Sirāt." A group of Europeans drives recklessly around the Moroccan desert, with predictably terrible results. Impressive cinematography, but I just wanted it to end a good 45 minutes before it did.

Today’s Missing Pangram: TROCHAIC. Come on, New York Times. This is less obscure than one of the pangrams you did accept today.

This dude needs better writer friends. "Every writer I know is in despair at the prospect being replaced by AI. Many of them say they never use it on principle; I know all of them do."

Today’s Silly Pangram: LOWTEND, adj., requiring little attention or upkeep; low maintenance. “She appreciated her partner’s genial, lowtend personality, although she sometimes wished he talked more.”

Today’s Silly Pangram: NORMCRAT, a ruler who behaves like a relatively normal person and/or respects conventional legal & political norms. “The people’s hunger for a normcrat led to record turnout at the midterm polls.”

Today’s Silly Pangram: BIDUALLY, adverb, quadruply; in a four-fold way. Yeah, I’m not impressed with this one either.

Today’s Silly Pangram: AXIOTONIC, n., a consoling truth, or adj., of something both true & reassuring. #NYTSpellingBee

Stopped by the @vqr.bsky.social table at #AWP & picked up a copy of their latest issue, Ghosts, which includes a very very short story of mine, “Snowlight.” Lovely illustration by Wesley Allsbrook. Thanks, VQR!

Today’s Silly Pangram: FEDUPFILLED. Beyond fed up. You know how it is. #NYTSpellingBee

Hello from AWP Baltimore! Today’s Silly Pangram: JORACULAR, adj., of something that is both funny & prophetic. “In a move worthy of joracular theater, the self-proclaimed monarch’s crown fell off his head & clattered noisily on the ground.” #NYTSpellingBee

I grew up mostly in NJ so this shouldn’t be a surprise to me, but I’ve spent most of my adult life in California & I’m looking out the window of this Lyft taking me to AWP & going, Dang, it is still fully winter here ❄️ 😮

Boarding flight for Baltimore now & keep looking around gate wondering who around me is also a writer headed to AWP & it feels like everyone else is doing that too lol

I might've been quoted a few times in this piece by Odin Rasco for Sacramento News & Review about AI & its effects on writers.

You know I love a shipwreck story. Really enjoyed this one from @coreyfarrenkopf.bsky.social

100%

Today’s Silly Pangram: NONFLICTION, n., 1. something that is not an affliction; 2. nonfiction that has been adapted to film or seems amenable to film adaptation; 3. confusingly, fiction deemed *not* conducive to film adaptation.

🐈 Today’s Silly Pangram: OMNICAT, a cat who seems to possess the preternatural ability to be in multiple places simultaneously. 🐈 #NYTSpellingBee

Today’s Silly Pangram needs no explanation: BALDGUY. As my own adorable baldguy spouse likes to say when he hears people complaining about going gray: “Gray hair is *hair*.” #NYTSpellingBee

It’s just creeps & crooks all the way down. I feel like I need an eyewash station to scrub my eyeballs every time I glance at the news

Today’s Silly Pangram: AVOCADRON, a hybrid fruit (avocado + citron) with thin yellow rind and pale green flesh. Prized for its citrusy aroma but an acquired taste for many due to its unusual consistency, described as “simultaneously creamy yet pulpy.” #NYTSpellingBee

This was a difficult, grim read, but rang very true, the way it describes how sexual violence in a family can pit its victims against each other.

Today’s Silly Pangram: WINGLOOP, a wrist or finger ring or loop at the ends of winged parts of some costumes. (Look it up! You’ll find pictures of kids having fun dressed up as butterflies & the like.) #NYTSpellingBee

Today’s Silly Pangram: HATGRIP, the elastic or adjustable bands on some hats that help keep it on wearer’s head. “The doctor told her that her chronic headaches were likely caused by overly tight hatgrips on her baseball caps.”

Today’s Silly Pangram: GAMEBIN. A bin filled with… games, usually discounted, at a game shop. Also, today’s actual pangram a little triggering for this disappointed Kings fan lol

I think physics had something to say about that today. Although I’m sad for him; wanted him to have an epic skate

Damn. Shocker in Men’s figure-skating final

Grimly comical piece that details one outrageous incident after another, followed by “The DHS spokeswoman denied this.” Just over & over. Would actually be funny if they weren’t responsible for ruining so many people’s lives.

Today’s Silly Pangram, the demoralizing UNVELOED, past participle of UNVELO, to lose or have one’s bicycle taken away, as in “Multiple households on their block were UNVELOED after thieves broke into their garages.” (Has been happening in my neighborhood, though, not yet 🤞 to us.) #NYTSpellingBee

Funniest headline I've seen in a while: "Person close to Kuminga reportedly took problematic amount of food from Warriors." That "problematic amount of food" just kills me. How much is "problematic"? Apparently "bags & bags of catered food." LMAO

Today’s Silly Pangram: FITENEMY, noun, one’s rival at the gym (shortened from “fitness enemy”) or in fashion. “She was enraged when her ‘fitenemy’ showed up at the gala in the exact same dress.” #NYTSpellingBee

Today’s Silly Pangram: BROHIBITION, n., a rule or law that forbids acts exhibiting toxic masculinity or other behaviors characteristic of “bro” culture #NYTSpellingBee

Wow. Yep. “Like Trump, Newsom breaks promises, serves billionaire interests and mistakes social media theatrics for leadership.”

So moved watching Maxim Naumov, the 24-year-old American figure skater who lost both of his parents in last year’s plane crash in DC. #MensShortProgram

This was fascinating. But as Topol suggests, U.S. women are being left behind. When I tried to figure out if my hospital's mammography operation offers AI-assisted screening or screening for breast arterial calcifications (an indicator of risk for cardiac problems), I came up empty

Home sick with a cold birthday evening viewing: Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein. Enjoyed it. Then stayed on to watch the 45-minute making-of documentary, and I was like, Actually, what a great movie! Like watching extras on DVDs back in the day. I've now seen 9/10 Best Picture noms. Just "F1" left

Oh, cool. Happens to be my birthday too. Can't believe Mark Hamill didn't include me! 🤣

Those "I saw/read [awful movie/book, etc.] so you don't have to" pcs are never about anything I'd have bothered with. Except the Epstein files. I do appreciate the hardy people who've waded thru those so I don't have to. But if you endured the Melania movie or American Canto, it wasn't for my sake

Dr. Jen Gunther on her excellent Substack (Vajenda) looks into very strange relationship between Epstein & his urologist.