This is *such* a good podcast - always aharp and fascinating – and this episode is particularly great.

Anyone else hearing these Mario Lopez human trafficking podcast PSAs where he's all "Heyoooo it's Mario Lopez and it's BACK TO SCHOOL time, which can be overwhelming... a situation that HUMAN TRAFFICKERS can take advantage of!" Bonkers, man.

An actual hot take: Too many authors are afraid of editors watering down their voice or whatever and not afraid enough of editors letting you put any old slop on the page.

I feel like Miss Piggy is my Wario

Don't be chickenshit.

International Dog Day

I'm rushing to get somewhere and I'm slipping on the ice, sliding down a hill yelling "I'm ok, it's fine, I'll be fine..." as the city's citizens just watch me slide. (this actually happened)

Pet's name with a GIF

I do not think people are actually seriously calibrated for how rabidly anti-university the MAGA right is and how core that is to their policy goals. It is probably the #2 issue after immigration for them, and for some of them it’s higher.

I was literally 17 years old when I found out anvils weren't weapons. Too much Looney Toons, not enough Old World Wisconsin.

To me, this is an important point and something that @mollyjongfast.bsky.social has been sounding the alarm about on her podcast. Pritzker's got it right.

This will sound weird but love yourself enough to write your own term papers.

Generally speaking, there are two kinds of people that aren't really my vibe: "So good! So good! So good!" people, and "Salt! Salt! Salt!" people.

We're ordering pizzas! Any vegetarians? No problem: we'll order one with mushrooms, red onions, yellow onions, green peppers, red peppers, black olives, green olives, tomatoes, artichokes, broccoli, pineapple, and spinach. It'll be great, you'll barely be able to pick up a piece.

There was a long list of reasons I quit teaching, but honestly the constant evaluation was one of them. There was one year where I remember the dean saying, you had the highest numerical average in the whole* university** and I had just cleaned myself up from a light cry at how mean they were. 1/3

Scott Pelley continues to be the person you want telling you the truth.

It’s wild to live through multiple bank bailouts while watching the idea people who had to borrow money to attend college were obviously too wealthy and privileged for relief.

This is genuinely repugnant. Set aside the fact that autism is a whole complicated range* of things, he’s saying only “normal” people have lives worth living or are worthy of dignity and care. That’s eugenics, good grief. *one might call it a spectrum!

At this rate they’ll be lucky if they can even rent the libs..

Absolutely. See also: paying a higher rate of tax on money you earned through work than you pay when some dead person hands it to you.

Just spotted on the east side of Milwaukee

My big "learn something, America!" idea: a 10-minute weekly segment aired on social called "Can They Do That?" featuring legal scholars, political scientists, and other experts. The variations of "no, and here's why" would be so illuminating.

share some of the best eyes in movies

I'm not with these lemon meringue pies with the 13 inches of meringue. Give me a pie with lots of lemon and then a thin layer of torched meringue. You want nothing but fluff, have a s'more.

Combos suck now; since I was a kid they dramatically shrunk the size of the cheese tunnel and it’s mostly just a bland hard shitty pretzel nugget.

I'm four seasons into Peaky Blinders and while I do like it I literally cannot tell 90% of the women characters apart because they're all unbelievably gorgeous, short, white brunettes with wavy flapper bobs, a red lip, and a cloche.

What on earth

The Flytrap is *very* good. I'm a proud subscriber and I heartily recommend it if you like to read interesting, thoughtful things.

Honestly I feel like this is a great tactic to get through the next stretch of time without losing it.

I mean

John Deere refuses to back down on their DEI policies, but Paramount is ready to sell out their people.

This newsletter absolutely nails it. Says what's inside my brain, but smarter.

I wish I could unsubscribe a second time. The absolute gall. The audacity. "Underserved?"

Hi everyone. So look, Dolly Parton has written like 5,000+ songs. Please consider covering something other than Jolene, I beg of you.

One thing I would not do is rely on Donald Trump to make sure I get my payout.

Bullshit. The public backlash is just too much to handle. Some might be asking if they are either liars or incompetent. They are both.

Quit academia and changed careers six years ago. Still providing letters of recommendation. I feel like the grad school application infrastructure is less than ideal.

Bert learned how to stand on a ball.

I think this is wonderful — not the broad structural/societal circumstances that lead to people "having" to share their homes as they age — but rather the persistence of community despite "it all."

Brazilian friends: anyone out there ever try making a pizza crust with pão de queijo dough? Does it actually work?

I think my hottest take is that "Grease" is the BeeGees' best song.

Every podcast I don’t listen to is called “Achieving the Limit with Duff and Ween” and gets sold for 300 million dollars while every podcast I do listen to is called “The Movie Toilet” and begs me to buy a t shirt so they can eat food

I want to make this into a t-shirt, and wear it every day.

I'llllll be posting alt text, You can count on me Please alsoooo Make it soooo For people who screen read...

Good god, shame on them.

that canceled tv show you'll never stop thinking about (it was just finding its stride!)

Nothing sums up my current politics-related vibe quite as well as "the almost unfathomably deep ocean of 'fuck you' Dems are feeling toward the gatekeepers of political discourse in the country."

I feel like Madison is really dropping the ball by not having a holiday market called Christhmus Fest. Anyone out there have any power? #Madison #Wisconsin #MadisonWI

I know a lot of people don't understand tariffs. Maybe twelve-dollar avocados will help explain.

Me, obsessed with the hot local news staff gossip and pretending I understand anything: "Wait, Johnny isn't doing the weather anymore? Where'd he go! [[Googles]] Minneapolis is a big market; good for him."