I just overheard the most Pennsylvania comment I’ve heard since moving here three years ago: “People are saying get milk and bread! Get milk and bread! I tell them, Stop it. Just stop it. The Wawa. Is always. Open.” The Wawa is always open, y’all. 🤷‍♀️

The University of Alabama is attempting to silence Black and women voices on its campus when it shut down Nineteen Fifty-Six, a magazine celebrating Black student culture, and Alice, a magazine centered on women’s fashion and lifestyle. We are not going to let that happen: givebutter.com/F0LNOA

"Teen Vogue now has no writers or editors explicitly covering politics, according to its representative union, Condé United, and The NewsGuild of New York. Former Teen Vogue style editor Aiyana Ishmael said no Black women remain on Teen Vogue’s staff." objectivejournalism.org/2025/11/vogu...

I’ve been offering “Constitution or treat” on my desk, and you would be surprised how many people take the constitution.

Saw the movie last night. Taylor Swift: Wood is about superstition. Audience: Loud lauging, like we’re all at a lumber party.  (Siri autocorrected it from slumber, but I’m leaving it because I think it FITS. 🤣)

Sometimes the moon just frames itself. 📸

Life is really giving The Onion a run for its money today.

It’s 61, lets have some fun! Join me in wishing these two nutty lovebirds a happy 61st wedding anniversary. 🎉🎉🎉

Christmas City + MusikFest =

The real legacy Gen X will leave the world is that we pioneered the exact amount of time the popcorn needs in the microwave. 🍿

Altar’d State giving mixed vibes:

Just had to explain how "yonder" and "a piece" are not the same unit of Southern measurement, solidifying my standing as resident Southerner in my neighborhood.

Here’s your 10 seconds of calm for the day. ⛱️☀️

Today marks one year that I have been learning Welsh on Duolingo and not once have I needed to order parsnips. 

The Intercept’s Press Freedom Defense Fund announced a new fund to support reporters and photographers facing legal threats and other hardships for their coverage of protests in California and other regions throughout the nation. theintercept.com/2025/06/10/j...

Through archiving, even if we lose our fights, the next generations have a shot at learning what we attempted and how. objectivejournalism.org/2025/06/no-a...

Headed into summer, everyone needs to read this quote from the thoughtful book “The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road,” by E.A. Hanks: “I have the same rule for theme parks that I do for strip clubs. The moment it starts to feel bad you need to leave, because it will only get worse.”

Before my student evaluations come out this semester, a moment of reflection and a shoutout to the student that gave me my favorite evaluation ever: “She drinks too much Diet Coke.” They were not wrong.

😮😮😮

Chat GPT, what would Ted look like as a person?

Where are the roaring ‘20s we were promised during the pandemic?

This #WorldPressFreedomDay and always, we stand with Rumeysa Ozturk and all student journalists and contributors who face intimidation for their work.

If that’s not a sign of the times, (and literally from The Times) I don’t know what is:

Journalists, let’s have fun. Critique this Hallmark movie newspaper. I’ll go first: The size of that mugshot. 😂

We continue to advocate for diversity in student media by funding mentorship programs for student journalists of color, sending students to conferences, funding events that foster honest dialogue, hosting panels connecting students w/ media professionals and aiding students in financial emergencies

I always root for Journalism, but this time is special. laist.com/news/journal...

Whenever someone does an animal voice for their dog, I like to look them dead in the eyes and, with all seriousness, say, “That’s not what he sounds like.” It really freaks people out.

Roll Tide.

Alabama, I may have moved away, but some things will stay with me forever. 🖤 Today I’m thinking of those who lost loved ones, and survivors like me. That loss still cuts through the years, like furious winds of change that keep us up at night. 4/27/11

Me spotting my ex in the grocery store aisle.

Random thought of the day. A famous, well-known journalist once told me (in an extremely condescending, angry way) that he would kiss my ass if I ever made money blogging. That was 15 years ago. Boy, does he owe me a lot of smoochy smoochy. 😘 😂

“Progress is learning from our mistakes. Hate, racism, and misogyny have no place on our beautiful campus. This is setting the University back 60 years.”

Happy Easter to those who celebrate!

It finally happened. I stumped Gemini.

❤️ My library ❤️

My city is weird and wonderful. merecummings.medium.com/peep-this-ch...

Ted reminds me to stop and smell the flowers. 💕

I asked DALL-E what Philadelphia would look like if it were a Muppet and this is what we came up with. (And you just know he will yell at you for parking wrong, but also bring you a soft pretzel after.)

Cannot stress enough how life-changing it has been for some of my international students to experience education where free inquiry includes the right to criticize the institution or host country. It changes those from different contexts, and they take new ideas about free expression back with them.

As always, my brother nailed the response. 🤣

Chat GPT made me a Muppet and this is the best photo of me ever. RTR

Followup: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

The Ernie Pyle Legacy Foundation will launch a project April 18, Ernie Pyle Remembrance Day, to put previously unpublished works of Pyle on Substack. I am intrigued to read the daily, free Substack posts. Follow along by subscribing ahead of the launch! substack.com/@completewor...

What fresh hell is this? “White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to comment, writing in an email, ‘As a matter of policy, we do not respond to reporters with pronouns in their bios.’” www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/c...

My dad has gone ‘round the bend.

Our local hospital puts photos and names of just-born babies and today there was a baby Cypress and baby Magnolia so I guess trees are in. (We need a Dragon's Blood, Monkey Puzzle or Loblolly now. Any takers?)

April Fools’ Day 🤦‍♀️

Alabama plays in the Sweet 16 tonight during a big faculty dinner I'm required to attend and I'm torn: Watch it on my phone under the table, or

Nothing but jealous: www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/u...