In a moment when censorship is spreading rapidly, and school libraries remain dramatically under-resourced, this bill sends a clear message: Fund school libraries, stop book bans. action.everylibrary.org/hr6640s3365 via @everylibrary.bsky.social

Tonight’s respite: a Black Manhattan, w/ Restoration rye, Montenegro amaro, Antica vermouth, Angostura & Peychaud’s bitters, brandied cherry. Ooh, needed this one… #cocktails

I love these structural and artistic breakdowns of how poems work, with the helpful visual highlighting. #Poetry https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/11/books/louise-gluck-poem-early-december-croton-hudson.html?rsrc=flt&smid=url-share

Better late than … https://www.writersdigest.com/all-it-took-to-get-that-scene-published-was-23-years

So now typefaces are woke too. Our government, fallen so low into the pit of the pathetic, continues to plummet. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/u...

Good (if unsettling) stuff.

Nice chew by a NYT book critic of a novelist's single paragraph to taste all its colors and shapes, using visual prompts for the writing. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

It has to be difficult to be a writer for The Onion these days, when the miserable antics of this administration are beyond irony. Clown Car Diplomacy open.substack.com/pub/steady/p...

I wrote the Sims 1 guide and worked on Sims 2, and agree. #Sims #EA #MBS https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-sims/some-of-the-sims-4s-biggest-content-creators-have-just-stepped-down-from-eas-creator-network-in-the-wake-of-the-usd55b-saudi-backed-buyout-this-situation-is-a-nightmare-for-our-community

This monarchical creature was a newborn yesterday. We have 10 other chrysalises hanging from various spots in the yard (we have lots of milkweed and the monarchs have laid lots of eggs) for their chances. #monarchs #butterflies

Retired trains and a mural from the Salinas, CA train station #trains #California

A salute to my dad on #VeteransDay. He's now in the big B-17 in the sky, but flew many campaigns as a waistgunner both over Europe and Korea, and managed to come home with his warm sense of humor intact. Here he is with his brother Sturge (L.), and reacquainting himself with a machine gun.

Words: Pablo Neruda's Love Letter to Language www.themarginalian.org/2025/11/05/n...

The Relief of Being Ordinary tomer-rozenberg.com/2025/11/06/t...

Ignoring vile politics for the nonce, I was delighted to see this NYT recipe for intoxicating chocolate cake from a Lisbon bakery we visited in mid-2023. The memory tastes good, but this cake IRL, wow! cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020...

Helpful advice on showing—and sharing—some light with young men: tim.blog/2025/10/24/a...

A great day at the plaza in Watsonville, CA. Many hilarious signs (mine is a contender) and the marvel of famed labor activist Dolores Huerta, who addressed the crowd with vigor and a strong, persuasive voice. Dolores is 95. Heroes are made of this. #NoKings

Pathetic. When will they put "no reading" implants in people's brains? SB 13 is a bill that removes local control from public schools across Texas and gives politicians (not parents) the power to decide what books are or are not available to students. action.everylibrary.org/texas_school...

The media is largely ignoring the trauma of millions. Here's why. open.substack.com/pub/margaret...

Watering the Friday soil (well, our own) with a standard—but delicious!—Manhattan. Four Roses Small Batch Select bourbon, Dolin vermouth, Peychaud and Angostura bitters, brandied cherry, lemon twist. Standard she may be, but ahhhhhhh.... #cocktails

Mr. President. Stop breaking the law.  The shutdown does not give you the right to fire thousands of hard working federal employees. Instead of giving huge tax breaks to your billionaire friends, show some respect for the struggling working families of our country.

Nah, it can't be that bad, could it? Oh, wait... youtu.be/I1dW-nZqhew?...

Five years after the hardcore CZU fire, Butano State Park still is heavily scarred, with burnt trees and stumps everywhere, but yet beautiful in a haunting way. That's me a week ago in front of a big redwood that had fallen across a trail, looking recently sawed. #ClimateChange #fire #redwoods

Tonight’s sweet relief: a Sazerac w/ Russell’s 6-year rye, St. George absinthe, Peychaud’s bitters, simple syrup, lemon wedge, splash of (non traditional) soda water. A small anodyne for the news. #cocktails

A real blow: she was a big, big soul www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

EveryLibrary's Executive Director, John Chrastka, discusses why he believes in libraries. #libraries #AABB www.everylibrary.org/i_believe_in... via @everylibrary.bsky.social

A toast to democracy; it wobbles, but I think (hope!) it will remain upright. This is a Square Mile, with Old Forester 1920 bourbon (yum), Grey Whale gin (semi-local) and Dolin Vermouth. Interesting—I did like the bourbon/gin combo more than I imagined, though not sure I'd do it a lot. #cocktails

Sign the petition to support H.R.5527 and stop Trump's book bans in schools on military bases in the US and abroad. action.everylibrary.org/rtrdodea via ‪@everylibrary.bsky.social‬

Freedom of Speech For Sale open.substack.com/pub/steady/p... More good times with the friendly picnickers in the Trumpista administration

CBS parent company Paramount canceled Colbert to win approval from Trump's FCC to merge with Skydance. Now ABC parent company Disney suspends Kimmel as it seeks DOJ approval to buy Fubo — and its affiliate Nexstar seeks FCC approval to buy Tegna. See how this works?

You will have to have a rag to sop up the irony dripping off this, but her stuff is always good: www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/... #Kimmel #MAGAHypocrisy

Our country (big, frustrated sigh) feels so effed-up now, with no succor in sight. I feel powerless to make structural change, so I made a Friday night cocktail: A Man o' War, with Old Forester 1920 (a fave), Dolin vermouth, Gran Marnier, lemon juice, twist, brandied cherry. Breathe... #cocktails

This eve's Jumpin' Jehoshaphat: a basic gin and tonic with a bit of jump: Grey Whale gin (kind of local), Liber tonic syrup, fizzy water, Meyer and Orange bitters, lemon wedge. Spirited (since it's been a lovely warm day). #cocktails

These just arrived today, so tonight is glory! Besides supporting sustainability, sending kids to Chocolate University overseas to learn about cooperative cacao-bean growing practices with farmers, and partnering with good folks globally, Askinosie chocolate is fabulous! #chocolate #Askinosie

Before the Trump administration outlaws sunflowers, and has them picked up by ICE, here are the ones waving with obvious gaiety along my driveway: #flowers

The story behind this Mark Twain postcard, sent to one of his "friends," is full of betrayal and mystery. I've read a lot about Twain's colorful life, but this was a new one on me. Can't afford the auction price though. auctions.potterauctions.com/_TWAIN__Mark...

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Tonight's volcano of joy: A Boulevardier a la Banane (yeah, quite a monicker): WhistlePig Rye, Gran Classico (so much better than Campari), Cocchi vermouth, 99 Bananas liqueur (99 proof!), orange twist. Love the banana boost. #cocktails

Some lovely writing here... The Solace of Open Spaces www.themarginalian.org/2022/06/09/t...

I am re-reading Orwell's 1984 right now, and the parallels between Big Brother's doublespeak, doublethink and the full range of authoritarian control and that of the Trump administration are stark. Ugly times. Let's not sleepwalk. A Dangerous Liaison open.substack.com/pub/steady/p...

I’ve lived across from acres of strawberries for 25 years. The workers toil, bent over, in heat and cold. Not criminals, but Satan, er, Trump is arresting and deporting them. The country-harming idiocy of that matches many of this administration’s fool decisions. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/o...

Scary stuff, and in the countries where dictatorships and authoritarian practices moved fast to smash democracy, lasting pain was the result. As the author declares, it could happen here too. Resist. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

A fine stroll to Lover's Point in Pacific Grove today; the coves and rock outcrops are striking, as is the turquoise water. The cormorants are commenting on the kayaking techniques.

No, not day-drinking: forgot to post Friday eve's respite: Sazeracs, w/Whistle Pig rye, Peychaud's bitters, simple syrup, touch of sparking water and twist. I know, not in classic rocks glasses and no sugar cube, but still lovely stuff. #Cocktails

The Courage to Disappoint People: Why I Stopped Being Everyone's Hero tomer-rozenberg.com/2025/08/23/t...

Wisdom, resistance and practical hope from Rebecca Solnit: www.meditationsinanemergency.com/on-not-surre...

FRAUD ALERT: I have nothing to do with these phony books using my name on the cover. I have not written a memoir or partnered/inspired any cookbooks! Attempts to get Amazon to take these down have gone nowhere.

Join the fight against government regulations on the books that you and your family are allowed to read in the United States by signing the petition today. #AABB #BookBans action.everylibrary.org/bannedbooks via @everylibrary.bsky.social‬

Tonight’s delight: a Derby, w/ Maker’s Mark bourbon (wood finishing series), Orange Curaçao, Cocchi vermouth, lime juice & lime wedge. A touch more tart than the recipe implied, but solidly good. #cocktails

A return to Friday eve #cocktails - Black Manhattans w/ Bib & Tucker bourbon, Cocchi vermouth, Amaro Nonino & Cynar amari, Peychaud’s & Angostura bitters, brandied cherries, orange twist. Long list, but quick results: pleasure.