Maryland State Police officers have a tradition of making offensive challenge coins that denigrate women and minorities. Its newest challenge coin makes fun of the fact that people think their coins are awful. One side of the coin depicts a woman's rear end in thong underwear with the captions "GENERATION 'BUTT HURT'" and "I'm offended" while the other side depicts a vagina with the captions "The BIG GREEN Va'Geenie" and "These PUSSIES can't take A Pounding." — Read the rest

Challenge Coins have their origins in the military; they're a little like a mission patch, commemorating some element of service or event, and they serve as a kind of badge of honor or respect — you can show a challenge coin you've been given to people who were associated with its issuance as a way of demonstrating that you're on the same side.

The latest Secret Service challenge coin (previously) commemorates Trump's shutdown (which has nearly 1,000,000 people going without pay, and has undermined everything from air travel to the ability of poor people to eat and pay rent), bearing the legends "Essential Personnel" and "Don't Worry, You'll Get Backpay." — Read the rest

E pluribus unum ("Out of many, one") has been an American national motto since 1782. It embodies two things trumpists hate: a highbrow phrase in a dead language deployed by early American aristos in the service of classing things up by excluding people who don't read Latin; and a message of strength through unity and diversity.

Remember when "Aloha" meant "hello" instead of "up against wall"?

As reported in The Independent, two German teenagers got a crash course in American hospitality when border agents decided their spontaneous vacation planning was clearly a sign of something sinister.

Charlotte Pohl and Maria Lepère, fresh-faced 18- and 19-year-olds from Rostock, made the mistake of thinking they could island-hop Hawaii the same way they explored Thailand and New Zealand. — Read the rest

I've been writing a book. For twenty-five years.

1996
I discovered the works of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Brendan Behan. I was in journalism school, at the time. I was dirt poor, with no financial assistance from my parents. I hobbling years of my future with student loans. — Read the rest

Ahead of Trump's planned summit with North Korean "Supreme Leader" Kim Jong Un, the White House issued a tacky commemorative coin; once Trump sent his petulant breakup letter to Kim canceling the summit, the coin became the discounted "deal of the day" at the White House gift shop.

Every active NYPD cop used to get 30 Patrolmen's Benevolent Association "courtesy cards" from their union per year; now they'll only get 20 (retired cops used to get 20 and now they'll get 10).

John Scalzi's on tour with his new novel, The Collapsing Empire: he's posted a list of ten things every touring author knows, and very few other people ever get to see.

Available for pre-order, Breaking Bad: The Complete Series Blu-Ray in a barrel that includes the full run of the show plus 55 hours of special features, a two-hour documentary, booklet, challenge coin designed by Gillian, Los Pollos Hermanos apron. Get yerself a gram of Blue Sky and redefine binge watching. — Read the rest