I've given up on the MSM. They are incapable of holding Trump accountable. They hold Democrats to an unfair standard while letting Trump's absurdities, lies, vitriol, malevolence, and mental decline… Read the rest of the article: What does it mean to be a journalist?

The cost of living is obviously spiraling up. Food, gas, insurance. The essentials. But it's the price of things above and beyond the daily — things we might call "fun"… Read the rest of the article: Families go broke for Disneyland: Are magical memories worth the financial misery?

I must admit — I'm not 100% sure these were ever actual headlines somewhere. They were collected on this US government website, plainlanguage.gov, so… maybe? But real or not, language… Read the rest of the article: From "Iraqi head seeks arms" to "Kids make nutritious snacks": Epic headline fails

Content on TikTok frequently has images blurred out, presumably so they won't get flagged and removed by the moderators. These images surely are the worst things imaginable, shocking to our… Read the rest of the article: TikTok's bizarre priorities: Blurring cigarettes but allowing Nazi propaganda

One of the bedrock rules for any budding fascist is: don't ever tell the world exactly what you're really planning. Might scare off some of those rubes you're trying to… Read the rest of the article: Leaked Project 2025 training videos feature unpleasant weirdos masquerading as ordinary people

I've always been fascinated by humankind's move from superstition to science. It obviously didn't happen all at once (and to some degree is still happening — 20% of Americans take… Read the rest of the article: Why dinosaur bones were the real nail in religion's coffin

AP reported yesterday that "Disney drops bid to have allergy-death lawsuit tossed because plaintiff signed up for Disney+." I'm not a lawyer but the initial legal argument being made by… Read the rest of the article: After massive public outcry, Disney stops attempt to kill lawsuit after killing restaurant guest

I'm a believer that you can tell if a movie is going to be good in the first five minutes. Sometimes less. You just get a sense that either the… Read the rest of the article: Bob Dylan biopic: "A Complete Unknown" looks promising

When I was a kid, I briefly had a friend who built the first computer I ever saw. I long ago forgot the friend's name, but I remember the name… Read the rest of the article: 10 PRINT "NOSTALGIA", 20 GOTO 10 – Wired reminisces about BASIC

Times change. Trends and memes come and go faster and faster these days. That's why there's so much meaning and emotion tied up in the few things that have stuck. … Read the rest of the article: HBO's "Disciple" reveals the untold story of Stevie Van Zandt's musical odyssey

A friend turned me onto this prescient article from the August, 1941 edition of Harper's Magazine: "Who Goes Nazi?" by Dorothy Thompson. Some people just seem to have a crystal… Read the rest of the article: "Who Goes Nazi?" This 1941 spot-the-fascist game could come in handy soon

Elephants are truly magnificent creatures — enormous and emotional and very, very smart. Being up close with one in the wild is a surprisingly moving experience. Made more so by… Read the rest of the article: African elephants are on a first name basis with each other

Justice Alito isn't even pretending anymore. He's declaring that his purpose on the Court is overtly partisan and theocratic — and he knows there's not a goddamn thing you or… Read the rest of the article: Alito is even more radical than you think

This piece in Popular Science looks at how RCA went from tech powerhouse, starting in the 1920s with the advent of radio, to techno-has-been by the mid-80s. Seems that one… Read the rest of the article: How did tech pioneer RCA go belly up in the 80s?

I'm not a free speech purist, but pretty close. To me, attempts at censorship in democracies are a hallmark of right wing movements — historically, they're the ones who want… Read the rest of the article: Canada's new bill threatens free speech

It says something about the times we're living in that there's an uber-popular course at the University of Chicago called "Are We Doomed?" Funny…and also the opposite of funny.  The… Read the rest of the article: Students tackle grim future scenarios in "Are We Doomed?" class

I am not in any way obsessed with The New Yorker caption contest each week. I swear. I like to submit my cleverly constructed witticisms (which have — shockingly —… Read the rest of the article: Expert reveals tips for winning The New Yorker cartoon caption contest

It's been almost 20 years since YouTube was founded and we've really come to take for granted the fact that a mind-boggling amount of things are posted there. It's like… Read the rest of the article: Bowie and Faithfull transform "I Got You Babe" into unforgettable psychotronic spectacle

This fun, deeply researched piece in Ars Technica looks at the history of microcars — tiny little vehicles designed to carry one or two passengers.    The microcar is a singular… Read the rest of the article: Tiny vehicles, big impact: the past, present, and future of the ingenious microcar

My grandfather came through Ellis Island in 1914 and it's always held a special place in my imagination. Nothing embodies the contradictions and duality of America more perfectly, sending two… Read the rest of the article: In 1974, two daring students explore abandoned Ellis Island (video)