The trial of the Orange Grub is an extremely important moment, possibly a turning point in the entire history of the United States and maybe even the future viability of… Read the rest of the article: The Trump trial brings out the juvenile in all of us

I definitely worry about where AI is going — I'm guessing most of us do. So Ezra's Klein's sobering interview with Dario Amodei is, well, sobering. Very. Amodei was one… Read the rest of the article: 2-5 years to sci-fi level AI? Former OpenAI employee sounds alarm

Tesla sales are way down, the stock has fallen by 40%. This piece on the BBC website purports to look at the headwinds Tesla faces in a tough market: A… Read the rest of the article: The real reason Tesla is tanking: Musk's political self-sabotage

The jury is chosen, the trial is underway. I deeply hope these twelve citizens can find a way to convict Donald Trump. It would mean that somehow the world has… Read the rest of the article: Juror #2's media diet may decide if Democracy lives or dies

Even if somehow, someway you thought Donald Trump had "good policies," I don't see how you deny that he's a moron. Not just the stupidest President ever — that's kind… Read the rest of the article: I challenge you to find a person stupider than Trump

Okay, so finally, more than thirty years after it was published, I got around to reading Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson, the first book in an epic trilogy about… Read the rest of the article: Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars — still amazing 30 years later

Like most of us, Donald Trump has created a curated media bubble around himself in which he never has to hear how normal people feel about him. And he's surrounded… Read the rest of the article: Trump forced to endure merciless roasting as potential jurors mock him

I was so happy to catch this headline in today's Los Angeles Daily News:  "The free Bob Baker Day festival celebrates puppets and the legendary puppet master" Certainly the most… Read the rest of the article: Puppets galore at LA's whimsical "Puppetchella" puppet festival

There's been a ton written lately about the slow death of liberal arts education. I am a huge believer that exposure to the liberal arts is crucial — it makes… Read the rest of the article: The WWII soldier who died fighting for the "precious ideals" of liberal arts education

As much as I'm interested in reviews of the movie Civil War, I'm more intrigued by reactions to the politics (or lack thereof) of Civil War. A lot of critics… Read the rest of the article: Breitbart's unhinged "Civil War" reviewer dreams of a President who "shoots journalists on sight"

There's always been an unresolvable tension between artistry and fame. Very few people find fame to be what they had hoped. It comes with a lot of strings attached. It's… Read the rest of the article: How American singer-songwriter and record producer Maggie Rogers detoxed from the addictive drug of fame

Jennifer Rubin has been one of the best WaPo columnists for years. Yes, she's definitely on the conservative side, but she has been forcefully anti-Trump from the beginning, pro-gay marriage,… Read the rest of the article: "Hindenburg Award" launched to recognize Republicans enabling Trump's fascism

In the mid-'80s, my friends and I had our own secret television show: SCTV, one of the greatest comedy shows of all time. It didn't air until 1:00 am, after… Read the rest of the article: SCTV's forgotten comedy hero: remembering Joe Flaherty, RIP

I suppose there was no avoiding a Trump biopic. Where there's money to be made, money will be made. Still, this announcement in Variety makes me want to hurl. The… Read the rest of the article: Why oh why do we have to have a Trump biopic?

The last of anything can be profoundly sad. Dodo birds. Mohicans. Starfighters. To that end, we're down to one Blockbuster Video. First of all — what? How can there still… Read the rest of the article: Blockbuster's final stand: the lost charm of physical media

If democracy is going to be destroyed by evil fascists, I would feel less terrible about it if they were at least genius fascists — then we can look back… Read the rest of the article: Trump's attorney seems no smarter than Trump

I've always been intrigued by the power of propaganda and censorship to completely shape the average person's world view. If all you ever watched was Fox News, you'd be absolutely… Read the rest of the article: How censorship soured Chinese pride over hit sci-fi adaptation of "3 Body Problem"

I lived in NYC for a few years at the end of the 8'0s and so so so much has changed since then. (There wasn't even a Starbucks in Manhattan… Read the rest of the article: NYC's "Lost Valuables Search" lets you dig through raw garbage

I like the Fallout games though they're not in my personal gaming pantheon. (Since you asked, that would include TLOU, TLOU 2, Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite, RDR2, Horizon Zero Dawn… Read the rest of the article: Can Westworld creators crack the code for a great Fallout adaptation?

There's been a lot written the last few years about the impending demise of coffee. Climate change is making bean growing tougher and tougher while demand is soaring. People love… Read the rest of the article: Can chickpeas and date seeds save you from the looming coffee apocalypse?