Why U.S. Consumers Are Vulnerable to Spiking Oil Prices by Hiroko Tabuchi and Maggie Astor In today’s edition of The New York Times, reporters Hiroko Tabuchi and Maggie Astor offer a straightforward accounting of the ways in which the U.S. … Continue reading Outside Reading — Crude edition
This coming weekend, I’ll participate in The World’s Largest Trivia ContestTM. As per tradition, this week is filled with idle reminiscing about memorable answers in past years. There was a time when participating in Trivia meant assembling a lot of … Continue reading Trivia Answer of the Day — The Salad
I Know What It’s Like to Be a Florida Teen Who Can’t Say Gay. I Was One by Kristen Arnett This is an entirely appropriate response to the hideous, hateful Florida law that effectively bars the acknowledgement of anyone who … Continue reading Outside Reading — Unsaid edition
Black-Owned Bookstores Safeguard Our History as Racists Try to Ban It by St. Clair Detrick-Jules As they fully intend, it’s difficult to pin down precisely which of the right wing’s many infractions against political norms and basic decency is most … Continue reading Outside Reading — Black Ink edition
The Truth About School Indoctrination by Jessica Valenti Writing for her own newsletter, All in Her Head, Jessica Valenti addresses the latest manufactured outrage of the political right, which at its most dramatic has led to genuine book burnings. More … Continue reading Outside Reading — Stuff Some Adults Don’t Want You to Read edition
I Am Not Proof of the American Dream by Tara Westover In some quarters, Tara Westover’s runaway bestseller memoir, Educated, made her exemplar of the American ethos that rewards concerted effort no matter the station in life that is a … Continue reading Outside Reading — The Long Legacy of Claiborne Pell edition
A Loving TV Portrait of a Woman in Full by Shane O’Neill In remembrance of Louie Anderson, Shane O’Neill writes about the character he was instrumental in creating for the FX series Baskets. Although Christine Baskets was originally conceived by … Continue reading Outside Reading — Missing Christine edition
As a Former ‘Buffy’ Obsessive, Watching Joss Whedon’s Downfall Feels Crushing — and Inevitable by Caroline Framke The protracted implosion of Joss Whedon’s reputation and career has been painful to watch for those who found their empowered voice in part … Continue reading Outside Reading — Now Leaving Sunnydale edition
JOAN DIDION WAS OUR BARD OF DISENCHANTMENT by Megan Garber The piece linked above is published by The Atlantic. The rest of this space is ceded to Joan Didion’s words. Continue reading Outside Reading — Let Her Tell You What She Means edition
In Praise Of Movies That Just End (Because They Used To Know When To End) by Mike Ryan This is exactly the sort of grumpy-old-man movie criticism I’m looking for these days. I’ve been slow to reengage in the moviegoing … Continue reading Outside Reading — The Last Frame of the Last Reel edition
Coffee for Two 