The Titan and the Comet
The more that I’ve learned about Ocean Gate and the Titan, the more I’ve been appalled at the lack of concern for safety.
Category: Feature
Asteroid City, In Which Wes Anderson Is Now Just Screwing With Us
Asteroid City comes off not just as a wonderful, original movie but more like an immersive experience into Wes Anderson at his creative peak.
POETS Day! WH Auden’s “September 1, 1939”
I like it, but one of the problems of being a good poem by WH Auden is the comparisons to great poems by WH Auden.
The Unforgiving Sea: OceanGate, Titan, and Unforgiven Hubris
The thing about exploring the depths of the ocean is that it is a lot like exploring space: the environment is brutally unforgiving of error and hubris.
Mini-Throughput: Debate Me, Bro Edition
In order for a scientific debate to work, it needs honest brokers, willing to admit when they’re wrong. Not “debate me, bro” gish gallopers.
Hunter Biden: Justice or Witch Hunt?
Some might say that Hunter was the victim of a witch hunt targeting the Bidens. But sometimes, witch hunts do uncover real crimes.
Airshows and Americana
Airshows have been an American tradition since we pioneered powered flight in 1903; the experience is peak Americana and says a great deal about the American cultural identity.
I’m Told It’s Called Lamb Keema Curry
Lamb keema curry reminded me of something when I was a kid. The flavors are different, but we used to have ground meat over rice a lot.
The MAGA Kennedy Democrats
Robert Kennedy, Jr. is a flash in the pan. His campaign will go nowhere. The few Democrats who back him will mostly dump him when his quackery becomes known.
Juneteenth is a True American Holiday
From Texas, the celebration of Juneteenth spread across the South. As blacks migrated north, seeking more freedom and opportunity, Juneteenth went with them.
The Good Place, Ethics 101, and Spoilers, Spoilers, Spoilers
Seriously, this essay will contain spoilers for The Good Place (now streaming on Netflix).
POETS Day! WB Yeats’ “Easter, 1916”
Throughout Yeats’ changing tastes and experiments, there remains Yeats. The form can’t suppress his understanding.
Trump Learns the Hard Way: Free Advice is Worth What You Paid For It
A competent lawyer is often the only thing standing between a person and their personal or financial ruin. But Trump had Tom Fitton
Thursday Throughput: Chat GPT Is Not Your Research Assistant
A running theme with Chat GPT: It has a tendency to very confidently say things that are not true and cite sources that are fictional.
Republicans Tout Biden Recordings, But Do They Exist?
I’m willing to consider the possibility that Joe Biden is corrupt, but so far, the evidence does not match the hype.
Chicken Spiedini with Amogio Sauce
If it were up to me, we’d have pasta with a variant of tomato sauce for every meal. Instead, we have things like Chicken Spiedini
How Far Is Too Far In Supporting Ukraine?
The most hardcore supporters of Ukraine in the West are too gung-ho about war aims, to the point of being entirely counterproductive.
CorningWare: Everything Oldish is Newish Again
CorningWare is Em’s current obsession/old lady pastime. Do you have this stuff in your cabinets? And how much do you want for it?
Debunking Trump’s Defenders
There are a few new legal theories floating around by Donald Trump’s defenders that need to be addressed.
Sunday Morning! “Never Come Morning” by Nelson Algren
It’s hard to transmogrify work and poverty into art. Never Come Morning, by Nelson Algren, probably did accomplish that feat…
