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The life and times of the world’s
most self-deluded online superstar
News & Commentary
CNN Poll: Democratic Party’s favorability drops to a record low | CNN Politics
Yikes.
Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest has chilling effect on free speech at US colleges
Except that it’s not really about free speech.
Trump administration deports hundreds under Alien Enemies Act despite judge’s pause
Better late than never for the Democrats?
Oregon Democrats welcome constituents to packed town halls. But will they have an impact?
Betteridge’s Law of Headlines
Marion County judges will start deciding if public defenders have time to take new cases
The thing that goes unmentioned.
The American Heart Association takes a weird stand
Why would the AHA support junk food?
Southwest Airlines (1971-2025): Customers Mourn the End of Free Bags and Open Seating
You can’t violate your unique selling proposition and expect good things.
Oregon lawmakers target plastic utensils, condiments, hotel toiletries with updated bag ban – Salem Reporter
Saving the planet by being as annoying as possible.
Republican Maine lawmaker sues over censure following viral post about transgender student athlete
Democrats finding new and exciting ways to lose elections.
State education officials would have power to intervene in struggling schools under governor’s plan – Salem Reporter
Great, except for one thing….
Essays
The singular “they”
Several years ago we crossed the lexicographic Rubicon as Merriam-Webster gave “literally” the same definition as “figuratively.” Outrage by language purists understandably followed. Responses from pundits to Merriam-Webster’s pronouncement were, uh, uncharitable…
Tesla Model 3
This may come as something of a shock, but I’m about to spend $60k on a car, the Tesla Model 3. There are some good reasons not to, the most obvious being the eye-popping price tag. It’s also a fair question as to whether or not cars are the future of transportation. (In big cities the answer is a resounding, “No, they’re not.†The future there is ebikes, electric scooters, Segaways, and the like.)
Still, I have five major reasons to head down this path, and I thought it might be illuminating for some to hear what they are.
Aziz and Consent
NSFW WARNING: There is no possible way to discuss the following without using adult language and talking about sex in graphic terms. Enjoy.
It may be the curse of all aged human beings to watch the world they knew in their youth fade away as they begin to bemoan the illogic of younger generations. The ground changes subtly until suddenly it no longer makes sense. As Grandpa Simpson once said, “I used to be with it, but then they changed what ‘it’ was, and now what I’m with isn’t it. And what’s ‘it’ seems weird and scary to me.”
I died in my dreams last night
I died in my dreams last night. I don't recall that ever happening before. We were in Paris, and German-speaking terrorists had been captured with a nuclear time bomb. When I stumbled upon them they were handcuffed and laughing. They informed me in broken English that if I looked inside the freight container, I'd see that I had less than 10 minutes to live and that it was too late to escape the blast radius. I called my parents as a ran back to the apartment my family was...