Blog
What if Distress is a Feature, Not a Bug?
Have you ever had an allergic reaction to stress? It's not fun. Last week, after I got some unexpected news that threw my life into upheaval (again), the stress of the situation triggered a histamine reaction. My face—in particular my cheeks and eyelids—completely swelled up and
You Are All Stars Now
If you were online in December, there's a good chance you saw a video of a grandmother accidentally lighting her birthday cake on fire. Or maybe you saw one of the other two videos, filmed by other family members from different points of view. Regardless of the POV
We Survived 2025, and All You Got Was This Lousy Newsletter
Well everyone, we did it. Here we are on the last Wednesday of 2025. While an asteroid could still wipe us all out before the year is over for good (a girl can dream), it looks like we made it through this incredibly long and stupid year. To close out,
The Greatest Gift
It's Christmas Eve, so here is my gift to you: A photo of Lumpy I took in Stockholm in 2017, in which he appears to be a hybrid of Henry VIII and a Hershey's Kiss. You can see it, right? Until next Wednesday, the last Wednesday
Tiny Little Tectonic Shifts
Well friends, here we are, almost at the end of an extremely long year. I don't know about you, but I'm pooped. My brain is tired, my body is tired, my soul is tired. So what I'm thinking is that we should start easing
Maybe the "A" in AI Sometimes Stands For Asshole
Earlier today, I had an appointment with my favorite doctor. As is our habit, we spent my entire visit discussing something totally unrelated to my health. I lay face down on a procedure table while he stuck extremely large needles into my back to—as he once described it—give
Guy With a Vomit Hose Walks Into an Advertising Agency
Of all the great television shows ever created, Mad Men is the greatest. This is not an invitation to argue or discuss but a simple declaration of fact. Should you like to declare your own facts, you too can start a newsletter. Or a podcast! Subscribe to Meets Most I
No Thanks
This week I have been felled by whatever extremely nasty flu is making the rounds. Yes, I got my flu shot, and yes, the flu was still that bad. I'm on the mend but my brain is sort of oatmeal-like, so I'm in absolutely no shape
Community Fetishism
A couple of months ago, I cancelled my New Yorker subscription. I was in the throes of feeling overwhelmed by what felt like a metastasizing list of subscriptions to streaming channels and publications and apps and services and newsletters. In order to see what I'd actually miss and
The Global Fraud Economy
Last week, a news story caught my eye, even though it seemed to fly under the radar of general discourse. It was one of those blink and you miss it headlines on the Apple News app, which helpfully refreshes at random intervals and in random ways, giving me headlines I
