What restaurant that you once loved has closed and broken your heart?
For me, it's Taste of Saigon, in Rockville, MD.
@laurahelmuth.bsky.social
Freelance writer, editor, columnist & consultant. Formerly at Scientific American, Washington Post, National Geographic, Slate, Smithsonian & Science. Past president of National Association of Science Writers. Birder.
What restaurant that you once loved has closed and broken your heart?
For me, it's Taste of Saigon, in Rockville, MD.
Oh, yes, the sad/joyous combos are amazing.
03.03.2026 15:47 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
"How did you solve the infinite puzzle of Jeffrey Epstein's true nature?"
"Uh, a web search?"
Oh, good question! I'd ask him to join us on Bluesky (he can use one of his many nicknames / pseudonyms). And I'd love to know what he's listening to. He always had a great ear for innovative music. What about you?
03.03.2026 15:32 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0This is a nice contrast to all the awful behavior confirmed through the Epstein files. Proud of @jenlucpiquant.bsky.social & @seanmcarroll.bsky.social for picking up on the sexism & charlatanism right away.
03.03.2026 15:29 β π 418 π 142 π¬ 7 π 16I grew up with all this Gog and Magog Revelation end-times war fetishism, and I can tell you (though you probably knew already), these people are both dangerous and unstable.
03.03.2026 04:11 β π 429 π 108 π¬ 11 π 3Should it be done? No. But can it be done? Also no. theconversation.com/does-regime-...
03.03.2026 02:32 β π 65 π 20 π¬ 1 π 0Yeah, that surprised me, too. I guess he got blamed for the Beatles breaking up.
02.03.2026 23:44 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0And, of course, Mull of Kintyre, complete with bagpipe marching band on the beach (as in: the mist rolling in from the sea) which he just completely made up to sound like a traditional folk tune www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plht...
02.03.2026 23:29 β π 13 π 0 π¬ 2 π 0For your earworm satisfaction: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5g9...
02.03.2026 23:27 β π 14 π 0 π¬ 2 π 0The "Man on the Run" documentary about Paul McCartney & Wings & Linda Eastman McCartney is excellent. Definitely worth all the earworms. And this is a sweet review by @jackhamilton.bsky.social slate.com/culture/2026...
02.03.2026 23:26 β π 33 π 4 π¬ 6 π 0
#LunarEclipse FAQ:
Q: Is it safe to look at?
A: Absolutely! Unlike a solar eclipse, there's no UNsafe time to look at a lunar eclipse.
Q: Do I need a telescope?
A: Nope! Best view is with naked eye. Just look up!
Q: Does the eclipse portend terror & doom?
A: Not at all! The news has that covered.
This is a great awards program for science communication. Enter now (before April 3) and/or please encourage others to do so. Categories include researchers (early, mid- & late career), journalists, independent & institutional. From @nationalacademies.org & @schmidtsciences.bsky.social
02.03.2026 18:12 β π 68 π 42 π¬ 1 π 0for those of you who werent adults during iraq, its hard to overstate how much the media loves war porn. they salivate over pentagon spin briefings. they love stories about all the bombs and how supposedly infallible they are. they love the notion of the commander in chief, in the situation room etc
02.03.2026 15:52 β π 9903 π 2091 π¬ 444 π 154Kafka understood that an even greater indignity than being turned into a giant insect was still being required to go to work afterward.
02.03.2026 13:27 β π 6307 π 965 π¬ 4 π 0They have an endless contempt for all logic, evidence, and history.
28.02.2026 17:46 β π 66 π 7 π¬ 0 π 0
Careful what you ask for.
The demand is not, "Congress must vote to authorize this war."
The demand is, "Congress must vote to end this immoral and illegal war of aggression."
"Be reasonable about this," he says. "Meet me in the middle."
"OK," you say. You take a step forward.
He takes a step back.
"Be reasonable about this," he says. "Meet me in the middle."
General McClellan over here not pressing his advantage.
24.02.2026 19:13 β π 491 π 71 π¬ 33 π 6See some gorgeous visualizations of how and when people search for birds searchingforbirds.visualcinnamon.com
25.02.2026 15:36 β π 31 π 9 π¬ 1 π 0
AIs canβt stop recommending nuclear strikes in war game simulations
Leading AIs from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google opted to use nuclear weapons in simulated war games in 95 per cent of cases
www.newscientist.com/article/2516...
screenshot of a tv user guide, showing two channels under Tue 8PM: MSNOW - State of the union TCM East- Gaslight
Masterful Troll, TCM.
24.02.2026 15:19 β π 6758 π 1644 π¬ 67 π 98Congratulations on the new book! It looks deeeeeelightful! Naturally!
23.02.2026 22:46 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0This is a delightful profile of bald eagles, which are kleptoparasites (they steal food from others), have talons the size of your thumb that lock onto prey, and sound like they're ... giggling. slate.com/technology/2... by @bittelmethis.bsky.social on @slate.com
23.02.2026 22:45 β π 77 π 20 π¬ 6 π 1I'm enjoying @slate.com's new Soundbites game. English is weird. slate.com/life/2026/02...
23.02.2026 17:45 β π 6 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0A plate with chopsticks across it, with several pieces of toast balanced on top.
If you want to keep your toast from getting soggy on the bottom, balance it on skewers or chopsticks.
23.02.2026 17:26 β π 47 π 2 π¬ 6 π 1
"If thereβs one thing Justices John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Comey Barrett cherish more than executive power and a highly punitive Jesus, it is their money."
By @marciej.bsky.social on @wonkettemedia.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/wonkette...
The third Q in my advice column this week is a reminder that even dream-sounding jobs can turn into nightmares. In this case, someone who runs their own pet-care business wants to give up their career and just get a job. slate.com/advice/2026/...
20.02.2026 15:09 β π 8 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
Hahahah ahh hahahahahaha
It's been shown previously that conservatives tend to have lower IQs (as measured by standardized tests) than liberals, but this is a fun framing of the latest study. By the delightful @robynelyse.bsky.social @wonkettemedia.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/wonkette...
For the white-supremacist, anti-immigrant, anti-diversity administration, βthe Olympic team is a living rebuke β a jumping, spinning, flying, super-fit and undeniably hot one β to their entire worldview.β www.publicnotice.co/p/us-olympia...
19.02.2026 18:25 β π 75 π 6 π¬ 2 π 0