Mike B

The New 'Avatar' Gets Biblical in Its Most Intense Scene Avatar fans can’t get over that one devastating sequence.

I’m also very much pro-Avatar, even if Way of Water is still the best of them:

‘The Pitt’ Gets Way More X-Rated Than Anyone Expected The show’s surprise shift in tone might be just what the doctor ordered.

I’ve also been thoroughly enjoying The Pitt season 2, even if (or maybe because) it feels so different from season 1:

The Unlikely State Where Democrats Could Turn U.S. Politics on Its Head Republicans believe that it will stay red forever. Their arrogance could be their undoing.

Back in December I also published my first fully politics-focused piece at Slate, making my case for why Democrats shouldn’t give up on Texas, no matter how hopeless some may see it

What Happened to America's Commuter Bar Cars? In the 1960s, a suburban commuter returning from New York City would head over to Penn Station or Grand Central Terminal to catch a train. Much like in 2026, the ride home could take well over an hour...

I’ve been very offline the past few weeks but I want to share my work more often on here.

The other day I had my first transportation-centric article published, by the fine editors at VinePair 🥳

All about the bar cars they used to have on American commuter rail, and how I want them to return

Wikipedia page for Albany, Australia

Ok I’m starting to see what happened here

Fascinated by these job posts I keep seeing that are based in Albany, New York but also somehow Australia?

i do wish they'd gone with that original fan theory that Blanc was gonna switch to a whole new accent with each movie with no explanation

(Granted I’m pretty sure the news said this would happen, but I was not paying attention so this still counts as a surprise)

View from porch, snowy morning

The best type of snowfall is surprise snowfall

Life as a freelance writer (complimentary atm)

This is really good to see: Miki Sherrill just put out a statement sharply criticizing the Senate Dems' pending cave in the government shutdown, ripping it as "malpractice" and a betrayal of the people who are "counting on us to fight for them." Sherrill knows what drove her victory. Wake up, Dems.

A valid crashout

I remember feeling so deflated in the first movie when they kept doing that same trick with Pennywise running towards the camera. (Still haven't watched the second movie.)

the fact that they gave him such over-the-top groveling praise with their cover and article but he's still complaining

a man in a yellow shirt is sitting in a chair holding a cup and pointing ALT: a man in a yellow shirt is sitting in a chair holding a cup and pointing

Me seeing your article pop up in the middle of The Rehearsal season 2

had never before considered that the inflatable costumes offer pepper ball protection

*C5

It’s the most boring of all the openings! On defense I like to just go C4 first and wing it from there, pretend as if I know how to do the Sicilian

27-29 is young, 30 is old, 31-33 is young again.

It's crazy how many op-eds and general commentary after every election seem to only make sense if this is the first election the pundit's ever lived through

one of the most annoying parts of the US political cycle is how every four years people pretend as if "president-elect experiences higher-than-usual approval during transition period" isn't a typical, well-documented thing that happens every single time. It will mean basically nothing in six months

a man is praying with his eyes closed and the words `` dear lord baby jesus '' above him . ALT: a man is praying with his eyes closed and the words `` dear lord baby jesus '' above him .

The first part can be us again in '26, if we want it bad enough

Dear Mr. Zalben: Thank you for writing to express your support for S. 2074/H.R. 4250, the Protect Reporters from Exploitive State Spying (PRESS) Act. I share your concerns about protecting Americans' civil liberties. As you know, the PRESS Act would protect journalists from being forced to reveal their sources and protects journalists' data from being seized without their knowledge by the federal government. This legislation was introduced by Senators Ron Wyden, Mike Lee, and Richard Durbin and Representatives Kevin Kiley and Jamie Raskin on June 21, 2023. S. 2074 is currently under review by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and H.R. 4250 has been reported out of the House Committee on the Judiciary. I will continue to monitor the progress of these bills as they make their way through Congress. Our democracy demands a strong, active and independent local press, not only to inform our conversations and decisions, but to tell the stories that would otherwise be left in darkness, and to hold the powerful to account. It is also important that the privacy of American citizens is protected under law. That is why, in the 117th Congress, I was an original cosponsor of S. 1265, the Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act, which would ban the federal government and law enforcement agencies from buying location data and other personal information without a warrant. Americans are entitled to their constitutional right to privacy, and this is an area I will continue to monitor going forward. Again, thank you for contacting me. Please keep in touch with your thoughts and opinions. Sincerely, Charles E. Schumer United States Senator

Got a letter back from Chuck Schumer on the PRESS act which says he will "continue to monitor" its progress.

...That's not good enough? He needs to push for a vote, now, before time runs out in January.

If Schumer is your Senator, contact him now: www.schumer.senate.gov/contact/mess...

In general I think a DNC chair from one of the blue wall states is the best bet. They’re easily some of the most effective Dems in the whole country when it comes to actually knowing how to win elections.

True, I guess I’d also attribute some of it to a growing over-emphasis on plot when talking about TV/film, and a conservative cultural shift overall. When in doubt I blame CinemaSins

I think the discourse is being led by teenagers who watch TV with their parents in the house

And that deer sculpture in the beginning is called PixCell-Deer#24, by Kohei Nawa

Family enjoys their time together

Two guys and a scruffy kid

Some final pics I took, all of which brought me joy.

First is Just Moved, by Henry Mosler

Second is The Baker’s Cart by Jean Michelin

Third is The Artist’s Wife and His Setter Dog by Thomas Eakins

Guy hard at work at his desk

Hard to explain why this one stuck out to me, except that it’s very cozy and peaceful. It looks like how a productive writing day feels to me.

Name is The Etcher by Stacy Tolman

Poor little lamb, its hooves tied together

Love this one because it’s such a mood. We’ve all felt like a lamb with its hooves tied at some point, I’m sure of it.

If someone asks me how I’m feeling after bad news, I will send them this pic.

(Picture is The Lamb of God by Francisco de Zurbaran.)