“If you’ve ever been enthralled by one slushie and disappointed by another, it’s probably because you may be keying into qualities of which you’re not aware: carbonation, expansion, density, flavor intensity. But Big Slushie doesn’t really care whether you understand these differences, because Big Slushie doesn’t care about your needs. It exists to help convenience stores, food chains, and event providers maximize profit margins for impulse purchases, while framing those purchases to you, the slurper, as nostalgic memories of childhood delight. This is a difficult truth, and you may regret your loss of innocence in its pursuit.” Ian Bogost in The Atlantic: The Truth About Slushies Must Come Out. (Counterpoint: No, it mustn’t. Love slushie and believe slushie loves you. There’s enough pain the the world.)

+ “When golf tournaments promise big cash prizes for holes-in-one, they turn to niche insurers to protect against a stroke of luck.”