Extra, Extra
Literal Blockbusters: “Three blockbuster storms struck different coasts this weekend, causing widespread damage in Puerto Rico, Alaska and Japan.” And all three are connected to climate change.
+ Over? “The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with COVID. We’re still doing a lot of work on it. But the pandemic is over.” Joe Biden says the COVID-19 pandemic is over. This is what the data tells us. (There’s no benefit to Biden saying the Pandemic is over. Better to say it’s on the ropes and we need to knock it out.) Of course, things are better. But over? Ask a touring musician about that. In the words of John Rambo, “nothing is over.”
+ Compost Facto: “Assembly Bill 351 will create a state regulatory process for natural organic reduction, a method in which human remains naturally decompose over a 30-to-45-day period after being placed in a steel vessel and buried in wood chips, alfalfa and other biodegradable materials. The nutrient-dense soil created by the process can then be returned to families or donated to conservation land.” California’s dead will have a new burial option: Human composting. (My friend Zem gives me a hard time for not composting. Maybe there’s still a chance for me to make up for lost time…)
+ Vineyard Sale: “The brochure says that migrants who arrive in Massachusetts will be eligible for numerous benefits, including ‘8 months cash assistance,’ ‘assistance with housing,’ ‘food,’ ‘clothing,’ ‘transportation to job interviews,’ ‘job training,’ ‘job placement,’ ‘registering children for school,’ ‘assistance applying for Social Security cards,’ and many other benefits. None of this, however, is true.” Judd Legum with another scoop. The smoking gun in Martha’s Vineyard. (In retaliation to DeSantis’ move, blue state governors are plotting to airlift a smidgen of human decency to Florida.)
+ Punctuated Equilibrium: “Could anything be more satisfying than straight A’s? Could anything be more infuriating than the barely joking paternal response “What happened to the other two points?” when I managed a 98 on a test?” (My dad’s similar line was, “Why the minus?”) The great Ben Dreyer in the NYT (Gift Article): My Life in Error. A copy editor recounts his obsession with perfection.
+ Hawkeye Still Pierces: “When we think of the default mode of much of contemporary television — mingling the tragic and the offhand, broad comedy and pinpoint sentiment — we are thinking of a precise mixture of styles, emotions and textures first alchemized by M*A*S*H.” NYT (Gift Article): As the acclaimed “situation tragedy” turns 50, the star reflects on its innovations. (MASH was like The Office except the office was in a war zone and you cried about 6 times during the series.)
