John Keats, "When I have Fears That I May Cease to Be"

We need a name for writing that is worse than what generative AI would have produced—articles with prose so bad that ChatGPT would have done a better job.

Oh, that’s actual Gnosticism. Like in the textbooks. Never seen it in the flesh before.

This is the classical view. The Romans, sexual libertines though they were, understood that lust is weakness and the inability to conquer lust is unmanly. Also why the Greeks believed the highest love was between two men.

OK but this is true though. Also why you should use a printed dictionary—while scanning the page for the word you’re looking for, you’ll accidentally happen upon other interesting words.

Forgot I'd memorized this years ago. T.S. Eliot

No, I didn’t know this. You’re just now telling me?

I see your cabinet full of British delicacies, and I raise you my trip to a supermarket in South Africa. Modified cheese, anyone?

Since the pandemic, there has been a noticeable and sudden decline in the quality of editing and fact-checking at prestigious professional publications.

Happy Fathers’ Day. Here’s the marquee from a performance of my Dad’s high school band, The Saracens, on tour in Rhode Island in the 60s. I’m confident this is the picture he’d want me to post.

Opera singers require years of training to learn things no one can do naturally (e.g. inhale and exhale at the same time). Easier and more profitable for Disney to sign a 13-year-old to an abusive “360” contract then autotune her into a pop star (singing talent optional).

(Continental philosopher): Without 5, we could not count to 6. (Me): Yes. (Continental philosopher): It could be said 6 is consequently in the 5-shadow, the forthcoming of 6 is 5-heralded, that 5 springs necessarily from the recapitulation of 6. (Me, checking my watch): Yes.