PicoBlog

Beneath the unblinking gaze of history, we find ourselves, the self-proclaimed guardians of American progress, perched precariously at a crossroads. It is a juncture of profound moral reckoning, a divergence of paths so profound and so fraught with the weight of our collective beliefs that to stand here is to feel the very earth quiver beneath our feet. In this place, where the melody of human suffering plays a constant background score, where many of my progressive Jewish friends feel isolated for their calls to empathize with people in Gaza, where those aiming to recognize the humanity of innocent Palestinians have been demonized for doing so, we are teetering on no return.

We left Romania on November 30th, one day before the big national holiday, Great Union Day, commemorating the unification of the three major regions of the country with the Kingdom of Romania in 1918. I’ll admit my ignorance here. I didn’t know much about this holiday. But in our final days here we returned to the village of Rucăr, back where we started 3 months ago, to drop off a gift for the Father in thanks for his generosity to us, and to visit the kittens that were born outside our door exactly 10 weeks ago.

I’ll admit that these headers have gotten out of control. We had such a terrific time at last weekend’s first Retrospecs show! Such fun live reads of a Mad About You spec I wrote in 1997 (!): And a terrific Girls spec written by Brigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz (Brooklyn 99) from 2013, which may be my all-time favorite Girls episode starring my all-time favorite Girls cast: It was a really special afternoon, everyone had so much fun and got whiplash from the abrupt change in tones.

Kia ora and welcome to The Weekend. As a former Wellingtonian who still holds a great deal of fondness for the city (I maintain it’s the best city for trail running in the country) I’ve been following our War for Wellington coverage avidly. Joel MacManus, Wellington editor, has been doing huge amounts of work to cover the recommendations of the independent groupadvising on densification in the city. Opposition to these recommendations has proven to be one of the few things that MPs from across the political spectrum can agree on.

New here? Hi! If you want to get right down to business, scroll down for the video link and allllllll the way to the bottom for info on Thursday’s LIVE Q&A!Today’s offering is a technique rather than a recipe. You know what they say: Teach a person a recipe, and they can make that thing just fine, but teach them a technique and they can SPIN IT forever! (No one says that, and I’m sorry I did.

The writing prompt was simply: “The judging sun”. I don’t know how to use Substack very well and lost the profile of the person who shared the prompt. So, to whoever you are, thank you! — Each wave lapped farther and farther away from her toes, a sure sign she needed to peel herself off the beach towel. Not bothered by the creaky feeling in her tanned skin or the flecks of dried-out saltwater dusted on her lips, this uninterrupted evening felt separate from time.

This hasn’t made as big a news splash because of all the other things going on (also, scanty details), but I noticed Sheila Jackson Lee announced a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer: AP: Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat, says she has pancreatic cancer Longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee announced that she has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is undergoing treatment. The 74-year-old Texas Democrat, who is seeking a 16th term, said in a statement late Sunday that as a member of Congress, she has been honored to be a leader in the fight for justice and equality and will approach this more personal fight with faith and courage.

I have some exciting news to share. Pantheon, the AMC Plus show based on the “uploaded intelligence” stories in The Hidden Girl and Other Stories, is now available on Apple TV! (Edited to add: also on Amazon Prime and probably other places — check your favorite source.) Created by Craig Silverstein and animated by Titmouse Animation, Pantheon got great reviews but was cancelled (victim of the streaming pullback) before season two could air.

Film Yap is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. If anyone was likely to enjoy the Chuck Russell-directed and John Travolta and Bruce Willis-starring action flick “Paradise City” (now available in select theaters and on VOD), it’d be me. Russell’s made some rad movies over the course of his career, i.e. “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors,” 1988’s “The Blob” remake and “Eraser.