From “A Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England 1693-1689” by Jonathan Healey

The Earl of Northampton, for one, worried about the proliferation of schools aimed at those outside the traditional elite: there was nothing, he said, 'so hurtful to the commonwealth as the multitude of free schools', which turned people away from soldiery and apprenticeships and instead led them to 'go up and down breeding new opinions'.

The first bloggers

When I lived in KC, this kind of story could lead morning drive radio, PM drive radio, and probably lead the 10 o clock news

BUSINESS INSIDER: The most iconic steakhouse in every state, By Erin McDowell

KANSAS: The Golden Ox, a very famous steakhouse in … Kansas City, Missouri.

Business Insider says the best steakhouse in Kansas is in Missouri

Yes I know this is a recurring Review feature on the five best books on a subject, but I also think Sumtumn is the true No. 1

Wall Street Journal headline: “Five Best: The Seasons”

1. Sprummer
2. Sumtumn

“Bring gifts, inheritances, and life insurance into the income-tax system, where they rightly belong”

The Romance of the Gas-Station Sign A few glowing roadside numerals set the national mood.

I wrote about the strangely romantic, improbably shared experience of the American gas-station sign—and why it might be ending.

I didn’t see this show, so I can’t say the exact timing but Green Day played The Outhouse in Lawrence and within a matter of months (six?), it felt like they were doing arena shows as the biggest band in America

I saw Beck at … The Boot

A magazine clipping with the headline "Atari confirms rumor: secret messages exist!"

This news item from the Winter 1981 issue of Electronic Games discusses Warren Robinett's secret message hidden in Adventure for the Atari 2600 and includes one of the earliest appearances of the term "Easter egg" in the context of video games.

I have zero interest in even trying this new season. It really was good at first!

How We Maxxed Maxxing “Looksmaxxing” and its cousins are fake trends but real expressions of the internet’s intrinsic drive toward extremism.

An @ibogost.com joint www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Well, this just about wrecked me.

Screengrab from Taylor Swift's website c. Nov 2002. Charming on many levels: as artifact of humble beginnings; as relic of primitive internet aesthetics w/wonky interface, talk of 56k modems, etc. News to me that Jay-Z saw 12-yr-old TS sing. Also: "a name that you will surely hear quite a bit." LOL

Rationale Usually the chips served are not flavored, or flavored only mildly, and the dip serves as a condiment. Serving them separately allows for simultaneous consumption, while also allowing for the eater to control the amount of dip according to their preference. When made from purchased processed foods, the dish is an easy finger food, as each item requires almost no further preparation. Not to mention, there is a large amount of combinatorial possibility inherent to the choice of dip being paired to the chip chosen.

i think it's smart that the Wikipedia page for Chips and Dip opens with a "Rationale" section. a lot of people are flabbergasted to find out about this concept and need some grounding before they get into the history

Perfect

Same!

Too bad they had to sully Beastmaster with a money grab of a sequel

If you have even a passing interest in The Beastmaster or Krull — and who doesn’t? — you will enjoy this very much

Play It Again, Claude The rise and fall of the player piano indicates a robust demand for human labor that AI cannot replace.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

I Read Every Bob Woodward Book. Here’s How They Stack Up. Yes, I ranked them—even <i>Fear</i>.

www.politico.com/magazine/sto...

In an echo of a moment in All the President's Men, Woodward calls Henry Kissinger at one point to talk about a Nixon memo acknowledging years of bombing "failure" in Southeast Asia. "That is true," Kissinger says, before adding, "Now, you're not going to quote me on this, are you?" Woodward writes, "Yes, I said I would."

Probably my favorite moment from The Last of the President’s Men, Bob Woodward’s memoir of Alexander Butterfield:

How Kristi Noem Lost Her Job She probably should have seen Trump’s decision to find a new homeland-security secretary coming.

“Cricket was shot for yapping uncontrollably, bungling the mission, and killing innocent bystanders. Noem’s misdeeds are very similar, but she will be treated more mercifully.”

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Providence's coolest coffee shop melted away after a 'heat wave' Noah Carroll, who runs a pop-up coffee shop called Very Good Coffee, built an igloo with a coffee window after the blizzard.

This is extremely Providence (complimentary) www.providencejournal.com/story/news/g...

The Day Jesse Jackson Made Me Cry I interacted with him, on and off, for 30 years. He was brilliant, at times electrifying, and at times confounding.

Lovely appreciation by Kevin Merida www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Pull over and watch the second half of Arizona-Texas Tech

If you're in D.C. a week from tomorrow, there's an event at Politics & Prose honoring the history of Book World. I think the tone will likely be less funerary than you might imagine. I know my comments will be. politics-prose.com/tribute-book...

Cabin Boy (1994)