Largely this is because LA Noire is incredibly indebted to Ellroy's LA Trilogy for almost all its plot points

If you're doing throwback noir set in LA in the '40s/50s you are no longer allowed to do freeway construction corruption as a plot device. In addition to the two works below, this is also a pivotal part of the book version of L.A. Confidential

There's a PhD level dissertation in figuring out where this guy is pulling his grammar and syntax from.

Dying in office because you insisted on clinging to power until the very end instead of letting a new generation of leaders rise should be seen for the shameful, egomaniacal act that it is.

The ancient literary debate: "I dislike allegory in all its forms" vs. "The Emperor is Nixon."

The Last Seduction, Disclosure, & Fear of the Female Boss (Erotic 90’s, Part 13) — You Must Remember This Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify . The 90s were obsessed with what magazine writer Tad Friend would describe as “do me feminism” – and the attendant fear that men could be v...

@robzacny.bsky.social Based on today's newsletter recs, if you haven't heard it I highly recommend this episode of YMRT on Disclosure and other Bad Brunette Bosses of the mid-90s: www.youmustrememberthispodcast.com/episodes/the...

Ah the classics

SICARIO is a weird case tbh where I think there's a tension between the screenplay (which thinks Alejandro and Matt are cool guys) and the actual movie as directed by Villenueve (which clearly thinks they are the villains)

New Marijuana Study Says Everyone Knows You're High And You'll Likely Be Stoned Forever The nation’s top researchers concluded that you can’t hide how stoned you are and that you should be freaking out if you aren’t already.

@bencollins.bsky.social I don't know if you possess the ability, but I would dearly love it if the original video that played upsetting variations randomly when you went back to watch it on the same link could be restored. The YT version is but a pale imitation. theonion.com/new-marijuan...

I do not understand why the notoriously litigious Tolkien estate puts up with this fucking shit.

Cover of The Mummy, the Will, and the Crypt by John Bellairs featuring a young boy standing in front of a statue. Artwork by Edward Gorey.

How old are the kids and what kind of stuff do they like? I loved the John Bellairs books as a kid and they're mostly supernaturally-tinged mystery books with lots of good historical details, but might not be for everyone.

My one wish for the Elden Ring movie is that it's also a stealth Paddington sequel.

Palantir posts mini-manifesto denouncing inclusivity and ‘regressive’ cultures | TechCrunch Palantir's ideological bent has come under more scrutiny as it's worked with ICE and positioned itself as a defender of "the West."

Any candidate that takes money from Palantir should not receive your vote.

Co-founder Joe Lonsdale is pouring millions into a PAC to buy off Democrats, especially in California.

techcrunch.com/2026/04/19/p...

Sonic Youth's Diamond Seas, a 2026 Record Store Day release featuring 16 layered live recordings of a single song on each side. It is next to a record player

Time to disorient my dogs

I watched a lot of A&E as a teen in the 90s, is what I am saying.

I remember seeing a play for TV version of "The Glass Menagerie" in a college modern drama class where the two male characters were played by Moriarty and Waterston and being the only person in the class who thought that was funny/interesting.

Really hoping there are some copies left of that Sonic Youth bc I could not do RSD this year.

Throwing this out to my followers for any help on a thing I’m working on.

Trying to find examples of filmmakers citing the influence of Los Angeles Plays Itself. Text, video, and audio all welcome but video preferred.

I’ve found Rogen citing its influence on The Studio but looking for more. Thnx

Yeah, now that you mention it this has been my experience with buying undershirts. I went from Hanes or whatever to pricier brands that prioritize fiber composition and have not regretted it one bit.

As I've started buying myself nicer stuff, I've become more attuned to what the money versus performance tradeoff gets me, so I can appreciate that even as my needs don't warrant me spending that much. When travelling I'll usually prioritize underwear/sock space where possible

It's been a while for me but giving the villain musical numbers to the character voiced by Vincent Price is A+ work no notes.

If I'm paying $35-45 per pair of boxer briefs I don't think I can afford three pairs.

Like A Prayer through Bedtime Stories-era Madonna is so fundamental to my understanding of pop culture that I cannot agree that she's overrated, but it's probably different if you're much older or younger than me (46).

Which is still not as bad as whatever Dem donor database I got put into 10+ years ago where the cells got shifted so I receive fundraising emails and texts desperately begging "Patricia" for cash.

I stopped correcting people and I don't really care if we're casually acquainted and you get it wrong or forget, but I do judge people who reply with an incorrect spelling to emails or messages where it's spelled correctly

Officers arrived and attempted to calm down the situation, but “a use of force occurred,” according to police, who did not say what force police used or on whom. At that point, they said, one of the men attacked an officer. The woman who witnessed the incident said the attacker hit the officer over the head with what appeared to be a rock wrapped in a metal chain. Police said the attacker stabbed the officer multiple times with a knife.

I guess when you fire your unionized newsroom you lose all the reporters who are capable of actually reporting facts instead of just printing both versions of a story. (This is still better than just printing the cop side)

Really hope this flops. Subscription bundle services like this prey on both creators and consumers, and this one sounds really egregious.

Screenshot of the Atlantic with the headline The FBI Director is MIA with a photo of MIA the musical artist.

Oh no, I thought it couldn't get worse

900lb crates full of onions in a field

The Coachella music festival is in the news with the minimum price of sold out 3-day ticket costing $549. Contrast that with "Nicolas" who is currently harvesting onions in the Coachella area and getting paid $22 for a $900lb crate. #WeFeedYou #coachella2026