Reading

2025.11.18

The origins of Bemidji’s iconic Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues
The prototypical “roadside colossus” inspired dozens of other Midwest cities to create similar works in the decades that followed.
by Jennifer Kleinjung
https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2025/11/the-origins-of-bemidjis-iconic-paul-bunyan-and-babe-the-blue-ox-statues/

It’s deer hunting season, and if you’re heading to the woods, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants your help in fighting a disease impacting deer. KTTC reports “chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a contagious fatal brain condition that affects deer. … Hunters in affected areas must provide CWD samples if it’s in a mandatory sample requirement area.” Via MinnPost
https://www.kttc.com/2025/11/17/minnesota-dnr-asks-hunters-help-fight-chronic-wasting-disease/

Jeffrey Epstein’s emails reveal a disdain for morality among the elite
Moira Donegan
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/17/jeffrey-epstein-emails-elites

Doing your own research isn’t a bad thing, I tell my patients. But just how will they spot the fraudulent papers?
Ranjana Srivastava
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/19/doing-your-own-research-isnt-a-bad-thing-i-tell-my-patients-but-just-how-will-they-spot-the-fraudulent-papers

The wild old wicked gang: great Irish writers – in pictures
Edna O’Brien on her sofa, Joseph O’Connor in his garden, Seamus Heaney surrounded by books … British photographer Steve Pyke on capturing the greats of Irish literature
https://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2025/nov/18/edna-o-brien-seamus-heaney-steve-pyke-irish-writers-in-pictures

Fights for our material survival’: documentary goes inside the battle for trans rights
In Heightened Scrutiny, the fight driving activist and lawyer Chase Strangio is backgrounded by a deep dive into how the media has helped to push an anti-trans agenda
Veronica Esposito
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/17/heightened-scrutiny-trans-documentary-sam-feder

Legendary game designer, programmer, Space Invaders champion, and LGBTQ trailblazer Rebecca Heineman has died
News
By Ted Litchfield published 15 hours ago
Shamelessly stolen from Andrew Ducker
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/legendary-game-designer-programmer-space-invaders-champion-and-lgbtq-trailblazer-rebecca-heineman-has-died/

Current Mood: confused

Entry tags:

Medicare questions/decisions

I just had a phone appointment with someone, funded by the state of Massachusetts, to help decide between basic Medicare plus a Medigap plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan. I have gotten some useful information, but am going to double-check everything, because in at least one case what she told me contradicts what the official Medicare.gov site says. It's a relatively minor point--the existence of a roommate discount for some Medigap plans--but I asked about which plans it applied to, and she said it doesn't exist.

The new and interesting information is that apparently, because I am under 65 and disabled, I'm eligible for a Medicaid plan, without an income limit. It's called CommonHealth, and seems to be part of the state's "Commonwealth Care." If I understand correctly, after Medicare paid 80% of a bill, it would cover the rest, but only at providers that take MassHealth.

If I got basic Medicare (parts A and B), a part D drug plan, and a Medigap plan, I could see any provider that takes Medicare, without worrying about what's in-network. However, a Medigap plan would cost significantly more than this CommonHealth thing.

Or, I could sign up for another Medicare Advantage plan. The advantage there is there are some that would cost no more than the Medicare Part B premium. The disadvantage is being limited to in-network providers unless I'm willing to pay significantly more for that service.

I thought the question was, is it worth $250-$300/month (Medigap + prescription coverage) more to not have to worry about being in-network and prior authorization. It sounds like this CommonHealth plan would cost significantly less per month, but if the provider doesn't take MassHealth, I'd be paying 20%. Which gets back to the larger problem that there's no way to find out what number that will be 20% until after the visit.

If I understood correctly, all these options have copays for some things, and CommonHealth may require prior authorization for some things.

2025.11.17

Trump urges Republicans to vote for release of Epstein files in surprise U-turn
US president says he backs efforts to release documents related to late sex offender because ‘we have nothing to hide’ -- I assume this means they've destroyed the real damning evidence?
Oliver Holmes and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/17/trump-tells-republicans-to-vote-to-release-epstein-files-saying-we-have-nothing-to-hide

Charlotte reels as immigration raids bring North Carolina city to a ‘standstill’
Thriving business districts in North Carolina city now at a ‘standstill’ after at least 81 were arrested over the weekend
Victoria Bouloubasis in Durham, North Carolina
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/17/charlotte-nc-immigration-raids-business

Paul McCartney joins music industry protest against AI with silent track
Former Beatle and artists including Sam Fender, Kate Bush and Hans Zimmer record silent LP Is This What We Want
Robert Booth UK technology editor
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/nov/17/the-sound-of-silence-why-theres-barely-anything-there-in-paul-mccartney-new-release

White nationalist talking points and racial pseudoscience: welcome to Elon Musk’s Grokipedia
World’s richest person wanted to ‘purge’ propaganda from Wikipedia, so he created a compendium of racist disinformation
Jason Wilson
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/17/grokipedia-elon-musk-far-right-racist

These rare whales had never been seen alive. Then a team in Mexico sighted two
The search for a gingko-toothed beaked whale had taken five years, when a thieving albatross nearly ruined it all
Fanni Szakál
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/17/rare-gingko-toothed-beaked-whale-science-cetacean-research

Undisciplined? Entitled? Lazy? Gen Z faces familiar flood of workplace criticism
Younger employees establishing themselves at work continue to face relentless criticism from the higher rungs of corporate America.
A new generation of younger workers are being derided as delusional and unreliable, just as millennials were
Jenna Zaza
https://www.theguardian.com/money/ng-interactive/2025/nov/17/gen-z-workplace-criticism

The one change that worked: I had Sad and felt desperate – until a scientist gave me some priceless advice
Since I was a teenager I had struggled in winter, experiencing excessive tiredness and low mood. A specific instruction lifted the gloom
Jessica Furseth
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/17/the-one-change-that-worked-i-had-sad-and-felt-desperate-until-a-scientist-gave-me-some-priceless-advice

Here in Sweden, the Vikings are back. And this time they’re searching for stability in a chaotic age
Siri Christiansen
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/17/sweden-vikings-chaos-sacrifice-ritual-norse-pagan

Interview
Russell Tovey on pride, sexual power and politics: ‘The Green party slogan – make hope normal again – is what we need’
Michael Cragg
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/17/russell-tovey-pride-sexual-power-politics-green-party-interview

Poem of the week: Now winter nights … by Thomas Campion
A song to the consolations of winter is delivered with the grace and precision typical of this intellectually ambitious poet
Carol Rumens
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/17/poem-of-the-week-now-winter-nights-enlarge-by-thomas-campion

2025.11.16

Questions arise over strikingly similar signatures by Trump on recent pardons
Seemingly identical signatures appeared on clemency orders, which White House blamed on technical error
Edward Helmore
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/15/trump-signatures-clemency-orders

How Google’s DeepMind tool is ‘more quickly’ forecasting hurricane behavior
‘Less expensive and time consuming’ model helps with fast and accurate predictions, possibly saving lives and property
Eric Holthaus
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/16/google-deepmind-hurricane-forecast

Merchants’ ‘victory’ over credit card fees will just complicate things more for them
Gene Marks
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/16/small-business-credit-card-fees

Ethiopia confirms outbreak of deadly Marburg virus
Africa CDC says at least nine cases have been detected of Ebola-like illness, which kills up to 80% of those infected
AFP in Nairobi
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/15/ethiopia-confirms-outbreak-of-deadly-marburg-virus

Scrutiny grows over LA fire origins after bombshell report: ‘Our Pearl Harbor moment’
Reports that fire crews were ordered to leave original site of blaze prompt tough questions for city and LAFD leaders
Nick Visser
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/16/la-fire-palisades-report

One more day? I've had a wee lift parked in the driveway for several days now to provide a safety anchor for installing solar panels. They worked on Saturday, and I think it's going to be finished on Monday.

(no subject)

Unpopular Opinion: The best speculative fiction isn't just escapism, it's also protest. Keep lifting up your voices and your stories!

#WisCon #WisCon26 #WomenInSFF #FeministConvention

2025.11.15

Minnesota River restoration, long a labor of love for advocates, could be getting a boost from the state
Plans for a possible Minnesota River Commission buoy groups that have shepherded clean-up efforts for decades.
by Forrest Peterson
https://www.minnpost.com/environment/2025/11/minnesota-river-restoration-long-a-labor-of-love-for-advocates-could-be-getting-a-boost-from-the-state/

Viktor Orbán begins ‘anti-war roadshow’ as Hungary gears up for 2026 elections
PM makes opposition to support for Ukraine central to Fidesz campaign as it loses ground over cost of living crisis
Lili Rutai and Oliver Holmes
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/15/viktor-orban-hungary-2026-election-campaign-fidesz

‘I’m not as fierce as I seem’: Glenn Close on growing up in a cult, marching against Trump – and being unlucky in love
She’s Hollywood’s biggest character actor who terrified a generation of men with her ‘bunny boiling’ turn in Fatal Attraction. Now, Close alternates the glamour of the red carpet with living in a red state. She talks about the joy of her ‘undefined’ life
By Emma Brockes
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/15/glenn-close-interview-wake-up-dead-man-knives-out-mystery-cult-trump

‘He was quite a private person’: expansive auction shows Gene Hackman as actor and artist
Bonhams is selling over 400 items from the estate of the late Oscar-winning actor, from a draft script of The Silence of the Lambs to his own unique artwork
David Smith in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/15/gene-hackman-auction-actor-artist

2025.11.14 Herr Trump

Bondi announces investigation into Epstein ties to Trump’s Democratic adversaries
Move diverges from July memo negating need for further inquiries, and comes amid intense Trump campaign to block files
Lucy Campbell
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/14/republican-pressure-trump-epstein-files

Trump reverses course and cuts tariffs on US food imports
Order exempting coffee, beef, bananas and other items comes as White House fights off concerns about rising costs
Dominic Rushe in New York and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/14/trump-tariffs-food

Trump accused of caving to big business after deal to cut Swiss tariffs to 15%
Rolex denies ‘any negotiation’ with US although luxury watchmaker entertained Trump and gave him gold clock
Callum Jones in New York
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/14/tariffs-swiss-goods-reduced

2025.11.14

Epic movie: Christopher Nolan uses 2m ft of film for adaptation of The Odyssey
The director has revealed suitably grand scale of his forthcoming Homeric adventure, which was shot with Imax cameras and stars Matt Damon as Odysseus
Andrew Pulver
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/14/christopher-nolan-the-odyssey-2-million-ft-imax-matt-damon

Tesla recalls 10,500 Powerwall 2 battery systems in US over fire risk
Firm had received 22 reports of overheating, raising risk of serious injury or death, though none have been reported
Reuters
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/13/tesla-powerwall-2-battery-recall

Interview
‘I’m not just putting on nice plays’: Hollywood star Alan Cumming’s plan to reignite theatre in the Scottish Highlands
Libby Brooks
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/nov/14/hollywood-star-alan-cummings-theatre-scottish-highlands-pitlochry-interview

Review
Future Boy by Michael J Fox review – secrets from the set of a definitive 80s movie
The actor’s account of his big Hollywood break – and how it almost never happened
Ellen E Jones
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/14/future-boy-by-michael-j-fox-review-secrets-from-the-set-of-a-definitive-80s-movie

Almshouse in Dorset discovers its 15th-century Flemish triptych is worth £3.5m
Artwork that hung for centuries at St John’s Almshouse in Sherborne will be sold to raise funds for social housing
Jamie Grierson
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/14/almshouse-in-dorset-to-auction-15th-century-flemish-triptych-sothebys

Rare bronze and iron age log boats reveal details of Cambridgeshire prehistory
Well-preserved oak and maple boats used for transport and fishing to be displayed in Peterborough
Harriet Sherwood
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/nov/14/rare-iron-bronze-age-log-boat-cambridgeshire-archaeology-history

Entry tags:

air conditioner

air conditioners moved

The handyman came this afternoon, took our air conditioners out of the windows, and moved them to the basement. First, he met

cattitude at our storage unit, so he could transport another bookcase and several boxes of books. We have also brought some boxes of books from the storage unit in a Lyft, but that doesn't work for moving bookcases.

We have now hired the same guy a few times; we also hired him and his brother to put up curtain rods and hang curtains. (The ceilings in this apartment are too high for us to have sensibly installed the curtain rods ourselves).

2025.11.13

Worried you’ll burn your potatoes or leave your turkey in the oven too long this Thanksgiving? Then check out one of the several restaurants serving up the classics. Bring Me The News has a list of Twin Cities eateries open on the holiday. Via MinnPost
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/where-to-get-thanksgiving-dinners-at-twin-cities-restaurants-in-2025

Despite misses, ‘Purple Rain’ has enough hits to honor Prince’s remarkable legacy
Actor Kris Kollins succeeds musically more than theatrically, but is lifted by a strong supporting team.
by Sheila Regan
https://www.minnpost.com/artscape/2025/11/despite-misses-purple-rain-has-enough-hits-to-honor-princes-remarkable-legacy/

‘Whatever it takes’: Starbucks workers launch US strike and call for boycott
Unfair labor practice strike on ‘red cup day’ in over 25 cities comes amid stagnant negotiations with coffee chain
Michael Sainato
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/13/starbucks-workers-launch-strike

Alan Rickman’s personal scripts and mementoes up for auction
Lots include the annotated shooting script for Die Hard and a hand-drawn Halloween card from his Harry Potter co-star Rupert Grint
Andrew Pulver
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/13/alan-rickman-scripts-mementoes-auction-die-hard-harry-potter

Mexico takes action to combat sexual abuse after president publicly groped
Secretary for women presents plan, including prison sentences, after Claudia Sheinbaum was groped on street
Oscar Lopez in Mexico City
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/13/mexico-sexual-abuse-president-groped

'What, no ziti now?’: US pasta lovers fear Trump tariffs will cause shortage
A potential 107% tariff on Italian pasta imports could cause companies to withdraw from US market – and for US producers to raise their prices
Alaina Demopoulos
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/nov/13/pasta-italian-imports-trump-tariffs

Review
The Beast in Me review – Claire Danes’s astonishing new thriller is instant top–tier TV
This taut psychological two-hander between Danes and Matthew Rhys will surely win awards. You cannot look away
Lucy Mangan
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/13/the-beast-in-me-review-claire-danes-thriller-netflix

Whoopi Goldberg at 70: her 10 best films – ranked!
The actor and comedian was Oscar-nominated for her film debut 40 years ago, then won an Academy Award just five years later. As she turns 70, we rate Goldberg’s greatest hits
By Ryan Gilbey
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/13/whoopi-goldberg-at-70-her-10-best-films-ranked

James Van Der Beek to sell Dawson’s Creek ‘treasures’ to pay for cancer treatment
Actor, 48, who revealed colorectal cancer diagnosis last year, to also auction memorabilia from Varsity Blues
Gabrielle Canon
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/12/james-van-der-beek-dawsons-creek-memorabilia

Entry tags:

a few things make a post

After putting it off for a while, I read through the manuscript of a non-quite-autobiographical book about my mother's life, and sent the editor some comments. This was difficult because it's largely about her experiences as a child survivor of the Holocaust. It's based on a series of interviews with my mother, which the editor was doing and compiling when my mother died unexpectedly. So that went back this afternoon.

The delivery pharmacy somehow got the wrong dosage of one of my prescriptions. This is annoying partly because I noticed the problem, told them, and we both contacted my doctor. (The prescription is 1/day, and they filled it as half a pill every day.) I thought we'd agreed that they would hold off until one of us heard back from her, and I took delivery yesterday because I thought they were bringing the other thing I'd ordered. So now I have to contact Carmen again, and figure out what to do here.

After several days of looking at Medicare open enrollment stuff, I sent an email this afternoon to the state-funded office that provides free advice on the subject, asking for an appointment. The questions are, roughly, do I want Medicare Advantage next year, or do I want basic Medicare, a separate (Part D) drug plan, and a Medigap policy. My existing Medicare Advantage plan isn't being offered next year, so I have options, but also have to decide something.

We have, however, heard back from the handyman/moving guy, and arranged for him to take the air conditioners out of our windows, and also bring more things from the storage unit. He took just long enough to get back to us that Adrian was trying to find someone else to do the job, but I'm glad we don't have to.

2025.11.12

Minnesota’s hemp-produced THC beverage and edible industry reels from provision to outlaw products in shutdown bill
The marijuana and alcohol industries successfully lobbied Congress to shut down a hemp-based competitor they say is unregulated and dangerous.
by Ana Radelat
https://www.minnpost.com/national/washington/2025/11/minnesotas-hemp-produced-thc-beverage-and-edible-industry-reels-from-provision-to-outlaw-products-in-shutdown-bill/

I thought there was something wrong with my body – until I shared a shower with 50 strangers
Naked in a forest, among people of every age, race, gender and physique, I finally shook off the self-doubt that had haunted me since my teens
Stephanie Peirolo
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/12/thought-something-wrong-with-body-then-shared-shower-with-50-strangers

Yes, New York will soon be under new management. But Zohran Mamdani is just the start
Carys Afoko
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/12/yes-new-york-will-soon-be-under-new-management-but-zohran-mamdani-is-just-the-start

Covid vaccines may increase the lifespan of cancer patients – this could be a game changer
Devi Sridhar
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/12/covid-mrna-vaccines-cancer-patients-prolong-life

New bridge in south-west China collapses into mountainside
No casualties reported after section of 758-metre structure helping to link Sichuan province to Tibet falls to pieces
Amy Hawkins
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/12/new-hongqi-bridge-in-south-west-china-collapses-into-mountainside

Kansas county to pay more than $3m over police raiding local newspaper
Marion county agrees to apologize over 2023 raid that led to national outcry over press freedom, said newspaper’s editor
Lucy Campbell and agency
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/11/kansas-marion-newspaper-police-raid-payment

The five best juicers in the US with the least mess, noise and cleanup
With machines from $150 to $770, I used 30lbs of fresh produce to determine the juicers most worth the squeeze
Elizabeth Brownfield
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2025/nov/11/best-juicers-to-buy

The nut secret: 14 easy, delicious ways to eat more of these life-changing superfoods
A handful of nuts a day can help manage obesity and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some kinds of cancer. Yet most of us don’t get enough. Here’s a no-fuss guide to getting your 30g a day
Rachel Dixon
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/nov/09/nuts-superfood-health-benefits-easy-delicious-ways-to-eat-more

it's been the worst fucking year

A year ago around now or a bit earlier or later Kevin was probably telling me he was going to take a nap. I was distracted and hyperfocused on projects all day. I probably should've checked on him sooner when he didn't come upstairs to make supper.

I thought about waking him up to show him a graphic I worked on. God I posted a ton on November 11, 2024 I was posting thread after thread on Bluesky about things. (sigh.)

if i make it through this day i will have made it a year without him and that seems fake and like it should not be a thing.

2025.11.11

Minnesota is among the states impacted by an infant botulism outbreak linked to baby formula, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Bring Me the News reports that illness has been reported in one infant in the Minnesota, and 13 across the U.S. The outbreak has been linked to ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula. Via MinnPost
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/minnesota-impacted-by-multi-state-outbreak-of-infant-botulism-linked-to-formula

Where’s the restroom? Minneapolis needs more answers
Businesses can’t take on the entire burden. The city must invest in a network of free, accessible and well-maintained public restrooms.
by Lee Eubanks
https://www.minnpost.com/community-voices/2025/11/wheres-the-restroom-minneapolis-needs-more-answers/

From the Andes to the Amazon: a six-week riverboat adventure to Belém, Brazil’s gateway to the river
Visiting the city hosting the Cop30 conference brings with it questions about farming, tourism and sustainability
Kevin Rushby
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/nov/11/andes-to-the-amazon-riverboat-adventure-to-belem-brazil-cop30

Peanut allergies have plummeted among kids since 2017 – what happened?
Blockbuster research has upended assumptions about the allergy. Experts shared what parents should know about introducing food allergens
Madeleine Aggeler
https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/nov/11/peanut-allergies-declining-children-explained

Trump scolds air traffic controllers and blames rivals for economy in interview
President put forth his vision of ‘Trump Care’ for health and insisted ‘we have the greatest economy we ever had’
Gabrielle Canon
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/10/donald-trump-interview-laura-ingraham-economy

Fasching starts in Germany
Veteran's Day (US)
Armistice Day

2025.11.10

Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald 50 years later
Plus: Podcast explores Fitzgerald’s legacy; how to watch commemoration ceremony; and more.
by Holly Marie Moore
https://www.minnpost.com/glean/2025/11/remembering-the-edmund-fitzgerald-50-years-later/

Dems cave
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/10/trump-administration-news-updates-today

Trump pardons Giuliani, Meadows and others over plot to steal 2020 election
Federal clemency towards president’s close allies largely symbolic as some still face legal exposure at state level
Richard Luscombe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/10/trump-pardons-giuliani-meadows-2020-election

How could Zohran Mamdani pay for his bold agenda for New York? We broke it down
A look at the realities the mayor-elect will face to pay for his progressive policies – and whose support he needs
Tom Perkins
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/11/zohran-mamdani-new-york-policies-cost-explainer

‘Most of it was the conga preset on Prince’s drum machine’: how Fine Young Cannibals made She Drives Me Crazy
‘Prince’s Purple Rain guitar was in the corner of the studio and his lava lamps were everywhere. You couldn’t help but be inspired’
Dave Simpson
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/nov/10/how-fine-young-cannibals-made-she-drives-me-crazy-prince

Why do people love spicy food – even when it hurts to eat it?
Tearing up, sweating and other bodily functions are all signs that the body is trying to expel spicy foods as quickly as possible. But there is a simple reason why some people enjoy those sensations
Joel Snape
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/10/why-do-people-love-spicy-food-even-when-it-hurts-to-eat-it

Coffee may protect people against irregular heartbeats, US study finds
Trial’s findings go against common beliefs that people with atrial fibrillation should avoid caffeinated coffee
Ramon Antonio Vargas
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/10/coffee-irregular-heartbeat-protection-study

‘I enter a room and people say: “God just walked in”’: Morgan Freeman on voicing the divine, meeting Mandela – and his six decades on screen
‘I’m like any other actor’ … Morgan Freeman.
The 88-year-old actor has appeared in more than 100 films, playing everyone from presidents to prisoners. Here, he reflects on AI’s ‘robbing’ of his voice, not believing in Black History Month – and why he’s nowhere near retirement
David Smith
https://www.theguardian.com/film/ng-interactive/2025/nov/10/morgan-freeman-interview-nelson-mandela-six-decades-on-screen

My search for the perfect steak frites in Paris, the staple of French brasserie cuisine
It’s on every prix fixe menu in France, but which restaurant serves up the best incarnation in the capital? I stomped and chomped my way across the city to find out
Ben Aitken
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/nov/10/perfect-steak-frites-paris-french-brasserie

Eight winter clothing essentials Scandinavians swear by – from heated socks to ‘allværsjakke’
Brace for the cold with these clever accessories made and tested by people who know long, dark winters
Jonna Dagliden Hunt
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2025/nov/09/winter-clothing-essentials-cold-weather-protection-scandinavian

2025.11.03

Retired Australian teacher discovers the oldest fossil of its kind in southern hemisphere – and a new species
Robert Beattie, 82, has found specimens of a 151m-year-old midge that challenge what we know about how the insects evolved
Donna Lu
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/nov/09/retired-australian-teacher-discovers-new-fossil-species-oldest-in-southern-hemisphere

Review
All Her Fault review – Sarah Snook’s terrifying thriller is an absolute pleasure to watch
This extraordinarily tight child kidnap drama knits all its threads together brilliantly – and the mighty Snook of Succession fame shines as a mother whose son is missing
Lucy Mangan
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/07/all-her-fault-review-sarah-snook-andrea-mara

Continental thrift: five of the best cities in Europe for vintage shopping
From flea markets in Berlin to thrift stores in Athens, a vintage shopping veteran picks her favourite places to shop for preloved bargains and unique souvenirs
Sarah Rodrigues
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/nov/09/continental-thrift-five-of-the-best-cities-in-europe-for-vintage-shopping

The best Advent calendars in the US: 19 unique picks for a delightful Christmas countdown
From wine to whisky, beauty treats to candy surprises, these are our favorite Advent calendars to make the holidays merry and bright
Bernadette Machard de Gramont
https://www.theguardian.com/thefilter-us/2025/nov/08/best-advent-calendars-us-christmas-gifts

2025.11.08

BBC ‘100% fake news’, says Donald Trump’s press secretary
Comments by Karoline Leavitt follow allegations that Panorama documentary misled viewers with its editing of a Trump speech
Geraldine McKelvie
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/nov/08/bbc-100-fake-news-says-donald-trumps-press-secretary

Trespasses: Gillian Anderson steals every scene in this miraculous TV heartbreaker
Lola Petticrew and Tom Cullen’s chemistry in this tale of secret passion during the Troubles will floor you. But it is Anderson as a sour, ragey alcoholic who truly mesmerises
Rhik Samadder
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/08/trespasses-gillian-anderson-steals-every-scene-in-this-miraculous-tv-heartbreaker

‘There is bounty almost everywhere’: why you’ll always find me in the flea market on my travels
Forget sightseeing, secondhand shopping is now a major draw for tourists. A seasoned bargain-hunter shares her tips on picking up the best vintage finds when travelling abroad
Sarah Rodrigues
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/nov/08/flea-market-vintage-thrift-souvenir-shopping

2025.11.07

“Books written or translated into Hmong are relatively rare,” MPR News writes, but one initiative is helping writers self-publish books in the language. “This weekend, Untamed Roots Collective is launching self-published books in Hmong from more than a dozen authors.” Via MinnPost
https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2025/11/06/new-twin-citiesbased-initiative-helps-authors-selfpublish-books-in-hmong

Review
Pluribus review – the audacity of the Breaking Bad creator’s new TV show is incredible
It takes some chutzpah to make television like this. Better Call Saul star Rhea Seehorn is the only US citizen immune from an alien virus that makes everyone in the world supremely happy – and it’s a bleak, blackly comic watch
Lucy Mangan
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/07/pluribus-review-breaking-bad-creators-tv-show-apple-tv

Interview
‘I was the only out queer guy in rock’: Faith No More’s Roddy Bottum
Stevie Chick
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/nov/07/faith-no-more-roddy-bottum-queer-memoir-interview

‘If there’s a free alternative, I’ll eat healthily’: how Sweden devised brilliant school meals
A pilot scheme where students eat nutritious breakfasts using donated surplus food builds on the ‘folkhem’ welfare model to boost health and sustainability
By Jonna Dagliden Hunt
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/07/if-theres-a-free-alternative-ill-eat-healthily-how-sweden-devised-brilliant-school-meals

Beans, beans, the magical fruit: how healthy are they really?
Research shows beans are good for the body and for the planet. Here’s what to know about getting more in your diet
Adrienne Matei
https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2025/nov/06/beans-healthy-food

‘Fabulous 50s dresses and even a kilt’: readers’ favourite vintage shops and markets in Europe
Our tipsters rummage through thrift stores and markets from Budapest to Bologna
Guardian readers
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/nov/07/readers-favourite-vintage-shops-flea-markets-europe

Entry tags:

health,
neurologist

neurologist

I had my twice-a-year appointment with the neurologist. All the low-tech neurology stuff was fine, with little change from the previous exam. We are reducing my dose of gabapentin, which we talked about last time, and I told him I want to give that a try.

2025.11.06

Interview
‘I’m so not scary. But my features can be’: Fiona Shaw on Austen, Andor and Harry Potter
As told to Amy Fleming
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/06/im-so-not-scary-but-my-features-can-be-fiona-shaw-on-austen-andor-and-harry-potter

The food stamp fight signals an era of unprecedented cruelty in America
Katrina vanden Heuvel
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/06/food-stamp-cuts-snap-benefits

Interview
‘Sinners was a blast’: Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram, the blues prodigy serving up electrifying riffs in the year’s biggest film
Garth Cartwright
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/nov/06/christone-kingfish-ingram-interview-sinners

Review
The Choral review – Ralph Fiennes leads the choir in impressively unsentimental Alan Bennett fable
Genteel manners of first world war story about repressed passion delivered with surprising sexual candour
Peter Bradshaw
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/06/the-choral-review-alan-bennett-ralph-fiennes

Review
Death by Lightning review – absolutely nobody plays losers like Matthew Macfadyen
The Succession actor is utterly brilliant in every moment of this punchy historical miniseries. His portrayal of the crank who killed the US president in 1881 takes his mastery to the next level
Jack Seale
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/nov/06/death-by-lightning-review-matthew-macfadyen-netflix