In the New Yorker...

[serious crayons]

That said, several other articles in this issue look good. I'm reading the Nicholas Lehman one now. another NYer writer I'm likely to check out for the byline alone. The subject is how Democrats in red states relate to working-class voters.

David Remnick writes about Bob Dylan. I've come to actually dislike David Remnick, I get these vibes from him that he considers himself better and wiser and radiating more gravitas than anyone else. He reported out of Russia for years, so his views on Russian issues are certainly valuable, but he isn't any more equipped than other writers -- far less than some, I would say -- to write about popular culture. Still, I'm not going to completely skip an article about Bob Dylan, so I'll report back later whether Remnick is annoying this time or not.

I reached peak annoyance with DR when I saw an interview in which he and Jonathan Franzen talked about David Foster Wallace. Franzen, not exactly known for humility himself, came off fine, empathetic and appreciative of his deceased friend. At one point he noted that DFW had never published an essay in the New Yorker -- or maybe fiction, either; I seem to remember short stories of his but they could have run in Harper's, which I subscribed to in the 1990s.

"Not for lack of trying!" Remnick hastens to assert, making sure to note that the publication he edits is far too high quality and superior and exclusive to publish the work of one of the most skilled and celebrated writers of the late 20th/early 21st centuries.

Remnick, maybe you need to check out the quality of those Shouts & Murmors. 

And while I'm ranting, has anyone ever tried their new back-page crossword puzzle? I don't do crossword puzzles (my word games are Wordle and arguing with people on Facebook) so I'm not particularly good at them but I did half of the last issue's in pen, just like 1, 2, 3 in about five minutes. I stopped without finishing not because I was stumped but because it was so easy it was boring.

Here's a sample crossword hint from the latest issue: 5-letter word for "it's liquid and it moves between banks." I don't think it's a trick question. I suppose it could be some kind of investment -- the other kinds of "liquid" and "banks" -- but I think it's exactly what your very first thought would be.

[Front-Ranger]

...
"Not for lack of trying!" Remnick hastens to assert, making sure to note that the publication he edits is far too high quality and superior and exclusive to publish the work of one of the most skilled and celebrated writers of the late 20th/early 21st centuries.

I missed that. That would annoy me too!

...has anyone ever tried their new back-page crossword puzzle?

As I recall, there's a subhead underneath the title that says something like "a moderately difficult puzzle." I only do the moderate ones. The easy ones are, as you say, boring, and the difficult ones are too hard for me; they can take days.

[Jeff Wrangler]

As typical, I've fallen three issues behind. However, I think I need to jump ahead and read the Nov. 7 article about the Pennsylvania election. I won't learn anything I don't already know, but I feel I need to read it anyway.

The Republican candidate for governor has rather gleefully stated that as governor he would have the authority to decertify "any or all" voting machines in Pennsylvania. I'm sure in practice that would mean Philadelphia, which is heavily Democratic, so my personal vote is in danger.

Anyone who reads this will certainly see the danger we are in here if the Republican candidate wins.

(Or course, if he loses, he'll just claim the election was stolen. And I ain't jokin'.)

[serious crayons]

As typical, I've fallen three issues behind. However, I think I need to jump ahead and read the Nov. 7 article about the Pennsylvania election. I won't learn anything I don't already know, but I feel I need to read it anyway.

The Republican candidate for governor has rather gleefully stated that as governor he would have the authority to decertify "any or all" voting machines in Pennsylvania. I'm sure in practice that would mean Philadelphia, which is heavily Democratic, so my personal vote is in danger.

Anyone who reads this will certainly see the danger we are in here if the Republican candidate wins.

(Or course, if he loses, he'll just claim the election was stolen. And I ain't jokin'.)

Yes, Pennsylvania seems particularly intense this election cycle! I know you ain't jokin'. And no longer does it seem, like, well that's Pennsylvania's problem, it won't affect me in Minnesota. Minnesota is relatively blue. But because the states can determine who gets into Congress and their legislatures can write laws limiting voting, it all seem intertwined now.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Yes, Pennsylvania seems particularly intense this election cycle! I know you ain't jokin'. And no longer does it seem, like, well that's Pennsylvania's problem, it won't affect me in Minnesota. Minnesota is relatively blue. But because the states can determine who gets into Congress and their legislatures can write laws limiting voting, it all seem intertwined now.

He also thinks My Body-My Choice is "ridiculous nonsense," gay marriage should "absolutely not" be legal, and Global Warming is "fake science."

[Front-Ranger]

If you had described the current situation to me 10 years ago, I would have thought you were nuts!! How did we get here? I can only think we are witnessing the dying throes of the dinosaurs.

[serious crayons]

If you had described the current situation to me 10 years ago, I would have thought you were nuts!! How did we get here? I can only think we are witnessing the dying throes of the dinosaurs.

I know! I thought things were bad enough when the disagreement was over universal health care or something -- to me, an obvious good, but there's certainly room for the opposite opinion. Back in those golden days, most conflicts involved opinions. Now there's conflict over facts, including many for which the truth is easily determined. I say this all the time, I know. But I can't stop being baffled by it.

[Front-Ranger]

Whew! The midterms are over, thankfully (except for Georgia).

Have we developed a few personality tics during this chaotic time? Daily Shouts addresses this theme. Moderately amusing.

[serious crayons]

I'd have to plead guilty to a few of those! 

As for the midterms, they went amazingly well. The most despicable candidates lost, with the possible exception of Herschel Walker, but my guess (and it's only a guess) is that voters in GA, not wanting to appear the stupidest voters in the country, will reject him.

On the other hand, maybe they'll feel that at least one Trump-backed candidate has to have a big victory! That's not entirely bad either if, as seems possible, the Republican party gets hopelessly divided between the pro- and anti-Trumps. I think a lot of intelligent politicians are backing away from Trump, but there'll still be a "base" full of people who won't want to admit they've been wrong for the past six years.

[Front-Ranger]

Funny "Daily Shout" today--the cranberry sauce talks back!

https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/the-cranberry-sauce-has-something-to-say