A box of takeout steamed carrots, broccoli and snap peas at the local grocery store has a large label on it saying “plant-based.” This is annoying because a carrot isn’t “plant-based.” It’s a plant. And the expression “plant-based” reminds one of the horrible fake meat branded as “plant-based steak.”

It’s as if real food needed to gain legitimacy by pretending to be fake.

Buzzfeed fired all its writers and will use AI instead. Immediately, people started asking, “But did anybody even know the names of these “content creators “? Did they stand out in any way?” The answer is of course not, and yes, the stuff they wrote can easily be reproduced by AI.

Here’s the thing, though. This is an economic model, the neoliberal model, where you need to stand out, make a name for yourself, be different, be special – and a lot of economic benefit will accrue. But if you can’t, then go talk to the Buzzfeed content creators.

It’s not possible for everybody to stand out. By definition, “special”, “unique” and “different” is for a small minority. Is it surprising, then, that people chop off their body parts, cultivate lists of imaginary disorders, affect exceptional sensitivity, and compile lists of identity grievances? People are trying to generate a competitive advantage while removing from the competition those who prove to be less sensitive (read special).

What can humans do that machines never will? Feel, obviously. So we see these “devastated victims of horrific abuses” pose on social media. They are simply trying to show off their only marketable skill.

Yes, but it’s more than that. People themselves increasingly can only feel like they are thriving in a disembodied digital medium. The reality of their own bodies, of other people, of material circumstances of life are too complicated, scary and fraught. They declare war on their bodies, on social formations and on materiality because these are too hard to handle. Painful, grating, traumatic.

Today was the first time Klara was called weird for her love of reading. They had a year-long reading competition at school, which Klara obviously won, taking home every possible prize, including a bunch of gift cards. Of course, another kid expressed displeasure and told her she was weird. Thus begins a long journey towards acceptance on the part of a voracious reader.

Of course, what really matters is self-acceptance. I struggled for years with accepting myself as a reader because my mother hated my reading and taught me to be ashamed of it. Klara won’t have that burden.

Douglas Murray gave an absolutely outstanding talk that shines both in content and delivery. Here it is:

What a joy it is to hear him speak!

The future leadership of Europe lies in Eastern Europe. And that’s a good thing.

I’m telling you, friends, the world order is shifting, and it’s a very positive development.

The campus is empty, and I’m stuck sitting 20 feet away from my secretary in complete silence all day. Normally, there are people around to talk to her and give her some sociability but now it’s all on me, and I don’t like it.

I decided to go to the library to write instead. There are people there but they don’t expect me to offer small talk and don’t exist in a state of constant fear that I’ll notice them browsing social media when I pass by them on my way to the bathroom.

The absolute barking lunacy of “primary and secondary border fences” when this could all become civilized within hours by moving the processing of immigration claims out of the country and into embassies and consulates.

This is the easiest problem to solve but nobody – not Trump, not anybody else – ever tried to solve it. Please remember that.

It’s not looking good:

It’s been like this for months. And that’s with Democrats in the WH, when one would expect a pendulum swing.

I wrote a whopping 1,400 words of my Ukrainian book today, which is an unbelievable number for me. But the process was made easy by two factors:

1. I had to attend a 2,5 meeting, and there was nothing else to do there but write.

2. I was writing a paragraph on the cartoon Bluey being criticized for not having any queer, gender-fluid, disabled puppies or puppies of color, and “gender-fluid puppies” sounds so funny in Ukrainian that I was inspired to keep writing.

I have no idea how the publishing market works in Ukraine and whether I’ll be able to publish the book but I’m writing what I always wanted to say in what feels like a secret language, and this is very therapeutic.