Late Night Hot Takes

2025 came in hotttt

I have no idea what this year will bring but boy did it come in swinging.

I have a lot of hopes and plans for the year but a big part of me will be on alert, ready to swing, dive, or run away screaming as needed. As I ate my black eyed peas for breakfast I was less reflective than usual this mornign. No one loves to self reflect more than me but this morning I hopped out of bed ready to get to work. I was active and productive for hours before I even realized it and I am hoping that’s a sign of the year to come.

We may not be able to control what is happening in the larger world, and what is about to happen in this and many countries will not be good, we can’t even really control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to it, and how we choose to live each day of our lives. This year, I’m just hoping to survive to the end and maybe be a little better off than I was in the beginning. With a perfected mac n cheese recipe. And knowing how to nicely ice a cake. While being several pounds lighter and having had some medium to large career successes. That’s all. No big plans.

How are you going to take on 2025?

Choose the Bear

This week on CTB I have two brilliant researchers who are leading the charge on research about us, the happy, childfree people of America. Zachary Neal and Jennifer Watling Neal were so informative and interesting in this episode, and I really think their research will help us achieve real policy wins for childfree adults. It’s a great conversation! Available wherever you get your pods, here are the links for Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

What to do with yourself in this last half week of freedom

Watch

Squid Game (Netflix)- Season 2 is out! And, you know what, it wasn’t terrible. My expectations were low and it was definitely more shmaltzy than I like my television but it’s still a really fascinating examination of human nature and they manage to explore humanity in a totally different way this season. The only bad part is THE INSANE CLIFFHANGER but at least this time we only have to wait a year for the final season.

Conclave (Peacock)- It’s the movie everyone has been talking about and now I know why. I was once shamed- SHAMED- in a college religion class for expressing incredulity that the literal voice of God was chosen by repeated democratic elections rather than a voice from the sky or a bolt of lightening or literally anything divine. I mean, how is that not complete and utter proof that this whole thing is a scam? History has shown that I was right and the inside look that this film gives you of what conclaves are like is worth a view in itself, even if it is an absolutely absurd fantasy about a Church that will never, ever, be as liberal as we wish. Also, Stanley Tucci.

The Rig (Prime)- You’re on an oil rig, there’s no way off, the power goes out, the rig next door to you explodes, and some of your crew members start acting suuuuuper possessed. Yep, that’s the nightmare scenario in this actually very good show on Prime. There’s no blood or gore but there is tension and suspense and a lot of water and really not very many hotties so watch with caution.

Listen

Sherlock Holmes Short Stories (Podcast)- This Holmes short story series is really well done, I was riveted listening while cooking up a storm over the last few days. Even though I know these stories like the back of my hand thanks to a Sherlock-obsessed mother (yes, I have been to 221 B Baker Street) I was still enthralled by the excellent storytelling.