@slcool
As the world goes mad, I keep myself sane by reading, hiking and doing the best I can. I respect science, journalism, and the pursuit of knowledge, truth and justice. Born in NY🗽🇺🇸 Live & work in HK 🧧🇭🇰 Happily married 💕 💙💙💙 No DMs unless you know me 🙏🏼
www.hk.artsfestival.org/en/programme...
Amazing dance theater performance of Sophocles’ Antigone at the 54th Hong Kong Arts Festival.
Addressing themes of justice, resistance, violence against women, and political power and hubris, the story is still highly relevant in our fractured world today.
Hong Kong Literary Festival 2026 Amitav Ghosh: Ghost-Eye Date: 5 March, 2026 Time: 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Venue: Central Library
Attended an interview with Amitav Ghosh organized by the Hong Kong Literary Festival this evening.
He covered a range of themes, including past lives memories, opium’s influence on world history, the evils of capitalism, and the “great derangement”.
Look forward to reading “Ghost-Eye”
#BookSky 📚
Smoke and Ashes: Opium’s Hidden Histories by Amitav Ghosh
This is the amazing story behind the Ibis Trilogy, and the main character is a history-altering plant: Opium.
Ghosh traces the effects of the opium trade on Britain, India and China, and draws parallels between the Opium Wars in 19C China and the opioid epidemic in America today. 🌺
#BookSky 📚
This is a great resource. Thanks!
open.substack.com/pub/borowitz...
“if this Committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein’s trafficking crimes, it would… ask [our current president] directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files.”
Here is my opening statement to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today.
Just saw this. Thanks 🙏🏼
The U.S. men's hockey team must apologize to the U.S. women's hockey team and show solidarity by refusing to attend Trump's State of the Union address! sign.moveon.org/petitions/ho...
What a shame.
Congratulations to the U.S. Men’s and Women’s hockey teams, Alysa Liu, Breezy Johnson, Mikaela Shiffrin and all the amazing Olympic athletes representing Team USA.
Historians Confirm: Tomorrow Won’t Be Better Than Today www.nytimes.com/2026/02/22/o...
I’m interested in Ian Buruma’s forthcoming book, “Stay Alive: Berlin, 1939-1945”
Seems relevant.
NIGHTS OF BLUE SKIES
(🎶)
DAY 21 FEBRUARY 2026
TODAY HONOR JOHN LEWIS
It would've have been his 86th BIRTHDAY
This amazing icon & legend. Civil Rights & Voting Rights
He served in the House for 30 years.
Bloody Sunday Leader
Champion of GOOD TROUBLE
Medal of Freedom Recipient
My HERO 🙏
Rev. Jesse Jackson's "I *am* somebody..." remains one of the all-time great pieces of 20th century rhetoric / agitprop
And he could deliver it at a Black separatist meeting, the Democratic National Convention, or on god-blessed Sesame Street (see below 🥹)
RIP to the Voice of the Voiceless
substack.com/@psychopete1...
I found this guide very helpful. Not too many surprises. The biggest ones for me?
❌The New Yorker (Conde Nast)
❌Etsy
Do we punish the journalists and sellers? 🤔
The most difficult to give up?
❌Apple (I have an iPhone)
❌WhatsApp (I use it a lot)
❌Starbucks (I ❤️ ☕️ ) 😬
3/ Day 8: W-Z
Witt, Emily. American journalist; Staff Writer at at he New Yorker
On the ground in Minneapolis with photographer Philip Cheung
A Minneapolis Winter Like No Other www.newyorker.com/culture/phot...
2/ Day 8: W-Z
Walsh, Joe. American politician, talk radio host and former Republican presidential candidate and Congressman; Host of The Social Contract on Substack
Registered as a Democrat in 2025. Thank you, Joe! 💙🗽💙 ⚖️ 💙
open.substack.com/pub/socialco...
Defending Democracy A-Z: Writers who keep us well-informed and sane
Round 2
Day 8: W-Z
Wallace-Wells, David. American journalist known for his writings on climate change and technology; NYTimes contributor; author of “The Uninhabitable Earth”
🌏
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/o...
Defending Democracy A-Z: Writers who keep us well-informed and sane
Round 2
Day 7: S-V
Stanley, Jason. Professor, philosopher and writer; Author of “How Fascism Works” and “Erasing History: How Fascists Re-write the Pastvto Control the Future”
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
3/ Day 6: P-R
Rhodes, Ben. NYTimes Opinion writer; Publisher of Notes on The Stories We Tell on Substack; Author of the forthcoming “All We Say: The Battle for American Identity”
Here, writing about how the war on terror has become a war against ourselves
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/o...
2/ Day 6: P-R
Pepper, David. Writer, democracy activist, former elected official, and former chair of the Ohio Democratic Party; Author of “Saving Democracy”; Publisher of Pepperspectives on Substack
Here, fighting for public schools in the state of Ohio
open.substack.com/pub/davidpep...
Defending Democracy A-Z: Writers who keep us well-informed and sane
Round 2
Day 6: P-R
Passi, Bob. Journalist and writer; publisher of Perspectives on Substack; author of “Saving Democracy: From the Warnings of 2016 to the Urgency of 2025”
Power to the People
open.substack.com/pub/bobpassi...
Black History Month is a time to recognize the lived, shared experience of all Black folks who have fundamentally shaped, challenged, and ultimately strengthened America. It’s about taking an unvarnished look at the past so that we can create a better future.
3/ Day 5: M-O
Nwanevu, Osita. US Columnist at The Guardian; Author of “The Right of the People”
His latest piece on the Trump administration’s assaults on liberty and human rights
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
2/ Day 5: M-O
Mersault. Pen name of the author of Open Letters of Mersault on Substack (a reference to Patrice Mersault, the protagonist of “A Happy Death” by Albert Camus)
Here, questioning why we so often ask of the victims: Were they innocent enough to matter?
open.substack.com/pub/patricem...
Defending Democracy A-Z: Writers who keep us well-informed and sane
Round 2
Day 5: M-O
Mahdawi, Arwa. Op-Ed Columnist at The Guardian; author of “Strong Female Lead”
Shedding light on how the SAVE act will disenfranchise women and minorities.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The Storm Before the Storm by Mike Duncan
I listened to The Storm Before the Storm by Mike Duncan as an audiobook while reading the ebook.
Duncan chronicles the years 146-78 BC of the Roman Empire, a time of turmoil I knew little about before.
Now listening to The History of Rome, the author’s podcast. Very engaging.
#BookSky 📚
Trump’s Stifling of Dissent Reaches a New Level www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Thank you, NYTimes, for continuing to monitor America’s slide toward Autocracy, although the estimates on some measures seem low to me.
The pot of water is heating up. 🐸
Day 4: J-L
Lizza, Ryan. American journalist; Publisher of Telos on Substack
Here, writing about the implications of Alex Pretti’s murder.
open.substack.com/pub/telos/p/...
