Jess
@jessicaesquire.bsky.social
Queer, ex-Mormon, former lawyer, book reviewer, extremely online. Day job in media. She/her. The Triangle, NC. https://jess-of-the-durbervilles.ghost.io/
And to think I've always said no one famous has my birthday.
December 6, 2025 at 6:16 PM
And to think I've always said no one famous has my birthday.
Hilariously I asked my mom about anything I needed to know before making it and she gave me nothing. But in the last 16 hours she's given me at least 5 separate notes that are different from the recipe as written. 🫠
An exciting evening over here. Kid and partner are baking Pulla (my Danish grandmother's cardamom bread) for the first time and the dough was very wrong. After calling my mom realized the recipe she gave us has 3x the amount of milk you're supposed to use. Starting over!
December 6, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Hilariously I asked my mom about anything I needed to know before making it and she gave me nothing. But in the last 16 hours she's given me at least 5 separate notes that are different from the recipe as written. 🫠
An exciting evening over here. Kid and partner are baking Pulla (my Danish grandmother's cardamom bread) for the first time and the dough was very wrong. After calling my mom realized the recipe she gave us has 3x the amount of milk you're supposed to use. Starting over!
December 6, 2025 at 1:20 AM
An exciting evening over here. Kid and partner are baking Pulla (my Danish grandmother's cardamom bread) for the first time and the dough was very wrong. After calling my mom realized the recipe she gave us has 3x the amount of milk you're supposed to use. Starting over!
Theater kids, it's time to get to the movie theater.
"You might’ve noticed that the verb tenses in this review are all over the place. That’s because it’s tricky to describe the architecture of a film that runs in the opposite direction from most." www.rogerebert.com/reviews/merr...
Merrily We Roll Along movie review (2025) | Roger Ebert
Magic happens.
www.rogerebert.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Theater kids, it's time to get to the movie theater.
The worst thing possible has happened: my New York Public Library card has expired and I no longer have a New York-based job to renew it with. This is DEVASTATING.
December 4, 2025 at 5:50 PM
The worst thing possible has happened: my New York Public Library card has expired and I no longer have a New York-based job to renew it with. This is DEVASTATING.
The whole first half of this was just oh no too real. I turn 46 on Saturday 🫠
Elder millennials have gotten away with seeming young for a long time, but research shows that aging catches up with us at distinct moments — the first comes at 44.
Falling Off the Aging Cliff at 44
Elder millennials have gotten away with seeming young for a long time, but research shows that aging catches up with us at distinct moments — the first comes at 44.
www.thecut.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:53 PM
The whole first half of this was just oh no too real. I turn 46 on Saturday 🫠
Look, that the deputy director of the FBI has been a big believer and promoter of conspiracy theories about this case coming from the far right has me feeling more than a little concerned about this.
BREAKING: The FBI makes an arrest in the investigation into pipe bombs placed in D.C. on the eve of the Jan. 6 riot, an AP source says.
FBI makes arrest in investigation into pipe bombs placed in DC on eve of Jan. 6 riot, AP source says
The FBI has made an arrest in its nearly 5-year-old investigation into who placed pipe bombs in Washington before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
bit.ly
December 4, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Look, that the deputy director of the FBI has been a big believer and promoter of conspiracy theories about this case coming from the far right has me feeling more than a little concerned about this.
Every single time I watch Mad Men I don't give Bert Cooper much thought until that last episode where he does a song and dance number and then I wonder how I spent all this time not recognizing J. Pierpont Finch.
December 3, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Every single time I watch Mad Men I don't give Bert Cooper much thought until that last episode where he does a song and dance number and then I wonder how I spent all this time not recognizing J. Pierpont Finch.
This is right on, this is a crisis for everyone but it's framed as a male crisis because "women are culturally conditioned to accept and adjust to disempowerment (just another day), while men are culturally conditioned to resent and reject it."
okay here ya go, i wrote about male crisis discourse, kind of buttondown.com/abbycartus/a...
Consumer confidence
The other night, I was doing my weekly grocery shopping when I beheld an incredible scene. (I shop at a remote suburban store, as I told my therapist,...
buttondown.com
December 2, 2025 at 8:05 PM
This is right on, this is a crisis for everyone but it's framed as a male crisis because "women are culturally conditioned to accept and adjust to disempowerment (just another day), while men are culturally conditioned to resent and reject it."
If you're in NC and you don't have a passport to use instead, you'd better set an appointment to get your driver's license renewed as a REAL ID yesterday because you'll be lucky to find a slot before the deadline.
U.S. air travelers without a REAL ID will be charged a $45 fee beginning in February, the TSA announces
US air travelers without REAL IDs will be charged a $45 fee
The Transportation Security Administration has announced that U.S. air travelers without a REAL ID will face a $45 fee starting in February.
apnews.com
December 1, 2025 at 9:51 PM
If you're in NC and you don't have a passport to use instead, you'd better set an appointment to get your driver's license renewed as a REAL ID yesterday because you'll be lucky to find a slot before the deadline.
Reposted by Jess
every trans person i see post about the OU suspension knows that the suspended target is trans & a grad student, & has an innate awareness that this is about purging trans employees. every cis person i see thinks the target is a rando professor & that this is about giving conservatives good grades
December 1, 2025 at 12:04 AM
every trans person i see post about the OU suspension knows that the suspended target is trans & a grad student, & has an innate awareness that this is about purging trans employees. every cis person i see thinks the target is a rando professor & that this is about giving conservatives good grades
For years I've read books and watched movies and shows that attempt to critique true crime and the way we engage with it, and I've been so regularly annoyed and disappointed by them. But yesterday I finally watched RED ROOMS and fuck me, there it finally is. Someone got it.
November 30, 2025 at 10:22 PM
For years I've read books and watched movies and shows that attempt to critique true crime and the way we engage with it, and I've been so regularly annoyed and disappointed by them. But yesterday I finally watched RED ROOMS and fuck me, there it finally is. Someone got it.
In anticipation of ICE returning to the Triangle, local groups are activating to get groceries to those who feel unsafe. Info on drop-off spots here: www.instagram.com/p/DRpYY0dkV3...
Triangle Mutual Aid on Instagram: "🥕 Sat Nov 29 Update Drop Off Locations:
Triangle Mutual Aid is organizing a food and supply drive with partner organizations to support community members being targe...
250 likes, 3 comments - triangle.mutual.aid on November 29, 2025: "🥕 Sat Nov 29 Update Drop Off Locations:
Triangle Mutual Aid is organizing a food and supply drive with partner organizations to suppo...
www.instagram.com
November 30, 2025 at 5:57 PM
In anticipation of ICE returning to the Triangle, local groups are activating to get groceries to those who feel unsafe. Info on drop-off spots here: www.instagram.com/p/DRpYY0dkV3...
Reposted by Jess
Multiple sources have confirmed that ICE/Border Patrol is headed back to the Raleigh and Durham areas for undefined deportation actions. We've heard 50 ICE agents, charter flights and hotels booked for all of them in the Raleigh area.
Let us know what you hear.
Let us know what you hear.
November 29, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Multiple sources have confirmed that ICE/Border Patrol is headed back to the Raleigh and Durham areas for undefined deportation actions. We've heard 50 ICE agents, charter flights and hotels booked for all of them in the Raleigh area.
Let us know what you hear.
Let us know what you hear.
Last year I bought a very expensive skincare thing and I ran out of my second bottle a month ago but didn't replace it. And I deeply regret to inform you that my skin already looks worse! I honestly didn't think it was working, I just assumed I was naturally that lively and dewy! Tragedy!
November 29, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Last year I bought a very expensive skincare thing and I ran out of my second bottle a month ago but didn't replace it. And I deeply regret to inform you that my skin already looks worse! I honestly didn't think it was working, I just assumed I was naturally that lively and dewy! Tragedy!
The thing I find myself evangelizing most often is the Paprika recipe app, which by itself is so useful it was worth buying an iPad for the kitchen so I could use it more. It's on sale for Black Friday! www.paprikaapp.com
Paprika Recipe Manager for iOS, Mac, Android, and Windows
www.paprikaapp.com
November 28, 2025 at 6:27 PM
The thing I find myself evangelizing most often is the Paprika recipe app, which by itself is so useful it was worth buying an iPad for the kitchen so I could use it more. It's on sale for Black Friday! www.paprikaapp.com
Watching this live made my morning
November 28, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Watching this live made my morning
You won't believe it. My kid's bike was stolen. And my renter's insurance approved my claim and paid out. I know this is how it's supposed to work but nothing works like it's supposed to anymore, it feels like a miracle.
November 26, 2025 at 2:17 AM
You won't believe it. My kid's bike was stolen. And my renter's insurance approved my claim and paid out. I know this is how it's supposed to work but nothing works like it's supposed to anymore, it feels like a miracle.
I swear to god none of this would be happening if it weren't so sycophantic. If it was kind of an asshole then no one would be saying this. And there would be a hell of a lot less psychosis, too.
November 25, 2025 at 9:07 PM
I swear to god none of this would be happening if it weren't so sycophantic. If it was kind of an asshole then no one would be saying this. And there would be a hell of a lot less psychosis, too.
All the economic news now feels like I'm watching the beginning of a documentary that's about to spend 90 minutes explaining why these people are so wrong and how much damage they ended up doing.
Dude who just got the SV Bank bailout two years ago is back banging the cup. It’s a tell.
November 24, 2025 at 11:41 PM
All the economic news now feels like I'm watching the beginning of a documentary that's about to spend 90 minutes explaining why these people are so wrong and how much damage they ended up doing.
If I want to get my kid a typewriter for Christmas but I don't have a big budget, what's my best bet? She has asked for YEARS and she's a good enough writer that I can no longer say no in good conscience. Something she can actually use, but also she cares deeply about aesthetics. Is this possible?
November 24, 2025 at 12:50 AM
If I want to get my kid a typewriter for Christmas but I don't have a big budget, what's my best bet? She has asked for YEARS and she's a good enough writer that I can no longer say no in good conscience. Something she can actually use, but also she cares deeply about aesthetics. Is this possible?
I don't have my kids on Thanksgiving and I'm always uncomfortable when I try to force the holiday at other people's gatherings. So I stay home, buy myself an entire pumpkin pie, make my first gumbo of the year, and try to enjoy a few days where I don't worry about anyone else.
Actually in the spirit of this conversation, what’s a decision you made about a past Thanksgiving holiday that really paid off? I think people often feel trapped by their lives. Sharing our experiences can liberate us from that sense of claustrophobia.
On the most recent episode of VIBE CHECK, we answer listener questions about Thanksgiving, most importantly “do you go celebrate with the family members you don’t even like?”
November 23, 2025 at 7:08 PM
I don't have my kids on Thanksgiving and I'm always uncomfortable when I try to force the holiday at other people's gatherings. So I stay home, buy myself an entire pumpkin pie, make my first gumbo of the year, and try to enjoy a few days where I don't worry about anyone else.
I started a blog. 🤷🏼♀️
November 22, 2025 at 9:58 PM
I started a blog. 🤷🏼♀️
Such a great example this week of how local organizations can make a difference. All kinds of small groups and regular people worked together in NC, networks are growing and expanding and it's wonderful to see.
November 22, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Such a great example this week of how local organizations can make a difference. All kinds of small groups and regular people worked together in NC, networks are growing and expanding and it's wonderful to see.
The bubble will hold for too long because too many big players are involved and no one is blinking. Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft have gone all in on ai. The market needs it to succeed at an unprecedented level. No one has found a way out that doesn't plunge us into a huge recession.
NVIDIA earnings were a mirage. The market figured it out surprisingly fast. NVIDIA bump evaporated.
I don’t know how this information can enter the system without exploding the bubble.
But sometimes bezzles visible for months before crash.
Waiting for the feds?
open.substack.com/pub/shanakaa...
I don’t know how this information can enter the system without exploding the bubble.
But sometimes bezzles visible for months before crash.
Waiting for the feds?
open.substack.com/pub/shanakaa...
November 22, 2025 at 2:22 PM
The bubble will hold for too long because too many big players are involved and no one is blinking. Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft have gone all in on ai. The market needs it to succeed at an unprecedented level. No one has found a way out that doesn't plunge us into a huge recession.