This is not a nostalgic piece about the good old days when Jeff Epstein was king — it’s a piece about how deeply institutional moral rot can spread in elite circles. And the headline all but ensures that most people won’t read it or will read it from a combative posture. Why would you do this?

I honestly don’t understand how Times headlines got like this. They’ll headline straightforward news stories in the most arch, tiptoey fashion possible, then give a really nuanced piece a misleadingly blunt headline seemingly designed to piss people off on social.

No creature of that size in the entire animal kingdom has a more unmistakable “I am not afraid of you and I will beat your ass” vibe.

Strokes also get a lot of credit for general lack of defensiveness about being rich kids who became rock stars almost instantly after starting a band. No fake hardship stories/“nobody believed in us”/etc. They seem aware that things came together pretty easily for them.

I wrote an entire novella in the “reasons for cancelling” box. It was really satisfying.

Honestly the most innocent way for kids to drive grown-ups insane that I can remember. I’m all for it, even if it makes no sense to me whatsoever.

I once worked at a paper where the new EIC only wanted big-name “rock star” hires that she could make a big deal about in press releases. Meanwhile, two of the twentysomething staffers who left during her early reign went on to win Pulitzers at their next jobs.

I respect Bernard Shaws hatred of apostrophes. If youre gonna take out a whole letter, why put another character in that space? Whatre you gaining?

Resign.

Andrew is the preference, but among friends I’ve accepted Drew and many variations thereof (Drewski, Drewsef). When I lived in Italy I was sometimes Andrea, and that was ok. But if you persist in calling my Andy after I’ve asked you not to, I’ll assume we’re not friends. Because that’s not my name.