Bill Barol
@billbarol.bsky.social
Hammertown: hammertownusa.substack.com
Podcasting about creativity at imaginationandjunk.com
HOME: Stories From L.A. archived at homestoriesla.net
Writing: The New Yorker, The New York Times, Boston Globe, Fast Company, Time, Newsweek, Boing Boing + more
Podcasting about creativity at imaginationandjunk.com
HOME: Stories From L.A. archived at homestoriesla.net
Writing: The New Yorker, The New York Times, Boston Globe, Fast Company, Time, Newsweek, Boing Boing + more
"To the extent that... " is one of the classic Dumb-Guy-Trying-To-Sound-Smart locutions.
JD Vance: "On the free speech conversation, I'm pretty sure Jimmy Kimmel was back on the air last night, and to the extent he's not back on the air it's because he's not funny and has terrible ratings. This is not a federal government problem ... the FCC commissioner made a joke on social media."
September 24, 2025 at 8:47 PM
"To the extent that... " is one of the classic Dumb-Guy-Trying-To-Sound-Smart locutions.
You should watch this. I've seen it (I have a small amount of drag with the showrunner) and it's excellent. Premieres Oct. 9 on @netflix.com. #BOOTS
youtu.be/2mjN2f5tu2s?...
youtu.be/2mjN2f5tu2s?...
BOOTS | Official Trailer | Netflix
YouTube video by Netflix
youtu.be
September 22, 2025 at 5:28 PM
You should watch this. I've seen it (I have a small amount of drag with the showrunner) and it's excellent. Premieres Oct. 9 on @netflix.com. #BOOTS
youtu.be/2mjN2f5tu2s?...
youtu.be/2mjN2f5tu2s?...
Tonight in "Are You Fucking Kidding Me With This? This Is 'Analysis'? Jesus Christ I Feel Like I'm Taking Crazy Pills":
September 15, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Tonight in "Are You Fucking Kidding Me With This? This Is 'Analysis'? Jesus Christ I Feel Like I'm Taking Crazy Pills":
The living proof of how much less fun Bluesky is than Threads is that right now Threads is awash in people having wholly unsubstantiated fun with rumors that Trump is dead while over here all we seem to want to talk about are things that are, I don't know, "real" or something.
September 1, 2025 at 1:01 AM
The living proof of how much less fun Bluesky is than Threads is that right now Threads is awash in people having wholly unsubstantiated fun with rumors that Trump is dead while over here all we seem to want to talk about are things that are, I don't know, "real" or something.
You hesitate to judge, but maybe mastering a thing which has two non-moving parts (treads and side rails) is a reasonable prerequisite for being allowed to operate a 200mph death machine.
Frankie Muniz of 'Malcom in the Middle' fame drops out of NASCAR race after falling off ladder
Frankie Muniz of 'Malcom in the Middle' fame drops out of NASCAR race after falling off ladder
Frankie Muniz — the 'Malcom in the Middle' star turned NASCAR driver — is off the racetrack, for now at least.
www.latimes.com
August 29, 2025 at 11:55 PM
You hesitate to judge, but maybe mastering a thing which has two non-moving parts (treads and side rails) is a reasonable prerequisite for being allowed to operate a 200mph death machine.
"What to know"? Honey, I'm pretty sure I already know what I need to know about this. #ServiceJournalism
President Trump has terminated former Vice President Kamala Harris’s Secret Service protection, according to a letter obtained by The New York Times. The end of Harris’s protection will go into effect less than a month before she embarks on a nationwide book tour. Here is what to know.
What to Know About Secret Service Protection for Former Vice Presidents
The Secret Service usually protects a former vice president for six months after they leave office.
nyti.ms
August 29, 2025 at 10:25 PM
"What to know"? Honey, I'm pretty sure I already know what I need to know about this. #ServiceJournalism
Master negotiator Jerry Jones has done it again. Just a sterling piece of strategy, flawlessly executed. Note: I am an insane person.
August 28, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Master negotiator Jerry Jones has done it again. Just a sterling piece of strategy, flawlessly executed. Note: I am an insane person.
Reposted by Bill Barol
"How to Report ICE" zine editions now available for free printable download:
NYC
Philly
Durham, NC
Pittsburgh, PA
All of Massachusetts
Northern California from Humboldt to Monterey Counties!
More to come! Please share widely.
drive.google.com/drive/folder...
NYC
Philly
Durham, NC
Pittsburgh, PA
All of Massachusetts
Northern California from Humboldt to Monterey Counties!
More to come! Please share widely.
drive.google.com/drive/folder...
August 18, 2025 at 6:43 PM
"How to Report ICE" zine editions now available for free printable download:
NYC
Philly
Durham, NC
Pittsburgh, PA
All of Massachusetts
Northern California from Humboldt to Monterey Counties!
More to come! Please share widely.
drive.google.com/drive/folder...
NYC
Philly
Durham, NC
Pittsburgh, PA
All of Massachusetts
Northern California from Humboldt to Monterey Counties!
More to come! Please share widely.
drive.google.com/drive/folder...
DT phone home.
Trump said he would speak to Putin after his meetings with European leaders today. “He is expecting my call when we’re finished with this meeting,” he said
Follow for live updates ⬇️
Follow for live updates ⬇️
Zelensky meets Trump at the White House — live
www.thetimes.com
August 18, 2025 at 6:09 PM
DT phone home.
It wasn't his final role, but in my mind Terence Stamp drew a line under a great career with "The Limey." It's one of those performances that seems to sum up everything an actor has ever learned. It was quiet and devastating and absolutely a knockout.
August 18, 2025 at 4:16 AM
It wasn't his final role, but in my mind Terence Stamp drew a line under a great career with "The Limey." It's one of those performances that seems to sum up everything an actor has ever learned. It was quiet and devastating and absolutely a knockout.
I'm not sure somebody who writes a Substack (as I do) can afford to be sniffy about people who produce podcasts (as I do).
August 17, 2025 at 4:54 PM
I'm not sure somebody who writes a Substack (as I do) can afford to be sniffy about people who produce podcasts (as I do).
TIL that it's possible to fatally betray your country's principles, allies and strategic partners in a single afternoon. But, to be fair, you do have to travel to Alaska to do it.
August 17, 2025 at 12:53 AM
TIL that it's possible to fatally betray your country's principles, allies and strategic partners in a single afternoon. But, to be fair, you do have to travel to Alaska to do it.
This was a fabulous watch, and it's nice to see a couple of hugely wealthy guys who seem like decent people who want to do something with their dough that doesn't involve ending democracy. (BTW, my wife and I ate at the old CB in its last months and didn't know how close we came to literally dying.)
¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!
YouTube video by MTV Documentary Films
youtu.be
August 15, 2025 at 10:08 PM
This was a fabulous watch, and it's nice to see a couple of hugely wealthy guys who seem like decent people who want to do something with their dough that doesn't involve ending democracy. (BTW, my wife and I ate at the old CB in its last months and didn't know how close we came to literally dying.)
Just rewatched "The Good Place," a miracle of a show, and only one of the reasons why it was miraculous is that it was BOTH a continuing examination of ethics and morals, and also the home for the most fart jokes in all of sitcom history. I'm not kidding. I admire it so very much.
August 14, 2025 at 3:26 AM
Just rewatched "The Good Place," a miracle of a show, and only one of the reasons why it was miraculous is that it was BOTH a continuing examination of ethics and morals, and also the home for the most fart jokes in all of sitcom history. I'm not kidding. I admire it so very much.
One thing I know is, when a strongman leader orders federal troops into the streets of the capital, it’s a look that screams “NOTHING TO SEE HERE. JUST A NORMAL FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY. MOVE IT ALONG (or these recently mobilized and heavily armed federal troops will apply a taser to your genitals).”
August 11, 2025 at 6:01 PM
One thing I know is, when a strongman leader orders federal troops into the streets of the capital, it’s a look that screams “NOTHING TO SEE HERE. JUST A NORMAL FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY. MOVE IT ALONG (or these recently mobilized and heavily armed federal troops will apply a taser to your genitals).”
"deeply personal pizza"
is that anything
is that anything
August 7, 2025 at 5:35 AM
"deeply personal pizza"
is that anything
is that anything
I really dislike it when people try to mine a sociocultural generalization out of "people who shower in the morning vs. people who shower at night." For example, I happen to shower in the morning, but it's only because my sheets are made of thinly-sliced onions.
August 2, 2025 at 4:18 PM
I really dislike it when people try to mine a sociocultural generalization out of "people who shower in the morning vs. people who shower at night." For example, I happen to shower in the morning, but it's only because my sheets are made of thinly-sliced onions.
When I was a kid I wanted to be a baritone sax player but then I realized I don't look good in a short-brim fedora so
July 31, 2025 at 10:57 PM
When I was a kid I wanted to be a baritone sax player but then I realized I don't look good in a short-brim fedora so
A possible #tsunami may hit coastal areas of Los Angeles County at 1:05 AM. But keep in mind it's LA, so it'll probably be like 15 minutes late.
July 30, 2025 at 2:40 AM
A possible #tsunami may hit coastal areas of Los Angeles County at 1:05 AM. But keep in mind it's LA, so it'll probably be like 15 minutes late.
The state of CA was thoughtful enough to post some #tsunami hazard-zone maps. Unfortunately the site's so slammed that it's inaccessible. Because there was apparently no way to anticipate that if anybody ever needed the maps, a *lot* of people would need the maps. Anyway, it's been nice knowing you.
July 30, 2025 at 2:18 AM
The state of CA was thoughtful enough to post some #tsunami hazard-zone maps. Unfortunately the site's so slammed that it's inaccessible. Because there was apparently no way to anticipate that if anybody ever needed the maps, a *lot* of people would need the maps. Anyway, it's been nice knowing you.
My absolute least favorite framing for anything is THE GREATEST {NOUN} YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF. I mean, please do fuck off with that. So let me say it this way: If you're not familiar with Tadej Pogačar's body of work, you're missing out on something astounding. #TDF2025
July 28, 2025 at 7:00 PM
My absolute least favorite framing for anything is THE GREATEST {NOUN} YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF. I mean, please do fuck off with that. So let me say it this way: If you're not familiar with Tadej Pogačar's body of work, you're missing out on something astounding. #TDF2025
Just in: Jasper Stoyven awarded purple jersey, signifying rider whose name sounds most like something Jerry Lewis would say when startled. #TDF2025
July 27, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Just in: Jasper Stoyven awarded purple jersey, signifying rider whose name sounds most like something Jerry Lewis would say when startled. #TDF2025
Q: Will you tell us what your tactics will be today?
A: No, I will not tell you that, and... yeah. No.
Q: I see. And will you tell us what your tactics will be today?
(Every interview with a rider in #TDF2025)
A: No, I will not tell you that, and... yeah. No.
Q: I see. And will you tell us what your tactics will be today?
(Every interview with a rider in #TDF2025)
July 19, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Q: Will you tell us what your tactics will be today?
A: No, I will not tell you that, and... yeah. No.
Q: I see. And will you tell us what your tactics will be today?
(Every interview with a rider in #TDF2025)
A: No, I will not tell you that, and... yeah. No.
Q: I see. And will you tell us what your tactics will be today?
(Every interview with a rider in #TDF2025)
This Damian Lillard story fills me with hope for humanity. Especially because he went back for the change in the sofa cushions -- $22.5 million/year, figuring he's only gonna be on the floor for two years out of the three. I mean, the Blazers could have got me for $15 million. Ten, even. #NBAsky
July 18, 2025 at 6:08 PM
This Damian Lillard story fills me with hope for humanity. Especially because he went back for the change in the sofa cushions -- $22.5 million/year, figuring he's only gonna be on the floor for two years out of the three. I mean, the Blazers could have got me for $15 million. Ten, even. #NBAsky