Nancy Friedman

Interest is the most important thing in life; happiness is temporary, but interest is continuous. – Georgia O’Keeffe

The morning's top story at the #FoxNews homepage: They could be seen using forks! headsuptheblog.blogspot.com/2026/10/coul...

What does this full-page print ad -- with its humble image and a quote from Dante's Inferno -- have to do with $8,000 cashmere and "quiet luxury"? fritinancy.substack.com/p/the-deep-t...

Ever wonder how/why the once-formidable Internet and Digital company #Yahoo basically vanished overnight? 👇🏾

We acknowledge that no one has the bandwidth for this, but if it helps: -It’s ‘sleight of hand’ -It’s ‘bated breath’ -It’s ‘lo and behold’ -It's 'buck naked' -It’s ‘brass tacks’ -It’s ‘free rein’ -It’s ‘toe the line'

"war dogs" techcrunch.com/2026/10/22/b...

I *only* know "hp" as the abbreviation for horsepower. Never heard of the other one.

Google is not the final arbiter of map data. They can call the Atlantic ocean "Albert" if they wanted to. This is only a story insofar as it demonstrates that Google has discovered a limit to its acquiescence to the whims of the administration.

TIL there's a tribute band called Fleetwood Macramé.

Because I am aware that many people have not yet gotten the memo, here once again is my screed about the Chevy Nova. It's a zombie story for spooky season! fritinancy.substack.com/p/zombie-bra...

"You could call all these claims tech optimism or, as the famed venture capitalist Marc Andreessen wrote in his 2023 manifesto, necessary for the 'glory of human ambition and achievement, the spearhead of progress, and the realization of our potential.' You could also call it speculative fiction."

Mr. President, our state is not yours to rename. Our history is not yours to erase. Our culture and identity run deep, shaped by generations of New Mexicans long before you or the U.S. were here at all. We are proud of who we are and where we come from. Because we are New Mexicans.

Congratulations to club member Catherine Breed, the first person to swim the 900-mile length of the California coast! Start: July 1 Finish: October 19 @sfchronicle.com gift link: www.sfchronicle.com/california/a...

I liked "The Testament of Ann Lee," but I had a credibility crisis when one character, in 1760s England, gave a distance in kilometers. The metric system was invented in France in 1790. The UK finally began adopting it in 1965, although it had been used in trade and science since 1864.

"Keep SF Analog" sweatshirt at SFMOMA. museumstore.sfmoma.org/collections/...

When did we start calling it "spooky season"? | ht @schweather.bsky.social and @slate.com fritinancy.substack.com/p/word-of-th...

Just one data point, but there was a block-long line last night for the opening of You Can See Everything at Berkeley's Elmwood Theater. The show was scheduled to start at 9 pm; the audience would get out around midnight. (I plan to see a matinee next week.)

ALTUVIIIO: a name with an encoded story. fritinancy.substack.com/p/name-in-th...

Good intentions aren't enough. This political ad -- paid for by billionaire Christy Walton -- fails for lack of a copywriter, an editor, and a proofreader. fritinancy.substack.com/p/take-back-...

"Enshittifying its product to try to make its expenses cheaper did not work, according to a narrative filed in bankruptcy court Tuesday."

A new thing that I hate: I’m reading a book right now that uses endnote citations, and directs the reader to SCAN A QR CODE to access the endnotes.

In time, it will be recognized as a masterpiece.

From now on, any time an AI agent asks me to name it, I’m going with “Shmoo.”

Thanks to @americandialect.org for *two* archived articles about shmoo etymology! fritinancy.substack.com/p/word-of-th...

i think about The Shmoo all the time. the human mind was altered the day The Shmoo was created, and we can't go back.

"Agents" from a site called iLands have been emailing me to offer project assistance. Now they're inserting themselves into the @americandialect.org listserv, whose moderator is playing Whac-A-Mole, deleting them as soon as they pop up. ilands.ai

"Before the aviation-loving Ellison claimed it, 'sky dance' referred to the aerial mating of certain birds, most famously the American woodcock, also known as the timberdoodle or (I’m not making this up) the bogsucker." www.latimes.com/entertainmen...

Has it become acceptable to rhyme “mores” — as in “social norms” — with “bores”? I've heard that pronunciation three times in the last week. @merriam-webster.com would disagree:

My readers tell me interesting things! | ht @mikepope.com @e-briannica.bsky.social et al. fritinancy.substack.com/p/from-the-m...

“Oh my god. We’re doomed.” — Overheard at intermission during screening of Alex Gibney’s new four-hour documentary, “Musk” #mvff

Me on LinkedIn: I don't use AI, and I don't let it change how I write. Random AI bro:

The Ku Klux Klan is rebranding itself as The Knights Party, centered on “family and faith” along with proud & open white supremacy. 💩🖕 [aljazeera.com]

There are AI startups in San Francisco called FLAI and FAL, and whenever I see their names I see FLAIL and FAIL.

From @ossoff.bsky.social to @cornelluniversity.bsky.social to that "influencer" who's never read a book: plenty of outrage to go around. fritinancy.substack.com/p/word-of-th...

Dear @newyorker.com and other East Coast publications: You keep getting this place name wrong. It's Marina del REY. REY. Spanish for "king." ¡Gracias!