Hello, I’m Magda, the big idiot who lives in L.A. and doesn’t own a car. Instead, like a dummy, I commute with my boyfriend who works nearby half the time and via Uber the rest. Naturally, those Ubers are burning a hole in my wallet, but the way I see it, so would having a car. Gas is already $4 a gallon around these parts, and if you drive a nicer car that calls for premium gas? Hoooooo buddy, that’s a pretty penny you’ve gotta throw in the tank.
Turns out, though, unless your warranty requires it, your premium car can probably handle the People’s Gas, i.e., regular. It’s not much relief, considering how high regular gas prices are anyway, but hey, it’s something.
Seriously, folks, we should all be taking the bus.
Must Read
“Fighting Crime with San Diego’s Real-Life Superhero Squad”
Ever wonder what it’s like to serve your city as a caped crusader? Actually, there’s not much to it. In San Diego, for example, there’s a group of everyday people who, come nightfall, don masks and steel-toed boots and patrol the streets looking to catch criminals in the act. Isabelle Kohn joined them for an evening, and while their intentions are good, people seemed more annoyed by their offers for help than grateful. Yet for these masked vigilantes, the few occasions where they’re able to provide assistance in a hairy situation make the whole thing worth it. READ MORE
The ‘Irish Heritage’ Red Flag
Irish-Americans basically have their own nationally-celebrated holiday to enjoy being Irish. Any Irish-heritage honking beyond that, however, is suspicious. Look no further than retiring New York Congressman Peter King. Not only has he made such horrific claims like that Eric Garner died from obesity and not police brutality, he also thinks being of Irish descent exempts him from white privilege. Obviously, these two remarks are not ideologically separate. And so, as our resident Irishman, Miles Klee, argues, being Irish is great — using one’s Irish identity to subjugate others isn’t.
the funniest thing about peter king is that he is pro IRA but for like ethnonationalist reasons
— mark (@kept_simple) November 11, 2019
Moms Versus the Vapes
Is there a more tenacious group of activists than moms? Naturally, the instinct to do whatever is in their power to protect their children makes for a rather formidable political force. But are moms — even moms on a mission — strong enough to combat Big Vape?
Protect the Nipple
Running can do a lot of weird things to your body, but most abject among them is making your nipples bleed. So it’s important to take extra precautions to keep those nips safe when pounding the pavement mile after mile. Allow Joseph Longo to detail your best options.
Clip Those Coupons, King
So, ya wanna be a coupon superstar? CVS makes it like taking candy from a baby. Except that baby is CVS, and instead of candy, you’re getting like, free shampoo and toothpaste. Anyway, paying attention to the coupons on those ridiculously long receipts they give is actually a good way to save some coin.
Insane fact: the sun is approximately 8 CVS receipts from earth
— rudy mustang (@rudy_mustang) May 21, 2017
Gamifying the Stock Market
Speaking of saving some coin, guys who want to invest their dollars and cents are turning to the free instant-messaging platform, Discord, for advice. Though Discord is intended to be a communication service for gamers, it’s real draw for the stonks-set are its private, secure chat rooms that people can sell access to. As such, a few DIY entrepreneurs have been sharing their stock trading advice through these chatrooms and charging a fee for the privilege. It’s a trend that’s growing in popularity, but that doesn’t necessarily make it a good idea.
Indie Films’ Family Guy
At only 31 and having just released his third film, director Trey Edward Shults has established himself as an indie expert on family drama. In his latest movie, Waves, Shults examines the father-son dynamic of an African-American family. Tim Grierson spoke to Shults about the complexities of portraying such a topic as a white director, wrestling (literally) with masculinity and the fast-food binges that help soothe his aching psyche.
Disney Dicks
Rather than asking why there are so many hidden dicks in Disney animations, maybe we should ask ourselves why we’re so obsessed with finding them. Because while there are arguably a handful of phallic-looking images in our favorite animated films — all of which Brian VanHooker has lovingly collected for your perusal — it seems more likely that it’s us viewers who are the sick fucks, not the illustrators.
Magdalene Taylor
Magdalene Taylor is a staff writer at MEL. She covers internet culture, sex and the online adult industry. She lives in Brooklyn but is from God's Country, Western Massachusetts.
