2020

By Mike Pomranz  September 23, 2020 In 2020, as the Black Lives Matter movement grew in prominence, America also further reckoned with brands considered to be culturally insensitive—from sports franchises (hello, Washington Football Team) to pancake syrups (goodbye, Aunt Jemima). Among that group was one of the country’s best-known names in rice—Uncle Ben’s—with its parent company Mars Inc. announcing…

Read More Uncle Ben’s Rebrands as Ben’s Original

2 cups shredded carrots 8 oz crushed pineapple, drained 3/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans 3/4 cup white sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 4 large eggs, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste 2 cups all-purpose flour or 2 1/2 cups cake flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon…

Read More My Favorite Carrot Cake

Isabel Wilkerson writes in chapter 8, “Hitler had made it to the chancellery in a brokered deal that conservative elites agreed to only because they were convinced they could hold him in check and make use of him for their own political aims.” Wilkerson continues, “By the time they recognized their fatal miscalculation, it was…

Read More Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

When political leaders suggest basic precautions appear unmanly, men are less likely to follow health and safety advice, experts say. By Daniel Victor Oct. 10, 2020 On Tuesday, and not for the first time, Joseph R. Biden Jr. described President Trump’s reluctant attitude toward wearing masks as “macho.” Tomi Lahren, a conservative commentator and Fox Nation…

Read More Coronavirus Safety Runs Into a Stubborn Barrier: Masculinity

I loved “The West Wing” as much as an almost-non-TV person could love anything on that amazingly difficult medium. I liked it for its snappy writing, the multiple storylines, the characters. I actually used to put a reminder on my calendar to watch because I’ve never been able to remember when anything comes on or…

Read More The West Wing