Allspice heads into heavy rotation during this most pumpkin-spiciest time of year. In my exotic neck of the woods, New Jersey, a miasma of allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg hangs over every Starbucks. Allspice is sprinkled in all the season’s food stars: apple pie, eggnog, pumpkin pie and gingerbread You all are a smart bunch, so you undoubtedly know that allspice is a specific spice, not a blend of them. As a kid I thought it was something like pumpkin pie spice, an efficient, maybe even frugal, way to flavor a dish.

This is the weekly edition of Men Yell at Me. The weekly newsletter about power, politics, and personhood in red-state America. To support this work, become a subscriber. In Ohio, a woman is being charged with a felony after suffering from a miscarriage. Brittany Watts, a 33-year-old Black woman, had a miscarriage at week 22 of her pregnancy. The fetus came out through the birth canal and into the toilet. Despite medical evidence that the fetus was non-viable, prosecutors still pressed for the felony “abuse of a corpse” charge.

Some films set my writer's brain on fire. Andrea Arnold’s 2016 film, American Honey, is one of them. I’ve seen it about five times, and I find something else to fixate on with each viewing. It might have something to do with the fact that this movie is a story about class and making money—topics I’m forever fascinated with that I talk about in this newsletter and the novel Im currently working on.

All of my college syllabus weeks had variants of the same scene. The professor squinted at the attendance roster. “Por Ja—” They moved closer to the screen or paper. “Jay… Jaijongkit. Did I say that right?” I’ve always said yes. The difference between “Jay” and “Jai” didn’t bother me. I have always been grateful that my Thai surname comprised of sounds that existed in the English language and had only three syllables.

I had vowed to take a break from writing about Moseley and MMA after my last post. There are other pressing matters in Houston that need attention. I have noticed that my posts often bring in new info, some of which needs to be shared while it's fresh. So, here's an update on the story about Zach Moseley that I published today. On October 18, 2023, John “Zach” Moseley registered a new LLC with the Texas Secretary of State.