Saturday, March 30, 2019
There's Cheating And Then There's Cheating
I don't really understand the culture of golf, but there's cheating and then there's Trump.
Spring Fundraisng Funstravaganza!
I almost forgot. You're supposed to give me all your money. The guy who saved Social Security? That was me.
Support this site!
Probably not really but David Dayen said so and he is the smartest person on this very online hellscape so who am I to argue.
Support this site!
Probably not really but David Dayen said so and he is the smartest person on this very online hellscape so who am I to argue.
This Only Goes One Way
UK politics has become a fun house mirror version of our own. The latest is that a prominent Tory was voted down by his local committee - the equivalent of losing a primary - and all the Labour members are publicly weeping about it. They won't weep for you, idiots.
Friday, March 29, 2019
You Have Tea And No Tea
I am mad no one ever gets this reference.
Theresa May’s Brexit deal (withdraws agreement) has just been defeated… again… loses 286-344
— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) March 29, 2019
Spring Fundraising Funstravaganza Day the..um. 4th!
Give me all your money you billionaires.
Support this site!
Support this site!
Think You Missed The Point Of Your Own Argument, My Dude
Second, even draconian tax hikes will not impact ability of wealthy to be influential politically. If you took away half wealth of billionaire, would still be able to invest $50M a cycle in political activity w/o dipping into capital. 4/5
— Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) March 28, 2019
Morning Thread
We're re-watching Game of Thrones in preparation for the new season. Best bit, so far, watching King Joffrey (the little shit) get poisoned.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Thursday Night
I woke up being barely able to walk for some reason. Getting old is not good. (I am fine this will pass but WTF).
Dumbasses
If you are an elite person who travels in elite circles you believe that while your peers aren't all geniuses, they must be the most genius of people.
But this is not true. Going to school near Boston does not guarantee you are a brain genius.
But this is not true. Going to school near Boston does not guarantee you are a brain genius.
Trump Is My President
This is the worst timeline.
But, really, it wasn't dumb poors that voted for him, it was guys who own car dealerships. We gotta reckon with the fact that our meritocracy promotes con artists.
But, really, it wasn't dumb poors that voted for him, it was guys who own car dealerships. We gotta reckon with the fact that our meritocracy promotes con artists.
I Wonk So Hard
If you want to give people nice things, you shouldn't obsess about how much it costs. The Americans Wonk Class is bad. Also they are dumb.
Walkies
At a mobility event today I met an auto industry rep who told me "to enable AV's we need a period of increased urban law enforcement so pedestrians know what they can't do. Then they'll change behavior."
— David Zipper (@DavidZipper) March 28, 2019
I was so stunned I could barely respond "I think that's a horrific idea."
It is this type of thing which makes me obsess about this issue. And I have a couple insider sources (ooooh I am a real journalist) who confirm these concerns. The self-driving car people see pedestrians as a problem. I don't really understand how you can think urban taxis are your business model and also think walking is the enemy. Cities are made of pedestrians. Well, cities other than Phoenix, anyway. I pay a dumb mortgage so I can walk to a concert, like I did last night.
Thursday, Thursday
Lacking internet for a day has made me very confused. It's March, also, too? What the hell.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
The Way Forward Is Clear Then
Every motion loses
— Alex Wickham (@alexwickham) March 27, 2019
No deal loses 160-400
Common Market 2.0 loses 188-283
Efta/EEA loses 65-377
Customs union loses 264-272
Labour alt plan loses 237-307
Revoke A50 loses 184-293
2nd referendum loses 268-295
Managed no deal loses 139-422
Area Man Needs Food, Badly
Day 2!
Give me all your money unless you need it for something more important.
Give me all your money unless you need it for something more important.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
On Screen
This is random thought blogging because I have a blog so I can do that...
I am just old enough that the early generation of screen stars was still alive, mostly. They became bit players on bad tv shows, like the Love Boat, and occasionally the reinvented themselves for new more respectable old people careers. Largely what I remember is that they were the object of jokes. Especially the women. You know, Elizabeth Taylor got fat!!!! was a joke comedians dined on as I had no idea who Taylor was.
We have not entered some new woke Nirvana, but that "actors get old like the rest of us" is more widely understood is probably a thing, even if it's mostly because the biggest generation is old people.
I am just old enough that the early generation of screen stars was still alive, mostly. They became bit players on bad tv shows, like the Love Boat, and occasionally the reinvented themselves for new more respectable old people careers. Largely what I remember is that they were the object of jokes. Especially the women. You know, Elizabeth Taylor got fat!!!! was a joke comedians dined on as I had no idea who Taylor was.
We have not entered some new woke Nirvana, but that "actors get old like the rest of us" is more widely understood is probably a thing, even if it's mostly because the biggest generation is old people.
Spring Fundraising FUNSTRAVAGANZA
Fortunately I don't currently need a new kidney, so this is not a charity ask. This is, as always, your NPR subscription money ask. Less David Brooks, more making fun of David Brooks!
Give me all your money unless you need it for something more important.
Give me all your money unless you need it for something more important.
Brexit Sympathies
Most of The Discourse in the US about the heartland versus the coasts is dumb, in part because it's coastal elitists who are running this conversation and, proving their own point, not actually including the voices of the forgotten heartland, except the ones which cater to their prejudices. While the discourse is mostly dumb, the issue is less dumb. It shouldn't be about old white guys in diners who aren't comfortable with all the wimmen and gayz and coloreds, it should be about the fact that the local airport can't take you anywhere anymore, and if it does it'll cost you an absurd amount of money. For example.
On a related note, public transit in London is mostly awesome if it is under the thumb of TFL. If it isn't, it's often a disaster. In the rest of the country, public transit is mostly a disaster because none of it is under the thumb of TFL. Privatization for thee, not for me. The rest of the country has reason to be mad and while Brexit is not the answer, it was the answer some savvy people gave to them.
Lessons for our own country are, also, too, obvious.
On a related note, public transit in London is mostly awesome if it is under the thumb of TFL. If it isn't, it's often a disaster. In the rest of the country, public transit is mostly a disaster because none of it is under the thumb of TFL. Privatization for thee, not for me. The rest of the country has reason to be mad and while Brexit is not the answer, it was the answer some savvy people gave to them.
Lessons for our own country are, also, too, obvious.
The Story
I have no idea what it is but... wow.
Charges against Jussie Smollett have been dropped by the state and his record has been wiped clean. pic.twitter.com/lHpLvBGc3S
— 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕡𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖 𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙 (@WashNews) March 26, 2019
America's Worst Newspaper
The New York Times.
The linked issue is more important, but while we love to joke about little "mistakes" like sending a stringer NINETY MILES AWAY to darkestPeru Philadelphia where said stringer discovers a hitherto unknown "Little Italy" section of the city because a chain restaurant has "Little Italy" in its name, these errors show a newspaper that considers using the fucking google to be beneath them.
Rocky running through an area not called Little Italy which is nowhere near "Maggiano's Little Italy."
The linked issue is more important, but while we love to joke about little "mistakes" like sending a stringer NINETY MILES AWAY to darkest
Rocky running through an area not called Little Italy which is nowhere near "Maggiano's Little Italy."
SPRING FUNDRAISING FUNSTRAVAGANZA DAY 1
Even real websites have figured out that google takes all the money now so it is down to you, dear readers, to make this all possible. The various subscription tiers allow you free access to all the wonders of this mighty blog.
Give me all your money unless you need it for something more important.
Give me all your money unless you need it for something more important.
Monday, March 25, 2019
Monday Crass Commercialism
A friend wrote a book. You should probably pre-order it. Women fighting Nazis.
D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II
D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II
Even JK Wasn't That Dumb
2. The 'Grand Wizards' (the new name for the Chequer's daytrippers apparently) also had another meeting this morning, were they discussed again whether they could get on board to back PM's deal and there was no firm conclusion
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) March 25, 2019
Takes of Fire
— Jukt Microdicks (@Mobute) March 25, 2019
Along with eSports, I never quite understood the Avenatti as Resistance Hero bubble.
Balls and Strikes
A problem with wanting to empower certain institutions and individuals as being above the fray objective referees is that there are no take backsies. Can't grant them that position and then complain about the result after the fact.
Insulin
It's cheap to make and some people will die within a week without it. I don't know the full story of how the drug companies are getting away with charging absurd amounts of money for this, but if I were a crusading member of Congress on a relevant committee I'd be hauling in every involved exec to testify every day until they lowered the price down to cost.
It isn't some fancy new miracle drug technology. It's old and the production process is cheap and if you are concerned with people with diabetes instead of the feefees of "stakeholders" (rich evil dudes), you will do this.
It isn't some fancy new miracle drug technology. It's old and the production process is cheap and if you are concerned with people with diabetes instead of the feefees of "stakeholders" (rich evil dudes), you will do this.
eSports
Creeping oldmanism means there are more and more things you just find it hard to understand. I try to stop short of complaining. I don't really care that the kids are doing freaky weird shit on my lawn. I'm just not sure why they are.
Architecture firm Populous designed the 60,000-square-foot venue, which will be home to the Philadelphia Fusion, an esports team owned by Comcast Spectacor that competes in the Overwatch League. The league wants its teams to play in their home markets next year. The Fusion are looking at playing at other venues in Philadelphia while the new esports venue is being built.
Up To The Dems
As I said, Republican Daddies aren't going to save us. If Dems think Trump has done impeachable things, or things worthy of impeachment hearings, they should do it. Otherwise they can subpoena people about all of the other crimes.
A few months ago they didn't have any power and trying to cajole the GOP Daddies and Impartial Referees (unicorns both) to Do The Right Thing was all they could do. Now they have power. Use it.
A few months ago they didn't have any power and trying to cajole the GOP Daddies and Impartial Referees (unicorns both) to Do The Right Thing was all they could do. Now they have power. Use it.
Sunday, March 24, 2019
What Would Make You Vote For A Republican?
I brought this up previously in this context of Roy Moore, who actually lost! My mostly serious point was that if you're a Republican it of course makes sense for you to vote for Roy Moore. Roy Moore is a bad guy and we don't want to reward/promote bad guys, but individual senators mostly don't have all that much power and if you really think the Senate should be run by Republicans, then voting for the guy who is going to put Mitch in charge of things makes a lot of sense.
Governors and presidents are a bit different. They do have a lot of individual power and more ways to implement idiosyncratic policies that don't precisely align them with the prevailing party ethos. Voting for a truly awful person, even one that shares your party affiliation, is likely to have awful consequences. But, also, too voting for a Republican, especially given the current crop of Republicans, is likely to have awful consequences!
So just how bad would a Democrat have to be for you to vote for the Republican for governor? For president?
We mock the "27%ers" but can we really blame them? Sure we can blame them for being Republicans, but over and above that?
Governors and presidents are a bit different. They do have a lot of individual power and more ways to implement idiosyncratic policies that don't precisely align them with the prevailing party ethos. Voting for a truly awful person, even one that shares your party affiliation, is likely to have awful consequences. But, also, too voting for a Republican, especially given the current crop of Republicans, is likely to have awful consequences!
So just how bad would a Democrat have to be for you to vote for the Republican for governor? For president?
We mock the "27%ers" but can we really blame them? Sure we can blame them for being Republicans, but over and above that?
The Dream Deferred
Oh well.
I still think there's a nontrivial chance this never opens. Probably will! But...
In a picture posted Monday, the caption says “Follow us for exclusive updates on all things American Dream. Coming Fall 2019!”
In other posts that include pictures from inside the 3 million square foot complex, three different Instagram users asked when it will open, and the response from the American Dream Instagram account was “fall 2019.”
American Dream’s newly-hired Public Relations Director, Dana McHugh, declined to comment on whether the Instagram account is official. An email address and phone number associated with the account match those of a former public relations agent working on behalf of the development. When asked about the contact information, McHugh said that agent is no longer with the company.
I still think there's a nontrivial chance this never opens. Probably will! But...
Sure, Jan
Are flying cars ready for takeoff? New Morgan Stanley Research estimates a $1.5 trillion market by 2040.
— Morgan Stanley (@MorganStanley) February 20, 2019
And when there's too much congestion in the air we can run our flying cars through a tunnel.
Majority Majority
Roughly speaking there's no majority in Parliament for any Brexit deal that the EU would take that can also have the support of a majority of Tories (and/or the support of May). In other words you could get support for a "soft Brexit" with some combination of Labour/Tory votes, but that isn't going to be on the table because it lacks support from the majority of the majority.
And it's March 25 and all of this was going to have been sorted by last October.
And it's March 25 and all of this was going to have been sorted by last October.
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