Chris Lay
@chrislay.bsky.social
Villen, lefty, runner, engineer, in that order.
Formerly @christopherlay on the former birdsite.
Formerly chrislay on Zuckbook.
Also @chrislay at extinct pachyderm dot online.
Some ville, Mass
Formerly @christopherlay on the former birdsite.
Formerly chrislay on Zuckbook.
Also @chrislay at extinct pachyderm dot online.
Some ville, Mass
Pinned
Chris Lay
@chrislay.bsky.social
· Jul 24
An idea: UBI+JG. The SOEs staffed by the JG produce the basket of goods and services necessary to dignified material existence and participation in society, priced so that the whole basket costs the UBI. The UBI is fully taxed away by progressive income tax by the time you get to 1.5x median income.
Re LRSes, my read on the electorate's persuadability is that there is no identifiable demographic that is persuadable at scale, but a large enough fraction of voters are de/mobilizable and roughly thermostatic that we get the obvious swings that we see.
February 19, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Re LRSes, my read on the electorate's persuadability is that there is no identifiable demographic that is persuadable at scale, but a large enough fraction of voters are de/mobilizable and roughly thermostatic that we get the obvious swings that we see.
Reposted by Chris Lay
And also why leftists direct most of their criticism towards liberals and centrists versus the right. It's a pretty bad situation when 40% of the population is written off as unpersuadable, makes for nasty battles among the 60% that impede solidarity.
February 19, 2026 at 2:01 PM
And also why leftists direct most of their criticism towards liberals and centrists versus the right. It's a pretty bad situation when 40% of the population is written off as unpersuadable, makes for nasty battles among the 60% that impede solidarity.
Reposted by Chris Lay
I think this is the inner monologue of a lot of the people much behated on here as "reactionary centrists". I think what they think is that what singles out the left as worthy of constant haranguing is that there is some portion of them capable of rational persuasion. The right are beyond all hope.
think that "epistemic pessimism" is a major and untheorized political ideology issue. many of us subscribe to largely implicit notion of US electorate and media as being beyond redemption
February 19, 2026 at 1:53 PM
I think this is the inner monologue of a lot of the people much behated on here as "reactionary centrists". I think what they think is that what singles out the left as worthy of constant haranguing is that there is some portion of them capable of rational persuasion. The right are beyond all hope.
Reposted by Chris Lay
I listened to this 4 years ago shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and I think about it a lot, especially the idea that prosecuting and holding former leaders accountable strengthens democracy.
February 19, 2026 at 2:03 PM
I listened to this 4 years ago shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and I think about it a lot, especially the idea that prosecuting and holding former leaders accountable strengthens democracy.
Reposted by Chris Lay
Reposted by Chris Lay
State could also ignore this and say fuck you, make me.
2026 Illinois Budget: In addition to the danger of lost funding, the budget also includes new costs tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill in the form of $50 million for new staff and eligibility monitoring for changes to SNAP and Medicaid requirements.
Pritzker Pitches $56 Billion Budget With New Fees on Social Media, Zoning Law Changes to Address Housing Shortage
Facing a projected $2.2 billion gap and massive uncertainty over federal funding flowing into Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday proposed a $56 billion state budget plan for fiscal year 2027 begi...
news.wttw.com
February 19, 2026 at 2:03 PM
State could also ignore this and say fuck you, make me.
Reposted by Chris Lay
UK: Prince Andrew arrested.
South Korea: Former President Yoon sentenced for life.
Brazil: Former President Bolsonaro serving a 27-year sentence.
USA: President Trump demands $10 billion payout from taxpayers.
South Korea: Former President Yoon sentenced for life.
Brazil: Former President Bolsonaro serving a 27-year sentence.
USA: President Trump demands $10 billion payout from taxpayers.
February 19, 2026 at 1:08 PM
UK: Prince Andrew arrested.
South Korea: Former President Yoon sentenced for life.
Brazil: Former President Bolsonaro serving a 27-year sentence.
USA: President Trump demands $10 billion payout from taxpayers.
South Korea: Former President Yoon sentenced for life.
Brazil: Former President Bolsonaro serving a 27-year sentence.
USA: President Trump demands $10 billion payout from taxpayers.
Reposted by Chris Lay
'Because an informed person became enraged at my ignorance, I realized that my ignorance had to be newsworthy and important."
Benjamin Ryan openly admits that his reporting on trans issues is animated by personal bias against someone who was mean to him online. Ben is not capable of reporting on this issue objectively, and yet the New York Times and other outlets repeatedly let him do just that.
February 19, 2026 at 2:03 PM
'Because an informed person became enraged at my ignorance, I realized that my ignorance had to be newsworthy and important."
Reposted by Chris Lay
Reposted by Chris Lay
Of all the things we are doing in MN, this one is just beyond. Imagine being released from hell alone in the cold. And a total stranger has waited all night with a blanket just to be ready to hug you and carry you home. Every job we do is crucial, but this one is what restores humanity and dignity.
As the pedophile führer's ICE Nazis are ordered to release people they've kidnapped, they do it in the dead of night to make sure it's as cruel and brutal as possible. Fortunately, compassionate Patriots are there to meet them and make sure they're ok and driven to their homes.
February 19, 2026 at 4:53 AM
Of all the things we are doing in MN, this one is just beyond. Imagine being released from hell alone in the cold. And a total stranger has waited all night with a blanket just to be ready to hug you and carry you home. Every job we do is crucial, but this one is what restores humanity and dignity.
Reposted by Chris Lay
New level of American exceptionalism unlocked
Getting shown up in the arena of elite impunity by *the British monarchy* is an incredible “America at 250!” achievement
February 19, 2026 at 1:04 PM
New level of American exceptionalism unlocked
Reposted by Chris Lay
The American public, in many ways like our athletes, is woke, such that it is diverse and beautiful.
It drives home the stark contrast that we are led by an administration that hates its population.
It drives home the stark contrast that we are led by an administration that hates its population.
'At a moment when your government is rounding people up and building camps to concentrate them — and you know *everyone in the world knows it* — some ambivalence when you’re at an international competition is not just understandable but unavoidable." — @paulwaldman.bsky.social
Yeah, US Olympians are woke. Deal with it.
Sports have always been political — it's just a question of who's speaking out.
www.publicnotice.co
February 19, 2026 at 1:34 PM
The American public, in many ways like our athletes, is woke, such that it is diverse and beautiful.
It drives home the stark contrast that we are led by an administration that hates its population.
It drives home the stark contrast that we are led by an administration that hates its population.
Reposted by Chris Lay
they're pulling them out of immigration interviews & court appointments, where they're trying to duly comply with immigration law. the Trump regime is lawless. it's an illegitimate usurpation. for a ruinous campaign of ethnic cleansing, institution-razing, and private pillage.
Awfully hard to square the claims that ICE is focused on removing violent criminals that are so dangerous we can't let them be around with the fact that ICE tricks their targets by pretending to need help and waiting for neighborly types to respond by offering to help a stranger for free.
Two female ICE agents popped the hood of their car and knocked on the door of a mechanic born in Mexico. He went out to help.
“A bunch of agents jump out and tackle him, essentially restraining him, and take him away...His six kids are now without their father." www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
“A bunch of agents jump out and tackle him, essentially restraining him, and take him away...His six kids are now without their father." www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
February 19, 2026 at 2:31 AM
they're pulling them out of immigration interviews & court appointments, where they're trying to duly comply with immigration law. the Trump regime is lawless. it's an illegitimate usurpation. for a ruinous campaign of ethnic cleansing, institution-razing, and private pillage.
Reposted by Chris Lay
Krugman puts his finger on what should be the starting point for any attempt to make sense of our current political moment.
February 19, 2026 at 2:23 AM
Krugman puts his finger on what should be the starting point for any attempt to make sense of our current political moment.
Reposted by Chris Lay
In the concentration camp universe, this is what's known as a filtration camp. A government preemptively takes a whole class of people to interrogate and detain extrajudicially in order to inflict duress on them while arbitrarily assessing their (supposed) culpability.
This is a truly horrifying memo. It says that the policy of the US government will now be to proactively seek out and arrest likely tens of thousands of refugees who entered legally under Biden and subject them to detention, where they will be interrogated about their status.
February 19, 2026 at 2:20 AM
In the concentration camp universe, this is what's known as a filtration camp. A government preemptively takes a whole class of people to interrogate and detain extrajudicially in order to inflict duress on them while arbitrarily assessing their (supposed) culpability.
Reposted by Chris Lay
It is a vile scandal that 2 of the biggest AI companies in the world attack children by inciting them to self-harm, and by generating sexually exploitative imagery of kids for profit. I wanted to document this so that people in tech will stop saying they don't know: www.anildash.com/2026/02/18/t...
How did we end up threatening our kids’ lives with AI? - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.
www.anildash.com
February 18, 2026 at 5:40 PM
It is a vile scandal that 2 of the biggest AI companies in the world attack children by inciting them to self-harm, and by generating sexually exploitative imagery of kids for profit. I wanted to document this so that people in tech will stop saying they don't know: www.anildash.com/2026/02/18/t...
Reposted by Chris Lay
All we need now is a GIF of it with the lights blinking
February 19, 2026 at 2:03 AM
All we need now is a GIF of it with the lights blinking
Reposted by Chris Lay
There are thousands of points of light, hidden somewhere in a poorly labeled cardboard box.
PURE HELL was the first Black punk band. They lasted from 1974-1979, but a falling out with their manager meant their record didn’t come out until 2010. I gave it a listen:
www.lazyandentitled.org?p=162658013
www.lazyandentitled.org?p=162658013
February 19, 2026 at 2:06 AM
There are thousands of points of light, hidden somewhere in a poorly labeled cardboard box.
Reposted by Chris Lay
anyway, the best in class example of worst case scenario articles is, as always, about the big one hitting the PNW
The Earthquake That Will Devastate the Pacific Northwest
When the Cascadia fault line ruptures, it could be North America’s worst natural disaster in recorded history.
www.newyorker.com
February 19, 2026 at 1:39 AM
anyway, the best in class example of worst case scenario articles is, as always, about the big one hitting the PNW
Reposted by Chris Lay
I don't need this fucking editorializing
February 19, 2026 at 1:39 AM
I don't need this fucking editorializing
Reposted by Chris Lay
Nearly 4,000 people work at Palantir and they are all evil and morally bankrupt human beings. There is no way to work there in any capacity and have clean hands.
Alt text. I see we’re at the part where they say the quiet parts into a megaphone and ask “lol you triggered, snowflake?” When you point out that “so we killed some people” is a morally indefensible thing to say.
February 19, 2026 at 1:24 AM
Nearly 4,000 people work at Palantir and they are all evil and morally bankrupt human beings. There is no way to work there in any capacity and have clean hands.
Reposted by Chris Lay
All these guys believe the exact same shit about COVID and the 2020 election so to continue marketing themselves they have to have what can only be described as schizophrenia electives
If you want to get rid of some incriminating documents you don't want anyone to see, the best course of action is to hide them on the top floors of the most famous twin towers in the world and hit them with two hijacked passenger planes.
February 19, 2026 at 12:41 AM
All these guys believe the exact same shit about COVID and the 2020 election so to continue marketing themselves they have to have what can only be described as schizophrenia electives
Reposted by Chris Lay
V. perceptive line in this:
"Many prefer the smaller, less crowded, slower-paced Providence of today, where you can find a parking space downtown on a weekday in front of one of the old 20th-century office buildings."
A fact of US life that there is a very large pro-urban decline constituency.
"Many prefer the smaller, less crowded, slower-paced Providence of today, where you can find a parking space downtown on a weekday in front of one of the old 20th-century office buildings."
A fact of US life that there is a very large pro-urban decline constituency.
More than a century ago Providence abandoned plans for a 2-line subway system similar to Boston's Green Line.
The decision haunts city and transit experts to this day.
The story of what happened and why 👇
www.providencejournal.com/story/news/p...
The decision haunts city and transit experts to this day.
The story of what happened and why 👇
www.providencejournal.com/story/news/p...
Providence almost had a subway system 100 years ago. Why it went nowhere
Providence drew up plans as far back as 1913, inspired by the success of Boston's historic subway line. Here's why it never went anywhere.
www.providencejournal.com
February 18, 2026 at 8:55 PM
V. perceptive line in this:
"Many prefer the smaller, less crowded, slower-paced Providence of today, where you can find a parking space downtown on a weekday in front of one of the old 20th-century office buildings."
A fact of US life that there is a very large pro-urban decline constituency.
"Many prefer the smaller, less crowded, slower-paced Providence of today, where you can find a parking space downtown on a weekday in front of one of the old 20th-century office buildings."
A fact of US life that there is a very large pro-urban decline constituency.
Reposted by Chris Lay
Ho-lee Shit. This is phenomenally good news. Department of Education rolls back— for now— its attempts to destroy Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility initiatives. Keep an eye on them, of course, and watch for the hidden knife, always, but for now: Fantastic news.
February 18, 2026 at 6:56 PM
Ho-lee Shit. This is phenomenally good news. Department of Education rolls back— for now— its attempts to destroy Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility initiatives. Keep an eye on them, of course, and watch for the hidden knife, always, but for now: Fantastic news.
Reposted by Chris Lay
live with ganz! gonna discuss AI, the left, maybe jesse jackson
LIVE NOW: Read Max x Unpopular Front
Max Read on Substack
open.substack.com
February 18, 2026 at 7:11 PM
live with ganz! gonna discuss AI, the left, maybe jesse jackson