Nate Hashem
@nhashem.bsky.social
Mostly a politics reply guy. I also review LEGO sets with my daughter: https://www.youtube.com/@SpecialBrix
I've said it before but as someone who is optimistic on net about LLMs as AI tools, companies grafting "AI" to consumer products has been so toxic. The average person isn't using Claude Code or even ChatGPT, all they know is that the print icon for Word has moved, replaced with a huge "AI" icon.
old way: start > run > notepad.exe
new way: launch microsoft 365 copilot for sharepoint copilot for office copilot 365 hbo max 365 and simply say: "hey cortana. copilot run notepad copilot. sharepoint"
new way: launch microsoft 365 copilot for sharepoint copilot for office copilot 365 hbo max 365 and simply say: "hey cortana. copilot run notepad copilot. sharepoint"
January 5, 2026 at 9:31 PM
I've said it before but as someone who is optimistic on net about LLMs as AI tools, companies grafting "AI" to consumer products has been so toxic. The average person isn't using Claude Code or even ChatGPT, all they know is that the print icon for Word has moved, replaced with a huge "AI" icon.
I was convinced this was happening when Trump kept saying Chicago was delighted by the ICE/BCP/natl guard invasion, and kept referencing 'black women wearing MAGA hats.'
www.huffpost.com/entry/donald...
www.huffpost.com/entry/donald...
December 29, 2025 at 2:53 AM
I was convinced this was happening when Trump kept saying Chicago was delighted by the ICE/BCP/natl guard invasion, and kept referencing 'black women wearing MAGA hats.'
www.huffpost.com/entry/donald...
www.huffpost.com/entry/donald...
It's just factually true that the spike in homelessness during the Biden admin was due to generous border policy with asylum seekers, and then Greg Abbott's buses. Some leftists here would rather insult @whstancil.bsky.social or @besttrousers.bsky.social then deal with the policy implications.
December 21, 2025 at 6:51 PM
It's just factually true that the spike in homelessness during the Biden admin was due to generous border policy with asylum seekers, and then Greg Abbott's buses. Some leftists here would rather insult @whstancil.bsky.social or @besttrousers.bsky.social then deal with the policy implications.
Reposted by Nate Hashem
December 17, 2025 at 7:27 AM
I know a lot of people here thinks Noah Smith is a rabid right-winger now, but he still seems to hate the actual right-wingers.
December 12, 2025 at 7:16 PM
I know a lot of people here thinks Noah Smith is a rabid right-winger now, but he still seems to hate the actual right-wingers.
I had been trying to figure out why ICE abruptly pulled out of Charlotte, and "DHS spending/budget numbers came back for Chicago operations and freaked some people out" is as good a theory as any.
i think people have mostly, finally gotten over the fear that trump's going to deploy DHS troops out to every city in america, what people need to internalize next is that they will not have the money to sustain even their *current* operations within a year and a half
December 5, 2025 at 11:25 PM
I had been trying to figure out why ICE abruptly pulled out of Charlotte, and "DHS spending/budget numbers came back for Chicago operations and freaked some people out" is as good a theory as any.
Reposted by Nate Hashem
Mike Green is writing some amazing stuff at the moment. It's not in the delta, it's in the level and the cost structure. Read this and you will understand Angrynomics on a new level: www.yesigiveafig.com/p/part-1-my-...
Part 1: My Life Is a Lie
How a Broken Benchmark Quietly Broke America
www.yesigiveafig.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Mike Green is writing some amazing stuff at the moment. It's not in the delta, it's in the level and the cost structure. Read this and you will understand Angrynomics on a new level: www.yesigiveafig.com/p/part-1-my-...
Interesting thread on how YIMBY can build "back doors" to eventually build a structure for public/social housing, even as it initially relies on private developers to provide housing supply.
The "Public Land Bank" Rider
The Tactic: In every deregulation bill (e.g., "Legalize 6-plexes"), insert a clause establishing a public land bank or social housing authority with the "Right of first refusal" on distressed assets.
The Tactic: In every deregulation bill (e.g., "Legalize 6-plexes"), insert a clause establishing a public land bank or social housing authority with the "Right of first refusal" on distressed assets.
November 19, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Interesting thread on how YIMBY can build "back doors" to eventually build a structure for public/social housing, even as it initially relies on private developers to provide housing supply.
Here's my theory on MTG's heel turn: she was a MAGA True Believer and never got rewarded with a cabinet position, committee chair, or Senate seat, crypto grift, or similar. She sees people much less loyal to MAGA (like JD Vance) getting those rewards, and Trump himself selling out MAGA.
By 2023 she was Kevin McCarthy's pet MAGA whisperer, since then:
- McCarthy dumped
- Mike Johnson is paradoxically such a weak speaker, he has no use for her
- Trumpland rejects her for a cabinet position
- Georgia GOP actively coordinated to discourage her running for Senate
- McCarthy dumped
- Mike Johnson is paradoxically such a weak speaker, he has no use for her
- Trumpland rejects her for a cabinet position
- Georgia GOP actively coordinated to discourage her running for Senate
November 18, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Here's my theory on MTG's heel turn: she was a MAGA True Believer and never got rewarded with a cabinet position, committee chair, or Senate seat, crypto grift, or similar. She sees people much less loyal to MAGA (like JD Vance) getting those rewards, and Trump himself selling out MAGA.
Reposted by Nate Hashem
On the whole this hasn't been a great year but imo that's all the more reason to recognize when we have wins that show we are not powerless.
Right now, the Trump Administration is basically getting routed and/or in retreat on several key fronts.
We are not powerless! We can do things! Consider-
Right now, the Trump Administration is basically getting routed and/or in retreat on several key fronts.
We are not powerless! We can do things! Consider-
November 17, 2025 at 4:12 PM
On the whole this hasn't been a great year but imo that's all the more reason to recognize when we have wins that show we are not powerless.
Right now, the Trump Administration is basically getting routed and/or in retreat on several key fronts.
We are not powerless! We can do things! Consider-
Right now, the Trump Administration is basically getting routed and/or in retreat on several key fronts.
We are not powerless! We can do things! Consider-
Reposted by Nate Hashem
Evergreen: www.bldgblog.com/2007/10/grea...
Greater Los Angeles
I got back from Los Angeles last night and my head is still spinning. I’d move there again in a heartbeat.There are three great cities in the United States: there’s Los Angeles, Chicago…
www.bldgblog.com
November 15, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Evergreen: www.bldgblog.com/2007/10/grea...
I know it's not the most important thing but it can't believe how sub-literate Epstein is in these emails. At best he's writing like an old Boomer typing an email to his grandson from his @aol email account, at worst it's like the beginning and ending chapters of "Flowers for Algernon."
Responding to a 2017 message that Trump was 'so gross', Jeffrey Epstein said Trump was "worse in real life and upclose."
November 12, 2025 at 8:47 PM
I know it's not the most important thing but it can't believe how sub-literate Epstein is in these emails. At best he's writing like an old Boomer typing an email to his grandson from his @aol email account, at worst it's like the beginning and ending chapters of "Flowers for Algernon."
Reposted by Nate Hashem
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
November 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
Reposted by Nate Hashem
The RIFs language is actually great. Not only does it rehire the people RIFed during the shutdown, it makes it an unequivocal Antideficiency Act violation to do ANY MORE RIFs through the duration of the CR (Jan 30)
Completely stops Trump/Vought Phase 2 for now
Would love to see this standardized
Completely stops Trump/Vought Phase 2 for now
Would love to see this standardized
November 10, 2025 at 12:27 AM
The RIFs language is actually great. Not only does it rehire the people RIFed during the shutdown, it makes it an unequivocal Antideficiency Act violation to do ANY MORE RIFs through the duration of the CR (Jan 30)
Completely stops Trump/Vought Phase 2 for now
Would love to see this standardized
Completely stops Trump/Vought Phase 2 for now
Would love to see this standardized
Reposted by Nate Hashem
two contradictory ideas that i hold in my head at the same time: 1) i think the threat to both SNAP recipients and federal workers is significant enough now that even bad deals are worth making to prevent further harm, and, 2) everyone who caves now should retire in shame
November 10, 2025 at 12:46 AM
two contradictory ideas that i hold in my head at the same time: 1) i think the threat to both SNAP recipients and federal workers is significant enough now that even bad deals are worth making to prevent further harm, and, 2) everyone who caves now should retire in shame
Reposted by Nate Hashem
It's not in this article but the government asserts that the sandwich was thrown at "point blank range", which implies subway sandwiches have defined effective weapon ranges of varying lethality, and I would like to see the government's chart of these ranges.
Trial Begins for Man Accused of Lobbing a Sandwich at a Federal Agent www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/u...
Trial Begins for Man Accused of Lobbing a Sandwich at a Federal Agent
www.nytimes.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:14 PM
It's not in this article but the government asserts that the sandwich was thrown at "point blank range", which implies subway sandwiches have defined effective weapon ranges of varying lethality, and I would like to see the government's chart of these ranges.
Reposted by Nate Hashem
I don’t know if I agree with this but what I would agree with is that you can’t maximin vote share if the electorate thinks you’re doing it with polls and spreadsheets
i don’t think you can maximin vote share with polls and spreadsheets, and i think it is a problem that the most prominent and influential political commentators right now are more devotees of data than experts in narrative
October 31, 2025 at 8:53 PM
I don’t know if I agree with this but what I would agree with is that you can’t maximin vote share if the electorate thinks you’re doing it with polls and spreadsheets
Reposted by Nate Hashem
i don’t think you can maximin vote share with polls and spreadsheets, and i think it is a problem that the most prominent and influential political commentators right now are more devotees of data than experts in narrative
October 31, 2025 at 12:38 PM
i don’t think you can maximin vote share with polls and spreadsheets, and i think it is a problem that the most prominent and influential political commentators right now are more devotees of data than experts in narrative
Reposted by Nate Hashem
trump's invulnerability primarily functions through the consensus that he is invulnerable
I am losing my gd mind seeing the number of people on here who are so doompilled that they cannot imagine that telling millions of people, including tons of MAGAs, that they’re out of food money and they also can’t have health insurance anymore might have any effect whatsoever on anything
Since SNAP benefits are gone next month and the new ACA enrollment hikes also start to reveal themselves to consumers... it's wild to think that both programs are tilted towards states AND demographics that favored Trump in '24
The stove beckons
The stove beckons
October 27, 2025 at 1:19 AM
trump's invulnerability primarily functions through the consensus that he is invulnerable
I like this framing, as long as you define "anti-facism" as "opposing Trump with discrete political actions, and/or winning elections."
"This Dem says we need to fight fascism, but wants to give more money to fasict cops" - well, yeah. Otherwise the actual fascists will win the election?
"This Dem says we need to fight fascism, but wants to give more money to fasict cops" - well, yeah. Otherwise the actual fascists will win the election?
My pet theory is that the new cleavage in the party is based on the intensity of anti-fascism. The 'antifa wing' can align with lefty candidates (like Mamdani) and in opposition to Dem party leaders, and it was behind Platner over Mills. But the Nazi tattoo changed everything. (consult the chart)
October 25, 2025 at 11:56 AM
I like this framing, as long as you define "anti-facism" as "opposing Trump with discrete political actions, and/or winning elections."
"This Dem says we need to fight fascism, but wants to give more money to fasict cops" - well, yeah. Otherwise the actual fascists will win the election?
"This Dem says we need to fight fascism, but wants to give more money to fasict cops" - well, yeah. Otherwise the actual fascists will win the election?
Reposted by Nate Hashem
When daily life no longer fostered physical fitness as much as in the agricultural/factory era we created gym memberships, this is like a social analog for the digital age.
October 2, 2025 at 12:54 PM
When daily life no longer fostered physical fitness as much as in the agricultural/factory era we created gym memberships, this is like a social analog for the digital age.
Reposted by Nate Hashem
I've written an essay reflecting on how I use the word slop and some theory of what distinguishes slop from spam and kitsch.
minihf.com/posts/2025-1...
minihf.com/posts/2025-1...
On Slop
minihf.com
October 2, 2025 at 11:50 AM
I've written an essay reflecting on how I use the word slop and some theory of what distinguishes slop from spam and kitsch.
minihf.com/posts/2025-1...
minihf.com/posts/2025-1...
Reposted by Nate Hashem
Rooted cosmopolitanism vs rootless nationalism.
September 26, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Rooted cosmopolitanism vs rootless nationalism.
Reposted by Nate Hashem
Recurring gripe of mine but it is incredible how National Conservatism is supposedly built around decrying lack of community, common project etc, while turning every “hate your neighbors” dial they can access up to 11. Make your professor terrified to say anything, don’t trust your doctor, etc
September 26, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Recurring gripe of mine but it is incredible how National Conservatism is supposedly built around decrying lack of community, common project etc, while turning every “hate your neighbors” dial they can access up to 11. Make your professor terrified to say anything, don’t trust your doctor, etc