Ben Phelps
@thisisbenphelps.bsky.social
Musician and self-declared public intellectual
The internet is literally now fully optimized to show you stupid-shit-that-makes-you-mad and we're wondering why everybody is unhappy and angry all the time
January 6, 2026 at 7:55 AM
The internet is literally now fully optimized to show you stupid-shit-that-makes-you-mad and we're wondering why everybody is unhappy and angry all the time
I don't often say this but you should actually listen to what a weak limpdick psychopath Stephen Miller is (the vizier in charge of foreign and domestic affairs, America)
MILLER: The US is using its military to secure our interests unapologetically in our hemisphere. We're a superpower. It's absurd we'd allow a nation in our backyard to become a supplier of resources to our adversaries
TAPPER: Sovereign countries shouldn't be able to do what they want?
M: *yells*
TAPPER: Sovereign countries shouldn't be able to do what they want?
M: *yells*
January 6, 2026 at 7:03 AM
I don't often say this but you should actually listen to what a weak limpdick psychopath Stephen Miller is (the vizier in charge of foreign and domestic affairs, America)
Reposted by Ben Phelps
The @nytimes.com now confirming that, yep, this is exactly what happened www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/w...
January 4, 2026 at 6:27 AM
The @nytimes.com now confirming that, yep, this is exactly what happened www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/w...
Reposted by Ben Phelps
More and more signs pointing to this being a coup, one at least tacitly coordinated with Venezuelan VP Delcy Rodriguez, in exchange for switching from a Russian client state to an American one. Grim stuff!
Trump on María Corina Machado: "I think it'd be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn't have the support or the respect within the country. She's a very nice woman but she doesn't have the respect."
January 3, 2026 at 6:48 PM
More and more signs pointing to this being a coup, one at least tacitly coordinated with Venezuelan VP Delcy Rodriguez, in exchange for switching from a Russian client state to an American one. Grim stuff!
The FIFA world peace prize people must be pretty embarrassed
January 3, 2026 at 8:32 PM
The FIFA world peace prize people must be pretty embarrassed
as always, when events reach this level of nonsense, I must log off
January 3, 2026 at 8:31 PM
as always, when events reach this level of nonsense, I must log off
What's up with chimp on chimp warfare. That sucks.
January 3, 2026 at 5:51 AM
What's up with chimp on chimp warfare. That sucks.
if companies are using AI to grade job aps (and college aps for that matter) seems like you should absolutely just use AI to write your cover letter and resume
January 3, 2026 at 2:04 AM
if companies are using AI to grade job aps (and college aps for that matter) seems like you should absolutely just use AI to write your cover letter and resume
Reposted by Ben Phelps
always knew the burrito taxi industry was scummy but this is the most unfathomably evil, cartoon villain shit I’ve read in a while. jfc
January 2, 2026 at 4:02 PM
always knew the burrito taxi industry was scummy but this is the most unfathomably evil, cartoon villain shit I’ve read in a while. jfc
A one time 5% wealth tax that excludes real property is fucking nonsense
January 2, 2026 at 11:44 PM
A one time 5% wealth tax that excludes real property is fucking nonsense
Reposted by Ben Phelps
how all youtube ads sound to me
December 30, 2025 at 10:27 AM
how all youtube ads sound to me
I'm the guy out here telling you the national debt doesn't matter but the flip side to this is municipal debt very much does matter
5/
If down the line Mamdani needs to do things without fully financing them with revenue (because of political sabotage or any other reason), a rhetoric of accounting for capacity in non-monetary terms will be essential.
2026 is off to a powerful start
If down the line Mamdani needs to do things without fully financing them with revenue (because of political sabotage or any other reason), a rhetoric of accounting for capacity in non-monetary terms will be essential.
2026 is off to a powerful start
January 2, 2026 at 8:06 AM
I'm the guy out here telling you the national debt doesn't matter but the flip side to this is municipal debt very much does matter
first rule of Econ twitter: never admit you don't actually understand the bond market
January 1, 2026 at 8:10 AM
first rule of Econ twitter: never admit you don't actually understand the bond market
SPRINKLES CUPCAKES WTF
January 1, 2026 at 6:17 AM
SPRINKLES CUPCAKES WTF
bad sign
Remember when Millennials were blamed for killing everything. Turns out they were being framed and it was actually Private Equity. www.ocregister.com/2025/12/31/s...
Sprinkles Cupcakes closing all stores New Year’s Eve
Founder Candace Nelson was surprised by the closures, which come without explanation from the company’s private equity owner.
www.ocregister.com
January 1, 2026 at 6:02 AM
bad sign
anyway downgraded from gold plan to bronze plan today fml
January 1, 2026 at 5:51 AM
anyway downgraded from gold plan to bronze plan today fml
2025. Not a fan.
January 1, 2026 at 4:43 AM
2025. Not a fan.
I was fucking murdered on the Bluesky discourse tonight and not one person actually put up a legitimate point against my argument so yes I'm a bit mad
did I somehow get Theophite to block me tonight because he posted out of his lane what an asshole. (he's clearly a very smart guy like this didn't even involve him)
December 31, 2025 at 8:39 AM
I was fucking murdered on the Bluesky discourse tonight and not one person actually put up a legitimate point against my argument so yes I'm a bit mad
did I somehow get Theophite to block me tonight because he posted out of his lane what an asshole. (he's clearly a very smart guy like this didn't even involve him)
December 31, 2025 at 7:58 AM
did I somehow get Theophite to block me tonight because he posted out of his lane what an asshole. (he's clearly a very smart guy like this didn't even involve him)
I'm learning that pointing out the national debt doesn't matter that much, while correct, is too far a crank position for Bluesky
December 31, 2025 at 6:58 AM
I'm learning that pointing out the national debt doesn't matter that much, while correct, is too far a crank position for Bluesky
Reposted by Ben Phelps
Isn’t the product supposed to be good for a while before the enshittification phase begins?
December 31, 2025 at 4:32 AM
Isn’t the product supposed to be good for a while before the enshittification phase begins?
End step-up cost-basis, tax loans against non-real-assets as income
I am in the unfortunate position of being 100% in favor of putting the all-in VC dipshits against the wall, and also thinking that the wealth tax proposal they’re all riled up about is poorly designed. Doesn’t seem to break the borrow-die loophole meaningfully.
December 30, 2025 at 8:45 PM
End step-up cost-basis, tax loans against non-real-assets as income
Our city leaders are an embarrassment.
If you think local governments should control land use, explain why it’s good to let Los Angeles (which has thousands of homeless people) block the conversion of this parking lot into affordable housing.
‘Dead’ to City Hall, but funded by the state: The high-stakes fight over a Los Angeles affordable housing project
State housing officials could limit Los Angeles' access to funds and strip it of some zoning authority over its efforts to block low-income housing in Venice.
www.politico.com
December 29, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Our city leaders are an embarrassment.
The thing about incomes I still don't think most people have reckoned with: if you keep the supply of housing fixed, and everybody gets an increase in real wages, basically only the asset owners win. This applies to both progressives and the Stancil-style-the-economy-is-good-actually economists.
December 29, 2025 at 1:16 AM
The thing about incomes I still don't think most people have reckoned with: if you keep the supply of housing fixed, and everybody gets an increase in real wages, basically only the asset owners win. This applies to both progressives and the Stancil-style-the-economy-is-good-actually economists.