Ben
@urbanistben.bsky.social
CA, Urbanist, Photographer, Generally Annoying
Reposted by Ben
Donald Trump announces he has signed the bill to release the Epstein files.
November 20, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Donald Trump announces he has signed the bill to release the Epstein files.
I worked at TV-9 when it was still part of The Gazette, I even wrote for The Gazette for a while, and really hope that the Adams purchase is a good thing.
I wish the company had held on to Color Web Printers a little bit longer. It makes me sad to think of the paper being printed in Wisconsin.
I wish the company had held on to Color Web Printers a little bit longer. It makes me sad to think of the paper being printed in Wisconsin.
November 20, 2025 at 12:32 AM
I worked at TV-9 when it was still part of The Gazette, I even wrote for The Gazette for a while, and really hope that the Adams purchase is a good thing.
I wish the company had held on to Color Web Printers a little bit longer. It makes me sad to think of the paper being printed in Wisconsin.
I wish the company had held on to Color Web Printers a little bit longer. It makes me sad to think of the paper being printed in Wisconsin.
Reposted by Ben
“Short bursts indicate an ICE sighting. Long whistles indicate agents making arrests. If you hear the whistle and you’re undocumented, said [Whitney Hu, a community activist and organizer with South Brooklyn Mutual Aid], ‘you hide. And if you’re somebody who’s not, you go to the street.’”
As ICE Street Raids Ramp Up, New Yorkers Stock Up On Whistles
Taking a cue from Chicago, community groups have distributed thousands of whistles in recent weeks — a grassroots system people in other cities have adopted to help neighbors sound the alarm.
www.thecity.nyc
November 17, 2025 at 1:44 PM
“Short bursts indicate an ICE sighting. Long whistles indicate agents making arrests. If you hear the whistle and you’re undocumented, said [Whitney Hu, a community activist and organizer with South Brooklyn Mutual Aid], ‘you hide. And if you’re somebody who’s not, you go to the street.’”
A car is not a choice in most of America and that's a longstanding result of policy.
The overwhelming evidence is that in spite of the purposeful destruction of American cities directly through government policy cities survived and came back to thrive again, large and small.
The overwhelming evidence is that in spite of the purposeful destruction of American cities directly through government policy cities survived and came back to thrive again, large and small.
Right, this is true, but the OVERWHELMING evidence of the past 100 years of American life is that vastly more people want space and a car than a smaller unit and a car-free lifestyle. This is mostly why the suburban share of US population has grown relentlessly for the entire 20th and 21st century
Some people put a premium on space in my experience, others put a premium on not having to have a car and not being isolated out in the suburbs
November 18, 2025 at 11:19 PM
A car is not a choice in most of America and that's a longstanding result of policy.
The overwhelming evidence is that in spite of the purposeful destruction of American cities directly through government policy cities survived and came back to thrive again, large and small.
The overwhelming evidence is that in spite of the purposeful destruction of American cities directly through government policy cities survived and came back to thrive again, large and small.
I wish someone would pull your head out of your ass
November 16, 2025 at 8:27 AM
I wish someone would pull your head out of your ass
Reposted by Ben
Keep in mind how insane that y-axis is, merely showing the top one percent of earners. Even amongst that group the overwhelming amount of gains have gone to the 0.01 percent.
0.01% of Elon Musks net worth is about $50 million dollars. For now. We could see a world where that's a nine figure 0.01%.
0.01% of Elon Musks net worth is about $50 million dollars. For now. We could see a world where that's a nine figure 0.01%.
it's fascinating that you can see when exactly the Reagan revolution happened
November 16, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Keep in mind how insane that y-axis is, merely showing the top one percent of earners. Even amongst that group the overwhelming amount of gains have gone to the 0.01 percent.
0.01% of Elon Musks net worth is about $50 million dollars. For now. We could see a world where that's a nine figure 0.01%.
0.01% of Elon Musks net worth is about $50 million dollars. For now. We could see a world where that's a nine figure 0.01%.
Reposted by Ben
And how much Transportation is hidden in the other categories? What portion of Housing costs is the garage under your apartment building? What portion of Food is the sea of parking surrounding the supermarket? What portion of Healthcare is car-related injury and respiratory disease?
Transportation costs are the second largest burden on American family budgets (17%), after housing (33%)!
To address the affordability crisis, we must create cities with abundant housing of all types (subsidized, social, coop, market rate) and make walking, biking, and taking transit convenient.
To address the affordability crisis, we must create cities with abundant housing of all types (subsidized, social, coop, market rate) and make walking, biking, and taking transit convenient.
November 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
And how much Transportation is hidden in the other categories? What portion of Housing costs is the garage under your apartment building? What portion of Food is the sea of parking surrounding the supermarket? What portion of Healthcare is car-related injury and respiratory disease?
Reposted by Ben
I just don’t see how we can pretend even for a moment that anything involving our federal government is remotely normal when the president is covering up his involvement in a child sex trafficking ring. Like, what are we doing here
November 15, 2025 at 1:14 AM
I just don’t see how we can pretend even for a moment that anything involving our federal government is remotely normal when the president is covering up his involvement in a child sex trafficking ring. Like, what are we doing here
Reposted by Ben
jesus christ man
Platner then again airily shrugs it off as being just "a skull & crossbones," chuckling slightly about it. He again reiterates that "skull & crossbones" logos have been "popular since the Romans" (not the greatest reference if you're trying to win over Jews, btw). 4/
November 14, 2025 at 6:20 PM
jesus christ man
Reposted by Ben
People should be allowed to have a THC seltzer if they want to
November 14, 2025 at 5:34 PM
People should be allowed to have a THC seltzer if they want to
Reposted by Ben
my most woke opinion is that any truck/SUV over 4,000 pounds should require a commercial drivers license, increased insurance/registration, more expensive parking, and higher punishments for traffic violations
"my least woke opinion is---"
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
November 14, 2025 at 4:10 PM
my most woke opinion is that any truck/SUV over 4,000 pounds should require a commercial drivers license, increased insurance/registration, more expensive parking, and higher punishments for traffic violations
November 13, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Reposted by Ben
if you can’t see the aurora borealis tonight, here is a sewer tunnel which is a wonder in itself.
November 12, 2025 at 3:58 AM
if you can’t see the aurora borealis tonight, here is a sewer tunnel which is a wonder in itself.
Reposted by Ben
November 11, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Reposted by Ben
Now I'm a dummy but it really feels to me like there has to be an entire relatively broad-based winning politics based around being in opposition to *just this one sliver* of what the Trump administration is doing right here www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/b...
November 11, 2025 at 4:26 AM
Now I'm a dummy but it really feels to me like there has to be an entire relatively broad-based winning politics based around being in opposition to *just this one sliver* of what the Trump administration is doing right here www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/b...
Reposted by Ben
It is hard to come up with a better analogy for whiteness than preferring the AI simulacra of your supposed authentic art form to whatever a Black woman from your art form’s cultural geography might make.
As long as it's not Beyonce country music fans are fine with this development
November 11, 2025 at 7:53 PM
It is hard to come up with a better analogy for whiteness than preferring the AI simulacra of your supposed authentic art form to whatever a Black woman from your art form’s cultural geography might make.
November 11, 2025 at 2:02 AM
This was a hoot actually
November 10, 2025 at 6:29 AM
This was a hoot actually
A 50 year mortgage is a terrible idea. It's a debt trap not a path to wealth building.
November 9, 2025 at 5:51 PM
A 50 year mortgage is a terrible idea. It's a debt trap not a path to wealth building.
We have invented a machine that can turn all the worlds resources into fake people emailing each other to the point no actual labor happens
The future is slop bots speaking to each other. Bravo, everyone.
November 9, 2025 at 5:48 PM
We have invented a machine that can turn all the worlds resources into fake people emailing each other to the point no actual labor happens
Obvious reason to domesticate a raccoon: have you seen one?
Obvious reason not to domesticate a raccoon: have you met one?
Why would you give a cat hands and leave it alone in your house?
Obvious reason not to domesticate a raccoon: have you met one?
Why would you give a cat hands and leave it alone in your house?
We domesticated wolves into dogs thousands and thousands of years before we'd even invented peanut butter, imagine how fast it would go now. Anyway, raccoons
November 7, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Obvious reason to domesticate a raccoon: have you seen one?
Obvious reason not to domesticate a raccoon: have you met one?
Why would you give a cat hands and leave it alone in your house?
Obvious reason not to domesticate a raccoon: have you met one?
Why would you give a cat hands and leave it alone in your house?
Reposted by Ben
A List of Things Said to Have Been Ruined by Women
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November 6, 2025 at 8:43 PM
A List of Things Said to Have Been Ruined by Women
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