Ben Groff
Ben Groff
@bengroff.bsky.social
We are bored in the city
A good question for the "Deciding to Win" popularism advocates to answer would be, were the 8 moderate Senators right to break rank on the government shutdown from an electoral perspective? Will that help or hurt their own performance and that of the Democratic Party brand nationwide?
November 11, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Searching for the perfect baseball bar
October 30, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Polling data from KFF shows a vast majority of voters (74%) support extending the enhanced ACA tax credits set to expire next year, the issue central to the government shut down. This includes 59% of Republicans and 57% of "MAGA" supporters.
October 6, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Reposted by Ben Groff
AAA estimates the average cost of owning a car is $12,297 a year, and recommends drivers spend no more than 10 percent of their income on car costs. This means you should make 120K to afford the average cost. Median *household* income in the US is $77K. The math just doesn't work.
August 5, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Some good salads in here. Personally I like a nice Caesar, or a wedge salad, or nicoise, or even a Greek salad. Salad is a "since the dawn of civilization" thing. You should eat salad before your carbs at dinner to prevent a glucose spike. Then go for a walk after. It's just the right thing to do.
These are salads you know and love, the ones that stand above the fold, some with long histories and others that only feel like they’ve been around forever. https://nyti.ms/41gBJuY
August 2, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Orioles were 18 games under .500 at their worst this year on May 24 two months ago.

They have gone under 10 games under a couple of times since then and are now sitting at 8.

Schedule coming up is tough though: Cubs, Phillies, Mariners, Astros in August.
July 30, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Reposted by Ben Groff
"The current conditions in [PJM's] capacity market are almost entirely the result of large load additions from data centers" -Independent Market Monitor for PJM, June 2025 🔌💡 www.monitoringanalytics.com/reports/repo...
July 23, 2025 at 3:16 AM
The ratio of helpful autocorrect to unhelpful has to be like 1:10
July 2, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Returning to the US from vacation to two scam calls and two fundraising texts in 10 minutes. Welcome back, idiot!
June 24, 2025 at 6:32 PM
I have a bunch of stations in the Pandora app that I set up like 18-19 years ago. Odd feeling!
April 21, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Reposted by Ben Groff
Five remaining WA housing abundance bills must pass out of their opposite chambers by 5pm on Wednesday:

HB 1491 - TOD
HB 1096 - lot splitting
HB 1183 - setbacks/facade mod.
SB 5613 - clear/objective stds.
SB 5148 - housing accountbility

Bill info here:
www.sightline.org/2025/02/13/w...
Washington Housing Bills to Watch in 2025  | Sightline Institute
More than two dozen bills aim to unlock great neighborhoods, greater affordability, and less red tape for Washingtonians.
www.sightline.org
April 14, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Reposted by Ben Groff
It is a myth that large numbers of voters who formerly supported social democratic parties have defected to the far-right. Visit Chartbook Top Link to find out more!
March 18, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Reposted by Ben Groff
I'll take this as a cautiously optimistic sign. Baltimore is one of the nation's most underrated cities with so much potential it's actually frustrating. This place has historical bones and assets to die for.

www.thebaltimorebanner.com/baltimore/ba...
Baltimore gained population for the first time in a decade, new data shows
Baltimore City gained population for the first time since 2014, census data released Thursday shows.
www.thebaltimorebanner.com
March 13, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Reposted by Ben Groff
Democracy Docket is not on Substack. Yes, it's more difficult to get sign-ups and expensive to operate. But it's worth it. It has no corporate overlords. It is not dependent on investors. It only depends on you.

If this is what you value, support it today. www.democracydocket.com/me-subscribe...
March 13, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Reposted by Ben Groff
A crucial insight, from Harry Collins: "human intelligence is collective—it is property of societies, not individuals." Eliot's thread below shows how stupidity can be collectivised as well. We all have a responsibility in collective intelligence.
Article here.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
March 13, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Reposted by Ben Groff
I organized a design competition for single-stair buildings on small infill lots in Baltimore City!

This website is probably totally broken on mobile, but check it out to see the competition brief and register on eventbrite.

www.cnudc.org/single-stair...
Single Stair Competition | cnu-dc-chapter
www.cnudc.org
March 11, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Ben Groff
Something positive/non-political: I don't think I had ever seen the Josef von Sternberg/Marlene Dietrich collaboration Morocco (1930) until today, and the last five minutes is one of the greatest stretches of filmmaking I've ever seen in an early talkie. You can feel filmmaking leap into its future.
March 12, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Reposted by Ben Groff
Look, folks, this is it. The entire ballgame. Either we're a Republic of laws & the Constitution, or we have a dictator. This is fascism, & the impeachment vote should be happening today. Every single university president in the country should be out, in front of microphones, condemning this.
Trump takes credit for Mahmoud Khalil's arrest by ICE:
March 10, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Reposted by Ben Groff
Never believe the MAGA hype that claims they are sustained by some kind of giant majority. Trump 2.0, like Trump 1.0 is one of the most unpopular Presidents in American history. Then ask yourself about the strategy of the Dems!
Enjoy more content here: tinyurl.com/yc9ubv2e
March 10, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Reposted by Ben Groff
A few years back, centrist Democrats & the Very Serious People mocked & dismissed the slogan ‘abolish ICE’.

Today’s actions are a reminder of how ICE is a rogue, lawless agency that is easily weaponized by an authoritarian administration & that it very much should be abolished.
March 10, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Reposted by Ben Groff
Join Bikemore, CMTA, Maryland Sierra Club, and Baltimore Transit Friends on March 20th at Ministry of Brewing for a joint happy hour where we'll talk our state legislative agenda!

buff.ly/35ScUZi
March 7, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Reposted by Ben Groff
Don't miss the next Baltimore Transit Friends Happy Hour! This will be a bigger event than usual with as we join forces with the Sierra Club of Maryland, Central Maryland Transportation Alliance and Bikemore among others to meet the moment on transportation advocacy and critical state funding.
Join Bikemore, CMTA, Maryland Sierra Club, and Baltimore Transit Friends on March 20th at Ministry of Brewing for a joint happy hour where we'll talk our state legislative agenda!

buff.ly/35ScUZi
March 7, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Reposted by Ben Groff
heyyyy were u a flash animator/gamedev in the 00s? did you know many of the sound effects sites that were commonly used by artists during that time are now shut down and many of the sounds are lost? please upload the sounds to archive.org cuz they should be archived! (and also so i can use them)
March 6, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by Ben Groff
Listening to a podcast thing where people in debt or with otherwise bad finances get help/talk thru how they got there and so far 100% of the people's lives are ruined by car debt, car collisions, not being able to get to work because their car is broken, etc.
March 5, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Reposted by Ben Groff
Starting March 10.

You’re welcome.
March 5, 2025 at 10:03 PM