Eli Kahn 🏳️🌈
@elikahn.bsky.social
Urban/environmental policy guy, YIMBY, sci-fi/fantasy writer, liberal, atheist. Californian in the DC area. All posts represent my views, not those of my employer.
where are they painted that were drowned after their vows?
where are they painted that were drowned after their vows?
I know *why* people say misogynistic things about women and IQ (the guys saying this are trying to clear the competition for scarce faculty jobs)
but man, it’s some 1950-ass “hardy har har my nagging wife” nonsense, isn’t it? like, do you live in the world? do you know any people?
but man, it’s some 1950-ass “hardy har har my nagging wife” nonsense, isn’t it? like, do you live in the world? do you know any people?
November 12, 2025 at 8:43 PM
I know *why* people say misogynistic things about women and IQ (the guys saying this are trying to clear the competition for scarce faculty jobs)
but man, it’s some 1950-ass “hardy har har my nagging wife” nonsense, isn’t it? like, do you live in the world? do you know any people?
but man, it’s some 1950-ass “hardy har har my nagging wife” nonsense, isn’t it? like, do you live in the world? do you know any people?
I don’t even know where I picked up the cultural idea that “soothing” music is slow-tempo and quiet, but the music that actually makes me feel more at ease is basically the opposite of that
November 12, 2025 at 3:17 AM
I don’t even know where I picked up the cultural idea that “soothing” music is slow-tempo and quiet, but the music that actually makes me feel more at ease is basically the opposite of that
a fun thing is how in America if you need to take a medication regularly and it’s really important that there never be interruptions or delays to the supply,
you can’t. that’s not a form of reliability that exists
you can’t. that’s not a form of reliability that exists
November 10, 2025 at 5:52 PM
a fun thing is how in America if you need to take a medication regularly and it’s really important that there never be interruptions or delays to the supply,
you can’t. that’s not a form of reliability that exists
you can’t. that’s not a form of reliability that exists
people were posting the other day about how New York politics are different from San Francisco politics, but this kind of thing makes them seem pretty similar
fascinated by the stance of this shitty ad paste campaign, which appears to be:
"fuck you for suggesting the city is good & could be better. this shit sucks & we like it that way"
"fuck you for suggesting the city is good & could be better. this shit sucks & we like it that way"
November 8, 2025 at 8:17 PM
people were posting the other day about how New York politics are different from San Francisco politics, but this kind of thing makes them seem pretty similar
ok now this one is just true
class war as a concept is transmisogynistic, authoritarian, and problematic.
November 8, 2025 at 10:08 AM
ok now this one is just true
I understand why it’s more complicated when men do it about women, but i still think “actually we should just never talk publicly about which celebrities we’re attracted to” is a terrible idea for a norm
being able to think through and compare notes on your attractions is actually really important
being able to think through and compare notes on your attractions is actually really important
November 8, 2025 at 1:25 AM
I understand why it’s more complicated when men do it about women, but i still think “actually we should just never talk publicly about which celebrities we’re attracted to” is a terrible idea for a norm
being able to think through and compare notes on your attractions is actually really important
being able to think through and compare notes on your attractions is actually really important
the thing about “UGH these leftists all want common good without sacrifice!” is that we could all be much, much better off if we just eliminated zoning and restrictions on immigration, and doing that does not involve sacrificing anything of value?
November 6, 2025 at 3:41 PM
the thing about “UGH these leftists all want common good without sacrifice!” is that we could all be much, much better off if we just eliminated zoning and restrictions on immigration, and doing that does not involve sacrificing anything of value?
i think there’s two, possibly three alternative definitions of “firmest belief”:
1. first principle underlying all other beliefs, least likely to abandon even if contrary evidence piled up. Mine is “it matters whether your beliefs are true” (ironic as a first principle, but nevertheless)
1. first principle underlying all other beliefs, least likely to abandon even if contrary evidence piled up. Mine is “it matters whether your beliefs are true” (ironic as a first principle, but nevertheless)
Do you have a firmest belief?
I’m texting a friend who just said “X is my firmest belief,” and I don’t mind telling you he sent me into an existential vortex of disbelief and non-meaning because I do not know what the hell my firmest belief is.
I’m texting a friend who just said “X is my firmest belief,” and I don’t mind telling you he sent me into an existential vortex of disbelief and non-meaning because I do not know what the hell my firmest belief is.
November 6, 2025 at 5:37 AM
i think there’s two, possibly three alternative definitions of “firmest belief”:
1. first principle underlying all other beliefs, least likely to abandon even if contrary evidence piled up. Mine is “it matters whether your beliefs are true” (ironic as a first principle, but nevertheless)
1. first principle underlying all other beliefs, least likely to abandon even if contrary evidence piled up. Mine is “it matters whether your beliefs are true” (ironic as a first principle, but nevertheless)
tragedy: the protein drink that that consumer reports investigation from last week found was the most free of lead contamination tastes: bad
November 5, 2025 at 8:26 PM
tragedy: the protein drink that that consumer reports investigation from last week found was the most free of lead contamination tastes: bad
I don’t get this analysis at all. Winning elections *is* “a solution to the party’s problems”! Winning elections is the party’s reason for being!
Is the claim “winning these elections does not guarantee Democrats will win all future elections”? If so, Youngkin is a failure by the same standard?
Is the claim “winning these elections does not guarantee Democrats will win all future elections”? If so, Youngkin is a failure by the same standard?
GM, Nate Cohn at his best sports pundit last night, already making up reasons why this one doesn't count
November 5, 2025 at 3:18 PM
I don’t get this analysis at all. Winning elections *is* “a solution to the party’s problems”! Winning elections is the party’s reason for being!
Is the claim “winning these elections does not guarantee Democrats will win all future elections”? If so, Youngkin is a failure by the same standard?
Is the claim “winning these elections does not guarantee Democrats will win all future elections”? If so, Youngkin is a failure by the same standard?
californians tend to represent our relationship with texas as us doing the don draper “i don’t think about you at all” thing, but that’s just our naturally diplomatic and friendly character
in hindsight wondering if california voters would show up in droves to tell texas politicians and donald trump to go fuck themselves seems kinda naive
November 5, 2025 at 5:20 AM
californians tend to represent our relationship with texas as us doing the don draper “i don’t think about you at all” thing, but that’s just our naturally diplomatic and friendly character
New York is one of the world’s great cities and deserves to grow! Staten Island is much larger than Manhattan and is drastically underdeveloped. It’s time for 3 million Staten Islanders.
I humbly suggest that Staten Island be upzoned into space for infinite amounts of affordable housing.
this is objectively hilarious
November 5, 2025 at 2:52 AM
New York is one of the world’s great cities and deserves to grow! Staten Island is much larger than Manhattan and is drastically underdeveloped. It’s time for 3 million Staten Islanders.
Reposted by Eli Kahn 🏳️🌈
Abundance in your dating life is housing praxis.
November 4, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Abundance in your dating life is housing praxis.
Today it occurred to me that a useful comparison is to kaiju movies. Everyone gets that kaiju movies are not about demonstrating how such a being could exist, but about showing how society causes and reacts to mass casualty events, right? But I kinda wish they were the former lol
A monster in a story can be a symbol of where evil comes from and how to defeat it.
A monster in a story can also be a biological being that exists according to certain rules, which explain why it becomes dangerous to its enemies.
It’s fine to prefer the second kind of literary monster!
A monster in a story can also be a biological being that exists according to certain rules, which explain why it becomes dangerous to its enemies.
It’s fine to prefer the second kind of literary monster!
November 3, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Today it occurred to me that a useful comparison is to kaiju movies. Everyone gets that kaiju movies are not about demonstrating how such a being could exist, but about showing how society causes and reacts to mass casualty events, right? But I kinda wish they were the former lol
Reposted by Eli Kahn 🏳️🌈
one of the most insane thing about partisan politics is that Republicans are allowed to say "these four million American citizens shouldn't get the representation they are entitled because it would be politically inconvenient for us" and nobody bats an eye
Johnson: "If they had no filibuster, they would pack the SCOTUS. You'd go from 9 to 17 or however many liberals they could pack. You would make DC & Puerto Rico into states, which would give 4 additional Democrat senators & make us a permanent minority. You'd see massive restrictions of 2A rights"
November 3, 2025 at 4:31 PM
one of the most insane thing about partisan politics is that Republicans are allowed to say "these four million American citizens shouldn't get the representation they are entitled because it would be politically inconvenient for us" and nobody bats an eye
what i most want from technology right now is for iMessage to be divided into separate inboxes like gmail is
give me one inbox for actual texts from people i know, one that’s like upcoming event reminders/rsvp confirmations/2FA login codes
and then a spam folder
give me one inbox for actual texts from people i know, one that’s like upcoming event reminders/rsvp confirmations/2FA login codes
and then a spam folder
November 2, 2025 at 12:00 AM
what i most want from technology right now is for iMessage to be divided into separate inboxes like gmail is
give me one inbox for actual texts from people i know, one that’s like upcoming event reminders/rsvp confirmations/2FA login codes
and then a spam folder
give me one inbox for actual texts from people i know, one that’s like upcoming event reminders/rsvp confirmations/2FA login codes
and then a spam folder
there’s a list of philosophical “arguments” best answered like this:
-Roko’s basilisk
-St. Anselm’s ontological “proof” of god
-“the 1st amendment doesn’t protect Islam because Islam is a political philosophy not a religion”
I call these “what’re you, some kinda comedian” arguments
-Roko’s basilisk
-St. Anselm’s ontological “proof” of god
-“the 1st amendment doesn’t protect Islam because Islam is a political philosophy not a religion”
I call these “what’re you, some kinda comedian” arguments
I don’t know how you do it, but we have to be a filter of “come on, you don’t really believe that” on these arguments. Nobody believes that the 22nd amendment contained a hidden path to reward the diligent seeker with more than two terms. Shut up.
November 1, 2025 at 9:58 PM
there’s a list of philosophical “arguments” best answered like this:
-Roko’s basilisk
-St. Anselm’s ontological “proof” of god
-“the 1st amendment doesn’t protect Islam because Islam is a political philosophy not a religion”
I call these “what’re you, some kinda comedian” arguments
-Roko’s basilisk
-St. Anselm’s ontological “proof” of god
-“the 1st amendment doesn’t protect Islam because Islam is a political philosophy not a religion”
I call these “what’re you, some kinda comedian” arguments
belated take on Tolkien Racial Essentialism discourse: I’m less interested in what it says about Tolkien’s or LotR’s moral character, and more about what it says about worldbuilding priorities
Tolkien mostly isn’t interested in how orcish culture functions, which is fine but isn’t to my taste
Tolkien mostly isn’t interested in how orcish culture functions, which is fine but isn’t to my taste
November 1, 2025 at 2:29 AM
belated take on Tolkien Racial Essentialism discourse: I’m less interested in what it says about Tolkien’s or LotR’s moral character, and more about what it says about worldbuilding priorities
Tolkien mostly isn’t interested in how orcish culture functions, which is fine but isn’t to my taste
Tolkien mostly isn’t interested in how orcish culture functions, which is fine but isn’t to my taste
there’s this idea of “jock fascism vs creep fascism”
imo there’s also jock liberalism and nerd liberalism
jock liberalism is feeling so secure that it never occurs to you to fear other people being different
nerd liberalism is fearing that if there’s any out-group at all, you’ll end up in it
imo there’s also jock liberalism and nerd liberalism
jock liberalism is feeling so secure that it never occurs to you to fear other people being different
nerd liberalism is fearing that if there’s any out-group at all, you’ll end up in it
October 31, 2025 at 10:28 PM
there’s this idea of “jock fascism vs creep fascism”
imo there’s also jock liberalism and nerd liberalism
jock liberalism is feeling so secure that it never occurs to you to fear other people being different
nerd liberalism is fearing that if there’s any out-group at all, you’ll end up in it
imo there’s also jock liberalism and nerd liberalism
jock liberalism is feeling so secure that it never occurs to you to fear other people being different
nerd liberalism is fearing that if there’s any out-group at all, you’ll end up in it
Reposted by Eli Kahn 🏳️🌈
College educated renters are the base constituency for socialist politics in America. More and more people are saying it all the time in fact.
Lmao at the only Zohran soldiers stronger than market rate tenants being Muslims, “very progressive” self-IDs, and LGBTQ people.
Zohran doing best with market rate tenants is a trvth nvke
October 31, 2025 at 6:51 PM
College educated renters are the base constituency for socialist politics in America. More and more people are saying it all the time in fact.
Cities: local government zoning. Commonsense regulation zoning.
Wiener: no, cities, you can’t have restrictive zoning.
Cities: zoning love neighborhood beautiful community zoning
Wiener: cities, we simply can’t afford restrictive zoning. It is an unjustifiable expense.
Cities: jealousy legislator
Wiener: no, cities, you can’t have restrictive zoning.
Cities: zoning love neighborhood beautiful community zoning
Wiener: cities, we simply can’t afford restrictive zoning. It is an unjustifiable expense.
Cities: jealousy legislator
Scott Wiener in 2018: I would like to rezone for housing near transit.
California’s local governments: no don’t take away our local control. We can do this ourselves!
Scott Wiener: ok, here’s SB 828, a bill that will make you upzone.
Local governments since then:
California’s local governments: no don’t take away our local control. We can do this ourselves!
Scott Wiener: ok, here’s SB 828, a bill that will make you upzone.
Local governments since then:
a little girl is sitting at a table with a plate of food and a bottle of water
ALT: a little girl is sitting at a table with a plate of food and a bottle of water
media.tenor.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Cities: local government zoning. Commonsense regulation zoning.
Wiener: no, cities, you can’t have restrictive zoning.
Cities: zoning love neighborhood beautiful community zoning
Wiener: cities, we simply can’t afford restrictive zoning. It is an unjustifiable expense.
Cities: jealousy legislator
Wiener: no, cities, you can’t have restrictive zoning.
Cities: zoning love neighborhood beautiful community zoning
Wiener: cities, we simply can’t afford restrictive zoning. It is an unjustifiable expense.
Cities: jealousy legislator
literally what is going on with the American Bridge PAC ads for Spanberger! what dimension are they taking place in?
“asmr: you’re watching the screen saver in a dentist’s office waiting room in 2006 while an ad about the gubernatorial election plays quietly on the radio”
“asmr: you’re watching the screen saver in a dentist’s office waiting room in 2006 while an ad about the gubernatorial election plays quietly on the radio”
October 31, 2025 at 3:35 PM
literally what is going on with the American Bridge PAC ads for Spanberger! what dimension are they taking place in?
“asmr: you’re watching the screen saver in a dentist’s office waiting room in 2006 while an ad about the gubernatorial election plays quietly on the radio”
“asmr: you’re watching the screen saver in a dentist’s office waiting room in 2006 while an ad about the gubernatorial election plays quietly on the radio”
once again tapping the sign: you do not have to pay people to insult you, and if you want journalists from prestige outlets to stop doing this, you have to incentivize them to stop, by unsubscribing, not clicking on their links, and muting their names
(I’m agreeing with OP here not criticizing)
(I’m agreeing with OP here not criticizing)
Fox fluffs its audience.
NYT/WaPo/etc increasingly delights in kicking theirs in the teeth.
Honest to god, gimme more outlets that think about me less.
NYT/WaPo/etc increasingly delights in kicking theirs in the teeth.
Honest to god, gimme more outlets that think about me less.
we have now reached the point where Astead is dunking on libs for… getting vaccinated during a global pandemic
seriously what is wrong with him?
seriously what is wrong with him?
October 31, 2025 at 2:29 AM
once again tapping the sign: you do not have to pay people to insult you, and if you want journalists from prestige outlets to stop doing this, you have to incentivize them to stop, by unsubscribing, not clicking on their links, and muting their names
(I’m agreeing with OP here not criticizing)
(I’m agreeing with OP here not criticizing)
i strongly feel that it’s inappropriate and juvenile for people who hold power over whether actual bombs get dropped on people to call the word “fuck” “the f-bomb”. Grow up.
Mike Johnson on Democrats: "They like to drop the F bomb now for fun, for emphasis, apparently"
October 30, 2025 at 3:04 PM
i strongly feel that it’s inappropriate and juvenile for people who hold power over whether actual bombs get dropped on people to call the word “fuck” “the f-bomb”. Grow up.