Hoping we also gave them the safety feature of giant bombs in their mainframes that go off if you stump them with a 6th-grade-level logic puzzle
November 13, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Hoping we also gave them the safety feature of giant bombs in their mainframes that go off if you stump them with a 6th-grade-level logic puzzle
To me, contrarianism has the connotation of dishonesty or sophistry. I'm talking about people who are so committed to being "independent thinkers" that they allow themselves to be genuinely convinced of stupid things, so long as they fit into a posture of bottomless cynicism.
November 12, 2025 at 6:11 PM
To me, contrarianism has the connotation of dishonesty or sophistry. I'm talking about people who are so committed to being "independent thinkers" that they allow themselves to be genuinely convinced of stupid things, so long as they fit into a posture of bottomless cynicism.
I've tried to get "naive cynicism" to catch on. You'll believe anything so long as it can be framed as against the dominant narrative (whatever you think that is).
November 12, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I've tried to get "naive cynicism" to catch on. You'll believe anything so long as it can be framed as against the dominant narrative (whatever you think that is).
Yeah, gerrymandering isn’t magic. If you redraw 8 districts from GOP +15 to GOP +8 so you can pick up 4 Dem districts, a Dem +9 midterm wipes you out.
November 5, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Yeah, gerrymandering isn’t magic. If you redraw 8 districts from GOP +15 to GOP +8 so you can pick up 4 Dem districts, a Dem +9 midterm wipes you out.
This is even more speculative, but it's possible that they got a lot of mileage in the primary from their support by lefty Jewish groups and those groups just don't have as much sway with the general electorate. I don't totally buy that because none of those groups are mass membership.
October 27, 2025 at 6:31 PM
This is even more speculative, but it's possible that they got a lot of mileage in the primary from their support by lefty Jewish groups and those groups just don't have as much sway with the general electorate. I don't totally buy that because none of those groups are mass membership.
I've got no insight beyond being an individual canvasser. If I had to speculate, they might have over-learned the lesson from the primary as "the anti-Semitism smear doesn't work" without realizing the effectiveness of what they did to counter it.
October 27, 2025 at 6:28 PM
I've got no insight beyond being an individual canvasser. If I had to speculate, they might have over-learned the lesson from the primary as "the anti-Semitism smear doesn't work" without realizing the effectiveness of what they did to counter it.
I doubt it was a deliberate decision to drop (I imagine they have refined and distilled their message on several dimensions), but it's perhaps a sign about priorities.
October 27, 2025 at 6:22 PM
I doubt it was a deliberate decision to drop (I imagine they have refined and distilled their message on several dimensions), but it's perhaps a sign about priorities.
Anecdotally, the talking points sheets they're currently giving to canvassers don't include anything on anti-Semitism. I think (not 100% sure) that during primary canvassing they did have talking points about that.
October 27, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Anecdotally, the talking points sheets they're currently giving to canvassers don't include anything on anti-Semitism. I think (not 100% sure) that during primary canvassing they did have talking points about that.
The food pantry idea is impractical beyond a symbolic gesture, but the idea of creating Dem Party-affiliated community spaces is a good one. The parties are absent from people’s lives; reaching back toward a 19th-century model is worth a try.
October 27, 2025 at 12:26 PM
The food pantry idea is impractical beyond a symbolic gesture, but the idea of creating Dem Party-affiliated community spaces is a good one. The parties are absent from people’s lives; reaching back toward a 19th-century model is worth a try.
Unless I'm missing something, I believe the RGB is a creature of city law, City Admin. Code § 26-510. There is state enabling legislation that allows the City to regulate rent for rent-stabilized units, but I don't think it specifies anything about how that power must be exercised.
October 24, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Unless I'm missing something, I believe the RGB is a creature of city law, City Admin. Code § 26-510. There is state enabling legislation that allows the City to regulate rent for rent-stabilized units, but I don't think it specifies anything about how that power must be exercised.
This is going to be a top priority for a mayor with a reasonably progressive City Council. I think if Adams pulls this bullshit, Mamdani will just pass legislation expanding the board.
October 24, 2025 at 7:05 PM
This is going to be a top priority for a mayor with a reasonably progressive City Council. I think if Adams pulls this bullshit, Mamdani will just pass legislation expanding the board.
I'm thinking along the lines of: does the Mayor's office prioritize issues you raise, or do they get addressed in due course; do they give you opportunities to share credit for popular initiatives; does the mayor take opportunities to elevate potential primary challengers or discourage them?
October 21, 2025 at 9:14 PM
I'm thinking along the lines of: does the Mayor's office prioritize issues you raise, or do they get addressed in due course; do they give you opportunities to share credit for popular initiatives; does the mayor take opportunities to elevate potential primary challengers or discourage them?
Wouldn’t be so sure about that. Being on the bad side of the actual mayor is a bigger political/constituent service problem than being on the bad side of a candidate. (But I predicted they would both endorse Mamdani after he won in June, so poor track record here.)
October 21, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Wouldn’t be so sure about that. Being on the bad side of the actual mayor is a bigger political/constituent service problem than being on the bad side of a candidate. (But I predicted they would both endorse Mamdani after he won in June, so poor track record here.)
People sometimes get captivated by those too when the candidates are good enough at drawing attention! But anyway, this is what comes with the territory of capturing public attention to ascend from an unknown to a serious Senate candidate; people start scrutinizing you and forming opinions.
October 21, 2025 at 4:03 PM
People sometimes get captivated by those too when the candidates are good enough at drawing attention! But anyway, this is what comes with the territory of capturing public attention to ascend from an unknown to a serious Senate candidate; people start scrutinizing you and forming opinions.
It's advocacy! They are advocating against voting for a guy with a Nazi tattoo (and also advocating not to post in support of him or donate to him, which are things that anyone can do even if they don't live in Maine).
October 21, 2025 at 3:58 PM
It's advocacy! They are advocating against voting for a guy with a Nazi tattoo (and also advocating not to post in support of him or donate to him, which are things that anyone can do even if they don't live in Maine).
By contrast, in most of the prequels and sequels, characters with a lot more information treat the threat inexplicably lightly, because otherwise it would be two hours of characters monitoring samples in a secure lab following proper decontamination and quarantine protocols.
October 20, 2025 at 11:05 AM
By contrast, in most of the prequels and sequels, characters with a lot more information treat the threat inexplicably lightly, because otherwise it would be two hours of characters monitoring samples in a secure lab following proper decontamination and quarantine protocols.
Exactly. I think the original works so well because the plot doesn’t require any of the characters to be stupid, just extremely outmatched by a force that evolves too quickly for them to keep up with.
October 20, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Exactly. I think the original works so well because the plot doesn’t require any of the characters to be stupid, just extremely outmatched by a force that evolves too quickly for them to keep up with.
Phillies fans are always crazy people, and also ontologically evil. This is what they deserve.
October 10, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Phillies fans are always crazy people, and also ontologically evil. This is what they deserve.
This mediocre diner in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn that has literal lines into the street on the weekends...
September 24, 2025 at 5:16 PM
This mediocre diner in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn that has literal lines into the street on the weekends...
All the great movies theaters--IFC, Film Forum, Angelika (despite the weird layouts), BAM. You can see all the best new movies from around the world, but repertory is even better. Being able to just pop in to see Seven Samurai or In the Mood for Love on a big screen is such a pleasure.
August 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM
All the great movies theaters--IFC, Film Forum, Angelika (despite the weird layouts), BAM. You can see all the best new movies from around the world, but repertory is even better. Being able to just pop in to see Seven Samurai or In the Mood for Love on a big screen is such a pleasure.
"Obviously there is no connection between me and this guy I hired to fundraise for me, who committed a bunch of crimes related to that fundraising." Thoroughly half-assed spin, but I guess when you are polling at 7% there's no point in shelling out for a good flimflam artist.
August 12, 2025 at 9:30 PM
"Obviously there is no connection between me and this guy I hired to fundraise for me, who committed a bunch of crimes related to that fundraising." Thoroughly half-assed spin, but I guess when you are polling at 7% there's no point in shelling out for a good flimflam artist.
I think it redounds to Mamdani's advantage, even though that's surely not the intention. The more voters hear about Adams and Cuomo, the more they dislike them.
August 5, 2025 at 1:37 PM
I think it redounds to Mamdani's advantage, even though that's surely not the intention. The more voters hear about Adams and Cuomo, the more they dislike them.
Adams is by far the least likely candidate to drop out. Literally believes he was chosen by god to be mayor; his entire political career is built on weird schemes; he surrounds himself with dumb flunkies. This just isn’t a guy who will ever lose confidence in himself.
August 5, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Adams is by far the least likely candidate to drop out. Literally believes he was chosen by god to be mayor; his entire political career is built on weird schemes; he surrounds himself with dumb flunkies. This just isn’t a guy who will ever lose confidence in himself.
In which direction did you change your mind? Was it born of actual mass public opinion, or elite-driven?
July 31, 2025 at 5:34 PM
In which direction did you change your mind? Was it born of actual mass public opinion, or elite-driven?