@jacobbaskin.bsky.social
Trying to figure out what the Yglesias haters actually believe:
- You must only advocate for government action consistent with a 1.5 degree target: yay recessions I guess?
- New fossil fuel infrastructure is just intrinsically bad: is this really even about climate in that case?
- You must only advocate for government action consistent with a 1.5 degree target: yay recessions I guess?
- New fossil fuel infrastructure is just intrinsically bad: is this really even about climate in that case?
December 22, 2025 at 12:21 AM
Trying to figure out what the Yglesias haters actually believe:
- You must only advocate for government action consistent with a 1.5 degree target: yay recessions I guess?
- New fossil fuel infrastructure is just intrinsically bad: is this really even about climate in that case?
- You must only advocate for government action consistent with a 1.5 degree target: yay recessions I guess?
- New fossil fuel infrastructure is just intrinsically bad: is this really even about climate in that case?
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This kind of corruption (when bus lanes should be moving in a light rail direction of being fenced off from traffic) reinforces cynical belief that nothing can get better in the city.
I haven't done a deep dive, and we have:
1. Co-Op City Bus Lane Carve-Out
2. MTA Employee Bus Lane Carve-Out
3. A Bill Mandating Two Person Train Operations
If this is Leroy Comrie's doing, maybe it's time to think about pushing for someone else to head up transportation in Albany.
1. Co-Op City Bus Lane Carve-Out
2. MTA Employee Bus Lane Carve-Out
3. A Bill Mandating Two Person Train Operations
If this is Leroy Comrie's doing, maybe it's time to think about pushing for someone else to head up transportation in Albany.
December 9, 2025 at 6:40 PM
This kind of corruption (when bus lanes should be moving in a light rail direction of being fenced off from traffic) reinforces cynical belief that nothing can get better in the city.
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Trump just completely selling out the national interest on this chip export question — China has way more electricity generating capacity than we do. But we have the good chips and he’s throwing it away.
December 9, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Trump just completely selling out the national interest on this chip export question — China has way more electricity generating capacity than we do. But we have the good chips and he’s throwing it away.
The OJ Simpson verdict
July 11, 2025 at 11:22 PM
The OJ Simpson verdict
The Omelas transit agency, serving millions of yuppies with efficient bus service by harnessing the suffering of one poor guy in Hollis who dropped his last quarter and only has $2.65
people answer that way in surveys because it's phrased as if the question means "would you like more buses on this particular route that you use or would you like the same shitty service to be free" but an expanded service offer is never universal
July 9, 2025 at 1:15 PM
The Omelas transit agency, serving millions of yuppies with efficient bus service by harnessing the suffering of one poor guy in Hollis who dropped his last quarter and only has $2.65
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It breaks my heart when the unions pursue shit like this, as opposed to "maybe we can find new jobs or existing employees, or just run more service". Also, it's a big middle finger to any Mamdani administration attempts to make transit cheaper --- can't revenue while also disregarding efficiency
ICYMI, the NYS Legislature recently passed a law that would require two-person crews on all trains.
One-person operation, however, has proven safe & effective around the country and the world.
This bill would hurt riders and lock NY's transit system in the past.
www.etany.org/statements/i...
One-person operation, however, has proven safe & effective around the country and the world.
This bill would hurt riders and lock NY's transit system in the past.
www.etany.org/statements/i...
Impeding Progress, Costing Riders — Effective Transit Alliance New York
Bill Banning One-Person Trains Would Lock NY Transit in the Past
www.etany.org
July 7, 2025 at 4:48 PM
It breaks my heart when the unions pursue shit like this, as opposed to "maybe we can find new jobs or existing employees, or just run more service". Also, it's a big middle finger to any Mamdani administration attempts to make transit cheaper --- can't revenue while also disregarding efficiency
I ranked Zohran, I’d do it again even in light of the Columbia thing, but I still think the story is newsworthy and am happy the Times didn’t bury it. I hope he responds to it in an appropriate way. Am I missing something here?
July 4, 2025 at 12:30 AM
I ranked Zohran, I’d do it again even in light of the Columbia thing, but I still think the story is newsworthy and am happy the Times didn’t bury it. I hope he responds to it in an appropriate way. Am I missing something here?
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I’m in this for you. Andrew Cuomo is in this for Andrew Cuomo.
June 22, 2025 at 11:15 PM
I’m in this for you. Andrew Cuomo is in this for Andrew Cuomo.
Reposted
This is the full-throated endorsement an editorial board that wasn't a bunch of pussies would have run
Opinion | This Is Brad Lander’s New York
www.nytimes.com
June 18, 2025 at 11:55 PM
This is the full-throated endorsement an editorial board that wasn't a bunch of pussies would have run
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The Union forever, hurrah! boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitors, up with the stars;
While we rally round the flag, boys, we rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
Down with the traitors, up with the stars;
While we rally round the flag, boys, we rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
June 15, 2025 at 5:12 AM
The Union forever, hurrah! boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitors, up with the stars;
While we rally round the flag, boys, we rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
Down with the traitors, up with the stars;
While we rally round the flag, boys, we rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
Reposted
Zohran Mamdani is now ahead of Cuomo in one poll, and just barely within the margin of error at that. Huge own-goal by NYC’s business establishment to throw so much money at Cuomo’s campaign – I think they’d have had a better chance with Adrienne Adams or Brad Lander www.politico.com/news/2025/06...
Mamdani surges in new poll, leading Cuomo for first time in New York mayor's race
The former governor has topped every voter survey since entering the race, but the democratic socialist is gaining on him.
www.politico.com
June 12, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Zohran Mamdani is now ahead of Cuomo in one poll, and just barely within the margin of error at that. Huge own-goal by NYC’s business establishment to throw so much money at Cuomo’s campaign – I think they’d have had a better chance with Adrienne Adams or Brad Lander www.politico.com/news/2025/06...
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Some specific examples here:
1) he shut down a nuclear plant because RFK Jr. told him to, which has been replaced by fossil fuels
2) he forced out Andy Byford at the MTA because he was jealous that Byford was getting positive press
3) he wanted to build an overpriced backwards airtrain to LGA
1) he shut down a nuclear plant because RFK Jr. told him to, which has been replaced by fossil fuels
2) he forced out Andy Byford at the MTA because he was jealous that Byford was getting positive press
3) he wanted to build an overpriced backwards airtrain to LGA
thing about Cuomo is his posturing as the "get stuff done" candidate is complete bullshit. he *sucks* at management. an overconfident, sloppy moron who constantly makes howlingly bad decisions bsky.app/profile/timm...
My little brother worked in skilled nursing at the time, and I think Cuomo might be his least favorite person on earth. They all blame him for covid getting into their facilities
June 9, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Some specific examples here:
1) he shut down a nuclear plant because RFK Jr. told him to, which has been replaced by fossil fuels
2) he forced out Andy Byford at the MTA because he was jealous that Byford was getting positive press
3) he wanted to build an overpriced backwards airtrain to LGA
1) he shut down a nuclear plant because RFK Jr. told him to, which has been replaced by fossil fuels
2) he forced out Andy Byford at the MTA because he was jealous that Byford was getting positive press
3) he wanted to build an overpriced backwards airtrain to LGA
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Seeing a lot of people comparing Newsom and Cuomo and I think that's not really getting close to communicating how bad Cuomo is.
April 17, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Seeing a lot of people comparing Newsom and Cuomo and I think that's not really getting close to communicating how bad Cuomo is.
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So many smart, young people (and smart experienced people) left the MTA and NY state government during Cuomo's tenure because he was so miserable to work for. City government brain drain is a really bad problem for competency and success, and Cuomo will exacerbate it.
Cuomo would accelerate the ongoing de Blasio/covid/Adams drain of smart, creative people from city govt
I worked for the city during Cuomo 1st Gov term. What I got from people in state agencies was palpable feeling of fear in MTA leadership, ESDC person I knew suggesting the Gov was a "psychopath"
I worked for the city during Cuomo 1st Gov term. What I got from people in state agencies was palpable feeling of fear in MTA leadership, ESDC person I knew suggesting the Gov was a "psychopath"
Yes and as bad as Eric Adams has been, Andrew Cuomo will be far, far worse. Adams at least thought it was worthwhile to pretend to care about bus riders and cyclists early in his term. Cuomo is a car guy through and won't even bother with pretending to care about anyone but himself.
March 25, 2025 at 3:52 PM
So many smart, young people (and smart experienced people) left the MTA and NY state government during Cuomo's tenure because he was so miserable to work for. City government brain drain is a really bad problem for competency and success, and Cuomo will exacerbate it.
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Don't rank Andrew Cuomo on your ballot for a lot of reasons, but a big one is that he is a bad person.
My legal bills as a nonparty will top $2 million before Cuomo’s legal abuse is over.
“I’ve spent roughly $1.5 million on lawyers so far…a figure that doesn’t include “hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of trauma therapy.”
@rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
“I’ve spent roughly $1.5 million on lawyers so far…a figure that doesn’t include “hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of trauma therapy.”
@rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Andrew Cuomo's Exorbitantly Expensive Taxpayer-Funded Revenge Campaign
New York taxpayers have paid tens of millions to Andrew Cuomo's lawyers, who are now his biggest mayoral campaign boosters
www.rollingstone.com
March 22, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Don't rank Andrew Cuomo on your ballot for a lot of reasons, but a big one is that he is a bad person.
Proud that when *my* family was on the LES, their cringe lefty buddies knocked down tenements to build skyscrapers instead of…the opposite
March 22, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Proud that when *my* family was on the LES, their cringe lefty buddies knocked down tenements to build skyscrapers instead of…the opposite
Reposted
an under-appreciated reason to not rank Andrew Cuomo is that he teamed up with RFK Jr. to shut down New York’s largest nuclear power plant, causing energy costs and carbon emissions to skyrocket
March 9, 2025 at 6:11 PM
an under-appreciated reason to not rank Andrew Cuomo is that he teamed up with RFK Jr. to shut down New York’s largest nuclear power plant, causing energy costs and carbon emissions to skyrocket
Reposted
Cuomo was governor for 10 years. He came in with a lot of experience and amassed a lot of political power. West coast states were trying hard to increase urban housing supply; he did nothing. He hounded out the best NYC Transit head we’ve ever had. He failed over and over to deliver on policy.
So funny to see the left’s circular firing squad forming around Cuomo. Disagree on policy, not purity.
March 2, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Cuomo was governor for 10 years. He came in with a lot of experience and amassed a lot of political power. West coast states were trying hard to increase urban housing supply; he did nothing. He hounded out the best NYC Transit head we’ve ever had. He failed over and over to deliver on policy.
That’s not a lot though? Like 20 people’s annual emissions. Or to put it another way the engineers training the model consume more CO2 in their day to day lives than the GPUs do to train it
January 12, 2025 at 1:15 AM
That’s not a lot though? Like 20 people’s annual emissions. Or to put it another way the engineers training the model consume more CO2 in their day to day lives than the GPUs do to train it
If there are still Hallmark Christmas movies in 20 years there will be one about a busy London opthalmologist (Bashar al-Assad) having to move back home to take over his family business (Syria) while learning about what really matters (gassing rebels)
December 7, 2024 at 2:18 AM
If there are still Hallmark Christmas movies in 20 years there will be one about a busy London opthalmologist (Bashar al-Assad) having to move back home to take over his family business (Syria) while learning about what really matters (gassing rebels)
My model of Elon is that he is like +5σ raw technical intuition but doesn’t have the skill or inclination to think things through at all. Like GPT-6 but with no chain of thought
Maybe this is pedantic on a point that’s irrelevant within the mechanics of power, but I have yet to see anything to suggest that Elon Musk is even a standard deviation from mean on raw intelligence, just like pure intellectual horsepower
"Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who will be in charge of DOGE, are both brilliant, and the federal government has clearly become too expansive..."
November 25, 2024 at 1:25 AM
My model of Elon is that he is like +5σ raw technical intuition but doesn’t have the skill or inclination to think things through at all. Like GPT-6 but with no chain of thought
Noticing a lot of smoke breaks at the construction site down the street involve weed. Is that just…like is everyone getting high at work and we’re pretending it’s nicotine? Seems bad!
November 21, 2024 at 1:39 PM
Noticing a lot of smoke breaks at the construction site down the street involve weed. Is that just…like is everyone getting high at work and we’re pretending it’s nicotine? Seems bad!
I think it’s always been clear who Matt is writing for: staffers! He wants them to stop toning down their bosses’ centrist beliefs out of fear of offending the nonprofit groups.
Who is Yglesias talking about? Who is he arguing with?
For example, who is the on other side of "Academic and nonprofit work does not occupy a unique position of virtue relative to private business or any other jobs"?
Not Harris, Biden, or other Dem leaders. It's people who annoy him online.
2/x
For example, who is the on other side of "Academic and nonprofit work does not occupy a unique position of virtue relative to private business or any other jobs"?
Not Harris, Biden, or other Dem leaders. It's people who annoy him online.
2/x
November 13, 2024 at 2:07 PM
I think it’s always been clear who Matt is writing for: staffers! He wants them to stop toning down their bosses’ centrist beliefs out of fear of offending the nonprofit groups.
Probably my most pro-natalist belief is that being in your 70s with no kids sounds pretty grim. Obviously not everyone ends up there by choice and there are ways to deal but people go down a lot of pretty sad paths
“We gave it a year here. And we just said, ‘Too much grief and no joy.’ There’s no fun. We’re struggling every day.”
This couple plans to return to the US after they say their dream life in France became a "nightmare."
This couple plans to return to the US after they say their dream life in France became a "nightmare."
This couple plan to return to the US after their dream life in France became a ‘nightmare’ | CNN
They moved to France from San Francisco and planned to spend the rest of their lives there. But just 12 months later, Joanna McIsaac-Kierklo and her husband Eddie have had enough.
www.cnn.com
November 9, 2024 at 7:08 PM
Probably my most pro-natalist belief is that being in your 70s with no kids sounds pretty grim. Obviously not everyone ends up there by choice and there are ways to deal but people go down a lot of pretty sad paths