Lawrence Velázquez
@larryv.me
In limbo. Politics & policy (sorry), transit & urbanism, computer programming & security, sports (sorry again).
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
Fireside this week, laying out a brief historiography (the 'history of the history') of the Roman strategy debate - the argument that has swirled since 1976 on the degree if Romans engaged in state-level strategic policy or if they were even able to do so.
(yes)
acoup.blog/2025/11/07/f...
(yes)
acoup.blog/2025/11/07/f...
Fireside Friday, November 7, 2025 (On the Roman Strategy Debate)
Hey folks! Fireside this week. I had wanted to have my post on the hoplite debate (the othismos over othismos) ready for this week, but it’s not quite done, so I am shifting that to next week…
acoup.blog
November 10, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Fireside this week, laying out a brief historiography (the 'history of the history') of the Roman strategy debate - the argument that has swirled since 1976 on the degree if Romans engaged in state-level strategic policy or if they were even able to do so.
(yes)
acoup.blog/2025/11/07/f...
(yes)
acoup.blog/2025/11/07/f...
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
Call the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and they will connect you with your senator's office.
If you're represented by one of the squishier centrists, be sure to make a call. Now.
If you're represented by one of the squishier centrists, be sure to make a call. Now.
Sounds like the squishes in the senate caucus are ready to pull the plug with no ACA changes. This is real. If you want to register your opinion you shld call yr senator in the next hour. They not only want to reopen w/nothing. They want cover from their colleagues who still want to hold out.
November 9, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Call the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and they will connect you with your senator's office.
If you're represented by one of the squishier centrists, be sure to make a call. Now.
If you're represented by one of the squishier centrists, be sure to make a call. Now.
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
Kathy Hochul says no free buses (which I agree with…but…what about the faster part? I would prefer to redirect to that!) www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/n...
Hochul Raises Doubts About Mamdani’s Free Bus Proposal
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Kathy Hochul says no free buses (which I agree with…but…what about the faster part? I would prefer to redirect to that!) www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/n...
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
not only am i a guy who likes to watch football, but i'm also a dad. so right off the jump i'm already one of the most fascinating people you've ever heard of. and that's before you find out that i live in brooklyn and post on bluesky a lot
November 9, 2025 at 8:16 PM
not only am i a guy who likes to watch football, but i'm also a dad. so right off the jump i'm already one of the most fascinating people you've ever heard of. and that's before you find out that i live in brooklyn and post on bluesky a lot
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
I wish those calling for the unmasking of ICE agents would be explicit about the obvious reason why this is necessary: these men need to be identifiable because justice demands that they be punished, severely, for what they are doing. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/u...
Immigration Agents Arrest Man in L.A. Raid and Drive Off With His Toddler
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:43 PM
I wish those calling for the unmasking of ICE agents would be explicit about the obvious reason why this is necessary: these men need to be identifiable because justice demands that they be punished, severely, for what they are doing. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/u...
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
“appearing to close his eyes.”
The motherfucker’s eyes were closed. You can just say it.
The motherfucker’s eyes were closed. You can just say it.
Images of Donald Trump appearing to close his eyes at an Oval Office announcement this week rocketed around social media this weekend, with the president’s opponents seizing on the footage to raise questions about Trump’s on-the-job performance.
Images of Trump appearing to close his eyes during Oval Office event spread across social media | CNN Politics
Images of Donald Trump appearing to close his eyes at an Oval Office announcement this week rocketed around social media this weekend, with the president’s opponents seizing on the footage to raise qu...
www.cnn.com
November 9, 2025 at 5:28 PM
“appearing to close his eyes.”
The motherfucker’s eyes were closed. You can just say it.
The motherfucker’s eyes were closed. You can just say it.
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
True on some level, but misleading. Air traffic controllers are paid (or, right now, not paid) by the FAA, with funding from user fees generated from taxes on airline tickets, jet fuel, etc. – not (at least not mostly?) out of general federal government revenues. usafacts.org/articles/who...
November 9, 2025 at 3:49 AM
True on some level, but misleading. Air traffic controllers are paid (or, right now, not paid) by the FAA, with funding from user fees generated from taxes on airline tickets, jet fuel, etc. – not (at least not mostly?) out of general federal government revenues. usafacts.org/articles/who...
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
bluesky branding refresh unveiled
November 8, 2025 at 9:18 PM
bluesky branding refresh unveiled
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
If Zohran Mamdani REALLY wants to make New York City safe for everyone, he'll adopt my proposal for the NYPD to train rats and equip them with go-pros and remote-controlled tasers to send into the sewers to maintain order and enforce the laws.
Remember, only a good rat can stop a bad rat!!!
Remember, only a good rat can stop a bad rat!!!
November 9, 2025 at 4:08 AM
If Zohran Mamdani REALLY wants to make New York City safe for everyone, he'll adopt my proposal for the NYPD to train rats and equip them with go-pros and remote-controlled tasers to send into the sewers to maintain order and enforce the laws.
Remember, only a good rat can stop a bad rat!!!
Remember, only a good rat can stop a bad rat!!!
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
A Sharon Begley byline, almost 5 years after her death.
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
Upon hearing the news James Watson had died, a STAT reporter said in our Slack, "I wish I could read what Sharon would have written."
Incredible news: Sharon in fact did pre-write a Watson obit. And it is masterful and excoriating.
🧪🧬🧫
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA who died Thursday at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers.
www.statnews.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:55 AM
pre-writing a devastating obituary for your enemy is god-tier hating of a kind you don’t often see anymore. renaissance haterism. beautiful stuff.
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
ice cubes are ridiculous. like yeah lemme just get a piece of water
November 8, 2025 at 10:27 PM
ice cubes are ridiculous. like yeah lemme just get a piece of water
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
We've spent years and years snd years litigating "wokeness" and "critical race theory" and "DEI" and "political correctness" and spilling untold gallons of ink explaining how complicated and nuanced it is, and it always seems to turn out to be exactly what you'd expect.
Two panels commemorating the contribution of Black American soldiers towards the liberation of the Netherlands in World War Two have been quietly removed from a cemetery in Limburg. It follows a complaint by right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission.
November 8, 2025 at 9:08 PM
We've spent years and years snd years litigating "wokeness" and "critical race theory" and "DEI" and "political correctness" and spilling untold gallons of ink explaining how complicated and nuanced it is, and it always seems to turn out to be exactly what you'd expect.
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
oh so these people do pay attention to who politicians follow on social media, they just don’t care that the vice president follows a bunch of actual neo-nazis
Axios tried to bust James Talarico for following adult content creators on Instagram and I'm genuinely impressed by his campaign's response
November 8, 2025 at 4:39 PM
oh so these people do pay attention to who politicians follow on social media, they just don’t care that the vice president follows a bunch of actual neo-nazis
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
Yeah I looked upon Cthulhu's dread visage and I was fine. Big octopus on a man's body. Not exactly "difficult to comprehend." Maybe you guys should go outside more idk
November 7, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Yeah I looked upon Cthulhu's dread visage and I was fine. Big octopus on a man's body. Not exactly "difficult to comprehend." Maybe you guys should go outside more idk
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
One thing that researching this really drove home is that NYC mayors have always been weird, weird guys.
November 8, 2025 at 3:47 AM
One thing that researching this really drove home is that NYC mayors have always been weird, weird guys.
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
Collecting TikTok avatars of ppl telling me New York will be under sharia law in six months
November 7, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Collecting TikTok avatars of ppl telling me New York will be under sharia law in six months
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
This is actually a pretty standard and unremarkable move, as evidenced by Justice Jackson issuing it.
But most people won't believe that for several good reasons.
/1
But most people won't believe that for several good reasons.
/1
#BREAKING: Justice Jackson has issued an "administrative" stay, temporarily pausing a district court order that would've required the USDA to continue using contingency funds to pay SNAP benefits.
The stay expires 48 hours after the First Circuit rules on USDA's request for a stay pending appeal.
The stay expires 48 hours after the First Circuit rules on USDA's request for a stay pending appeal.
November 8, 2025 at 2:40 AM
This is actually a pretty standard and unremarkable move, as evidenced by Justice Jackson issuing it.
But most people won't believe that for several good reasons.
/1
But most people won't believe that for several good reasons.
/1
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
The haters said they couldn't do it. And they were right. Honestly, great call from the haters.
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:08 AM
The haters said they couldn't do it. And they were right. Honestly, great call from the haters.
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
November 7, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
we talk too much about the male loneliness crisis and not enough about the male suckerfication crisis maxread.substack.com/p/prediction...
November 7, 2025 at 5:40 PM
we talk too much about the male loneliness crisis and not enough about the male suckerfication crisis maxread.substack.com/p/prediction...
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
What it says is that we gotta stop comparing modes of different distances! There will *always* be more trips on short-distance modes than longer ones, whether that’s driving to the next parking lot over vs. HSR, or a subway vs. plane trip.
I’m not sure what it says about the state of U.S. transit, but only five states move more people by rail each day than the people mover at Atlanta’s airport. By my estimate, it’s one of the most efficient rail systems in the world.
November 7, 2025 at 1:48 PM
What it says is that we gotta stop comparing modes of different distances! There will *always* be more trips on short-distance modes than longer ones, whether that’s driving to the next parking lot over vs. HSR, or a subway vs. plane trip.
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
i do want to point out that this does challenge the ironclad conventional wisdom that no one gives a shit about democracy
this would mean half of registered california voters voted in an odd year special election with a single arcane proposition on the ballot
November 7, 2025 at 7:07 AM
i do want to point out that this does challenge the ironclad conventional wisdom that no one gives a shit about democracy
Reposted by Lawrence Velázquez
Writing about Elon Musk’s pay package without leading with this is like profiling John Wayne Gacy’s booming party clown career.
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
November 7, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Writing about Elon Musk’s pay package without leading with this is like profiling John Wayne Gacy’s booming party clown career.