Sean Campbell
@seancampbell.bsky.social
I've spent most of my career in institutional real estate investment. I can't say anything definitive because I don't know all the details, but it's hard for me to imagine that this deal, where the school paid $375/square foot for the privilege of paying $50/square foot in ground rent, is market.
December 13, 2025 at 6:42 PM
I've spent most of my career in institutional real estate investment. I can't say anything definitive because I don't know all the details, but it's hard for me to imagine that this deal, where the school paid $375/square foot for the privilege of paying $50/square foot in ground rent, is market.
Why is it the trustees' fault? It seems like enrollment is down 15 percent or so, which would be hard for any institution. Did they over-expand? I'm not arguing, genuinely curious.
December 13, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Why is it the trustees' fault? It seems like enrollment is down 15 percent or so, which would be hard for any institution. Did they over-expand? I'm not arguing, genuinely curious.
I feel like the government being shut down for all of October makes this tough to interpret
December 3, 2025 at 4:43 PM
I feel like the government being shut down for all of October makes this tough to interpret
I met a big Sliwa supporter at a Halloween party on Friday--he was dressed as a giant banana. Based on my conversation with him, I don't see much tactical Cuomo voting happening.
November 4, 2025 at 12:36 AM
I met a big Sliwa supporter at a Halloween party on Friday--he was dressed as a giant banana. Based on my conversation with him, I don't see much tactical Cuomo voting happening.
I was there during the GFC and before it all crumbled all the discussion was about how it was different from previous bubbles.
November 4, 2025 at 12:23 AM
I was there during the GFC and before it all crumbled all the discussion was about how it was different from previous bubbles.
Worth reading this paper, "Causation as Folk Science"
sites.pitt.edu
October 4, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Worth reading this paper, "Causation as Folk Science"
I'd describe it as "lawyerly". She's a lawyer, so it makes sense--and many people find lawyers frustrating because they're always hedging.
September 20, 2025 at 7:27 PM
I'd describe it as "lawyerly". She's a lawyer, so it makes sense--and many people find lawyers frustrating because they're always hedging.
Spy Game is a good one. Three Days of the Condor doesn't really hold up, in my opinion.
September 16, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Spy Game is a good one. Three Days of the Condor doesn't really hold up, in my opinion.
It would be interesting to look through this to population. This could just be another version of the story about out-migration from rural America.
September 16, 2025 at 1:36 PM
It would be interesting to look through this to population. This could just be another version of the story about out-migration from rural America.
I've been thinking about that book a lot these days
September 12, 2025 at 4:51 PM
I've been thinking about that book a lot these days
You know, you're right. It's not usually grating to me--I believe it's grating to other people, but that could be because of the structure of and incentives on platforms, not people's real responses. Either way, though, online reports of good behavior seem ineffective in inspiring people.
September 12, 2025 at 2:38 PM
You know, you're right. It's not usually grating to me--I believe it's grating to other people, but that could be because of the structure of and incentives on platforms, not people's real responses. Either way, though, online reports of good behavior seem ineffective in inspiring people.
I keep coming back to online vs offline life. When we see someone be virtuous in the real world it makes us feel good--when we see someone talking about being virtuous on social media it's grating. We need an organized movement of acting virtuously in real spaces, in a way that gets attention.
September 10, 2025 at 1:05 PM
I keep coming back to online vs offline life. When we see someone be virtuous in the real world it makes us feel good--when we see someone talking about being virtuous on social media it's grating. We need an organized movement of acting virtuously in real spaces, in a way that gets attention.
I agree with you, but I'm struggling with figuring out how Democrats could make themselves the party of virtue. What I come up with is that virtue is social, so Democrats need to start doing community-building & sustaining.
September 9, 2025 at 10:42 AM
I agree with you, but I'm struggling with figuring out how Democrats could make themselves the party of virtue. What I come up with is that virtue is social, so Democrats need to start doing community-building & sustaining.
I was very excited to read Andreesen's "It's Time To Build" essay back in 2020 but was quickly disappointed when I realized that he just meant investing in more software startups.
September 6, 2025 at 8:07 PM
I was very excited to read Andreesen's "It's Time To Build" essay back in 2020 but was quickly disappointed when I realized that he just meant investing in more software startups.
I don't think this was a story about the pandemic that most people found viscerally appealing--but at least it's a coherent story. I don't know what the Democratic Party's story about the pandemic is, except for "it happened."
September 2, 2025 at 7:53 PM
I don't think this was a story about the pandemic that most people found viscerally appealing--but at least it's a coherent story. I don't know what the Democratic Party's story about the pandemic is, except for "it happened."
So, people took a look at the Republican account of the pandemic, which was nihilism and conspiracy theory: all the mitigation efforts were a hoax, we never really needed to wear masks or stay home, that was all just Democrats trying to stop you from doing what you wanted, etc.
September 2, 2025 at 7:53 PM
So, people took a look at the Republican account of the pandemic, which was nihilism and conspiracy theory: all the mitigation efforts were a hoax, we never really needed to wear masks or stay home, that was all just Democrats trying to stop you from doing what you wanted, etc.
Democrats didn't do that--the Biden administration did a lot of great things, but its goal was clearly to return to business as usual. The result was that people's trauma went unaddressed--and Democrats didn't seem interested in addressing it.
September 2, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Democrats didn't do that--the Biden administration did a lot of great things, but its goal was clearly to return to business as usual. The result was that people's trauma went unaddressed--and Democrats didn't seem interested in addressing it.
The months of isolation were profoundly painful for many people, and destroyed social and communal bonds that still haven't been repaired. Coming out of the pandemic, the country needed its leaders to bring it through a mourning of those losses and an intentional rebuilding of national community.
September 2, 2025 at 7:53 PM
The months of isolation were profoundly painful for many people, and destroyed social and communal bonds that still haven't been repaired. Coming out of the pandemic, the country needed its leaders to bring it through a mourning of those losses and an intentional rebuilding of national community.
I feel like the problem comes down to these leaders not understanding leadership, especially leadership in the social media age.
September 2, 2025 at 7:02 PM
I feel like the problem comes down to these leaders not understanding leadership, especially leadership in the social media age.
Bennet wanted to be seen as a hero of free speech without having to have the courage to push back against fascists.
December 15, 2023 at 2:10 PM
Bennet wanted to be seen as a hero of free speech without having to have the courage to push back against fascists.