The Simple Truths Silver Mine

[traininthedistance]

(...and you wonder why people like me are Democratic hacks when this is the alternative.)

[traininthedistance]

Christ, DC, one can't be 'middle class' without a proper degree from a real university - the community college is entirely working class.  As for riding round on public transport, unless your in Connecticut/Westchester/Long Island, you can't seriously entertain such a notion, and in any case you'd still need a car for around the house. 

Which is why most folks should live in big cities, and the rural areas should be largely Agrarian, with very low populations.

[traininthedistance]

STOP MAKING UPDATE-RELATED CANCER THREADS.

Thank you.

[traininthedistance]

As somebody who has had people wish that I commit suicide, I don't give a damn about the human dignity of a savage bully. Which is what the Update enablers are.

Yeah, because intentionally referring to a she as a he - knowing the long-standing issues that surround such bullying - is totally without victim, right?

Just stop.

[traininthedistance]

This mind-numbingly stupid notion that incremental progress is somehow worse than status quo because it might weaken the call for more radical action is one of the most detestable ideological legacies of orthodox marxism, and has been proven wrong thousands of times in history.

One would think that no half-serious "progressive" would still believe this crap, but apparently there is nothing more resilient than this kind of pseudo-radical bullsh*t.

Thank you guys for reminding me why I'm not a True Leftist, and never will.

[traininthedistance]

I have no idea how Chicago-style pizza tastes, but it definitely is NOT pizza. As an Italian, I am the only one so far who can judge on this subject.

[traininthedistance]

Reid's one of the few Democrats with balls. It's the cowardly dinosaurs that make up the rest of the caucus that have been holding him back.

[traininthedistance]

Atlas privilege is being surprised that people don't recognise a group photo of middling 20th century Prime Ministers.

In fact I'm pretty sure I'd even be in the majority here when I say that I didn't recognise any of them at first glance.

[traininthedistance]

Only libertarians use the word "statist"

[traininthedistance]

We tolerate far too much killing by car.

[traininthedistance]

pizza etiquette

Why does this matter?

Because New York pizza is stupid.

[traininthedistance]

Fanboys of any specific brand of 'smartphone' are insufferable.

[traininthedistance]

We need to make drivers pay for driving, it's that simple.  We ought to institute tolls, get rid of most free parking spaces, create congestion pricing, raise gas taxes, raise vehicle taxes, raise vehicle MPG standards, strengthen vehicle emission standards and put automated speed cameras all over the place.

The car lifestyle has been killing people, cities and the environment for years so we're just used to that status quo.  It's enough already. 

[traininthedistance]

The fact that Le Corbusier had as much effect on urban planning as he did was a tragedy for us all. The man who proposed the Plan Voisin deserved to be thrown in prison for it, not followed:

[traininthedistance]

Going directly from several well-thought-out, pertinent posts to the R-TX Gruesome Twosome is certainly an interesting reading experience.

[traininthedistance]

Besides, I'm annoyed by the unstated assumption that "bureaucracy" in itself is some sort of boogeyman. Bureaucracy certainly can degenerate into a very flawed and harmful system, but it has also been a critical agent of development and progress throughout recent history. Modern society can't do without a strong bureaucracy.

[traininthedistance]

This new 538 is really made of fail. And I say this as one of Nate's earliest fans.

Are you only saying that because it doesn't show Democrats to have an advantage?

I think he's saying that because the new 538 has still not launched their official model of the 2014 midterm elections - yet they still have time to run articles about the statistical accuracy of tarot readers and the effects of binge-watching the Simpsons on the human brain.

Election forecasting and predictions is what made Mr. Silver famous--whether or not he realizes it, that is what his appeal is built upon. Instead, he's traveling the country to find America's Best Burrito.

Maybe that's what he actually wants to do though?

Also keep in mind that Silver was pretty well-known for his fantasy baseball work well before he jumped into elections- a jump that, by his own admission, was more because the competing work was so shoddy and easy-to-best rather than because of any passion for electoral politics per se.

[traininthedistance]

Double feature from the Cuomo/Hocul thread I'm just catching up on now.  Context necessary on the second quote.

Tomorrow's schedule:

9am-noon:  Scream at staff
noon-1: Lunch
1-2:30: Give Ken Lagone a deep tissue shiatsu massage
2:30-2:31: Phone call to Teachout
2:32-4: Corruption
4-5: Planning cuts to every program that helps poor people
5-6:  Planning out new tax cuts for Wall Street fatcats

It's pretty disgusting that some posters can't express their contempt for Cuomo without slurring Italian-Americans.

[traininthedistance]

Everyone wants a different third party, though.

[traininthedistance]

I don't put people ignore. That sort of goes against the point of this forum.

[traininthedistance]

Saying that something is a social construct is a way of saying it's not an immutable truth. That doesn't mean it can/should be discarded (lots of stuff that people made up is good and worth hanging onto), but it does mean that if we realize it's made up, we can stop treating it with undue reverence and evaluate it on its merits, rather than as received wisdom.

[traininthedistance]

No. Faux concern for the poor (strange how all of a sudden, when the precious automobile is at stake; conservatives are OK with regressive taxation) is a ruse.

Especially in a densely populated state like Massachusetts, the aim should be to render the private automobile as a luxurious non-necessity; not continue to prop up the practice with underhand subsidisation.

[traininthedistance]

Two things. I'll have more to say about this later.


1. Congrats, Phil.
2. Junk country.

[traininthedistance]

Could go either here or the Goldmine:

Following Senate procedures is like watching people play Magic The Gathering.

[traininthedistance]

It says a lot about the NYPD that they can be the victims of an absolute tragedy and I end up having a worse opinion about them by the end of the night.