Oh man...

Democratic House Rep. Sylvester Turner from Texas died last night at age 70.

His last words to his constituents were "don’t mess with Medicaid.”

RIP.

🥹

I got laid off today, with the rest of 18F.

18F was an elite federal software shop. We made gov't websites work better, more efficiently for the American people. We saved taxpayers from getting screwed over by contractors. And were fired for it.

We made this website to tell our story:
18f.org

This visual really is great at illustrating the distinction between equality and equity, but every time I see it, I can’t help but wonder why we can’t just give all 3 of them tickets to the game?

Seriously?! That’s so sad.

I’m more upset with the 57% of other upper-middle class white guys who are getting exactly what they voted for. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Fair enough.

It’s not my place to call out marginalized groups for attempting to play the margins.

For what it’s worth, I’ve been switching back and forth between this platform and Twitter. No one over there seems especially
surprised. In fact, the vibe seems satisfied and delighted, despite our incredulity.

Anyone know how to do the same for Apple Maps?

Home - AstroAccess AstroAccessIf we can make space accessible,we can make any space accessible.Donate NowSupport the mission!Thanks to our sponsors, partners, and collaborators for their generous support!

If we can make inclusion viable in the most extreme environments, just imagine what we could do down here.

If you have the means, support this org.
astroaccess.org

Anyone have plans for Houston?

To be absolutely clear: Corruption is NOT good.

Just say no to bribing kleptocrats.

Waiting for…Robert Caro Based on emails I regularly receive, as well as comments posted to this site, I know that many of you are anxiously awaiting the fifth, and final, installment of Robert Caro’s magisterial ser…

The Years of Lyndon Johnson volumes 1-4 by Robert Caro. But again, I’ll refer you to:

bestpresidentialbios.com/2020/01/09/w...

The Best Biographies of Theodore Roosevelt After reading 121 biographies of the first 26 presidents, Theodore Roosevelt easily stands out as one of the most fascinating and robustly-spirited chief executives in our nation’s history. H…

Here’s a great list (not mine) for Teddy Roosevelt. But my favorites were his own autobiographies.

bestpresidentialbios.com/2015/06/19/t...

That’s a solid take.

I’ve suspected we were heading this way for a while, and what truly offends so many of us about Trump is just that he’s just so much more transparent about it.

Saving this thread.

Georgism goes brrrr…. 🤣

UBI makes risk taking safer, and ensures that the “losers” never fall all the way back down. Which are both good things.

But that doesn’t address the multi-generational advantage.

Especially, when we know that we aren’t starting at universal equality of opportunity to begin with.

It’s a problem that I call “the tyranny of merit”, or the “lucky inheritance problem”.

Assuming you can achieve a truly egalitarian society where everyone starts on a level playing field, there will still be winners and losers, and after a few generations, the playing field is no longer level. 2/

My worry isn’t in that first generation. I’m familiar with the pattern of UBI trials that show little to no decrease in work, except where people opt to focus on care-giving or education.

I’m thinking about something different. A seed of doubt planted in me from watching the Expanse series. 1/

There’s a libertarian streak in me that says, “who cares?!” But a conservative voice in my head that worries that we’d eventually end up with a permanent underclass. Folks living off UBI alone, versus those pursuing ambition.

How do we avoid the cynical outcome and achieve the optimistic one?

This future appeals to me, too. Deeply. Let’s say we can accomplish this vision, what then?

How do we collectively steer ourselves toward lives of joyful purpose, rather than hedonism and apathy? 1/

Contemporary writers, like Paine and Jefferson, made it clear that the expectation was that every generation would (and should) review and update the laws of the land as the times change.

This is, by far, one of my favorite pastimes.

Especially, on those occasions where the initial search to prove someone wrong takes me down a rabbit hole of discovery for its own sake.

And, to be clear, I’m in favor of safe and legal access to all those things, but have sympathy for the arguments of people who don’t want to pay for them with their tax dollars.

You wrote “need/want”.

I took that to mean things like elective operations and controversial procedures like abortions and gender-affirming care.

I was saying we should focus on things that are universal to all citizens first, before tackling non-life-threatening edge cases.

100% with you for necessary and preventative care.

“Wanted care” seems like a recipe for controversy and debate. A debate we should totally have, AFTER the basics are covered.

This was fascinating. Thanks.

I wish they’d merge them all back together. Facebook was always just Instagram with Threads underneath each post.

I want memes and friend’s vacation photos and conversations about both all in the same place.

Then Twitter/Bluesky is for conversations about the latest news and trends.

OK. Here’s my actual first post on Bluesky. I’m still skeptical, but @lizrodwell.bsky.social insists the conversations are better.

I don’t want a bubble, I want intentional, and solution oriented, dialog.

Is that possible?