We can't go numb.

There is no justice when laws are enforced without dignity.

There is no humanity if we don't feel pain when we see pain.

I'm worried by the pleasure that so much of our country seems to feel while watching others fail or be hurt. Regardless of your political views, it is dangerous to accept the bargain of getting what you want in exchange for all of your empathy.

Every nuance stripped away, pared down to the simple act of someone with power hurting someone without it, over and over. The way we taunt countries with threats, the theater of ridiculing people who have entered our country illegally, the vitriol with which we cancel well-intended welfare.

It's impossible for me to read the headlines today and not be reminded of the film's depiction of violence as entertainment.

One detail that astonishes me is its view on entertainment: only two channels, sex and violence. There's a scene where a character is flipping between two holographic projections: a person seductively dancing, the other shows an authority figure beating a vulnerable person.

I think about George Lucas' THX 1138 a lot. If you don't know it, the film preceded Star Wars and was his directorial debut. It explores a dystopian future...

1925 vs 2025.

The US now builds more three-car garages than one-bedroom apartments.

www.npr.org/2023/05/08/1...

It's wild living six hours ahead of the East Coast right now. So many new rules announced while I sleep. I wake up, bring phone to my face, and ...

– Canadian Geese now American Geese
– US Cabinet privatized, now wholly-owned by News Corp
- Denmark = Enemy, TikTok = Friend

If American high school seniors had to spend a semester mastering one game, what should it be?

Civilization or Cities: Skylines leapt out at me.

There is so much latent need for low-cost, non-alcoholic, non-digital, in-person interaction.

Reminds me of the Jesus Phonebooth in THX 1138.

Go Bills

I presumed a big jump in his public net worth was the news of SpaceX’s $350b valuation on their stock buy back. Surely that wasn’t news to him… he was spending with much more information than the public had.

It was reported that Musk spent $250m to elect Trump, or about 6% of his net worth. That would be equivalent to $60k for the average American, 30% less than the cost of a Cyber Truck.

I only meant to reference your own description above:

"The over-eater whose brain and gut chemistry were set by parents"

It's not sustainable for the population to keep gaining weight (and justify it because their parents conditioned their eating patterns) and require society to pay for the consequences. The govt would have to *force* people to slim down to make it work. What would that look like?

I think most people would be freaked out by the alternative if they played it out in their minds...

It sucks, but we inherit our parents' choices (and DNA) and we don't have the 'right' to a different reality but we have the freedom to make choices and pursue outcomes that improve our situations.

The consequences of sipping alcohol are much different from liver failure due abusing alcohol.

CTE from football is an established and broadly known risk and you should not play if you are not willing to make the tradeoffs.

Regarding gray area, yep that exists, it is messy, but I don't think it's as vast as you're suggesting.

At a minimum we can accept that there are obvious irresponsible choices, right?

"In America 100 years is long ago and in Europe 100 miles is far away."

The Jihadist Designated a terrorist by the United States, the powerful Syrian militant Abu Mohammad al-Jolani now seeks a new relationship with the West.

The Jihadi from PBS Frontline is good background on the events leading up to this week’s collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. Features interviews with opposition militant Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.

www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontli...

Loved it.

What the norms in Europe re: forcing someone against their will into treatment?

Those exist. The issue, AFAIK, is legal limitations to compelling those suffering from mental and addiction disorders to receive treatment. Plus, there is a vocal segment of the far left that decries compelled treatment as abuse. I do not agree with this.

A lot of boosters are excited about AI. I don’t see it that way. That may bring workers back to downtown, but from the outside, I think it further binds SF to elitist, anti-social tech.

I don’t see a good path that doesn’t start with affordability, for both tourists and locals.

What do you think will be the plot points in the narrative of SF regaining a reputation that is commensurate with its natural beauty, unique architecture, diverse and welcoming culture, and optimism?

Cities are cyclical. I'm only 42 and old enough to remember that people were commonly were afraid to visit NYC, and if you had to, you were warned to carry a wad cash with you to make the mugging efficient. NYC has shed that reputation...