A few months ago the Criterion Channel was flogging the genre of "Coastal Thrillers"—don't sleep on those! Btw am a great admirer of Immediacy

Over a week ago, in the FT, the *shipping* guys were saying "it's not just insurance. We just don't actually want our ships blown up."

Zohran Mamdani and the Rise of the Renter Politicians From city councils to Congress, homeowners have always dominated elected office. But after Mamdani’s victory, a slew of candidates want to follow in his footsteps.

"From city councils to Congress, homeowners have always dominated elected office. But after Mamdani’s victory, a slew of renter candidates want to follow in his footsteps." Excellent @monicapotts.bsky.social piece. newrepublic.com/article/2076...

Joe Rogan Says Trump’s Supporters Feel ‘Betrayed’ by Iran War

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/u...

Oh, did the most dishonest person you've ever encountered in your life betray you?

Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi | The dry and the wet burn together The war launched against Iran by the United States and Israel is a war of choice and of hubris. There is scarcely even...

www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/ma...

Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi in the
@lrb.co.uk

Polymarket users won big with unusual bets on US attack on Iran FT analysis identifies 12 accounts on platform that made large well-timed wagers just ahead of start of conflict

'The attack on Iran was preceded by a # of unusually large & well-timed bets that made a combined $330k & were placed by 12 suspicious accounts in the days before Saturday’s air strikes. The FT found a similar pattern related to the US capture of Nicolás Maduro in January' www.ft.com/content/2883...

Save Dallas City Hall | Dallas, TX The future of Dallas City Hall is too important to be decided in shady back-room dealings or on numbers no one trusts. Contact your council person today! Save Dallas City Hall!

Much more serious things happening in the world, obvi, but if you live in the DFW region, Dallas is taking a vote on March 4 to decide the future of one of the most important pieces of 20th century architecture, IM Pei's city hall building. Contact the city council and urge preservation.

Fuck Iran and find out

(listening to verklärte nacht) what if wagner was good

Opinion | Don’t Look Now, but the Green Transition Is Still Happening

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/o...

I really appreciate @dwallacewells.bsky.social's work, but this—green energy supplementing rather than replacing fossil fuels—seems to me the main story, not just a qualification to the story of the "green transition." GHG emissions keep rising—with 2025's projected to reach the highest level ever

My maddening battle with chronic fatigue syndrome: ‘On my worst days, it feels almost demonic’ The long read: I suffered with my mystery illness for decades before gaining a diagnosis. Could retraining my brain be the answer?

(My spouse) @hermionehoby.bsky.social’s brave & searching essay on what it’s like to live with a—intermittent but cruel & mysterious—chronic illness www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

like the proletariat, the task of posting is to abolish itself

When Gavin Newsom says "the Democrats need to be more culturally normal" with "less focus on pronouns" what he's actually saying is "the trannies aren't normal and don't normalize them."

‘Angel Families’ Return to Washington to Back Up Trump Ahead of State of the Union

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/u...

Sentimentality is an underrated fash affect

New Polling Data Shows Immigration Enforcement Is Costing Republicans Their Own Voters A new national survey finds 70% of Americans think the Trump administration is too focused on deportations. Immigration enforcement ranks as a top driver of defection among Trump's own 2024 voters.

A new national survey finds 70% of Americans think the Trump administration is too focused on deportations. Immigration enforcement ranks as a top driver of defection among Trump's own 2024 voters.
austinkocher.substack.com/p/new-pollin...

Settlers Drive a Palestinian Family Off Its Land

'Armed settlers descended on his home and viciously beat him, his wife, his daughter and his granddaughter. When his son and a 14-year-old nephew tried to come to their aid, both were shot and wounded in the ensuing gunfire, which came from both the settlers and Israeli soldiers'

The owners want to close this Colorado coal plant. The Trump administration says no The Trump administration has ordered several coal plants to keep operating past their planned retirement, part of a larger effort to boost the coal industry. Two Colorado utilities are pushing back.

www.npr.org/2026/02/23/g...

When the govmt loves capitalism so much it refuses to let the owners of a coal plant shutter it

US allows coal plants to emit more toxic mercury into the air Environmental Protection Agency rollback of standards marks latest move to boost fossil fuels

www.ft.com/content/d1f3...

More MAHA glory

Rotterdämmerung

Epstein Family Values • EQUATOR The billionaire patriarchs of the American far-right want to rule an economy of masters and servants

Remarkable piece by @melindacooper.bsky.social for @equatormag.bsky.social

www.equator.org/articles/eps...

Syllabus writing for my upcoming @brooklyninstitute.bsky.social
course on the theory and practice of dictatorship.

A few spots are still available—we start on March 3! (Link below)

love to see it

Anybody in or passing through northern Colorado, please think of coming to Perry Anderson's talk (with Tony Wood) here in Boulder on Thursday, February 19th. The event is free: magicmountaintalks.org/event/perry-...