A few years after that, I read EXCELLENT CADAVERS, an incredible book about the Mafia in Sicily, and I realized that's humanity's fundamental choice: build a system and keep trying to improve it, OR create a culture where everyone can take the law into their own hands. There's no third option.

In a more explicitly political sense, this happened to a lot of political and activist organizations. Many orgs that would have been activating people, delivering votes, or at least shaping the narrative died out or imploded due to online drama, and scrolling and right-wing slop filled the void.

brain-boiling from lockdown and such is absolutely part of it but I'm mostly referring to the sheer weight of unprocessed grief bsky.app/profile/docs...

* Haribo used to sell a gummi candy in Germany called "Asses With Ears."

I promise this image is 100% real and not AI.

But what if you were so powerful that being wrong about miasma theory had no consequences for your life

Don't worry! It's all by a lake, in mid Michigan, at the end of November, so there's that. Also: Jim is bringing his wild rice & mushroom casserole that people don't even try to be polite & leave on their plates anymore.

From here, I love it. I'm so glad I'm not there.

Bc Sue's dog doesn't like Jim, Jim thought Sue wasn't a dog person, didn't think not bringing her dog would be a big deal. Likewise, didn't think my brother in a bunk cantilevered across my parents was a big deal (my parents will def have their corgi), & his brothers Greg & Dave sharing a double

It's 2 cabins, "sleeps 7." Ppl coming: Jim, gf Sue, Jim's brothers Greg & Dave (Dave is special needs), my parents & brother—youngest is 43yo. All adults. Sleeping arrangements are: A) 1 double bed w 1 single bunk above; B) 2 double beds. Building A w 2+1 is "dog friendly," building B w 2+2 is not.

Prop 13 taxes is effectively an enormous tax on *change* - of use, of ownership, etc. it’s the ultimate conservative tax law and thus benefits the noble born landowners (especially since low rates can be inherited!)

🔎 We used the results to make an interactive web map that allows people to look up how the property wealth in their own metro area (or any other) is fragmented across different local municipalities. This tool visualizes tax base fragmentation across the US—check it out: www.taxbasefragmentation.net

Is it supposed to look like boot prints?

But your wages did go up, and Biden did not treat that as a crisis.

bc the people who benefit will remember it wrong anyway & not actually credit the policies they say they want bc they happen dynamically with other things they don’t like, & also people are crap at having a well balanced media diet

But overall, Biden admin treated inflation as opposite of crisis until it became a crisis, & even then explicitly touted wage growth, as did Harris

But people are stupid about inflation & retconning Biden to be anti wage growth is basically showing there’s no vote value in fighting for higher wage

This is not true, is the thing

Powell & Fed Reserve set rates; inflation is linked to labor costs but also supply chain issues; widespread belief was that supply chain issues were temporary & would abate. Bottom 3 quints saw real (vs CPI) wage gains but rising costs eg burrito taxi were unpopular

Carter USM?

Ok

(This did, somewhat embarrassingly, remind me to follow LAPP & LAist here, since I get them mostly elsewhere)

I give to @nberlat.bsky.social to keep him putting out cultural essays that I often disagree with but find interesting; @chrisgeidner.bsky.social for court coverage; @lataco.bsky.social, @lapublicpress.bsky.social, @latimes.com & @laist.com bc multiple local outlets are important

Lizza can’t even.