Pseudonym of a boring policy wonk by day
@neveltenjohn.bsky.social
Center-right, former lifelong Republican, NeverTrump, policy and stat geek with too much education and too much experience.
I understand the appeal, but the 25th Amendment is really structured to work just in the "President in coma" scenario. Any President removed by their Cabinet can reinstate themselves by signing a letter.
December 17, 2025 at 9:07 PM
I understand the appeal, but the 25th Amendment is really structured to work just in the "President in coma" scenario. Any President removed by their Cabinet can reinstate themselves by signing a letter.
On an old IBM mainframe system we had to assign 3-letter job names, and could check the status of a job using a locate command.
I used to show people you could ask the computer to
"LOCATE GOD", and be told "GOD NOT FOUND".
One time though the query returned:
"GOD AWAITS EXECUTION"
I used to show people you could ask the computer to
"LOCATE GOD", and be told "GOD NOT FOUND".
One time though the query returned:
"GOD AWAITS EXECUTION"
December 17, 2025 at 6:44 AM
On an old IBM mainframe system we had to assign 3-letter job names, and could check the status of a job using a locate command.
I used to show people you could ask the computer to
"LOCATE GOD", and be told "GOD NOT FOUND".
One time though the query returned:
"GOD AWAITS EXECUTION"
I used to show people you could ask the computer to
"LOCATE GOD", and be told "GOD NOT FOUND".
One time though the query returned:
"GOD AWAITS EXECUTION"
Also "Deer Hunter". Men cry while their women look at them baffled.
December 16, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Also "Deer Hunter". Men cry while their women look at them baffled.
That article provides an alternate use for EXCESS wind power that might well be useful, but does nothing to address the intermittancy problem wind and solar cause on most power grids.
Sorry but nuclear is both green and a nice complement to wind/solar.
Sorry but nuclear is both green and a nice complement to wind/solar.
December 16, 2025 at 5:09 AM
That article provides an alternate use for EXCESS wind power that might well be useful, but does nothing to address the intermittancy problem wind and solar cause on most power grids.
Sorry but nuclear is both green and a nice complement to wind/solar.
Sorry but nuclear is both green and a nice complement to wind/solar.
It really does make some sense to try to identify us Romney/Clinton/Biden/Harris voters.
🙃 I go to an annual convention full of them.
The 2026 Summit: America 250 - Principles First share.google/ZEMfaiyqHgE5...
🙃 I go to an annual convention full of them.
The 2026 Summit: America 250 - Principles First share.google/ZEMfaiyqHgE5...
The 2026 Summit: America 250 - Principles First
Restoring principled conservatism in America.
share.google
December 16, 2025 at 3:18 AM
It really does make some sense to try to identify us Romney/Clinton/Biden/Harris voters.
🙃 I go to an annual convention full of them.
The 2026 Summit: America 250 - Principles First share.google/ZEMfaiyqHgE5...
🙃 I go to an annual convention full of them.
The 2026 Summit: America 250 - Principles First share.google/ZEMfaiyqHgE5...
Depends over what period. The entire Federal budget was $7 trillion for FY 2025.
December 15, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Depends over what period. The entire Federal budget was $7 trillion for FY 2025.
The renters might be less nimby—certainly in their interest to be.
December 15, 2025 at 2:06 AM
The renters might be less nimby—certainly in their interest to be.
🙃 Now the Jack Kemp version of "owning the means of production" would have involved add-on private Social Security accounts in part to increase people's sense of ownership of the system and to like corporations more.
Not sure that 401Ks have made people more sympathetic though, so might not work.
Not sure that 401Ks have made people more sympathetic though, so might not work.
December 14, 2025 at 7:02 PM
🙃 Now the Jack Kemp version of "owning the means of production" would have involved add-on private Social Security accounts in part to increase people's sense of ownership of the system and to like corporations more.
Not sure that 401Ks have made people more sympathetic though, so might not work.
Not sure that 401Ks have made people more sympathetic though, so might not work.
Shouldn't matter at all at the country level. It might give you a greater commitment to how your locality is run.
December 14, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Shouldn't matter at all at the country level. It might give you a greater commitment to how your locality is run.
Lots more political and social commentary in the rebooted BSG—much of which you might like and some you might not (I think the defense of suicide bomber in the middle of the War on Terror was just them trying to be provocative).
December 14, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Lots more political and social commentary in the rebooted BSG—much of which you might like and some you might not (I think the defense of suicide bomber in the middle of the War on Terror was just them trying to be provocative).
🙃 I am enough of a data nerd that I might have known that once, but you should not rely on my memory.
December 14, 2025 at 4:32 AM
🙃 I am enough of a data nerd that I might have known that once, but you should not rely on my memory.
If I remember right, it was the #1 show in America among males with graduate degrees. 🙄 Alas we are a small demographic.
December 14, 2025 at 3:49 AM
If I remember right, it was the #1 show in America among males with graduate degrees. 🙄 Alas we are a small demographic.
He didn't make a wide spread claim about all immigrants, but I do agree that he is wrong even in his narrow specific.
December 14, 2025 at 2:11 AM
He didn't make a wide spread claim about all immigrants, but I do agree that he is wrong even in his narrow specific.
I prefer "adapt" to assimilate, but lots of pro-immigration people still use assimilate to just mean "succeed in America".
Now others use it to mean silliness like "stop playing soccer".
I will go read the 10yo article he cited and maybe I will find more to object to.
Now others use it to mean silliness like "stop playing soccer".
I will go read the 10yo article he cited and maybe I will find more to object to.
December 14, 2025 at 2:09 AM
I prefer "adapt" to assimilate, but lots of pro-immigration people still use assimilate to just mean "succeed in America".
Now others use it to mean silliness like "stop playing soccer".
I will go read the 10yo article he cited and maybe I will find more to object to.
Now others use it to mean silliness like "stop playing soccer".
I will go read the 10yo article he cited and maybe I will find more to object to.
My beef with him is that he has bought into the premise that we need to limit the size of immigration in order to prevent the rise of anti-democratic populism.
A lot of haters CLAIM that is all they are doing, but there are a lot of people from YOUR field that seem to sincerely believe that.
A lot of haters CLAIM that is all they are doing, but there are a lot of people from YOUR field that seem to sincerely believe that.
December 14, 2025 at 1:50 AM
My beef with him is that he has bought into the premise that we need to limit the size of immigration in order to prevent the rise of anti-democratic populism.
A lot of haters CLAIM that is all they are doing, but there are a lot of people from YOUR field that seem to sincerely believe that.
A lot of haters CLAIM that is all they are doing, but there are a lot of people from YOUR field that seem to sincerely believe that.
🙄 Had he targeted Hatians, THAT would have been bigotry. It is astonishing how well Haitians do in the US.
December 14, 2025 at 1:10 AM
🙄 Had he targeted Hatians, THAT would have been bigotry. It is astonishing how well Haitians do in the US.
It is a misjudgement. Some refugee groups do have a harder time than others, and that includes the Somalis,
BUT he looks at the wrong metrics—they are adapting rapidly with time in the US. (See my paper if nothing else).
BUT he looks at the wrong metrics—they are adapting rapidly with time in the US. (See my paper if nothing else).
December 14, 2025 at 1:06 AM
It is a misjudgement. Some refugee groups do have a harder time than others, and that includes the Somalis,
BUT he looks at the wrong metrics—they are adapting rapidly with time in the US. (See my paper if nothing else).
BUT he looks at the wrong metrics—they are adapting rapidly with time in the US. (See my paper if nothing else).
He DOES call these people fascists, he just wants to say we are not currently living under fascism.
I think he slices the distinction too thinly, but he is an ally against the storm (as mostly is David Frum).
I think he slices the distinction too thinly, but he is an ally against the storm (as mostly is David Frum).
December 13, 2025 at 10:40 PM
He DOES call these people fascists, he just wants to say we are not currently living under fascism.
I think he slices the distinction too thinly, but he is an ally against the storm (as mostly is David Frum).
I think he slices the distinction too thinly, but he is an ally against the storm (as mostly is David Frum).
Actually I think a bigger indicator is the state (so far Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennesee) sponsoring a patriotic political group in the schools.
Straight out of Hitler Youth or Soviet Young Pioneers.
As big an indicator of Volksgemeinschaft as the "Strength Through Joy" chin-up bars at airports.
Straight out of Hitler Youth or Soviet Young Pioneers.
As big an indicator of Volksgemeinschaft as the "Strength Through Joy" chin-up bars at airports.
December 13, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Actually I think a bigger indicator is the state (so far Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennesee) sponsoring a patriotic political group in the schools.
Straight out of Hitler Youth or Soviet Young Pioneers.
As big an indicator of Volksgemeinschaft as the "Strength Through Joy" chin-up bars at airports.
Straight out of Hitler Youth or Soviet Young Pioneers.
As big an indicator of Volksgemeinschaft as the "Strength Through Joy" chin-up bars at airports.
🙃 And if you reply "Your parents didn't live on DoorDash!" they just get madder at you for some reason.
December 13, 2025 at 7:46 PM
🙃 And if you reply "Your parents didn't live on DoorDash!" they just get madder at you for some reason.
FWIW, Immigration is really the only issue I strongly disagree with him about, and even then he is not fundamentally anti-immigrant.
He is one of those odd people that bought into the narrative that we need to limit immigration so not provoke ugly nativism by the ignorant masses.
He is one of those odd people that bought into the narrative that we need to limit immigration so not provoke ugly nativism by the ignorant masses.
December 13, 2025 at 5:57 PM
FWIW, Immigration is really the only issue I strongly disagree with him about, and even then he is not fundamentally anti-immigrant.
He is one of those odd people that bought into the narrative that we need to limit immigration so not provoke ugly nativism by the ignorant masses.
He is one of those odd people that bought into the narrative that we need to limit immigration so not provoke ugly nativism by the ignorant masses.