đź”— The Verge Harris endorsement
A vote for Donald Trump is a vote for school shootings and measles - The Verge
the radical founding principle of the United States of America is the idea that the government’s authority to make laws and solve collective action problems comes from the consent of the governed. A clean rewrite, replacing centuries of architectural debt with what was, at the time, a cutting-edge foundation mostly unproven at scale. We vote for our leaders, they are given the power to tell us all what to do so that we might help each other reach better outcomes and be happier, and if they are bad at their jobs, we can simply throw the bums out. We open-sourced the authority, in other words. It was a big bet, and so far, it’s paid off.
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This might be the smartest and well written endorsement I have ever read. The Verge, led by Nilay Patel, does such good work on tech and more importantly tech policy and to see this made me smile. It’s nice when a publication does not treat their readers as morons and that is where The Verge thrives.
Bezos on Endorsements
Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos defends endorsement decision - The Washington Post
Bezos — who did not block presidential endorsements in the two campaigns since he bought The Post in 2013 — called his move to halt presidential endorsements “a principled decision” and also cast doubt on their usefulness. Bezos said his decision is aimed at restoring public trust in the news media.
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I have always thought that papers endorsing candidates was weird. That said the issue here is not the decision, it’s the timing. If after the 2020 election or the 2022 midterms Bezos made this decision many people would have applauded him because they feel as I do. Deciding ten days before the election while executives from another company Bezos owns met with Trump officials gives away the game. This is not about doing what is right for the paper, it’s about kissing Trump’s ring.
I have seen many people say you should not cancel because the Post still does great reporting and that it would hurt the reporters not Bezos. The problem with that is that you have to believe that Bezos won’t block other things if they are negative toward Trump. Maybe that is the case, but this week makes it hard for me to believe that.
Marc Maron Says the Obvious
The Democratic Idea. — WTF with Marc Maron Podcast
The anti-woke flank of the new fascism is being driven almost exclusively by comics, my peers. Whether or not they are self-serving or true believers in the new fascism is unimportant. They are of the movement. Whether they see themselves as acolytes or just comics doesn’t matter. Whether they are driven by the idea that what they are fighting for is a free speech issue or whether they are truly morally bankrupt racists doesn’t matter. They are part of the public face of a fascist political movement that seeks to destroy the democratic idea.
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This should not be that hard, but Marc Maron feels like he is out on an island with this take. Of course he is right.
The Knicks Did It!
They made a 2024 version of Go NY Go NY Go! Start sizing the rings.
As the saying goes… Hit the music!
2024-2025 NBA Predictions
Here goes something that will look really stupid in just 60 days!
Conference Standings
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference |
|---|---|
| 1. Bucks | 1. Thunder |
| 2. Celtics | 2. Timberwolves |
| 3. Knicks | 3. Suns |
| 4. Cavs | 4. Nuggets |
| 5. Sixers | 5. Mavs |
| 6. Magic | 6. Pelicans |
| 7. Pacers | 7. Kings |
| 8. Heat | 8. Grizzlies |
| 9. Bulls | 9. Lakers |
| 10. Hawks | 10. Rockets |
NBA Championship Celtics over Thunder
Columbus Was a Jew?
Columbus likely Spanish and Jewish, study suggests
Famed explorer Christopher Columbus was likely Spanish and Jewish, according to a new genetic study conducted by Spanish scientists that aimed to shed light on a centuries-old mystery.
Scientists believe the explorer, whose expedition across the Atlantic in 1492 changed the course of world history, was probably born in western Europe, possibly in the city of Valencia.
They think he concealed his Jewish identity, or converted to Catholicism, to escape religious persecution. Well this would change who protests the taking down of his statues?
Well that sure would change who is protesting when the statues are taken down?