Chris N. Morfas
@thehappygringo.bsky.social
Ex-executive advocate for sustainable transport and former TV game show winner now offering occasional notes on my native USA, my adopted Colombia, math, and cities/walkability/cycling
Pinned
Celebrating the Ciclovía: Bogotá’s Weekly Miracle Turns 50
Bogotá's Ciclovía is about to celebrate its 50th birthday. Find out
thebogotapost.com
A note of appreciation regarding the Bogotá Ciclovía, this year celebrating its 50th birthday!
thebogotapost.com/celebrating-...
thebogotapost.com/celebrating-...
Reposted by Chris N. Morfas
i think to understand the meaning of the birthright citizenship clause to the framers of the 14th amendment, you have to understand significance of dred scott to the civil war republican party. dred scott wasn't just a bad ruling, it was understood as a rejection of the declaration itself.
December 6, 2025 at 6:03 PM
i think to understand the meaning of the birthright citizenship clause to the framers of the 14th amendment, you have to understand significance of dred scott to the civil war republican party. dred scott wasn't just a bad ruling, it was understood as a rejection of the declaration itself.
Are we in the “Nice play, Lou (Gehrig)” phase of LeBron’s career? It was a basic pass. “Stephen A.: LeBron's winning pass a perfect example why he's a top-2 player”
December 6, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Are we in the “Nice play, Lou (Gehrig)” phase of LeBron’s career? It was a basic pass. “Stephen A.: LeBron's winning pass a perfect example why he's a top-2 player”
Reposted by Chris N. Morfas
Timeline Cleanse ⚜️🎶⚜️💙⚜️🎶⚜️
Maria Callas in Hamburg — Habanera from Carmen. An unforgettable moment in opera history (1962)
Maria Callas in Hamburg — Habanera from Carmen. An unforgettable moment in opera history (1962)
December 6, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Timeline Cleanse ⚜️🎶⚜️💙⚜️🎶⚜️
Maria Callas in Hamburg — Habanera from Carmen. An unforgettable moment in opera history (1962)
Maria Callas in Hamburg — Habanera from Carmen. An unforgettable moment in opera history (1962)
Here in Bogotá a Chinese consortium is making good progress constructing the city’s long-awaited metro, while the USA is illegally bombing boats off the coast and threatening much worse…I wonder why my feed from local activists shows a drift among the young towards China 🤷♂️
"A Chinese hospital ship quietly docked in hurricane-hit Jamaica this week, projecting soft power into the heart of the Caribbean where a US armada is conducting a controversial anti-narcotics mission targeted at Venezuela."
Chinese Hospital Ship Visits Jamaica as US Gunboats Ply Caribbean
A Chinese hospital ship quietly docked in hurricane-hit Jamaica this week, projecting soft power into the heart of the Caribbean where a US armada is conducting a controversial anti-narcotics mission ...
www.bloomberg.com
December 5, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Here in Bogotá a Chinese consortium is making good progress constructing the city’s long-awaited metro, while the USA is illegally bombing boats off the coast and threatening much worse…I wonder why my feed from local activists shows a drift among the young towards China 🤷♂️
Outstanding article. Each year the USA willingly sacrifices the lives of thousands of people walking for the sake of motorists’ convenience.
"More than 900 European cities have made it a year or more with zero traffic fatalities."
America’s plan to protect pedestrians failed. A young woman’s death reveals why.
U.S. officials adopted Europe's Vision Zero initiative, but many cities have seen an increase in pedestrian fatalities despite efforts to improve road safety.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 5, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Outstanding article. Each year the USA willingly sacrifices the lives of thousands of people walking for the sake of motorists’ convenience.
Reposted by Chris N. Morfas
Rep. Ilhan Omar: "I hope he gets the help he needs. It sounds like he's trying to deflect from the failures that he's had as president ... he's fought to be the head of the pedophile protection party."
December 3, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Rep. Ilhan Omar: "I hope he gets the help he needs. It sounds like he's trying to deflect from the failures that he's had as president ... he's fought to be the head of the pedophile protection party."
Hmmm. Democrats should be the party of Constitution*, economic fairness, and anti-corruption.
*It’s OK to want to reform it
*It’s OK to want to reform it
Jeffries claims the charges against Cueller were "very thin" and says Trump's pardon was "exactly the right outcome"
December 3, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Hmmm. Democrats should be the party of Constitution*, economic fairness, and anti-corruption.
*It’s OK to want to reform it
*It’s OK to want to reform it
Reposted by Chris N. Morfas
“The vacated homes were substantially cheaper than the new units and spanned diverse locations and housing types.”
When people move into new housing developments, they free up space in older housing. This is good for housing affordability and availability.
When people move into new housing developments, they free up space in older housing. This is good for housing affordability and availability.
Interesting new working paper that studies chains of movers after the construction of a new apartment building in Honolulu.
Paper finds that the project resulted in the opening up other, lower cost, housing on the island, benefiting the housing market overall.
Paper finds that the project resulted in the opening up other, lower cost, housing on the island, benefiting the housing market overall.
uhero.hawaii.edu
November 28, 2025 at 4:14 PM
“The vacated homes were substantially cheaper than the new units and spanned diverse locations and housing types.”
When people move into new housing developments, they free up space in older housing. This is good for housing affordability and availability.
When people move into new housing developments, they free up space in older housing. This is good for housing affordability and availability.
Essay from an expert helped me better understand the qualms I felt about the six Democrats’ video.
www.ms.now/opinion/demo...
www.ms.now/opinion/demo...
Guidance from Democrats to disobey illegal orders is of no use to our service members
Military orders carry, per law, a presumption of legality, as long as the order relates to a military duty and is given by a proper authority.
www.ms.now
November 25, 2025 at 4:50 AM
Essay from an expert helped me better understand the qualms I felt about the six Democrats’ video.
www.ms.now/opinion/demo...
www.ms.now/opinion/demo...
Reposted by Chris N. Morfas
This is a stunning thing to even have to see Members of Congress say out loud. Absolutely chilling. And inspiring.
We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship.
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship.
November 19, 2025 at 8:18 PM
This is a stunning thing to even have to see Members of Congress say out loud. Absolutely chilling. And inspiring.
I wish this generation’s campaigners success on this matter. Still, a Trump/GOP victory might finally shatter the 30-year old illusion shared by many sustainable transportation advocates that reforming (rather than ending) the current federal transportation program is the preferred strategy.
The Trump administration wants to do two unbelievably dumb things that would collectively devastate mass transit in America — and be *epically bad for drivers, too,* especially in red states. Broke down the (many) problems with nuking the mass transit account and taking away flex funding.
Breaking: Trump Admin Seeks To Decimate Federal Transit Funding — Streetsblog USA
"When you're talking about taking away money from transit, your proposal is flawed from the get-go," said one expert.
usa.streetsblog.org
November 18, 2025 at 8:53 PM
I wish this generation’s campaigners success on this matter. Still, a Trump/GOP victory might finally shatter the 30-year old illusion shared by many sustainable transportation advocates that reforming (rather than ending) the current federal transportation program is the preferred strategy.
Reposted by Chris N. Morfas
On November 20, 1975, Franco died in his bed, and Spain unexpectedly went democratic - part of the global wave of democratisation from 1974 to 1990. Now we're in the worst democratic decline since the 1930s. But there's hope. Me @financialtimes.com on how to create more Spains on.ft.com/4nRUpK0
How democrats can fight back
[FREE TO READ] Fifty years after Franco’s death, autocracy is going strong
on.ft.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:53 PM
On November 20, 1975, Franco died in his bed, and Spain unexpectedly went democratic - part of the global wave of democratisation from 1974 to 1990. Now we're in the worst democratic decline since the 1930s. But there's hope. Me @financialtimes.com on how to create more Spains on.ft.com/4nRUpK0
President Vance will be beatable in 2028.
November 6, 2025 at 6:39 PM
President Vance will be beatable in 2028.
I once gave a presentation on Eugene Debs at MBA school. It was not warmly received.
November 5, 2025 at 4:23 AM
I once gave a presentation on Eugene Debs at MBA school. It was not warmly received.
Reposted by Chris N. Morfas
as an epitaph to this sad story, just this week, California climate philanthropy celebrated slashing the throat of the most effective climate transport solution ever tried on earth -- e-bikes -- so they could subsidize more cars.
bodies buried all over the place. cal.streetsblog.org/2025/10/30/c...
bodies buried all over the place. cal.streetsblog.org/2025/10/30/c...
CARB Quietly Ends the Statewide E-Bike Voucher Program - Streetsblog California
The sun sets on what was once a promising program.
cal.streetsblog.org
November 1, 2025 at 10:59 PM
as an epitaph to this sad story, just this week, California climate philanthropy celebrated slashing the throat of the most effective climate transport solution ever tried on earth -- e-bikes -- so they could subsidize more cars.
bodies buried all over the place. cal.streetsblog.org/2025/10/30/c...
bodies buried all over the place. cal.streetsblog.org/2025/10/30/c...
California thinks highly of itself as a climate change leader, but its transportation programs and projects are more problem than solution.
It seems bad that only $668 million of California's $31 billion transportation budget is for public transit capital projects next year.
HSR gets another $798 million.
$1.45 billion out of $31 billion. It's a hidden form of climate arson.
HSR gets another $798 million.
$1.45 billion out of $31 billion. It's a hidden form of climate arson.
The 2025-26 California Spending Plan: Transportation
In this post, we summarize some of the most notable components of transportation program budgets in the 2025-26 spending plan.
lao.ca.gov
October 29, 2025 at 7:27 AM
California thinks highly of itself as a climate change leader, but its transportation programs and projects are more problem than solution.
My apologies to all the Colombians whom I castigated for constantly asking me “¿De donde eres?” The French do it, too, but I get to confound them by responding, “Je suis de Colombie!” 😁
October 23, 2025 at 7:39 PM
My apologies to all the Colombians whom I castigated for constantly asking me “¿De donde eres?” The French do it, too, but I get to confound them by responding, “Je suis de Colombie!” 😁
L’Effet Hidalgo @annehidalgo.bsky.social
Angers is going to experiment with a “school street” that restricts vehicle access and instead prioritizes youth safety and comfort.
Photo Le Courrier de l’ouest
Angers is going to experiment with a “school street” that restricts vehicle access and instead prioritizes youth safety and comfort.
Photo Le Courrier de l’ouest
October 20, 2025 at 10:37 AM
L’Effet Hidalgo @annehidalgo.bsky.social
Angers is going to experiment with a “school street” that restricts vehicle access and instead prioritizes youth safety and comfort.
Photo Le Courrier de l’ouest
Angers is going to experiment with a “school street” that restricts vehicle access and instead prioritizes youth safety and comfort.
Photo Le Courrier de l’ouest
Hey @baldwin.senate.gov Have you yet renounced your support of this creep?
Sean Duffy says the No Kings protests this Saturday are “really frustrating” because they are all paid Antifa people.
October 13, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Hey @baldwin.senate.gov Have you yet renounced your support of this creep?
“Paris is changing!”
Mayor Hidalgo touts a couple of the many marvelous street transformations her administration has completed.
Mayor Hidalgo touts a couple of the many marvelous street transformations her administration has completed.
Avec de nouveaux arbres, de la nature et plus de place pour les piétons, Paris change !
La rue Charles-Baudelaire dans le 12ᵉ et la rue du Docteur-Magnan dans le 13ᵉ en sont de beaux exemples !
La rue Charles-Baudelaire dans le 12ᵉ et la rue du Docteur-Magnan dans le 13ᵉ en sont de beaux exemples !
October 12, 2025 at 3:54 PM
“Paris is changing!”
Mayor Hidalgo touts a couple of the many marvelous street transformations her administration has completed.
Mayor Hidalgo touts a couple of the many marvelous street transformations her administration has completed.
During my years of strong ties to Bogotá, Colombia 🇨🇴 (2014- present), increased motorcycle use, from roughly 1% to 10% of trips, has been the single greatest detrimental change to my quality of life there.
#noise #danger #contamination #sidewalkparkinganddriving
#noise #danger #contamination #sidewalkparkinganddriving
Male motorcyclists die at an exceptionally high rate in Colombia (per research cited below).
My view: Those who don’t die degrade the quality of life in 🇨🇴 cities— via noise, air contamination, the conquest of public space, and the danger they pose to people walking— and reduce 🇨🇴’s attractiveness.
My view: Those who don’t die degrade the quality of life in 🇨🇴 cities— via noise, air contamination, the conquest of public space, and the danger they pose to people walking— and reduce 🇨🇴’s attractiveness.
The crude city-level motorcyclist mortality rate was 4.16 per 100,000 population. Age-standardized rates varied from 0.51 to 22.60. Males had higher mortality rates, with the highest rates in 20-24-year-olds.
Yannone et al. (2025)
Colombia 8.6 motorcycle deaths per 100,000 people (2.63 F, 14.89 M)
Yannone et al. (2025)
Colombia 8.6 motorcycle deaths per 100,000 people (2.63 F, 14.89 M)
October 4, 2025 at 1:09 PM
During my years of strong ties to Bogotá, Colombia 🇨🇴 (2014- present), increased motorcycle use, from roughly 1% to 10% of trips, has been the single greatest detrimental change to my quality of life there.
#noise #danger #contamination #sidewalkparkinganddriving
#noise #danger #contamination #sidewalkparkinganddriving
Male motorcyclists die at an exceptionally high rate in Colombia (per research cited below).
My view: Those who don’t die degrade the quality of life in 🇨🇴 cities— via noise, air contamination, the conquest of public space, and the danger they pose to people walking— and reduce 🇨🇴’s attractiveness.
My view: Those who don’t die degrade the quality of life in 🇨🇴 cities— via noise, air contamination, the conquest of public space, and the danger they pose to people walking— and reduce 🇨🇴’s attractiveness.
The crude city-level motorcyclist mortality rate was 4.16 per 100,000 population. Age-standardized rates varied from 0.51 to 22.60. Males had higher mortality rates, with the highest rates in 20-24-year-olds.
Yannone et al. (2025)
Colombia 8.6 motorcycle deaths per 100,000 people (2.63 F, 14.89 M)
Yannone et al. (2025)
Colombia 8.6 motorcycle deaths per 100,000 people (2.63 F, 14.89 M)
October 4, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Male motorcyclists die at an exceptionally high rate in Colombia (per research cited below).
My view: Those who don’t die degrade the quality of life in 🇨🇴 cities— via noise, air contamination, the conquest of public space, and the danger they pose to people walking— and reduce 🇨🇴’s attractiveness.
My view: Those who don’t die degrade the quality of life in 🇨🇴 cities— via noise, air contamination, the conquest of public space, and the danger they pose to people walking— and reduce 🇨🇴’s attractiveness.
Reposted by Chris N. Morfas
For his friends, Donald Trump provides protection from the law; for his enemies, punishment. www.thenation.com/article/poli...
Donald Trump’s Corruption of the Law Is Destroying American Democracy
If Democrats don’t fight this with everything they have, they are basically admitting that authoritarianism is here to stay.
www.thenation.com
September 22, 2025 at 5:56 PM
For his friends, Donald Trump provides protection from the law; for his enemies, punishment. www.thenation.com/article/poli...
Traffic prohibited “except bicycles and residents.” Rural France (here, Normandy) is a model for low-stress cycling. 1/2
September 17, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Traffic prohibited “except bicycles and residents.” Rural France (here, Normandy) is a model for low-stress cycling. 1/2