wildflowersong.bsky.social
@wildflowersong.bsky.social
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
More fundamentally, the political tension in American cities right now is between a faction who exists to protect the rents of incumbent interests and another who is allergic to any idea of trade-offs because they think there's a magic button that eliminates scarcity and only they will press it.
I hate that we’re having to think in these terms, but the evidence seems to be bearing out that steep fare hikes are less damaging to ridership than service cuts.
2025 was brutal for US transit. Agencies faced budget deficits, flat ridership, and open hostility from the White House.
I wrote a series of stories outlining ways to help transit endure.
Lesson #1: Whatever you do, don’t cut service. Riders will leave – permanently.
Here are a few others 🧵
I wrote a series of stories outlining ways to help transit endure.
Lesson #1: Whatever you do, don’t cut service. Riders will leave – permanently.
Here are a few others 🧵
December 27, 2025 at 7:36 PM
More fundamentally, the political tension in American cities right now is between a faction who exists to protect the rents of incumbent interests and another who is allergic to any idea of trade-offs because they think there's a magic button that eliminates scarcity and only they will press it.
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
Y’all might not appreciate it, but it took him 87 moves and 14 hours to get here
December 26, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Y’all might not appreciate it, but it took him 87 moves and 14 hours to get here
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
Avatar’s cultural relevance discourse is an expression of slop anxiety, the worry that most people don’t actually want something interesting like you do, and you know what? It’s fine if they don’t. Cool stuff still gets made and you get to enjoy it.
December 27, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Avatar’s cultural relevance discourse is an expression of slop anxiety, the worry that most people don’t actually want something interesting like you do, and you know what? It’s fine if they don’t. Cool stuff still gets made and you get to enjoy it.
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
The only true way is the Canadian way
(As much as I wish it was a joke, it is in fact not one and this is exactly how it works here)
(As much as I wish it was a joke, it is in fact not one and this is exactly how it works here)
December 25, 2025 at 12:30 AM
The only true way is the Canadian way
(As much as I wish it was a joke, it is in fact not one and this is exactly how it works here)
(As much as I wish it was a joke, it is in fact not one and this is exactly how it works here)
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
If I am ever shot for a political reason I would just like to be clear here that I don't care about those reasons because I have still been brutally murdered
So the younger shooter, in a video submitted to the court, claims the shooting was aimed at the Zionist policies of Israel as a state. This is distinct from being an attack against Jewish people as a group. Once again the pro-Zionist coalition and right wing media jumped the gun and got it wrong.
December 24, 2025 at 5:46 AM
If I am ever shot for a political reason I would just like to be clear here that I don't care about those reasons because I have still been brutally murdered
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
One thing I believe confidently, though, is that actually *good* fanfiction cannot be separated from its original property, you can't just sand the corners off and publish it as an original work. Good fanfiction is inherently inseparable from its original property.
December 23, 2025 at 5:03 AM
One thing I believe confidently, though, is that actually *good* fanfiction cannot be separated from its original property, you can't just sand the corners off and publish it as an original work. Good fanfiction is inherently inseparable from its original property.
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
"It is logically impossible to simultaneously be evil, corrupt, and incompetent" is an absolutely amazing take to have in the year of 2025
December 23, 2025 at 9:51 PM
"It is logically impossible to simultaneously be evil, corrupt, and incompetent" is an absolutely amazing take to have in the year of 2025
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
Sci-Fi Author: In my book I invented the Torment Nexus as a optimistic tale about how the arachnids of Klendathu could be defeated
Dutch filmaker: At long last, we have parodied the Torment Nexus from terrible sci-fi novel Please Create The Torment Nexus
Dutch filmaker: At long last, we have parodied the Torment Nexus from terrible sci-fi novel Please Create The Torment Nexus
The whole “don’t create the torment nexus” joke is funny and applicable to a lot of things, but do feel like there’s this irritating tendency to act like sci-fi has been exclusively progressive and transgressive throughout its history
December 23, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Sci-Fi Author: In my book I invented the Torment Nexus as a optimistic tale about how the arachnids of Klendathu could be defeated
Dutch filmaker: At long last, we have parodied the Torment Nexus from terrible sci-fi novel Please Create The Torment Nexus
Dutch filmaker: At long last, we have parodied the Torment Nexus from terrible sci-fi novel Please Create The Torment Nexus
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
if bari weiss had tried to do 9/11 there'd be three towers now
December 23, 2025 at 2:36 AM
if bari weiss had tried to do 9/11 there'd be three towers now
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
A complementary pathology is that there's the perception that erring on the side of being too naive is somehow far worse than erring on the side of being too cynical, despite the fact that overly cynical predictions are wrong *all the fucking time*, wrong in just as consequential ways too!
December 23, 2025 at 8:47 AM
A complementary pathology is that there's the perception that erring on the side of being too naive is somehow far worse than erring on the side of being too cynical, despite the fact that overly cynical predictions are wrong *all the fucking time*, wrong in just as consequential ways too!
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
Being an incorrigible skirt-chaser even when married and possible low-grade sexual harasser? Bad! Not the same as being a pedophile!
Being close with industry lobbyists? Bad! Not the same as taking bribes!
The flattening of grey areas with outright evil is unironically part of why we got Trump.
Being close with industry lobbyists? Bad! Not the same as taking bribes!
The flattening of grey areas with outright evil is unironically part of why we got Trump.
December 23, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Being an incorrigible skirt-chaser even when married and possible low-grade sexual harasser? Bad! Not the same as being a pedophile!
Being close with industry lobbyists? Bad! Not the same as taking bribes!
The flattening of grey areas with outright evil is unironically part of why we got Trump.
Being close with industry lobbyists? Bad! Not the same as taking bribes!
The flattening of grey areas with outright evil is unironically part of why we got Trump.
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
A huge problem with our current era is everyone is trying to out-populist each other so no one wants to be the cuck going “erm actually this is a different and far less bad type of elite misbehavior”, so it all gets flattened to the same thing. But the difference between those things *is* important!
I’m naive, I’m a sucker, I’m all those things, but I really don’t think Bill Clinton is a childfucker
Bill Clinton releasing a statement saying 'release the Epstein files, you cowards' was not on my bingo list.
December 23, 2025 at 6:00 AM
A huge problem with our current era is everyone is trying to out-populist each other so no one wants to be the cuck going “erm actually this is a different and far less bad type of elite misbehavior”, so it all gets flattened to the same thing. But the difference between those things *is* important!
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
Paul and Tate getting their brains turned to mashed potatoes the moment they stepped in the ring with somebody in the same weight class who isn't afraid to punch back feels like God flashing a big red warning sign to our country.
December 21, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Paul and Tate getting their brains turned to mashed potatoes the moment they stepped in the ring with somebody in the same weight class who isn't afraid to punch back feels like God flashing a big red warning sign to our country.
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
people leave villages for cities -- universally -- whenever they are given the opportunity. this has been true throughout human history
December 20, 2025 at 5:48 PM
people leave villages for cities -- universally -- whenever they are given the opportunity. this has been true throughout human history
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
"village" mentality is what sustains conservatism. not being able to do anything without the Grandma Gestapo reporting your every move. depending on the easily withdrawn kindness of others instead of impersonal but reliable services. and of course obeying aristocratic landowners
Its gonna be hard to have a family in a single family house when you have to bring your prospective girlfriends to your parents' house instead of your own place.
Addison highlights these types of comments from American conservatives, and I’ve seen this all the time and always think it’s especially deranged. America has the lowest density, most “single-family” housing stock of basically any modern nation and it’s still not enough for these people!
December 20, 2025 at 5:48 PM
"village" mentality is what sustains conservatism. not being able to do anything without the Grandma Gestapo reporting your every move. depending on the easily withdrawn kindness of others instead of impersonal but reliable services. and of course obeying aristocratic landowners
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
Hence why it's "wellness" not "health". WELLNESS is ritual behavior the signal that you are not fat and that you will not become fat, or that if you are fat, you are very sorry and working to become not-fat in the most torturous possible way. Health is boring unsexy doctor stuff. They hate doctors.
That's all wellness ever meant
December 21, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Hence why it's "wellness" not "health". WELLNESS is ritual behavior the signal that you are not fat and that you will not become fat, or that if you are fat, you are very sorry and working to become not-fat in the most torturous possible way. Health is boring unsexy doctor stuff. They hate doctors.
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
i don't think "why is the left against ___" is as much of a fruitful question as "why are so many seemingly irrational left wing positions explained by online bullying?"
I don’t understand the “oh, you have a LINE on a GRAPH, you think that MEANS anything?!” people who also self-id as some kind of socialist/communist. how exactly are you going to run the command economy, dude? macroeconomic policy made on vibes?
I don't think this a particularly accurate description.
December 20, 2025 at 2:17 PM
i don't think "why is the left against ___" is as much of a fruitful question as "why are so many seemingly irrational left wing positions explained by online bullying?"
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
Impersonal bureaucratic systems are liberation from the tyranny of the village and the tribe. Long live modernity
"village" mentality is what sustains conservatism. not being able to do anything without the Grandma Gestapo reporting your every move. depending on the easily withdrawn kindness of others instead of impersonal but reliable services. and of course obeying aristocratic landowners
Its gonna be hard to have a family in a single family house when you have to bring your prospective girlfriends to your parents' house instead of your own place.
December 20, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Impersonal bureaucratic systems are liberation from the tyranny of the village and the tribe. Long live modernity
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
Anyone can draw. Yes absolutely anyone.
I don’t care if you’re not “good at it.” Lots of great cartoonists are mediocre artists. One of the great webcomics of all time uses stick figures.
I would rather look at your unskilled but sincere art than at what an AI thought you meant.
I don’t care if you’re not “good at it.” Lots of great cartoonists are mediocre artists. One of the great webcomics of all time uses stick figures.
I would rather look at your unskilled but sincere art than at what an AI thought you meant.
I'd be more willing to accept the "i have no talent, but i have all these great ideas to get out" explanation, if the great ideas weren't always shit like "Tony Stark surfing on a t-rex whilst drinking from a beer bong full of franzia."
I think you (and the world) will survive without your vision.
I think you (and the world) will survive without your vision.
December 19, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Anyone can draw. Yes absolutely anyone.
I don’t care if you’re not “good at it.” Lots of great cartoonists are mediocre artists. One of the great webcomics of all time uses stick figures.
I would rather look at your unskilled but sincere art than at what an AI thought you meant.
I don’t care if you’re not “good at it.” Lots of great cartoonists are mediocre artists. One of the great webcomics of all time uses stick figures.
I would rather look at your unskilled but sincere art than at what an AI thought you meant.
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
this is the unspoken but absolutely clear argument at hand.
That’s the thing man. If they are to be taken at their word the only takeaway is that there should be no black people in any job any other white person wants. One quick Google search for any of these jobs would show there are usually one or two minorities are best in a unit of 20 or 30 or more.
UAlbany, one of those, NY state universities, has been hovering around 4 percent tenure track Black faculty since ever. I am THE Black tenure track political scientists. These folks are just little liars.
December 19, 2025 at 11:49 AM
this is the unspoken but absolutely clear argument at hand.
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
After Hitler, Our Turn
December 19, 2025 at 12:07 AM
After Hitler, Our Turn
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
They want to be ruled by a king but they also want to be little kings and queens over their own demesnes -- look at nimbys, hoas, moms for liberty. their kink is fundamentally anti-libertarianism, exerting control and demands on others that harm them.
A lot of what undergirds the conservative movement is empowering tyrannical family members. Public schools, college, the welfare state, studio apartments, divorce, women working for pay--all things that help check parental power and allow people to escape their families.
This article isn't political, but you can tell exactly who these people voted for, even if the estrangement wasn't about politics.
December 16, 2025 at 7:29 PM
They want to be ruled by a king but they also want to be little kings and queens over their own demesnes -- look at nimbys, hoas, moms for liberty. their kink is fundamentally anti-libertarianism, exerting control and demands on others that harm them.
Reposted by wildflowersong.bsky.social
trump is evil.
we can just call him that. we do not have to medicalise it; it is at this point actively harmful to both the discourse and to, like, actual real-live perfectly-functional friendly and charming sociopaths to call him a Sociopathic Narcissist or whatever
he's just evil. full stop.
we can just call him that. we do not have to medicalise it; it is at this point actively harmful to both the discourse and to, like, actual real-live perfectly-functional friendly and charming sociopaths to call him a Sociopathic Narcissist or whatever
he's just evil. full stop.
December 15, 2025 at 10:01 PM
trump is evil.
we can just call him that. we do not have to medicalise it; it is at this point actively harmful to both the discourse and to, like, actual real-live perfectly-functional friendly and charming sociopaths to call him a Sociopathic Narcissist or whatever
he's just evil. full stop.
we can just call him that. we do not have to medicalise it; it is at this point actively harmful to both the discourse and to, like, actual real-live perfectly-functional friendly and charming sociopaths to call him a Sociopathic Narcissist or whatever
he's just evil. full stop.