W. S. Lyon 

Writer, dad.

Really like this update of Mark Lilla’s thesis about dispensations. And I think slowing down to regroup and plan strategy for the long run is wise advice.

But introspection sounds a lot like naval gazing. That’s the last thing the left and center-left need now. I don’t have great answers either, but I think it starts with better LISTENIN…

Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall

Sleep is elusive as a dad. Even when both kids sleep a whole night through, which isn’t often, somehow not even that is enough.

Finally, I got a full eight hours the other day and it felt like a revelation. I have been on a creative spurt since.

Soon, the sleeplessness will catch up again. How do you outrun it?

restacked

Anthony Bourdain’s words on Mexico from his Tumblr in 2014 still hit hard… raw, honest, and as relevant as ever:

“Americans love Mexican food. We consume nachos, tacos, burritos, tortas, enchiladas, tamales and anything resembling Mexican in enormous quantities. We love Mexican beverages, happily knocking back huge amounts of tequila, me…

“Democrats must take care at this moment not to confuse tactics with goals.”

Some swing vote type normies will like some of the messages pluming from the wh*te ho^se. Some of those same people won’t believe any bad press about the tactics. Especially if they like an outcome.

Clear-eyed Jennifer Pahlka says to steal some thunder.

Makes me wonder if

would find a private equity rollup at the heart of this story.

Just got this tip from an airline pilot

The claim that DeepSeek distilled the OpenAI model could be true, but it’s also exactly the kind of thing an incumbent might say if it wanted to put investors at ease and cast doubt on challengers who seem to be breaching one’s moat.

People love telling other people they only have the preferences they have because they are frauds and snobs.

There’s a whole genre wherein journos report that regular people can’t tell the difference between red and white wine, or expensive and cheap wine, when blindfolded. As if this reveals that all wine experts are frauds.

Meanwhile a…

People prefer A.I. art because people prefer bad art

The question is, why not?

The pseudo-expert class has been gaslighting and half-truthing the public for years — across climate, health and social dimensions — and if the Trump thumping tells us anything it’s that people are fed up with this kind of lazy self-righteous condescension.