I took Metro this morning. Got on a Silver Line train in the direction of Ashburn. Operator pronounced it ASSburn.
Yeah, we’re all on the train to ass burn these days.
Posts in: Journal
Bruce Schneier on Digital Threat Modeling Under Authoritarianism
Bruce Schneier lays it out pretty broadly that regular Americans really should be thinking of their personal threat model as living under authoritarianism. It might be uncomfortable to think about. I remember in the past, it was a bit of a no-go to even bring up whether we saw our government as a potential threat in our threat model at a past job. And getting an answer? Well, that was even less fun, given the sensitivity of certain data and the tension of priorities.
The seasons change, but I am always anti-fascist.
Just some curious bullshit
What appeared to be RFK Jr’s old 2024 presidential campaign bus was parked (illegally) outside the Pierce School condominiums in northeast DC on September 16. This location is also known for hosting a crypto party aligned with Trump’s inauguration and being a place Musk and other DOGE figures early in the administration. I have no other context, but found it weird to see. I found it vaguely notable that it happened between RFK Jr’s grilling before the Senate Finance Committee last week and his fired CDC director’s testimony before the Senate HELP Committee yesterday.
What did he fight for?
I’ve been thinking about the news lately. (That’s a true statement most days of the week, most weeks of the year.) I’ve been thinking about Jerry of Ben & Jerry’s quitting, because of speech restrictions from Unilever, Ben & Jerry’s parent company. I’ve been thinking about all the backlash on people who mostly either tried to counter the hagiography of Charlie Kirk or perhaps were venting less tactfully (I’ve been known to).
The climate crisis, slow-roll-WWIII, no better than band-aids on the social safety net between axe swings at it, and a duopoly political system oscillating between making it all happen or doing nothing people actually need to stop it, and an economy teetering on realizing it.
Imagine, in terms of the kinds of things being cut in proposed House and Senate GOP budget bills, what we could pay for already (accepting ludicrous premises) if we just weren’t flying all those KC-135s and C-17s constantly at $20k+/hour/plane re: Israel/Iran. Or you know, the fucking parade.
If you told me 30 years ago that an adult me, not a lawyer, would listen to Supreme Court oral arguments “for fun,” I’d have spit my Mountain Dew in your face.
Did a filibuster happen if no one being opposed had to bat an eyelid?
Some thoughts on Senator Cory Booker’s filibuster effort overnight and into this morning
I've been quiet here (not so much directly on Bluesky). I hope I can say it is because I have been busy in worthwhile efforts.