Geoff Allen
@gallen89
Political scientist; electoral systems, party politics, representation Phoenix Suns fan
After the Trump administration's announcement last week that they intend to shrink Bear's Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments by up to 90 percent, clearing the way for mining and oil exploration, I joined ~150 folks protesting here in St. George, and thousands across the state
I don't know how these guys won 5, unless someone started a brawl and got the entire other team DQ'd five times.
Damn that's a big decline. Supports the idea that folks were getting their big ticket import spending out of the way prior to tariffs. This was likely creating a short term bubble, shoring up economic indicators like growth rates.
Listen, for reasons that will go unexplained I have seen every Van Damme movie from his first roles to JCVD. This one is a banger. Double Team? Trash.
I don't think I've ever received a text from a government agency applauding a bill like this.
Today we visited Las Vegas, NM. Definitely a town that has seen its heyday come and go, but it has so much character. I love the old fire station in particular.
We're staying in the historic Plains Hotel in Cheyenne, WY, right across the street from a really grand train station from 1886. The Atlas Theater is also from that era. Cheyenne really feels like a well preserved late 19th century frontier town.
Chadron, NE is a bit off the traveled path, but is the biggest one stoplight town I've ever seen. And the buildings along main street are gorgeous, including a classic post office built in 1918 and a great Municipal Building from 1917. The NE National Forest is amazing, too.
Rapid City has a super nice downtown with a lot of buildings from the early 1900s, including the Republican Block. Unclear what the history of the building is, but it's been well maintained.
Pierre, SD doesn't have quite as much in the way of interesting older architecture, but the main drag leads all the way down to the Missouri, which is really cool.
Today we're in Bismarck, ND. The Mason building is from 1922, and still houses fairly nice apartments. This building apparently featured an original central vacuum system!
This movie theater in Miles City, MT is still operating in its vintage building.
This fun little building is on the main drag in Bozeman, MT. Super ornate, gargoyle-like trim around the edges.
This is the gorgeous Art Deco style Ogden High School. Inside is one of the most ornate auditoriums I have ever seen. If it isn't a historical building, it should be.
I'm road tripping for the next couple weeks and I'm going to share pictures of fun old buildings. Here's the municipal building in Ogden, UT.
@protectedpick.bsky.social @scooperhoops2.bsky.social I cannot remember which one of you was fishing for a 5 team trade a few weeks back, but after listening to the podcast today I wanted to play around with one.
There aren't enough crazy trade ideas on BlueSky, Mike, so here's one for you.
Today, at a #HandsOff protest in St George, Utah (Trump +51) we had more than 500 folks out to protest the Trump administrations attacks on American democracy and society. This photo was from 15 minutes before the event started!
Currently reading Barry Goldwater's 1964 "Where I Stand," where he describes his positions. I grew up in AZ and learned a lot about him and his views, and rarely have I agreed with him in those views in the past. But this particularly passage is sticking with me.
St. George 50501 protest has moved to the courthouse. Still about 100-150 people around and participating.
Maybe 150 people now in total at the St George 50501 protest. Lots of support as folks drive by. Far more support than vocal opposition.
About 100 people here at an anti-Project 2025 50501 protest in very conservative St George.
Oh man, Facebook reminded me that 13 years ago today I was online bemoaning a horrendous Suns loss too!
This is what I have for Washington County. Small shifts towards Trump in the 3 largest communities; small shifts towards Harris in Ivins and Santa Clara, kind of the westerly outlying, more suburban towns. And then a mixed bag in the exurban towns.