Urban Futurist Democrat

@urbfuturistdem

The future is urban. It's here, if we want it. East Bay, CA

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Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 19h

I feel very sympathetic to this viewpoint and would have echoed it up to maybe even a few years ago. (Still do on white supremacy.) But I'm not sure how messaging against "American Exceptionalism" could ever avoid coming across to most as "Actually, America ain't shit"

Courtney Milan: "When we think about things that we need to smash into bits in order for none of this to happen ever again, American Exceptionalism needs to be on the list, right under (and conjoined with) white supremacy." 8/25/2026

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 1d

Just plunking this here for future reference (Getting There by Stephen Goddard, pp. 191 and 194)

Book page
THE SEARCH FOR A MAJORITY
Legislative strategists knew that breaking the congressional bottleneck would depend on several things: winning the urban vote, spoonfeeding the highway-motor lobby a palatable financing plan, reassuring states that had built toll roads that they would be reimbursed, neutralizing the antidiversion forces, and doling out money in a way that would mollify both urban and rural states. The 1955 House bill had failed by a 292-to-123 margin. And many congressmen who had voted against it came from cities, which would clearly benefit from the interstate system. Obviously, communication had broken down somewhere.

Racing to the rescue came the BPR engineers, who over the years had proven remarkably adept at politics, their disclaimers to the contrary. On the theory that a picture is worth a thousand words, the BPR made available to congressmen its "Yellow Book" in 1955, showing a map of each major urban area in the country, setting forth the proposed interstate routes. Overnight, hometown newspapers depicted the new interstate routes on their front pages, gaining voters' attention and attracting the keen interest of land speculators.

The American Municipal Association (AMA) climbed on the urban bandwagon as well and sought to present a united front to Congress. When Philadelphia's Mayor Richardson Dilworth urged the AMA to insist that each urban interstate include a rail transit line, the AMA turned him down, fearing its united ranks might splinter over the public transit feature. For attacking gridlock effectively had now taken a back seat to slum clearance at city halls, which "exulted" that Washington would pick up 90 percent of the tab for highways that bulldozed through unsightly slums at the same time. Fueled by intense lobbying and newfound citizen support, urban votes for the interstate system would soar from sparse in 1955 to nearly unanimous in 1956.

Another page
After the interstate-building program was well under way, the president also awoke to unexpected realities of the plan he had pushed. On a summer day in 1959, Eisenhower's limousine was on its way to Camp David, Maryland, when the president noticed a huge earthen gash extending through the northwest section of the city. Asking the reason for this massive intrusion of bulldozers, he learned from an aide that this was his interstate highway system. Eisenhower recoiled in horror. His interstate concept, borrowed from the German model, had been to go around cities, not through them. Amazingly, he had been unaware during the lengthy congressional donnybrook that the only way the interstates could become a reality in this increasingly urban nation was to promise cities enough money to eviscerate themselves.

The president immediately enlisted Bragdon and his staff to figure out how to stop the paving over of large sections of American cities. But the BPR dug in its heels at every turn. Nearing the end of his term, Eisenhower concluded that his hands were "virtually tied," and he reluctantly gave up, but not without reflecting on the wastefulness of thousands of motorists "driving into the central area and taking all the space required to park the cars." In a few years, his comments would prove prophetic.

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 3d

Warning sign of cyclist going end over end at a rail track

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 3d

Fascists by Civic Center BART (approx 4 people / 2 "Appeal to Heaven" flags)

Small number of people on a street corner with two Appeal to Heaven flags, evergreen tree on white field

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 4d

uh oh

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 4d

For that goddamned burrito image. I saw it once, that's enough for a lifetime

Bluesky dropdown option: "Hide post for me"

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 5d

TIL

Wikipedia paragraph
"The Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the constitution of North Korea. Its original name was "Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea" before March 2026 Amendment."

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 5d

Calvin & Hobbes panel
Hobbes: What about the noodle incident?
Calvin (raising fist): NO ONE CAN PROVE I DID THAT!!

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 6d

(this guy is a hoot)

Misconception 3: The Cultural Revolution was just chaos, a power grab by Mao. It was a violent purge and consolidation of personal power.
The Cultural Revolution (1966–76) was a mass movement to continue the class struggle under socialism—an attempt to combat capitalist restoration and bureaucratization within the Communist Party. It was chaotic in its early stages, yes, but also incredibly democratic and empowering for workers and students, who created revolutionary committees, seized power in workplaces, and even criticized/overthrew high-ranking party officials. Maoists believe that the GPCR was the closest that humanity has advanced towards communism, and there will

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 6d

Certain subculture on here

Achewood panel, anthropomorphic cats Roast Beef, Ray, and bear Teodor around a kitchen bar with crispy Stellas. Word clumsily inserted in dialog marked here with ''s.
Ray: Let's have a contest to see who hates ''AI'' the most!
Roast Beef: Oh uh I already win that based on how I feel

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 8d

Black and white photo. Howard Jarvis grinning in triumph, holding out a "Yes on 13" photo to the camera

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 8d

1. If all the little nagging inconveniences really make you assess your life as overall miserable, you have an outlook problem and are probably a pain to those around you

I wish my parents had told me when I was young that adulthood would be broadly miserable. I don’t mean marriage, family, career, maladies, or politics (though I assure you we’ll get to that last one). I’m referring to the slights, inconveniences, and small injustices that accumulate into the persistent, annoying, and unavoidable frustrations you encounter in day-to-day life. You know, potholes, paper straws, everything about air travel. But once in a while, human ingenuity

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 8d

Very convincing

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 9d

Late 2024 was truly a watershed moment in public opinion

"Is it the federal government’s responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage (%)?"
Three line graphs for responses among total; Rep / lean Rep; and Dem / lean Dem, all 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025.
Total: yes 62, 63, 62, 65, 66; no, 37, 37, 37, 34, 33.
Rep / lean Rep: yes 31, 34, 32, 40, 41; no, 68, 66, 68, 60, 59.
Dem / lean Dem: yes 87, 88, 87, 88, 90; no, 12, 12, 12, 11, 10.

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 9d

There's COVID notices and barriers and distance indicators sticking around here & there, and then there's...

BART notice of new weekday/Sunday early bird express bus schedules starting 2/11/2019, posted on a station wall

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 9d

Capitol not White House, but something like this seems the eventual outcome if we try to perpetually freeze all these buildings in amber, ballroom or not

Still from the Animatrix of the National Mall looking down to the Capitol, mostly familiar or at least at familiar scale, a pyramid in place of the Washington Monument, but huge modernist buildings loom in the background on either side of the Capitol and stretching back, only just barely not casting it in shadow

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 9d

schmatte, schmotte
Pronounced shmot-ta, to rhyme with "pot a". From Polish; szmata: a rag, a piece of cloth
1. A rag. "That you call a dress? It's a shmatte."
2. Cheap, shoddy, junk. "I wouldn't drive in a shmatte like that." "The movie? It's a shmatte!"
3. A person unworthy of respect; someone "you can wipe your feet on." "She changes her opinion to suit everyone, that shmatte." "They treated him like a shmatte." "What am I: tata (father) or schmatte (rag)?" "Stand up for your rights; don't be a shmatte!"
4. A woman of weak character, we will, or wicked ways; a slattern. "She has as much self-respect as the shmatte she is." "As a girl, she was decent; now, she's a shmatte."
5. A fawner; a sycophant; a toady. "Praise drips from that shmatte for everyone."
See the story of the shopper in Paris, under CHUTZPA.

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 11d

On the one hand, at least it doesn't privilege longstanding owners over new. On the other...

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 11d

Really sad that Cleves decided to frame such a thoroughly cited work as a violation

This the most baffling element of the whole conflict to me. Walden scrupulously recorded every tiny background detail she learned from Cleves, as she did for all her other sources. In return for this, Cleves has lambasted her for not giving her enough credit, and accused her of lying about her use of those other sources. Cleves requires us to believe that Walden has lied not just in a couple of interviews, but a hundred times over in these vignette notes.

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 12d

Then it comes into more general use in or by the 1890s (alongside "property developer"), the next citation being a pamphlet from George Beken, 1890. I can't find this pamphlet, but from his other writings he appears to have been focused on countering Georgism!

1890
Are not the bulk of Londoners, therefore, under some obligation to the original developers of the town?
G. Beken, House of Lords (Taxation Ground-values) LSE Sel. Pamphlets

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 12d

The OED's first citation of the word in this sense is in William Nassau Lees's "Tea cultivation, cotton, and other agricultural experiments in India" (1863), where "developer" seems to mean someone establishing a farm. So, pretty colonialist, if clear-eyed about some things

Medium-quality scan of old book.
"...in no small degree be antagonistic. Englishmen in India, from this point of view, are useful only in so far as they supplement the deficiencies of the natives, for, birds of passage as they are, if they bring one rupee into the country, it is only that they may take two, or more probably four, out of it. India is certainly the one rupee richer; but still the two or four poorer than if the developers were true sons of the soil."

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 12d

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 13d

I think the real answer is success out of Stanford Law breeds this attitude

Community. Vice Dean Laybourne (John Goodman), tall-ly facing down Dean Pelton (Jim Rash). Caption: "Mine is not to tell you how to do what i want done. Mine is to want and to say my want. Yours is to know and to do."

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 15d

This has got to be a record, no? For Bluesky, at least.

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 15d

"inspired"

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 15d

Uh, what??

"United States, the job of the sheriff has long been to arrest and contain people who are a threat to the patriarchal and white supremacist order. Today, most sheriffs act as street police, operate county jails, [remainder highlighted] and are the primary law enforcement agency involved with immigration and border policing."

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 15d

Caricature of Hunter S. Thompson by Ralph Steadman with sunglasses and binoculars, title "The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved" with Kentucky Derby crudely erased and typed over with "Homeowner's Association"

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 15d

Glorious

Marketing copy of pill bottle encased in apparent cube of water or water-looking gelatin, four pills suspended around it
MAGIC BULLET - Brain Power Placebo - Unlock your brain's potential and achieve your goals - 120 Capsules - Vegan - Made in USA - Dietary Supplement - Premium Quality - Brain Support

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 17d

If your political strategy requires the Mayor of New York to not talk about policing besides a few ceremonial commonplaces, you do not have a political strategy.

If Zohran refuses to shut the fuck up about cops and prisons beyond "polite comments at a funeral/high school graduation/announcement of closing Rikers" etc after being talked to by chapter leadership, then yes, a refusal to re endorse should be on the table.

Urban Futurist Democrat@urbfuturistdem· 17d

This is going to be very productive