Readings for April 3, 2023

🏳️‍🌈📜 Tennessee drag ban law: Judge temporarily blocks law 🔗 - As this sort of idiocy gets passed in red states across the country, I’m always confused how supporters think these laws can possibly stand in light of the 1st amendment? (Outside of, of course, the anti-democratic crap the right has been inflicting upon the judiciary for years in the form of tilted judges, but that’s a discussion for another day!)

Readings for March 31, 2023

🗣️ Bill to ban children, teens from having social media accounts moves forward 🔗 - Silly bill introduced in Iowa. I mean, much of social media is a shitshow. But honestly, my teen treats it with the eyeroll that social media usually deserves. The ones going down scary rabbit holes around me are the ‘adults’ - especially the older adults. Now, an upper age limit? 🤔
🚙🚶‍♀️🚞 No, Transit Is Not a Public Good. Here’s Why 🔗 - I suppose I can see the argument that public transit doesn’t meet the technical definition of a public good in a drive to provide it for free. (Though I’ll disagree that providing safe and convenient transit isn’t a desirable action for a modern society, for all and not just those with ’limited income’ as the author suggest.) But in that same vein, why is it then ok that I am forced to subsidize car drivers for their free parking along their free roadways, neither of which I, as a pedestrian or bike rider, am equally free to use?

🚙👀 It’s Not the Bike Lane’s Fault You’re a Bad Driver 🔗 - Perhaps, just maybe, if you can’t pay enough attention to where you’re pointing your multiple-thousand-pound death machine to avoid hitting barriers, you shouldn’t be behind the wheel of said death machine?
🚶🏼‍♂️ Care to see a new America? Go walk it. 🔗 - Ah, that we could. But who has the life buffer to be able to do anything even approaching a 26 day/330 mile trek. Hell, who has the buffer to spend more than, at best, a long weekend to wander around somewhere unknown?

Twitter boss announces blue tick shake-up 🔗 - Now that there are plans for the algorithm to only show recommendations from those foolish enough to be paying Twitter subscribers (whose judgement I question just because of that fact), seems there’s little point being there if you don’t have a well-curated follow list. At least on Mastodon there seems to be a concerted effort to make the service freer and better rather than just extractive and worse? 🤷🏽‍♂️

💀👨🏻‍⚖️ Idaho governor signs firing squad execution bill into law 🔗 - I am fully anti-death penalty, for a number of reasons. But, if we’re going to have it, quit pussyfooting around about it. Make it brutal, and force - yes, force - us to all watch. Preempt whatever silliness is must-see-TV these days, and broadcast it far and wide. If the state is unaliving people in our name, we should own it. All of it, including seeing the outcome of that support.
🔫✏️ Nashville Covenant School shooting: Six dead in Tennessee 🔗 - Good thing the Tennessee government has spent all their time fighting a disingenuous culture war against trans kids and their supportive parents instead of doing anything that might actual protect their constituency. Also, fuck your meaningless thoughts and prayers.
🔫✏️ “We need to remember, the side door, I don’t know the exact facts of this moment but from what I understand a side door was unlocked. That seems to be a common pattern in many of the these shootings. A side door” 🔗 - Hmmm, what other thing always goes with all of these shootings? (A hint for the really slow: it’s that thing making big holes in other humans and the ease of acquiring them)