Dan Miller
@meelar.bsky.social
Queens volunteer chapter leader for @opennewyork.org. YIMBY, pro-transit, pro-biking, anti-borders-and-cars. He/him
I'm not wild about spinning customer service jobs as "the triumph of the human", although that's what people are going to do in the age of AI backlash. People love being served, and they specifically love being served by a human. What that says about human nature, boy, I dunno.
"We don't know who struck first, us or them. But we do know it was us who stopped using them to order McFlurries."
The humans are rejecting the machines that were supposed to help them | CNN Business
Touchscreens and self-checkout machines were designed to help customers. But restaurants and retailers are ditching them to humanize stores and attract workers.
www.cnn.com
September 18, 2026 at 4:28 PM
I'm not wild about spinning customer service jobs as "the triumph of the human", although that's what people are going to do in the age of AI backlash. People love being served, and they specifically love being served by a human. What that says about human nature, boy, I dunno.
Reposted by Dan Miller
I think it’s telling that the most powerful remnants of Woke 1 or whatever is the one that happens to let drivers of all backgrounds off the hook for reckless driving. Decarceration/ depolicing etc as policy had staying power essentially nowhere else lol
Amon transpo policy people in state government and advocacy world it’s basically a consensus position that automated enforcement of traffic laws is racist. So more or less in pursuit of equity we shouldn’t have traffic laws.
September 18, 2026 at 3:43 PM
I think it’s telling that the most powerful remnants of Woke 1 or whatever is the one that happens to let drivers of all backgrounds off the hook for reckless driving. Decarceration/ depolicing etc as policy had staying power essentially nowhere else lol
Reposted by Dan Miller
The GOP’s White Nationalism Problem Goes All the Way to the Top ||
The GOP’s White Nationalism Problem Goes All the Way to the Top
The blood-and-soil extremists have donors, institutions, administration ties—and plenty of friends in MAGA.
www.thebulwark.com
September 18, 2026 at 2:28 PM
The GOP’s White Nationalism Problem Goes All the Way to the Top ||
Reposted by Dan Miller
I realize that I am a certified old, but do kids actually watch this stuff? This is the most boring shit I've ever encountered.
To get a sense of how alien and otherworldly the entire politics streamer universe is:
This is a real, unedited screenshot from a Destiny stream.
This is him reacting to a video of Hasan, reacting to a video of him, reacting to a different video of Hasan.
(The 4hr YouTube version has 250K views.)
This is a real, unedited screenshot from a Destiny stream.
This is him reacting to a video of Hasan, reacting to a video of him, reacting to a different video of Hasan.
(The 4hr YouTube version has 250K views.)
September 17, 2026 at 9:16 PM
I realize that I am a certified old, but do kids actually watch this stuff? This is the most boring shit I've ever encountered.
Reposted by Dan Miller
this is something I've been thinking about for a while: nobody knows what 'middle class' means, and particularly in the angloshpere daughters of an Actual Class Society with a landed aristocracy.
anyway that's enough threat analyst talk, time for an economics take that will annoy everyone
the term "middle class" is useless because it was created in the context of an insurgent moneyed elite—effectively burghers—which posed a threat to the aristocracy through the accumulation of capital
the term "middle class" is useless because it was created in the context of an insurgent moneyed elite—effectively burghers—which posed a threat to the aristocracy through the accumulation of capital
September 17, 2026 at 7:18 PM
this is something I've been thinking about for a while: nobody knows what 'middle class' means, and particularly in the angloshpere daughters of an Actual Class Society with a landed aristocracy.
Reposted by Dan Miller
Someone is needs to write a book about these basically simultaneous California mutataions:
- of the already-bad West Coast Straussians into the actually fascist Flight 93/ January 6/ no birthright citizenship crowd
-of Effective Altruism/ "rationalism" into long-termism and Roko-worship
1/
- of the already-bad West Coast Straussians into the actually fascist Flight 93/ January 6/ no birthright citizenship crowd
-of Effective Altruism/ "rationalism" into long-termism and Roko-worship
1/
September 17, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Someone is needs to write a book about these basically simultaneous California mutataions:
- of the already-bad West Coast Straussians into the actually fascist Flight 93/ January 6/ no birthright citizenship crowd
-of Effective Altruism/ "rationalism" into long-termism and Roko-worship
1/
- of the already-bad West Coast Straussians into the actually fascist Flight 93/ January 6/ no birthright citizenship crowd
-of Effective Altruism/ "rationalism" into long-termism and Roko-worship
1/
Reposted by Dan Miller
How many megawatts of renewable energy could we bring online for $38 billion? How many miles of the electrical grid could we rebuild?
Trump and Republicans in Congress will say we are broke and bring up the debt and deficit every time we talk about the programs working people rely on.
Iran war cost hits $38 billion, forecast to rise $3 billion a month, CBO says
The war is expected to increase U.S. inflation by 0.5% in the first three months of 2027, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
www.reuters.com
September 17, 2026 at 3:08 PM
How many megawatts of renewable energy could we bring online for $38 billion? How many miles of the electrical grid could we rebuild?
Reposted by Dan Miller
Cis people do not understand how much trans people's rights have regressed in just 5 years.
5 years ago, there were none of these restrictions.
19 states banned legal recognition
21 states have bathroom bans
8 states ban gender marker changes on DLs
25 ban gender affirming care for trans youth
5 years ago, there were none of these restrictions.
19 states banned legal recognition
21 states have bathroom bans
8 states ban gender marker changes on DLs
25 ban gender affirming care for trans youth
September 14, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Cis people do not understand how much trans people's rights have regressed in just 5 years.
5 years ago, there were none of these restrictions.
19 states banned legal recognition
21 states have bathroom bans
8 states ban gender marker changes on DLs
25 ban gender affirming care for trans youth
5 years ago, there were none of these restrictions.
19 states banned legal recognition
21 states have bathroom bans
8 states ban gender marker changes on DLs
25 ban gender affirming care for trans youth
Reposted by Dan Miller
Here is my case for conservative (but not bad!) Bluey
1. All the problems are contained within and solved by the nuclear family.
2. The dogs marry within breed.
3. Episodes have messages about raising a generation of squibs, circulating currency, learning self-control
1. All the problems are contained within and solved by the nuclear family.
2. The dogs marry within breed.
3. Episodes have messages about raising a generation of squibs, circulating currency, learning self-control
Bluey
[discourse voice] what’s the best conservative work of art
September 16, 2026 at 12:20 PM
Here is my case for conservative (but not bad!) Bluey
1. All the problems are contained within and solved by the nuclear family.
2. The dogs marry within breed.
3. Episodes have messages about raising a generation of squibs, circulating currency, learning self-control
1. All the problems are contained within and solved by the nuclear family.
2. The dogs marry within breed.
3. Episodes have messages about raising a generation of squibs, circulating currency, learning self-control
It's doable. It just hasn't happened in New York. That 2029 contract renegotiation better be a banger.
"'as everything else got more expensive, Divvy got cheaper for most people'... Chicago and Lyft focused on making Divvy more affordable, accessible and available, with an annual membership frozen... at $143... rates are to remain frozen 'until at least January 2027'” www.govtech.com/transportati...
E-Bikes, E-Scooters Reshape Major Cities’ Mobility Landscape
Micromobility systems in municipalities such as Chicago, New York City and Toronto are serving millions of electric bike and scooter rides a year and having a similar impact to traditional forms of pu...
www.govtech.com
September 16, 2026 at 1:24 PM
It's doable. It just hasn't happened in New York. That 2029 contract renegotiation better be a banger.
I'm not saying ACAB, but if any non-bastard cops would like to step up and denounce this, that would be awesome. nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/09/16/n...
NYPD Commissioner Tisch Declined To Punish Cops Who Used Force So Other Cops Could Park Illegally - Streetsblog New York City
The top cop's decision came even though the NYPD's patrol guide prohibits both excessive force and bars officers from parking on the sidewalk.
nyc.streetsblog.org
September 16, 2026 at 12:19 PM
I'm not saying ACAB, but if any non-bastard cops would like to step up and denounce this, that would be awesome. nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/09/16/n...
Reposted by Dan Miller
Strong agree. People will give incredibly confident reactions on here to fundamental questions of philosophy of mind, when the appropriate reaction is to be befuddled for half an hour and then go make a cup of tea.
September 15, 2026 at 9:36 PM
Strong agree. People will give incredibly confident reactions on here to fundamental questions of philosophy of mind, when the appropriate reaction is to be befuddled for half an hour and then go make a cup of tea.
Reposted by Dan Miller
Yes, every billionaire is a policy failure. You know who else is a policy failure? Your Berkeley hippie grandpa who pays $100 in annual property taxes on a $2.5 million house and uses the leftover cash to sue people who try to build apartments in his neighborhood.
September 15, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Yes, every billionaire is a policy failure. You know who else is a policy failure? Your Berkeley hippie grandpa who pays $100 in annual property taxes on a $2.5 million house and uses the leftover cash to sue people who try to build apartments in his neighborhood.
Calling my shot now: this whole chain of events is happening because Kash Patel is friends with one specific guy who fucked a sheep as part of a fraternity hazing.
Kash Patel: "Applicants who have engaged in beastiliaty means they were victims of beastility because they were forced to do so. At this FBI we are not going to criminalize and prevent victims from serving."
September 15, 2026 at 2:52 PM
Calling my shot now: this whole chain of events is happening because Kash Patel is friends with one specific guy who fucked a sheep as part of a fraternity hazing.
Reposted by Dan Miller
The policy is the easy part
Ped streets could be in the works, but if outreach hasn't started, they won't break the news in a policy doc
But if they're still talking about finding tow capacity a year from now, you'll know the enforcement stuff came from wishful mid-level staff, not the Mayor
Ped streets could be in the works, but if outreach hasn't started, they won't break the news in a policy doc
But if they're still talking about finding tow capacity a year from now, you'll know the enforcement stuff came from wishful mid-level staff, not the Mayor
Highlights of the Mamdani admin's plan include: Creating "pedestrian-only" zones, expanding towing capacity, expanding the implementation of 20mph speed limit zones, and more. buff.ly/kjnuVhl
September 15, 2026 at 1:37 PM
The policy is the easy part
Ped streets could be in the works, but if outreach hasn't started, they won't break the news in a policy doc
But if they're still talking about finding tow capacity a year from now, you'll know the enforcement stuff came from wishful mid-level staff, not the Mayor
Ped streets could be in the works, but if outreach hasn't started, they won't break the news in a policy doc
But if they're still talking about finding tow capacity a year from now, you'll know the enforcement stuff came from wishful mid-level staff, not the Mayor
Reposted by Dan Miller
❗New Article❗ The Great American Property Tax Freakout! Since 2024, many states have radically reshaped their property tax systems.The changes are an example of a national trend of carving out influential groups from taxation, in this case a majority group: homeowners papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
The Great American Property Tax Freak Out
There has been a lot of news over the last two years, so it is understandable that neither the mass media nor the legal academy has focused on what is happening
papers.ssrn.com
September 15, 2026 at 12:13 PM
❗New Article❗ The Great American Property Tax Freakout! Since 2024, many states have radically reshaped their property tax systems.The changes are an example of a national trend of carving out influential groups from taxation, in this case a majority group: homeowners papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Reposted by Dan Miller
"A car ran the light at the crossing right in front of me. I'm not against cars, but the automobile community has to deal with these irresponsible drivers." No one writes posts like this. It's only ever about cyclists, or scooter users.
What is this "irresponsible cycling community" and who issues the membership cards? Is there a community of irresponsible drivers?
No one is disputing that it's annoying and sometimes dangerous for a cyclist to ride on a sidewalk. What people are taking issue with is collective blame.
No one is disputing that it's annoying and sometimes dangerous for a cyclist to ride on a sidewalk. What people are taking issue with is collective blame.
Can't keep up with the irresponsible cycling community I've provoked but just to note, one of the cyclists that nearly ran into me did run into the bloke walking behind, thankfully not full on. So take some responsibility.
September 14, 2026 at 8:46 PM
"A car ran the light at the crossing right in front of me. I'm not against cars, but the automobile community has to deal with these irresponsible drivers." No one writes posts like this. It's only ever about cyclists, or scooter users.
Let's not forget the real victims here--people who enjoy the music of Ed Sheeran substantially more than they enjoy the music of Macklemore. People...like me.
September 14, 2026 at 8:06 PM
Let's not forget the real victims here--people who enjoy the music of Ed Sheeran substantially more than they enjoy the music of Macklemore. People...like me.
Reposted by Dan Miller
San Francisco has tried a lot of policies to make housing affordable: we have rent stabilization, good cause eviction protections, strict regulations on short term rentals, limits on condo conversions, and a now struck-down vacancy tax. None of it has worked. We need to BUILD MORE HOMES.
S.F. landlords win battle over tax on empty apartments in wake of court ruling
A voter-approved ballot measure intended to tax owners of San Francisco apartments that have been vacant for six months violates property owners’ rights under California law, a state court ruled.
www.sfchronicle.com
September 14, 2026 at 5:20 PM
San Francisco has tried a lot of policies to make housing affordable: we have rent stabilization, good cause eviction protections, strict regulations on short term rentals, limits on condo conversions, and a now struck-down vacancy tax. None of it has worked. We need to BUILD MORE HOMES.
Reposted by Dan Miller
Yikes, if this is accurate, its basically the owner class using their power to shut down dissent. The Patriots Robert Kraft told Sheerhan his concert would be cancelled if Mackelmore stayed on the your, and that other stadium owners would follow suit.
Banned: Macklemore's powerful statement deserves reading.
www.instagram.com/p/DdRdsy0m2H...
www.instagram.com/p/DdRdsy0m2H...
September 14, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Yikes, if this is accurate, its basically the owner class using their power to shut down dissent. The Patriots Robert Kraft told Sheerhan his concert would be cancelled if Mackelmore stayed on the your, and that other stadium owners would follow suit.
Reposted by Dan Miller
hooray for the US economy, GDP number is very large, the advantage relative to Europe is entirely down to no mandatory paid vacation, and all of the extra money vanishes into the shittiest healthcare system on earth
September 14, 2026 at 2:02 PM
hooray for the US economy, GDP number is very large, the advantage relative to Europe is entirely down to no mandatory paid vacation, and all of the extra money vanishes into the shittiest healthcare system on earth
This is quite good from @liberalcurrents.com--a lot of creative ideas in here about how to reform the Senate in ways that respect the difficulty of actually passing an amendment. www.liberalcurrents.com/reconstructi...
Reconstructing the Senate
Chapter 7 (pp. 39–53) from The Reconstruction Papers.
www.liberalcurrents.com
September 13, 2026 at 9:17 PM
This is quite good from @liberalcurrents.com--a lot of creative ideas in here about how to reform the Senate in ways that respect the difficulty of actually passing an amendment. www.liberalcurrents.com/reconstructi...
Reposted by Dan Miller
This is what makes the privacy concerns about speed cameras so disingenuous. Your car is already collecting farrrr more data about you than a speed camera (not flock) that just takes a picture of your plate.
Your car is collecting a staggering amount of data about you and selling them. Your bike won’t do that to you.
Your car is selling your data
The amount of data about you that many cars collect — and sell to third parties — is staggering.
www.theverge.com
September 13, 2026 at 4:44 PM
This is what makes the privacy concerns about speed cameras so disingenuous. Your car is already collecting farrrr more data about you than a speed camera (not flock) that just takes a picture of your plate.
I like the idea that all Republican Senate candidates are just mysteriously drawn to Florida, like salmon thrashing upstream to spawn
Just like Mike Rogers in Michigan and Tommy Tuberville in Alabama, Roger Marshall is a Florida Man who doesn’t even live in the state he represents.
September 13, 2026 at 3:06 PM
I like the idea that all Republican Senate candidates are just mysteriously drawn to Florida, like salmon thrashing upstream to spawn
Reposted by Dan Miller
I kinda hate the idea that a true New Yorker is someone who lives in the past? I stay here because living in the city is a promise of better things ahead. A new restaurant, an interesting person to meet, the next show at the Whitney. I’m not here to look backwards, I’m here for what’s next.
"No matter how long you have been here, you are a New Yorker the first time you say, ''That used to be Munsey's'' or ''That used to be the Tic Toc Lounge.'' ... You are a New Yorker when what was there before is more real and solid than what is here now."
This piece by Colson Whitehead is one of my favorite things ever written. I've shared it many times with folks over the years.
It was published two months after 9/11, and I believe it's one of the greatest things ever put to pen about grief, memory, and time.
www.nytimes.com/2001/11/11/m...
It was published two months after 9/11, and I believe it's one of the greatest things ever put to pen about grief, memory, and time.
www.nytimes.com/2001/11/11/m...
September 13, 2026 at 2:45 PM
I kinda hate the idea that a true New Yorker is someone who lives in the past? I stay here because living in the city is a promise of better things ahead. A new restaurant, an interesting person to meet, the next show at the Whitney. I’m not here to look backwards, I’m here for what’s next.