It’s just a very ungenerous interpretation of a lot of factually correct things. Brandon Sanderson is, indeed, Mormon and while I’ve never heard him say as much explicitly, the way he talks a out his faith makes me believe that yes, he does tithe to the church.

As for the audio book stuff, when Sanderson was doing his massive kickstarter for his four secret projects, he said that the audio books would not initially be available on Audible/Amazon. He said this was because he believed Amazon had too much market power and that he was successful enough that he didn’t need them and would thus withhold releasing his books on that platform. I don’t recall him ever saying that they would never be released there. Partway through fulfillment of the kickstarter, he announced that Amazon had changed its compensation structure (for all authors, not just him) in the direction he wanted and tbuse he felt it was okay to release his books on Amazon’s platform.

If you like heroic fantasy with unique magic systems, I recommend giving him a shot. I like to compare him to Marvel movies: not groundbreaking or innovative or the pinnacle of the art form, but competently made that hits all the emotional beats you want out of the story in a familiar and comforting way.

This might be the largest gap between technically correct and ungenerous reading of events that I’ve ever seen.

If I had one political wish, it would be that conservatives are forced to live in the world they want to create.

Millennials aren’t going to be the savior you think they are. Like, I want to be hopeful, but I see a lot of Millennials my age just acting scared. They’ve finally gotten some stability, they’ve finally gotten some comfort, and they’re incredibly loss averse. I see a bunch of people my age bought a house in the suburbs posting in the neighborhood Facebook group every time there’s a loud bang “did anyone hear that noise? What was it?” with people lamenting about how the neighborhood is going downhill.

Ten years ago, millennials were pissed the fuck off and were ready to burn shit to the ground. The ruling class gave them just enough to be scared of losing it.

Someone eventually is going to come in here and say that no, because of modern typeface on computers the convention is a single space after a period and to that person I say this:

Go fuck yourself.

Manchin and Sinema are like schrodinger’s democrats. They’re not real democrats, but you better shut the fuck up and vote blue not matter who or some shit.

Secondly, passing a federal law is not like getting a Coke from the vending machine.

No shit. Passing federal legislation is hard. But that’s literally their job and why we elected them. “The democratic party not doing what we elected them to do when they have a majority in both chambers and the presidency.” is not the winning argument you think it is.

Democrats are never going to codify Roe. Want to know how I know? Because on June 25th 2022 they controlled the presidency, the senate, and the house and Roe still isn’t codified. They’ll never say it out loud, but the democratic party is happy Roe was overturned because now they get to use it as a fundraising issue forever.

If you know nothing about the civil war, you know it was about slavery.

If you know a little about the civil war you know it was abouts states rights.

If you know a lot about the civil war, you know it was about slavery.

Let’s not forget, trying to remove access to health care is an act of violence that will cause people to die. Restricting access to women’s health alth care is an act of violence that will cause people to die. Outlawing gender affirming care is an act of violence that will cause people to die. Appointing judges to support these policies - and those judges writing opinions enabling those policies as well as opinions restricting environmental regulations - are acts of violence that will cause people to die. Locking migrants in cages is an act of violence that leads to people dying. So why are those acts of violence acceptable but this one is not?

You might say that none of them are acceptable. But let me put it another way. Law enforcement shot and killed the perpetrator of this act of violence and we as a society deem it reasonable and justified. But why shouldn’t we do the same thing for this guy?

And the answer is: we should.

This is part of the reason I have mixed feelings about gun control.

From a public health standpoint, it is incontrovertable: more guns equals more gum deaths. Restricting access to guns unquestionably reduces gun deaths.

But the modern gun control movement has its roots in racism and would but unequally enforced more against PoC and other marginalized groups.

And I don’t know how to reconcile these truths.

Tell that to our centrists. They hate our left more than our right.

To this point: for those who think that, do they think anyone else realistically could, at this point, other than Biden?

Literally anyone born after 1975.

Look, 45% of people are going to vote for the name on the D line no matter who it is. 45% of people are going to vote for the name on the R line no matter what. That last 10% is who you want to win over. And like, they’re tired of both of them. But Biden is the dude in office right now, so they’re gonna vote for the other one.

All Biden has to do is say “after some reflection, you’re right. I cannot serve at my best capacity. I’m going to step aside for the good of party and country,” and then they nominate literally anyone under 50. Hardcore democrats are going to vote for whoever is on that line, and middle America is going to see that and be like “that’s the honorable thing to do. I respect that. And I may not know who this new person is, but they’re not Trump” so democrats still have that tired platform without any of the baggage. They would cruise to retaining the presidency.

Tech bros reinvent broadcast TV.

This was a friend of mine, except it was cocaine.

Have we gotten that stupid?

Something something “these regulations are written in blood” anecdote something something.

Pretty sure “but the democratic party still fuckin sucks” covers all that.

Then I’m saying “at least he’s not openly fascist but the democratic party still fuckin sucks.”

Stop confusing democrats/liberals with leftists.

Democrats will probably almost universally agree that he’s been a good president. Tribalism is a hell of a drug.

It’s the leftists that won’t. And speaking as a leftist, he’s done a lot better than I thought he was going to. He ended up pushing for more progressive ideas than I thought he would. Good for him. He’s been stymied by the courts and his own party on some of them. And that why I, as a leftist, think the democratic party is still (less) trash. They had a majority for two years. Did some stuff. Could have done more. You can be all “but but Manchin/Sinema” all you want, but I’ll bet all the money in my pocket against all the money in your pocket, than if Manchin and Sinema were to announce that yes, they’d vote to abolish the filibuster, there would be two other democratic senators who would come out and say no. And that’s fine as it relates to their world view. They’re liberals. They’re not leftists.