Salt Lake City is a great case study, albeit a much smaller population than NYC. Salt Lake City has not had a fatal police encounter in over 2 years. The reason cited by their chief is training and an emphasis in de-escalation.

Current New Yorker articles of interest: Sally Yates; and James Mattis.

• Report: the Democratic party remains very stupid. [The Hill]

If you get the chance, there is a documentary called “The Brainwashing of My Dad.” The filmmaker chronicles how her father went from a caring, reasonable man to an angry and vocal bigot when he immersed himself in conservative radio, tv and websites. The film is sad, but does offer some hope.

There’s this guy I go to school with who I’m about 95% sure voted for Trump (I don’t know for absolute certain, but he seemed super happy the day after the election and I remember hearing an acquaintance bitching about something pro-Trump on his Facebook). We’re not friends, precisely, but I’m friends with a few of…

I live in a red state. Born and raised here. The thought of living in a modern day CSA terrifies the shit out of me. Breaking up our country is my worst nightmare.

I’m the “fun uncle” (gay, childless, endless patience with the young’ins) in my family, and we have big, sprawling family reunions every summer.

sometimes i think he’s the creepiest, ugliest thing i have ever seen but then i see trump again so it’s hard

My father in law was a blue collar guy his entire life (steel mill and construction supervisor), and never really followed politics. They moved to rural Indiana a few years ago, and the transition was astonishing.

Can’t vouch for this, but at worst it’s an interesting twist.

He’s been a pretty terrible landlord in the East Village as well (although I think not as bad as the stories out of Baltimore). Trying to harass rent-regulated tenants out of buildings, doing a terrible job with maintenance, etc. He’s bought a few portfolios of buildings from some other notorious slumlords, then he…

Cosigned. Everyone, read this. Disgusting piece of shit. Note that he took people to court for being 6 weeks late on rent, but failed to provide basic maintenance for MONTHS after collecting repair fees from residents.

I highly recommend the NYT’s article about Jared the Slumlord. Seems that little Jared gets his jollies suing poor people for tiny bits of money (to him, not to them).

Tangled in a Russian Netting like two fat sturgeon.

I...believe him, actually. A lot of newly-sober people acquire hobbies to stay busy in the time they previously would have spent boozing/using.

Mid-life crisis = time for change. Let’s hope we all go through one or two and come out stronger people for it.

Here’s Pitt on whether he’s going through a mid-life crisis:

HAHAHAHA! Omg! This is horrible!!!!

They really could have edited the photos down to half what was chosen. First I would have cut is this “sad sand baby”.

Can we take a moment to remember how beautiful that man was before he started looking like someone’s Dad who is trying too hard with the Snapchat?