Favorite Rejects 2021-08-28

Noah Smith 🐇 @Noahpinion

There's this thing where sometimes everyone decides a bad movie is wonderful and transformational and important in the moment, and then only much later do they quietly let themselves admit that it was boring and forgettable.

𝕻𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖊 𝕻𝖍𝖎𝖑𝖎𝖕 @papasombra

Mad how Avatar, the highest grossing and most successful movie of all time, has literally no cultural footprint and no ongoing points of reference or debate. There aren’t even any notable quotes or memes. It’s like a billion dollars just appeared and then instantly disappeared.

Dr CharlieMain 💉💉 @lomas_scot

@byronkaye

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

This seems like good news. I feel like a lot of commentary has been ignoring the possibility of restoring regular commercial air traffic to Kabul.

Ragıp Soylu @ragipsoylu

EXCLUSIVE: Turkey and Taliban close to deal on Kabul airport The terms needed approval by Erdogan • Recognition of Taliban • Qatar, Turkey to run the airport • Turkish private security firm • Special forces to protect Turks With @leventkemaI https://t.co/Q91DFAiap5

Arindrajit Dube @arindube

Economies of agglomeration could have made California more populous, prosperous, and politically powerful at the national level--but California is mostly wasting those by refusing to build more housing and increase density. It's a shame.

New York Times Opinion @nytopinion

"There are now, in effect, two Americas: the America of high-tech, high-income enclaves that are unaffordable for the less affluent, and the rest of the country," writes @PaulKrugman.  https://t.co/7kDm8gaQEO

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

I’m just trying to get Klain likes and run an acquisition funnel for a subscription newsletter business.

Katherine Dee @default_friend

This isn't a dunk -- I'm seriously asking. People who politics-post here (from any camp), what is the goal? Is it to become a politician? A writer? Is it a hobby? Enacting policy changes? People seem to take it really seriously. Again, I know this seems insincere, but it isn't.

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

Me, watching the first 15 minutes of a movie from the 20th century: I love this relaxed, classy pacing. Me, an hour into a movie from the 20th century: WTF why is nothing happening what are all these pointless transition scenes?

OneHitPopehat @Popehat

https://t.co/UlhaMW0rz9

Stephen Miller @StephenM

One reason the # of Afghans is so high is that people are bringing their entire extended families, regardless of whether anyone meaningfully aided war effort or faces a particularized threat. Perception of an unrestricted policy surely helped drive oversized crowds to airport. https://t.co/Ps5boLXpE9

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

You can tell the evacuation operation in Kabul has actually gone reasonably well, because Stephen Miller is now chiming in to complain that the military got too many people out.