Historic Uplands Mansion in Baltimore burns

It was vacant and in bad condition.

Historic Uplands Mansion catches fire in West Baltimore https://t.co/aMTAjA8Dyg
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) October 30, 2023

The US economy is better than the public thinks

Inflation is a real problem but overall the economy is doing well.

The latest explanation for bad vibes about a good economy by normal criteria is that it’s about the level of prices, not the rate of change. So, how much have U.S. prices risen compared with other countries? Answer: almost identical. Clearly Biden’s fault. pic.twitter.com/RY2JKm0414
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) October 18, 2023

Just incredible how the US economy is outperforming the rest of the world, how Biden’s COVID response is directly credited as a key reason, and voters seem impervious to this information. One has to think eventually that will change. pic.twitter.com/WtAZ2yeVvT
— Ian Bassin 🇺🇦 (@ianbassin) October 26, 2023

Wow. +4.9% GDP growth in Q3

Americans were on a spending spree.
This was the strongest consumer spending since the Q4 2021. Americans were spending on BOTH goods and services (thank you Beyonce and Taylor Swift).

~Half of GDP growth came from consumer spending pic.twitter.com/V4gRJiV6ee
— Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) October 26, 2023

JUST IN: US GDP soared to a blockbuster 4.9% in Q3. That’s the highest since the end of 2021 and a big uptick from 2.1% in Q2.

Strong consumer spending and gov’t spending drove the growth.

Bottom line: No recession in sight. pic.twitter.com/xRmOFfqIBF
— Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) October 26, 2023

Not good: 50% of American adults say prices increases have been "very stressful" in the past 2 months.

~60% of households earning under $50k are stressed
~50% of households earning $50k to $100k are stressed
~40% of households earning $100k to $150k are stressed

**Data from… pic.twitter.com/wtnWgtp2sy
— Heather Long (@byHeatherLong) October 25, 2023

In 2022, American households had a median net worth of $226K — the highest on record, even after adjusting for inflation.

(That's $192K in constant 2019 dollars, as shown in the graph below.) pic.twitter.com/yjqw61eOOc
— Steven Rattner (@SteveRattner) October 18, 2023

"American families saw the largest jump in their [inflation-adjusted] wealth on record between 2019 and 2022, according to Federal Reserve data released on Wednesday." https://t.co/LYWPU3xPfl pic.twitter.com/2uijPN1zde
— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) October 18, 2023

I recommend watching films by Jean-Pierre Melville

The Criterion Collection has released some on discs. I also recommend Bob Le Flambeur.

10/25/67: Jean-Pierre Melville's masterpiece Le Samouraï w/Alain Delon
Stunning film w H/Ts to noir gems Gun for Hire, Asphalt Jungle
More:
-Us: https://t.co/lLmXSqRpbT
-David Thomson: https://t.co/im2PS6qEp5
–@JulesArk: https://t.co/YnnPl7yfLG
–@jpraup: https://t.co/MgEfZ4lp4x pic.twitter.com/ez8LAQ41Lu
— MidCenturyCinema (@MidCenturyCinem) October 24, 2023

"My story takes place at night because that is the time for writing love letters. Any story set in a big city should start at about 6 in the evening and end with the dawn." 🖤 French master Jean-Pierre Melville (#BOTD)—a renegade artist who made movies according to his own rules. pic.twitter.com/oWUZoRI5ce
— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) October 20, 2023

10/25/72: Jean-Pierre Melville's last, Un Flic, w/Alain Delon, Catherine Deneuve, Richard Crenna
Opening sequence remains unsurpassed
More:
–@aka_Reynolds/@SpectrumCulture: https://t.co/DEiOe0lJkx
–@simonsaybrams: https://t.co/xTdOaoj5ca
–@FilmInt: https://t.co/RLKV7A6Dmn pic.twitter.com/Y3lTdew0aT
— MidCenturyCinema (@MidCenturyCinem) October 24, 2023

"Jean-Pierre Melville, a close student of American moviemaking, made a series of genuinely great, extremely elegant, intricate, & lovingly crafted gangster pictures, in which criminals & cops stick to a code of honor like knights in the age of chivalry."

— Martin Scorsese pic.twitter.com/zbdZtPBOY9
— DepressedBergman (@DannyDrinksWine) October 20, 2023

"White gloves are a tradition with me; all my killers wear them. They are editor’s gloves." -Jean-Pierre Melville pic.twitter.com/E6amRw4DKv
— Janus Films (@janusfilms) January 24, 2024

10/25/67 Jean-Pierre Melville's masterpiece Le Samouraï w/Alain Delon
Stunning film w H/Ts to noir gems Gun for Hire, Asphalt Jungle
More
-Us: https://t.co/lLmXSqQRml
–@jpraup: https://t.co/MgEfZ4kReZ
–@AskDebruge: https://t.co/1KusquQRMw
–@BeverlyTheater: https://t.co/GYYBboHIzU
— MidCenturyCinema (@MidCenturyCinem) October 25, 2024

Republicans are already skeptical about 2024 election results

The 2024 election will be a fiasco.

Thought 2020 fraud conspiracies lacked evidence (since they did)? Well, Republicans already think *2024*’s results won’t be credible. https://t.co/zrOLgsKjZj pic.twitter.com/kxERQXDwcA
— Philip Bump (@pbump) October 26, 2023

Three excellent Australian horror films

I just watched the outstanding Talk To Me. I have also seen earlier Australian horror films Lake Mungo and 100 Bloody Acres. I recommend all three especially Talk To Me.

Since its 2008 release, 'Lake Mungo' has quietly become a classic supernatural faux-documentary. Daniel Bromfield presents the film’s oral history: https://t.co/tD48zvbTxe
— Split Tooth Media (@splittoothmedia) November 29, 2023

Tweet on Oregon’s exploding whale (1970)

More info: https://t.co/7eP225kDMW
— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) October 6, 2023

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A post shared by 📸 HistoricPix 📸 (@historicpix)

Car sculptures by Dustin Shuler

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A post shared by Library of Congress (@librarycongress)

#throwbackthursday

October 25, 1980
A '59 Cadillac sedan is pinned like a insect trophy in this sculpture titled "Death of an Era" by Dustin Shuler, installed on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills. (Mike Mullen – Herald Examiner Collection)https://t.co/lyYbb15ax3 pic.twitter.com/2BBY5aBoXw
— LAPL Photos (@laplphotos) May 7, 2020

Republican gerrymandering in North Carolina

NC redistricting update: Senate Republicans are planning to unveil new Congressional (and #NCGA) district maps this afternoon.

Confirmation just now from top #ncpol redistricting official Sen. @RalphHise. Expecting similar from House Republicans, too.
— Will Doran (@will_doran) October 18, 2023

IMO the only interesting Q about North Carolina congressional redistricting is what they do with NC-01 (Davis). Plausible outcomes literally range from safe D to safe R.

3 Democrats (Manning, Nickel, Jackson) are 99.9% likely to be toasted.
— Ryan Brune (@BruneElections) October 18, 2023

New Proposed NC Senate Configuration, notable incumbent Democrat @Bode4Senate gets drawn into a Trump-Budd District in the North of Wake and 2 other Biden Districts currently held by Republicans are now Trump won. pic.twitter.com/U3tEpY9jfp
— 🇺🇦North Carolina Mapper🇺🇦 (@UniteCarolina) October 18, 2023

Here's the proposed 10R-3D-1C map that would eliminate #NC06 Manning (D), #NC13 Nickel (D) and #NC14 Jackson (D) and put Davis (D) in a hard-to-win #NC01 w/ a substantially diluted Black share. https://t.co/srTVq7ROpM
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) October 18, 2023

As the hypothetical map below shows, it's possible to draw an outright Black majority #NC01 in the northeastern part of NC.

Instead, NC Republicans' proposals dilute #NC01's Black share from 42% to 41% and 39%, respectively. A VRA lawsuit is pretty much assured here. pic.twitter.com/ghueTzgCoT
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) October 18, 2023

Based on my initial look at the two NC GOP congressional plans, one is a 11R-3D plan (+4R, -4D) that merges Davis & Foushee and eliminates Manning, Jackson and Nickel.

The other is a 10R-3D-1C that makes Davis's #NC01 competitive and eliminates Manning, Jackson and Nickel.
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) October 18, 2023

JUST IN: Under both proposed NC congressional maps, Tricia Cotham, who gave Republicans a supermajority by switching parties in April, moves from Democratic U.S. Rep. Alma Adams' district to Dan Bishop's, who is creating an open seat by running for attorney general. #ncpol pic.twitter.com/vCuzyTdaG3
— Bryan Anderson (@BryanRAnderson) October 18, 2023

Covers: Tangled Up in Blue

“Tangled Up in Blue” (1975) is one of Bob Dylan’s best songs from the 1970s. To me, it’s right there with “Watching the River Flow” and “When I Paint My Masterpiece” both from 1971.

The meaning behind the song.

Trump and other celebrity mug shots

Trump joins the lineup of history’s most famous mug shots

Donald Trump’s mugshot: Why we’re obsessed with celeb booking photos (podcast)

Hollywood mug shots

Mug shots from the Smoking Gun

Legendary mug shots of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain. pic.twitter.com/80WqtyWEPC
— AXS TV (@AXSTV) March 20, 2024

Godzilla's mug shot pic.twitter.com/I230R25IA6
— Kaiju No. 14 (@14_kaiju) October 25, 2024