Christopher Stone

@sm Write a memo to the doctor.

I hate how at the doctors office, the nurse sees you first, gets all your concerns and then relays them to the doctor. It’s like whisper down the lane. Let me just tell the doctor directly because I can hear you outside the door doing a terrible job.

@guypbenson @JoshKraushaar If Sen. Fetterman were to change affiliations, why would he become an independent? The GOP would offer him a path to re-election; independent status would not.

I’d be astonished if he became a Republican because he’s way too progressive, but could much more easily see him leaving the Democrats to become an independent — especially with Dems sharpening the knives over his relative handful of moderate “heresies”…

@cwebbonline The poll you post below does not support your theory that the race as currently constituted is “how we hand the general election to TWO Republicans.” Becerra and Hilton have comfortable leads and Bianco is fourth.

IT’S TIME Dear California gov candidates, 🚨 There are 61 candidates in this race. SIXTY ONE! That’s how we hand the general election to TWO Republicans. If you’re still in single digits, the window has closed. If you care about the Democratic Party, do the right thing. Drop out. Be loud about it. Endorse a Democrat who can make the top two. That’s how you actually help. And respect to everyone who ran, you’ve done the work and elevated the conversation. Now it’s about finishing this the right way.

1. Universities *should* be spending money on research. That’s their mission. You’re citing a feature, not a bug. Similarly, if a university amasses an endowment, that’s a positive sign. It means alumni are engaged. It means the university is insulated against budget cuts and austerity programs that inevitably arise in government budgets during lean times. It means they can hire the best faculty (generally, the brain drain of professors flows from Europe to the US; maybe Trump changes that, but maybe not). Private industry benefits when the university invests the endowment in venture funds. Don’t even get me started on the wild success of Bayh-Dole. I’ve not read up on comparable efforts in Europe, but my anecdotal impression is that Europe (except for Switzerland) is behind at commercializing university technology. 2. Very few students outside of the very rich pay sticker price at top US universities. (I do alumni interviewing for Harvard undergrad applications in my state; this season, I had an applicant who didn’t get in call me and ask my opinion as to whether she should attend another Ivy that accepted her or a top public university. I asked whether cost was a factor. Turns out the Ivy was actually cheaper.) State university tuition still tends to be reasonable. In my state, it’s free. There is, of course, a perpetual, separate debate as to whether free tertiary education leads to overconsumption of education.

@TrueStoneCold @WSJ @WSJopinion On universities: yes, the US dominates global rankings, but rankings are top‑heavy & reward scale, endowments, & research spend. Top US Universities charge much, much more than any European institution, & it shows. But all this says little about the median student or workforce.

From @WSJopinion: What happens when Europeans find out how poor they are? The Continent trails far behind U.S. economic output. Politics is bound to catch up sooner or later, writes Joseph Sternberg. on.wsj.com/4n5v2Wq

@EuroPaladin @WSJ @WSJopinion I would not call a 15% gap “modest.”

@TrueStoneCold @WSJ @WSJopinion On OECD data (ages 25–64): • US ≈ 50% with tertiary education • Europe as a whole ≈ low‑40s That gap exists — but it’s modest, not dramatic.

You seem to think that “top heavy” is some kind of zinger; why? But on that score, one area in which the US excels is tertiary education for non-traditional students. European countries tend to track students early on, and if you’re off the university-bound track, it can be next to impossible to get back on. That’s much less true in the US, particularly outside the Ivies and Ivy-adjacent institutions.

1. By definition of “average” — and you don’t tell us whether that’s a mean or median — many states, indeed half in the case of a median, will sit in the bottom. 2. It’s ironic that you cite Mississippi as a ln example of a “below average” state, because you’re evidently unaware of all the recent discussion of the “Mississippi miracle” in elementary education. Perhaps this is because you’re basing recommendations on stereotypes, rather than data? (Thank you for omitting New Mexico, though.) 3. If we are going to get into sub-jurisdictional data (which I agree can shed light on policy questions), how much is London and the southeast skewing data for the UK as a whole? How much are Hamburg, Bavaria, and NRW skewing it for Germany?

@TrueStoneCold @WSJ @WSJopinion The US average is heavily skewed by a small number of elite, highly educated states (e.g. Massachusetts, DC, Maryland, Colorado). Many US states sit WELL below the US average. Alabama Arkansas Louisiana Mississippi West Virginia Kentucky Oklahoma Nevada

It’s very much a similar story at the Tesla store near Albuquerque, NM, which is also on land belonging to Santa Ana Pueblo. It’s a big win for both the Pueblo and for car purchasers. The location is also ideal for test drives — it’s far enough outside the city limits that you can take a genuine test drive on highways, but close enough to test it in city conditions as well. (The stunning vistas in the area don’t hurt, either.)

In all my years following Tesla, I have never had an experience at a showroom quite like this. For over a decade Tesla tried to get a sales and delivery center in Connecticut, but the dealer franchise laws made it impossible. State legislatures, many backed by the stealership lobby, repeatedly blocked proposals for allowing direct sales, and continue to do so today. However, in 2023, The Mohegan Tribe reached out a hand, welcoming Tesla to their flagship Mohegan Sun casino, located on their own sovereign land, governed by their own laws, where Tesla could operate freely. The dealerships were up in arms over it, saying Tesla was evading the law, and one politician in particular, former Connecticut State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, even threatened the Mohegan Tribe for daring to exercise their sovereign rights, "There's a lot of things Connecticut can do to make life very uncomfortable for the sovereign tribes." Despite the dealer lobby claims that Tesla's direct sales hurts consumers, and political threats to the sovereign rights of the tribe, I can say that three years later, the Mohegan / Tesla partnership is stronger than ever, as I got to see it in action while picking up a Cyberbeast for a 48hr demo drive. The casino generously allows Tesla use of a massive shaded canopy for deliveries, the showroom is in a prime location between the gaming floor, hotel check-in, and shopping center, and there are ~60 Tesla destination chargers on site for guests to use. I dropped off the Cyberbeast today, and the showroom was FLOODED with people *on a Sunday*. In the past, when I have been at a Tesla showroom during a big rush, it's common to see overwhelmed and agitated advisors (which I can totally understand). But not this team, the employees at Tesla Mohegan Sun were nothing but welcoming, every single one had a smile on their face, and they were so full of energy as they helped guests with questions, took them on demo drives, and completed deliveries. They represent everything that customer service should be at Tesla. Other locations need to be modeling off this team of advisors and their leadership. Even with my demo drive they went above and beyond, detailing the truck before my arrival, charging it up, and checking in on me each day ensuring everything was going smoothly. I am truly in awe of what I have experienced this weekend. Such a great location, great people, and a great partnership between @Tesla and @MoheganSun. A partnership that benefits consumers in a way no dealership could ever, ever, match.

@OwenSparks @paulsperanza Exactly. When I was purchasing my Tesla, the Tesla advisors answered all my questions forthrightly and did not upsell unnecessary products. The experience could not have different more from that of a car dealership.

@paulsperanza The key is not being pushy. I have never met a Tesla advisor that pushed me or someone I know to spend more on a higher trim. Very much like the Apple Store experience, rarely do they push you outside what you want.

DID YOU KNOW?? ​The Elizabeth line (or "the Liz," as Londoners have dubbed it) isn't just a new train line; as of 2026, it has officially become the backbone of the UK economy. In just a few years, it has transformed from a delayed construction project into the busiest and most profitable railway in the country. ​1. The "Million-Journey" Milestone: ​When the line first opened, people were skeptical. But by 2026, the volume of people it processes is staggering. The line now regularly handles over 750,000 journeys per day. It accounts for roughly one in six of all rail journeys made in the entire United Kingdom. And in 2025, it officially surpassed the Northern Line as the most-used line on the Transport for London (TfL) network. It moves more people in a single day than the entire population of some European capital cities. ​2. The "Super-Sized" Infrastructure: ​The reason it can process such high volumes isn't just speed, it’s sheer scale. A standard London Underground train is about 110–120 meters long. An Elizabeth line train is 200 meters long, nearly the length of two football pitches. Each train can carry 1,500 people. To put that in perspective, one single Elizabeth line train carries as many people as three Boeing 747 aircraft 😳. ​In the central section (between Paddington and Whitechapel), the system is designed to run up to 24 trains per hour. That means a massive "slug" of 1,500 people is arriving or departing every 150 seconds. ​3. The "Cathedral" Stations: ​If you’ve stood on an Elizabeth line platform, you’ll notice they feel like underground cathedrals. This was a deliberate "processing" strategy. Firstly, the platforms are double the width of traditional Tube platforms. This prevents the "clogging" that happens at older stations like Oxford Circus. ​Then the Platform Screen Doors. These aren't just for safety; they allow the trains to enter the station at higher speeds and stop with millimeter precision, which shave seconds off the "dwell time," allowing more trains to pass through per hour. 4. The Economic "Magnet": ​The volume of people hasn't just increased; it has shifted. Before the Elizabeth line, Canary Wharf felt isolated. Now, the line processes so many people so quickly that it has successfully "pulled" the center of London’s gravity further East. ​As of 2026, the Elizabeth line has taken nearly 25% of the passenger share away from the expensive Heathrow Express and private taxis, making it the primary way the world enters London. A superb fact! While most public transport systems lose money, the Elizabeth line became operationally profitable ahead of schedule. The sheer volume of passengers is so high that the fares are now helping to subsidize the repairs of older, leakier lines like the Bakerloo and Central. So atleast the government is getting somethings right I guess 😅. Hopefully you've learnt something new today Cheers 🥂 🙂 The Medic Who Writes™🌚

Email barrages, particularly those written on smartphones, being the epitome of “Intellect, organization, respect, competence”? Jeff Bezos famously wants people to write long-form memos to prepare for meetings. That’s were your more likely to find intellect and organization. (That’s not to say well-written emails are inherently impossible, but in practice, they are rare, and poorly-written emails often create misunderstandings.)

@TrueStoneCold @LunixTwin You can judge a great deal many other factors more so by the written word than the spoken. Intellect, organization, respect, competence. The list goes on. It’s proof that doesn’t disappear, and doesn’t rely on emotional cues.

Mark Cuban reveals he only uses E-MAILS to run all his businesses, no meetings or phone calls "It's got to be an email." "So, a lot of people ask about my daily routine and you're going to be shocked. I look at my phone or I'm looking at a laptop and I'm on there 8, 9, 10 hours a day." "Am I going to meetings? No. Am I taking phone calls? No. Am I going to some office somewhere? No." "When I was working my way up, I always had to work to somebody else's schedule. When I finally sold my companies and had enough money to stand on my own, prior to getting an iWatch, the first thing I did was get rid of a watch. I didn't wear a watch for 30 years because I didn't want to be on anybody else's time." "And now, finally, because people pretty much kiss my ass when it comes to business, I can tell them I'm doing everything via email. Period end of story. And because of that, I can get everything done by sitting on a laptop or a phone anywhere in the world and that works out really well."

@flexkavana05 @LunixTwin Once again, if he really believed this, he would not have been hosting a live pitch competition on television for 15 years or so.

@TrueStoneCold @LunixTwin Tell the multi billionaire all your strategies

I thought early ballot drop off began on May 5th, per the Secretary of State’s website: sos.ca.gov/elections/upco… If I’m wrong, mea culpa (I no longer vote in California)! But the broader point remains. So few people have voted that it makes no sense to write off any of the remaining top candidates, maybe except for Thurmond. That is especially true when there are large numbers of undecideds and in a close multi-candidate race, where polling is less precise than in two-candidate races.

@TrueStoneCold Yes, it started a day or two ago.

If Matt Mahan had more Spencer Pratt energy, he would’ve had a real shot at winning. Alas, he listened to advisors who pulled the usual milquetoast, meek “moderate” pandering—and the TDS nonsense sank his campaign and wasted a LOT of money. I’m pissed. This keeps happening. They need better advisors.

I also don’t know what on earth “good sustenance” even means. The US agriculture industry remains a behemoth. It was only a few short years ago that a bevy of opinion pieces were writing of food insecurity in places like rural Italy after the Great Recession. If you’re referring to the gastronomy traditions of countries like France, Italy, and Spain, sure, but : 1. The US has a strong foodie culture of its own, and dismissing it is like dismissing new world wines at the 1976 Paris wine tasting. 2. That verdict is heavily slanted towards southern Europe. The bacon butty may be great comfort food, but is it really “good sustenance”? 3. Favorite national cuisines have a lot to do with personal preferences. (Asia probably has both regions beat!)

@WSJ @WSJopinion What a click-baity & foolish opinion piece. Wealth/poverty isn't about GDP (distorted by the fabulously wealthy top 1%), it's about how much you get with what you earn. It's about financial security, good sustenance, health & education. In all these measures Europe beats the USA.

@RichardHanania @CorieWhalen You forgot Teslas

Every generation of leftists seems to just hate whatever new thing most represents capitalism and is making life better. Then they forget and move on to the next one. First they obsessed over Walmart. Its crime was a wider range of goods and lower prices. Then Amazon was the issue, because it also gave low prices but also brought unimagined variety and convenience. One click order to get anything in the world overnight, sane people would've been singing its praises, but they specifically targeted them. Now it's data centers, the main engine of economic growth. Populist rightoids are joining them. Good thing about the American system is that it's too deadlocked and too subject to special interest influence to wipe out whatever is new. So data centers will make life better, and then they'll hate the next thing.

@mzgta_346 @samstein The DNC did not introduce the CA jungle primary; California did.

@samstein Proof is in the pudding...Here in California, we have candidates polling at 1% for governor that are on the ballot. The DNC needs strong leadership, & to stop acting like feeble weaklings.

BREAKING: in recent weeks, some DNC members have privately discussed trying to force Chair Martin out of the job, according to three people familiar with these conversations. The idea was put on hold after members failed to identify an alternative candidate willing to step into the role. scoop from @Lauren_V_Egan thebulwark.com/p/new-drama-in…

@mcuban is wonderful, but he does not carry the mantle of papal infallibility. Still more likely, Cuban probably understands the “demeanor evidence” point perfectly well — he did host Shark Tank, an in-person pitch competition, after all — and produced the above “e-mail only” quote to be provocative and stimulate conversations.

@TrueStoneCold @LunixTwin Apparently he can. Imagine thinking you know better than Mark Cuban….

Since we’re playing the blame game here: if you refuse security future cooperation in the grounds that an ally “might elect someone like Trump,” you might as well never sign any treaties to begin with. Irrational voters are always a risk. Why should the US cooperate with Europe when the following types of leaders have won European elections: 1. De Gaulle is the example par excellence - he withdrew France from NATO’s integrated command structure 2. Portugal, Greece, and Turkey were authoritarian states when they joined NATO, and Spain’s democracy was barely consolidated when it joined (there was a military coup attempt the year prior) 3. More recently, figures such as Berlusconi, Orbán, Fico, Georgescu, wilders, Babiš, Duda, and Nowrocki have all won elections or attained office in Europe. (Meloni, too, although she turned out not to be very radical.) 4. There is a fair chance that populist parties could win elections in countries such as the UK, France, and Germany in the near future, and certainly in at least one of them. It is conceivable that in January 2029 we could have an utterly conventional US president and a right-wing populist in the Elysées or Number 10. 5. More controversially, the EU’s foreign policy towards Ukraine under Kallas has arguably been nearly as reckless and unstrategic as Trump’s towards Iran. If we do wake up to that January 2029 scenario, what’s to stop that new conventional US president from saying that European voters are too fickle to be trusted as alliance partners?

Americans don't understand that we did not lose trust in Trump. We never trusted him. We lost trust in the American people not to elect people like Trump & lost trust in US institutions to reign a president like Trump in if he hurt US allies. Both people + institutions failed.