W. Blake Gray

@JimmysSeafood Deja moo.

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

@StatisticUrban The obvious reason is that left-wingers are more likely to be depressed and see things as worse than they actually are. There's plenty of research about this. americanaffairsjournal.org/2023/03/how-to…

It’s clear that the lefties attacking people for posting economic data are just coping. They can't dispute evidence on the merits, so they do the Trumpian “the numbers are fake because I don’t like what they show” thing. It’s the left-wing version of MAGA denying crime data.

Europe is learning what California already knows: grapevines serve as fire breaks. In a warming world where wildfires are more common, vineyards are an essential part of the landscape. nytimes.com/2026/05/25/wor…

@StatisticUrban A minority of Americans have been angry about everything since at least the Ross Perot campaign of 1992. We just hear more from them now because everyone is online all the time and algorithms prioritize anger.

Everyone has a theory. Is it the rising cost of housing, healthcare, and childcare? Is it long-term inflation sticker shock? Is it social media? Is it the prospect of AI? Is it the beginner job market? No one knows.

Today is World Goth Day for those who celebrate, which is nobody, because goths are pretty much anti-celebration, unless it is to celebrate the meaninglessness of existence and the nearness of death. I will wear black.

@StatisticUrban I find it hard to believe Gaza played a role. Does any poll show that the GOP owned an advantage in voters sympathetic to Gaza? I know, loud people on Twitter are very loud about it. But most voters cared about the economy and immigration.

The DNC finally released the full 192 page 2024 election autopsy today. I haven't read the whole thing, but I did read "What Happened" and it's very clear why the DNC did not release it. It's not Gaza/Palestine - that is not mentioned once in any capacity. It's just a horrible document. The most incompetent thing I've seen in a very long time. It provides essentially no information of any value. I'll give some examples in the thread.

West Coast liberals have become elitist and this is yet another example. It just doesn't occur to Measure D backers that working-class people might not want to pay more for groceries to satisfy some philosophical whim of the DSA.

San Francisco is already a difficult place for working-class people to afford. Take away chain grocery and its economies of scale and they will shop outside the city, because grocery items will cost more here. I grew up an East Coast liberal: we try to help the working class.🧵

I voted against San Francisco measures C and D. I like the IDEA of taxing billionaires, but measure D doesn't actually do that. Instead, it will drive chain grocery and drugstores from the city. Though I tend to shop at locally owned bodegas myself, this isn't a good idea. 🧵

Finally decided on my ballot today for the June primary in California. Normally I put how I vote on my blog. I didn't this year, because 1) There's a huge question of whether to pick the candidate I most like, or vote strategically, and 2) I dislike several people I voted for

Our alcohol sales are up 6% year to year. Cheers! 🍻 🥃

One of my favorite Australian wine regions gets a little love from a US magazine. observer.com/2026/05/austra…

The Texas Restaurant Association says the US needs comprehensive immigration reform. We should listen to the Texas Restaurant Association. Consider where they are, who their owners are and what the potential consequences for this stance are. nrn.com/restaurant-lab…

The future of ordering wine online awaits a decision by the state of Ohio. Should Ohio challenge a loss in federal appeals court? The state might get its law reinstated by the US Supreme Court ... but it could open up the entire nation if it loses. wine-searcher.com/m/2026/05/futu…

Interesting story behind a paywall. California limits full liquor licenses and San Francisco has only a finite number that hasn't increased in decades. Usually restaurateurs sell them when they close their place. But now the secondary price has plummeted. sfchronicle.com/food/restauran…

At a meeting last week in Canada, Tanzania, Barbados, Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Jamaica, Madagascar, Saint Lucia, Seychelles and Uganda pushed for wine warning labels worldwide. Mexico, along with the US, said, "Not on our watch." wine-searcher.com/m/2026/05/mexi…

Tanzania (!) made a push last week at a food-safety conference for worldwide standard warning labels on alcohol, part of the WHO's plan to reduce alcohol consumption by 20% by 2030. Mexico stepped up and said, "Hands off our Tequila, gringos locos." wine-searcher.com/m/2026/05/mexi…

The conversations that happen inside the war room on draft night are ones fans rarely get to hear. Until now. See more on Wired at 8 p.m.: youtu.be/T6ZzMVzkX4Y

Neo-Prohibition comes to Russia. A governor of a remote northern region "used his powers to shut all 610 dedicated liquor stores, though alcohol remains available in grocery stores. In late April, he moved to close all vape shops and small bars." nytimes.com/2026/05/18/wor…

Sad story about uninformed influencers bringing down a company that used a grape seed extract to extend the shelf life of produce. thefp.com/p/this-company…