29 Sunset Missives

Blog/newsletter by David 29 Sunset • 29sunset.com • rss • subscribe by email • contact

The Limiting Vision of "Revitalizing Downtown"

June 28, 2026

Recently, I visited Portland, Oregon, and Seattle to see family and friends, and to be in town during the US Men’s National Team World Cup game against Australia. I had visited both cities previously, but it had been a few years, and since then I’ve learned a lot about urban development and evolved on what I value in places — both places to live and to visit.

I wasn’t there to pass judgment on whether Portland and Seattle are “good,” but my experiences did prompt me to think a lot about San Francisco’s mayor, Daniel Lurie, and the anxieties about my city that apparently motivate a good chunk of its leadership, which in turn get transferred to media members and everyday people who take their cues from those leaders.

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Catching Up With Catchers Who DH

June 21, 2026

Last August, I noticed that Major League Baseball teams were using catchers as designated hitters more often than in previous years, so I attempted to quantify and contextualize the trend. Through Saturday’s games, most teams were just shy of the halfway mark in the season, so I counted again.

The topline takeaway: Teams are starting catchers at DH at higher rates than they have in recent years, and at a higher rate than any other season for which I’ve checked the numbers.

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The Ballad of Isiah

May 30, 2026

This is a brief story about a piece of art I made 20 years ago.

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Make the NBA Draft Lottery a Mini-game

May 25, 2026

This weekend, Brentford missed European football for next season after they failed to convert an open header in the 100th minute of their final day match against Liverpool. That feels terrible right now, but before this season, the Bees were widely picked as a relegation candidate after transitioning away from their top two goal scorers and manager from the previous season. Instead, they simply kept on doing what they do, matching their highest-ever finish since returning to the English Premier League in 2021-22 and generally having solid vibes. Be resilient and formidable like Brentford. Don’t be expensive and nonsensical, like Tottenham.

This week, I wrote about my wild NBA Draft Lottery idea, my wild MLB roster construction idea, my super-easy lentils preparation, and more. LFG.

GO DIRECTLY TO
- Improving the NBA Draft Lottery
- The San Francisco Giants Have Been a Boring Kind of Bad
- Do Not Ever Let the Casino Into Your Pocket
- I Almost Hit a Home Run
- The Root of Anti-AI Rage
- Lentils: Hell, Yeah
- What Makes a “Top 15 TV Show”
- “The Ten Year Affair”

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Trump Follows Classic Wrestling Logic

April 19, 2026

I did actually notice that the NBA playoffs began this past weekend, but I only watched a little bit because in my middle age I’ve once again become much more of a Baseball Guy, more interested in watching the end of a regular season Padres-Angels game than a Celtics-76ers first round playoff tilt. I’ll probably get drawn in during the conference finals.

This week, I wrote about Donald Trump’s pro wrestling persona, one’s dominant eye, “Project Hail Mary”, a great baseball book from the 1970s, my recent trip to Ireland, and more. LFG.

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- Trump’s Pro Wrestling Logic
- “The Summer Game” by Roger Angell
- Do You Know Your Dominant Eye? What About Baseball Players?
- MLBGuessr
- The Helen DeWitt Drama
- Slop Is Not Inevitable; You Don’t Have to Use It
- “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir
- Ireland

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I Want to Know if AI Is a Washing Machine

March 22, 2026

This week, I wrote something a bit longer about how my opinion of using AI is evolving as I learn new information. The TL;DR is that I’m trying not to be a kneejerk opponent of new technologies, but the more I see of what AI is, the more I’m convinced its most valuable utility is extremely narrow. Aside from that, I wrote about a rich person saying bad things, a cool chase video, and my redesigned website. LFG.

GO DIRECTLY TO:
- I Want to Know if AI Is a Washing Machine
- Rich People Are Not Necessarily Smart: Exhibit Bajillion
- “A Miraculous Escape”
- The Climate Apocalypse Continues
- It’s Time For Baseball
- My Home Page Is a Motherfucking Website

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Driving Like a Maniac Should Have Consequences

February 22, 2026

The Winter Olympics are basically over as I write this, and I didn’t watch much of it, though I did notice that drone footage following downhill skiers kicks ass. I understand various safety concerns, but at a certain point, one wonders why drones aren’t used more extensively over soccer matches, baseball games, and other outdoor sporting events where cable-guided cameras over the playing surface are impractical.

This month, I’ve written about a cool philosophy book, how I've been radicalized against cars, a critically-acclaimed TV show I’m finally watching, Barack Obama’s opinion on aliens, our gambling dystopia, and more. LFG.

GO DIRECTLY TO:
- Are You Competitive? Know “The Score”
- Which MLB Teams Are Trying to Win?
- American Gambling Culture Is Bad
- “Halt and Catch Fire”
- Driving Like a Maniac Should Have Consequences
- The Worst Class I Took in College
- Barack Obama Got Asked About Aliens…
- Sam Altman Doesn’t Value Humanity
- A Good Toilet Seat
- More About My Next Book