andrewrgross

joined 1 year ago
[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 22 points 6 days ago

Maybe one day we can get there, but right now it might be better for a lot of folks if the default was "I'm not horny".

But I'm with you on the dream.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

I've heard this called "soft climate denial", and unforntuately it's widespread.

People like Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi say that they believe in climate change. But let's imagine that we're roommates and you told me that there's an out of control wildfire a few miles away and the governor has told us all to evacuate. One roommate says that they don't belive it and they're staying. And I say 'Shame on you for denying this! I firmly believe in the wildfire. It's urgent that we act now, which is why I've ordered travel maps on Amazon so we can begin plotting our evacuation route as soon as they arrive.'

Would you characterize this is accepting the crisis, or being in a state of soft denial?

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 143 points 6 days ago (9 children)

I don't know if this is a hot take, but I think allowing straight and cis people to identify as such is appropriate, because the alternative assumes that we live in a state of default heteronormativity.

If anything, I want to live in a world where homophobes get mad that if they want to be assumed to be straight online they have to identify like anyone else. No one gets assumed to be straight any more. That's better imo.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 18 points 6 days ago

What broad coalition?

There was no coalition. It was a campaign by and for white college educated professional women in the suburbs.

That's not a coalition, that's a book club.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I'm not sure what the point of this is.

I didn't know who this specific woman is, but it doesn't sound like any of this is a secret. For instance, it is public knowledge that Qatar has provided financial aid to Hamas, and serves as a go-between for Israel and the US. Netanyanu famously defended his practice of facilitating these cash transfers.

Also, this all seems sort of secondary when Israel -- the US's close ally -- is beginning an extermination campaign in northern Gaza. It's hard to really discuss any other issue in the midst of what has become a macabre genocide in full view of the international community.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 16 points 1 week ago

This is the shoddiest "good-cop-bad-cop" routine I've ever seen.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 88 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

I think his intense commitment to getting Trump elected makes more sense when you consider this article.

His enormous wealth is largely stored in the form of Tesla stock, and that stock has been valued based on the belief that it isn't a car company, it's a robotaxi service currently selling the hardware to finance the software development. The value -- and his wealth -- can persist indefinitely as long as investors continue to accept that premise, no matter how long delayed. But if something tangibly undermines that premise, Musk could conceivably lose the majority of his wealth overnight.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Agency is probably the greatest threat to his wealth. He doesn't worry about competitors or protestors or Twitter users or advertisers. They're all just petty nuisances. But the federal regulator over roads... that is his proverbial killer snail. And I think fully capturing the entire federal regulatory state is his strategy to permanently confine that snail.

More than anything else, I think that's what is motivating his radical embrace of fascism.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I feel like if you think about this for even a minute this seems like the worst possible idea ever.

I mean, sure it's an achievement. But so is smashing the moon into the Earth.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 14 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

At least 13, likely less than 19. Where you land is contextual to neighborhood and costume. And any age if you're with someone under 10.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 27 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Honestly, that's the main thing I was thinking.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 5 points 3 weeks ago

Damn, that's rad as fuck

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 4 points 3 weeks ago

I'm sure whatever it is it'll be very fun and funny. I'm looking forward to this.

 

Springfield, Ohio became suddenly famous nationally when Trump claimed that an influx of Haitian migrants were devouring residents' pets. I went looking to see what the town is experiencing from the perspective of local news, and it looks surprising nuanced.

It appears that the town saw a rapid influx of migrants fleeing violence in Haiti. The town has since experienced a strain in its ability to function in notable ways because of the population shock. The issues include a sudden reduction in the housing supply and an increase in traffic and inexperienced drivers. One particularly bad traffic accident killed a child during a school bus crash.

The city government has seemed to largely avoid blaming new arrivals themselves. However they've expressed a sense of betrayal towards Biden and the federal government for granting thousands of people entry into the country without appearing to recognize any responsibility for helping them resettle or aiding their destination cities in accommodating them. Additionally, they've begun investigating local businesses which they suspect used the expansion of visas for Haitians seeking asylum as an opportunity to seek out low-cost workers while concealing their role in creating a population shock for which the city was unprepared.

I must say that I think the city government makes a reasonable point: those of use who want to offer foreign visitors safety and dignity in American must also demand that our government takes responsibility for helping them relocate to a town in which is expecting their arrival and has been aided in making that arrival successful.

 

I work for a large biotech manufacturer doing field work. I -- and thousands of other field engineers -- are assigned company cars, which are all ICEs.

I have pointed out in the past that this is a mistake: we should at the very least, allow the engineers the choice to select an electric car from the options provided.

The fleet management team tested this out, but ultimately passed up on the option, because they wanted to shift towards reimbursing drivers instead of managing the fleet. They argued that this met everyone's needs, including allowing employees to drive electric if they want to buy one.

I think this is a big mistake: most people still find the transition complicated when shopping personally, but fleet program can manage a large number of vehicles purchasing, insurance, and maintenance much better, and is better equipped to help people get home chargers if they want. They literally piloted this exact program, and then chose not to expand it.

I want to contact relevant parties and try to assertively communicate that in this moment, we should all be in a war footing. This is an absolute crisis, and the company is clearly looking at simple options to do its part and leaving them unused because it's not aligned with their preferred proposal.

Can anyone help me collect up the shortest, most direct sources to share a five minute slide deck that says, "WAKE THE F*** UP! ROLL OUT THE PLAN YOU ALREADY SET UP AND TESTED, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, PEOPLE!"

 

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/689547

Parallelogram frames, aluminum flashing and polycarbonate glazing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLaZ82jdJ_c

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