Saturday, March 21, 2015
Zoning Out The Poors
One annoying thing about the "gentrification" conversation is that it's most of the rest of the country that for 7+ decades effectively zoned away the poors, and that's without even getting into other more racially focused exclusionary policies. The real gentrification concern isn't that some neighborhoods will get too pricey, it's that when they do, the poors simply won't have anywhere to go.
It's still policy.
It's still policy.
Actual Urban Hellhole
In order to see a show, last night I headed up to a part of the city I'd actually never been to, one a bit notorious for prostitution and the drug trade. And, well, yeah. I've seen a few drug deals happen in my neighborhood, but practically everyone on the streets (and despite being cold and slushy, quite a few people were out) appeared to be selling, buying, or begging for drugs. Pretty rough.
For The Children
I can't find it now or remember who it was, but an English journalist tweeted something along the lines that there wouldn't be political pressure to build more housing until property owners of a certain age recognized that while their high housing prices were wonderful, that their kids were still living in them was not.
The issues aren't quite the same in this country, but it's the same basic framework. What's it going to take for more people to realize that despite their hippity hop and their iPhones, The Kids Today are entering into a world with a much shittier deal than previous generations got. Education costs, stagnant wages, and no benefits are more the issues here than housing costs (except for a couple of cities). Why don't people notice?
The issues aren't quite the same in this country, but it's the same basic framework. What's it going to take for more people to realize that despite their hippity hop and their iPhones, The Kids Today are entering into a world with a much shittier deal than previous generations got. Education costs, stagnant wages, and no benefits are more the issues here than housing costs (except for a couple of cities). Why don't people notice?
Morning Thread
The Halifax Examiner has some great pics up of what can really be called snowpocolypse. Oy, our snow from yesterday is already melting.
Friday, March 20, 2015
And Speaking Of
Exhibit #343455 that university administrators don't really have a very good sense of just what their institutions are for.
American Education Policy
The Onion gets it.
Not endorsing the actual portrayal of students, just the apparent belief of our elites that it's a valid view.
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Education released a comprehensive, nationwide evaluation of American schools Monday indicating that attempts to teach absolutely anything to these little shits is just a huge waste of everybody's time.
"We remain committed to providing every student in the country with access to a high-quality education," said Education Secretary Arne Duncan, adding that good schools are a key component to the success of American democracy. "But to be honest, none of that matters. We're not talking about promising young scholars here—we're talking about a bunch of fucking animals."
Not endorsing the actual portrayal of students, just the apparent belief of our elites that it's a valid view.
Pay Up
It's one thing to argue that vaccines are ineffective and dangerous (wrong, but still), another to argue that known well-studied deadly diseases don't actually exist.
Pipeline
The interesting question is who thought he'd be a good hire in the first place?
Maybe Sulliview could find out?
I really just get tired of this shit. I used spend a lot of time playing whackamole with little success. The "racial realists" and the people who hire them seem to be impervious to facts.
Maybe Sulliview could find out?
I really just get tired of this shit. I used spend a lot of time playing whackamole with little success. The "racial realists" and the people who hire them seem to be impervious to facts.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Protection
What's it like to live like this?
Do people who don't live in war zones really believe they need "protection"? I mean, I guess I know the answer. My experience with gun nuts is that they dream of their vigilante moment. But, you know, if you want that moment so badly maybe don't live in Lake Stevens, WA?
(via Kagro, who is on the Responsible Gun Owner beat).
Michael's maternal grandparents said the day prior to the shooting, they brought gun locks over for Michael's father because they say he often left guns out in the presence of their grandchild.
"He told me he would never put those on his personal firearm because he needs those for protection. And I said, 'What about Michael?' He said, 'Michael won't touch it.' Michael didn't deserve to be shot and it was the irresponsibility and the stupidity of one person," Faith Thayer, Michael's grandmother, said.
Do people who don't live in war zones really believe they need "protection"? I mean, I guess I know the answer. My experience with gun nuts is that they dream of their vigilante moment. But, you know, if you want that moment so badly maybe don't live in Lake Stevens, WA?
(via Kagro, who is on the Responsible Gun Owner beat).
Florida Man
Nice little governor you've got there.
The group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility says it’s filed a complaint arguing a state employee was reprimanded for speaking about climate change at an official meeting and keeping notes on the subject in official minutes.
The complaint says that on March 9, Barton Bibler, a longtime worker for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, got a letter of reprimand, was ordered to take two days leave and then was told not to return until he had medical clearance of his fitness for duty.
Whack A Racist Mole
I remember Razib from the bad old days of blogging, when along with warmongers and glibertarians, "racial realists" (racists who pretended The Science was on their side), were everywhere.
So, yeah, good job New York Times! Looking forward to hearing about just how stupid black people really are, because we never hear that. Brave and bold!
So, yeah, good job New York Times! Looking forward to hearing about just how stupid black people really are, because we never hear that. Brave and bold!
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
New Trolleys
What's left of Philadelphia's trolley system was (mostly) preserved because of a tunnel system that couldn't have been realistically converted to bus use. The last major round of car purchases didn't go so well, as I understand it. The cars were heavier than spec and caused problems. Hopefully the next round is better.
All the smart transit nerds hate on building new streetcar lines that don't have dedicated lanes/rights of way. I don't think they're entirely wrong, but they do tend to downplay the fact that even when fighting with traffic, streetcars have faster and smoother acceleration/braking than buses. They're a better ride, and there are capital/maintenance cost advantages over buses as well.
But in any case, in an existing urban area, if you aren't going to tunnel, then good luck finding those dedicated lanes. It can be done, but...
All the smart transit nerds hate on building new streetcar lines that don't have dedicated lanes/rights of way. I don't think they're entirely wrong, but they do tend to downplay the fact that even when fighting with traffic, streetcars have faster and smoother acceleration/braking than buses. They're a better ride, and there are capital/maintenance cost advantages over buses as well.
But in any case, in an existing urban area, if you aren't going to tunnel, then good luck finding those dedicated lanes. It can be done, but...
On Moderation
Being a "moderate Republican" just means wearing a decent suit, having a "serious" demeanor, and not being too public about the fact that your hobby is biting the heads off of live bats.
Shorter Tom Friedman
All this killing hasn't done much good in the Middle East, so what I suggest is... more killing.
no link, you can find it.
no link, you can find it.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
BYOB
Our liquor laws are absurd and I'd prefer that we just had cheap licenses, but the one good side effect is no cork fee BYOB restaurants that can only make money if they make good food.
Urban Parking
(Yes, my dear readers, I know it's your favorite subject.)
If I had a bit of money I'd pick a few locations around the city and poll the customers of local businesses what their primary means of arriving (car, transit, walking) was. I suspect many business owners overestimate the importance of parking because it's something people complain about, and that they also certainly overestimate the negative impact of removing just a spot or two for alternative purposes.
I could be wrong!
If I had a bit of money I'd pick a few locations around the city and poll the customers of local businesses what their primary means of arriving (car, transit, walking) was. I suspect many business owners overestimate the importance of parking because it's something people complain about, and that they also certainly overestimate the negative impact of removing just a spot or two for alternative purposes.
I could be wrong!
Mercury Fur
Two systems of justice, two codes of conduct.
Scotland Yard is facing new allegations of a cover up after it was reported that an undercover police investigation that had gathered compelling evidence of child abuse in the 1980s was scrapped shortly after detectives moved in to make arrests.
BBC Newsnight said it had been told that during a three-month secret inquiry, officers had gathered a substantial amount of evidence – including photographs and video taken from inside a London flat - of men abusing boys aged around 14 years old.
Unpossible
Not going to hold my breath for this one.
The Justice Department is weighing whether evidence of wrongdoing in currency trading means banks violated old deals resolving probes into the rigging of benchmark interest rates that included promises they wouldn’t break the law, said two people, who asked not to be identified because final decisions haven’t been made.
The Justice Department can tear up the deals if it finds the banks committed any crime after they were negotiated. The agreements, which are similar to putting banks on probation, leave the institutions exposed to criminal charges if they are revoked.
Holding Out For A Hero
Someone important is going to have to make the trans-Hudson tunnels their pet project, or someone else is going to have to deal with a lack of trans-Hudson tunnels.
Monday, March 16, 2015
When The Tunnels Go
I have no idea if the current NJT/Amtrak tunnels between NJ and NYC are going to fail any time soon, but it seems that there's a nontrivial possibility that they will. I know some transit nerds who cheered when Chris Christie canceled the last tunnel project because they thought it was flawed. It was flawed, a bit, but I never really understood the criticisms. But, here we are, 2015, 5 years later, and...nada.
Old People Vote
Another thing I used to be sanguine about, then got more panicky, but now am a bit more sanguine about is Social Security and Medicare. The Dems still haven't been very good at making these things part of their brand, because Fred Hiatt, but they're getting a bit better and the Republicans are starting to retreat.
The elderly are basically uninsurable and the current retirement crisis means a lot of them are going to experience the latter years of their lives in poverty. Promising them goodies would be a pretty smart thing to do.
The elderly are basically uninsurable and the current retirement crisis means a lot of them are going to experience the latter years of their lives in poverty. Promising them goodies would be a pretty smart thing to do.
Nothing To See Here
As I've written, I used to be a bit more sanguine about global climate change. Starting to get more panicky.
If They Get That Wrong
I used to look forward to my weekly Economist subscription delivery. I'd generally take it to my local coffee and bagel shack for Sunday brunch and read through it. Then I got a bit smarter and started to notice that they were often way wrong (not I disagree with, just totally wrong) on things I knew about, which presumably meant that they were completely bonkers on things I didn't know much about. You know, if they can't even get America right, how can they know a damn thing about Zimbabwe?
I'm not sure how offensive I'd rate this cover, but at the very least it's completely stupid. The Latino world is very large and diverse, Latino immigrants to the United States are a very large and diverse bunch, and especially referring to them as "chilies in the mix" is profoundly stupid. Offensive, yes, but really just ignorant.
I'm not sure how offensive I'd rate this cover, but at the very least it's completely stupid. The Latino world is very large and diverse, Latino immigrants to the United States are a very large and diverse bunch, and especially referring to them as "chilies in the mix" is profoundly stupid. Offensive, yes, but really just ignorant.
All Doors
Buses should let all people board through all doors, either with sidewalk fare payment or multiple fare validators on board the bus. Yes you increase the possibility of fare evasion, but so what?
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Wudder
I really just can't figure out how close the emergency is, or what actually happens if it happens.
Been close before - parts of Florida, Atlanta - but then nature stepped in and fixed things.
Been close before - parts of Florida, Atlanta - but then nature stepped in and fixed things.
Afternoon Thread
Some of the old timers of this land occasionally talk of a bright glowing orb in the sky that used to appear. I'm not sure why they spread these hopeful lies to youngsters like myself.
Sweet Briar
As I wrote before, this is obviously a grift, it's just about figuring out who and how.
We know the why: because they can.
We know the why: because they can.
Coded By Colors
I actually kind of miss the days when cable news constantly had the "terror alert" color code on the screen. It was a regular reminder that certain parts of the country had gone bugfuck nuts and that they wanted the rest of us to go bugfuck nuts, too.
Full Employment
We need the Fed to focus on actual inflation, not decide ZOMG NAIRU MUST BE 6.5% MUST RAISE RATES NOW. Inflation is easy to kill, jobs are hard to create.
The market for quality customer service staff is getting competitive. Over the last year, retailers like Ikea, Gap and most recently Walmart have increased wages in an effort to retain staff, improve customer service and cut down on training and recruiting. As the market for low-wage workers tightens, Dollar General hopes to entice good workers with a more full-time schedule, rather than higher wages.
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