powerofvoid

[powerofvoid]

What is a 'succession sunday'?

What is Zohran Mamdani's plan to bring back "Succession" Sundays?

[powerofvoid]

How about "let people build apartments"?

For the past several years, in response to rapidly rising housing prices and rents, local and state governments from Maine to Florida to Montana have been investigating policy changes that could make it easier to build more homes. One emerging strategy is citywide or statewide zoning reforms that legalize smaller, cheaper homes, including accessory dwelling units (ADUs), duplexes, and small apartment buildings.

The language used to discuss these policy changes is still evolving. Media, academics, and advocacy groups on both sides of the debate frequently use the phrase “end single-family zoning”—a statement that implies radical change, either for good or ill. But good-faith supporters of abundant housing should drop this phrase from their talking points for two reasons. First, “end single-family zoning” is sloppy, imprecise language that doesn’t help policymakers think through the details of their policy choices. Moreover, the vagueness and negative framing can unnecessarily confuse and scare voters.

To amend single-family zoning, local governments must decide which additional housing types to legalize

The phrase “end single-family zoning” fundamentally misunderstands how zoning laws work. The basic structure of zoning laws divides each city, town, or county into a set of districts or “zones,” and specifies the type of structures and activities that are allowed within each zone. Most communities designate some zones solely for residential uses, setting aside other zones for offices, retail, or industrial uses. Within each zoning district, the law specifies which structure types are allowed and not allowed. Figure 1 shows a simple illustration of how zoning laws enumerate housing types; each column represents a sample zoning district, with the rows indicating allowed or prohibited housing types.

Single-family-exclusive zones allow only detached residences for one household—all other structures are prohibited (Column 1). Single-family-exclusive zones are the dominant land use in most communities, accounting for roughly 75% of residential land. But many other residential zones allow a mixture of housing types, ranging from single-family detached homes to townhouses to multifamily buildings. The districts represented by Columns 2 through 6 could all be described as “not single-family-exclusive zoning,” but in practice, a district that allows only detached homes and ADUs (Column 2) will look and feel quite different than a district that allows everything from detached homes to high-rise apartment buildings (Column 5).

Put simply, local governments can “end” single-family zoning in a variety of different ways—and which types of housing they choose to legalize is an important policy decision. “Legalize ADUs and duplexes” may not have the same rhetorical punch, but it’s a more precise and accurate way of describing a policy proposal.

The government is not plotting to expropriate and demolish single-family homes

Besides obscuring what housing types will be added, the phrase “end single-family zoning” can mislead casual observers into believing that proposed zoning changes will make single-family homes illegal. After all, “end single-family zoning” and “end single-family housing” sound quite similar, especially to the majority of people, who are not experts on the nuts-and-bolts of land use regulation.

In practice, zoning reforms that legalize ADUs, townhouses, duplexes, and apartments typically do not place new restrictions on single-family detached homes. Most residential zones that permit higher-density forms of housing also explicitly allow single-family detached homes. The zones that prohibit development of new single-family homes tend to be commercial or industrial areas (where non-residential land uses create negative spillovers on nearby homes), and a few zones reserved for high-density housing (Column 6). Moreover, zoning changes primarily impact future development; existing buildings that no longer meet zoning or building code requirements are typically “grandfathered in,” meaning that current property owners can continue to use the buildings.

But these technical aspects of zoning are not transparent to voters and elected officials. Using clear, precise language will help good-faith participants better understand the public debate about zoning reforms. And the negative framing of “end single-family zoning” provides easy opportunities for committed NIMBYs (“Not In My Backyard”)—or more politely, “neighborhood defenders”—to claim that zoning changes will cause wholesale demolitions of existing homes or even “abolish the suburbs.”

Precise, moderate language can help set reasonable expectations

Zoning reforms are not an end unto themselves; the goal is for communities to develop more abundant and affordable housing. Revising zoning laws to legalize a more diverse range of homes—particularly smaller homes that use less land—is one step in a broader policy agenda. Local and state governments that want to boost housing supply also need to rethink related regulations, including discretionary review processes, building codes, parking requirements, and impact fees. Land use patterns change slowly over many years; both advocates and opponents of zoning reform should temper their expectations of an overnight revolution.

[powerofvoid]

One of the clever game mechanics Crusader Kings 2 has is the technological advancement system.

The way it works is:

Tech levels are attached to counties (land)

Tech is primarily advanced by spending tech points in a county

Every single Duke (or above) generates their own tech points (mostly based on their skills) that they spend in their capitol county

I like how it captures the idea that feudal rulers cannot effectively administer large territories, and must delegate responsibility to vassals who act on their own initiative.

... which, as I understand it, is roughly the historical reason why the whole system of vassals was invented.

[powerofvoid]

Yes, both with and without permission.

[powerofvoid]

OSHAn compliance officer.

:3

goose barnacles

[powerofvoid]

also pls tag the first game you remember playing

[powerofvoid]

Looking at the graph, I blame Trump.

Before Trump ran for office, there's a wiggly line that floats around 10%. After 2016, it just goes up and up.

However, I don't think it's just Trump's supporters, because the numbers are too large for that.

The only conclusion I feel confident drawing from this is that Trump has, by policy or rhetoric, damaged the social fabric to an unthinkable degree, probably in ways we will struggle to understand for a very long time.

Maybe if they didn't have the personalities of human crack pipes, they'd be able to come across as attractive.

[powerofvoid]

According to Politico, Democratic politicians completely abandoned Mothership two years ago:

"No campaigns have paid Mothership since April, according to FEC records." -- 2023 Politico article

Donate directly to campaigns, not to PACs

“The digital deluge is a familiar annoyance for anyone on a Democratic fundraising list. It’s a relentless cacophony of bizarre texts and emails, each one more urgent than the last, promising that your immediate $15 donation is the only thing standing between democracy and the abyss. The main rationale offered for this fundraising frenzy is that it’s a necessary evil—that the tactics, while unpleasant, are brutally effective at raising the money needed to win. But an analysis of the official FEC filings tells a very different story. The fundraising model is not a brutally effective tool for the party; it is a financial vortex that consumes the vast majority of every dollar it raises.”

—

The Mothership Vortex: An Investigation Into the Firm at the Heart of the Democratic Spam Machine | How a single consulting firm extracted $282 million from a network of spam PACs while delivering just $11 million to actual campaigns.

How a single consulting firm extracted $282 million from a network of spam PACs while delivering just $11 million to actual campaigns.

These consultants don’t care about winning. They don’t care about stopping Fascists. They don’t believe any of the things they tell us when they ask us for money.

These consultants have consistently lost elections against deeply unpopular Republicans, because they don’t give a shit about winning; all they care about is getting rich.

Taking 282 million dollars for themselves while they keep losing again and again is insane.

This Mothership organization should be disbanded and its executives sent off to a desert island where they can’t help a Republican win while getting rich off Democrats’ donations.

Our lives and our country and our Democracy are in peril, and these motherfuckers are buying yachts.

I’m not giving any candidate a single penny until the party fundamentally changes this nonsense. 

[powerofvoid]

I would like to rephrase this a few times to convey something:

The Jedi were written as sharing the author's belief about how the universe the author wrote works.

The Jedi explaining how the universe works is a plot device to deliver exposition to the audience.

i also genuinely wish to know if the reason the jedi are considered zealots so often is because it's considered "too much" to be religious at all? to have faith and be open/talk about it at all is already considered zealousness?

is the bar that low and that reactive for the topic of any religion, including this fictional one centered on in-universe space magic practiced by what are, by the creator's standards, peacekeepers?

[powerofvoid]

I used to think like Elon Musk does in this Xit

Then I grew up.

AI and robotics cannot solve poverty because production is not the limiting factor, resource allocation is.

We have chosen to invest in tax cuts for people like Elon Musk, rather than investing in an end to hunger.

Poverty is slightly more complex, but automating away jobs cannot help until we choose to either provide a good standard of living for the unemployed, or reduce expected working hours to keep everyone employed.

[powerofvoid]

Arrest ICE

Our communities are being invaded by groups of masked gunmen who kidnap our children (and other family members).

I want to hear more news stories about our state and local police arresting these people to keep us safe.

[powerofvoid]

Government "accidentally" helping people.

The UK government did an investigation into the porn sites that haven't yet implemented the age verification measures and they...I shit you not, they published a list. A LIST of all the porn sites. That you can still access without having to verify your age. They made a government employee make a list of all the porn sites and check if they have age verification and then they published a list of those that don't. For all the public to read.

[powerofvoid]

I am not sure that this is an actual problem.

If you have the Senators to remove a President, then you have the votes to do it again, as many times as the House and Senate choose to do so.

There are basically three scenarios:

You do not have the votes. You cannot remove anybody.

You have the votes. You can continue removing Presidents until you are satisfied, while also blocking a replacement VP.

Some of your Senators/Representatives think that the VP is fine, but the President needs to go.

Only the last scenario sees the VP remain President.

I think it is actually absurd that if a president is hypothetically impeached AND removed from office for things like treason, the presidency goes to the vice president. Y'know, the person handpicked by the president and who almost definitely knows and approves of the president's actions.

Like how is that the law of the land? How does impeachment and removal from office not immediately lead to an early federal election instead of just handing power over to the president's best buds? I feel like I'm losing my mind.

[powerofvoid]

If someone finds themself saying that they are "antizionist, not antisemitic", they are almost certainly wrong about at least one of those two points.

On the other hand, it is quite easy to criticize the Israeli government without being antizionist.

[powerofvoid]

Other languages have done it many times before, but are too ashamed to admit it, so nobody challenges us if we pretend to be number one. :D

my favorite thing right now is how mad the official french language people are that parts of african languages are getting mixed into french

[powerofvoid]

If there is not an obvious leader or spokesperson, then wouldn't the obvious assumption be that there isn't just one leader?

i.e.: none of these people is in charge of the others, you're dealing with all five/whatever of them.

The command structure / ranking of the Justice League is actually super hard to understand from the outside, if you think about it. How many times have alien diplomatic missions arrived to meet with them, only to struggle to pick out who they should direct their communications toward? Sure, you’ve got the Kryptonian, he’s big and flashy and recognizable across sectors. But there’s an Amazonian princess standing next to him who looks dangerous and speaks like a royal. You’ve got an Atlantean king behind her, also royal, also dangerous. You’ve got a Green Lantern of the Sector with trace ion signatures from all the recent battles in nearby galaxies, and then — then — you have a man in black, shadowy armor who doesn’t introduce himself, who doesn’t speak or negotiate unless the others falter, yet ever single one of them looks to him as the conversation proceeds — checking, assuring, looking for guidance etc. is he the leader, then?

[powerofvoid]

The only manner in which those countries are going to wind up united is as members of the EU.