SoCalGas? I am shocked. SHOCKED! Well not that shocked.
Pluralistic: SoCal Gas spent millions on astroturf ops to fight climate rules (19 August 2023) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
pluralistic.net
Matt Robold
@rumdood
20
Posts
@rumdood
SoCalGas? I am shocked. SHOCKED! Well not that shocked.
Pluralistic: SoCal Gas spent millions on astroturf ops to fight climate rules (19 August 2023) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
pluralistic.net
On the one hand, that's pretty cool. Potentially a neat way to pull musical ideas from non-composers. On the other hand, there's no way there isn't some sinister use for this too.
create Pink Floyd Song from Listeners' Brain Activity
Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.
scientificamerican.com
Very thoughtful article on the WGA and SAGAFTRA strike. Exactly what you'd expect from Millman.
Striking Thoughts
An obsolete streaming contract and the threat from A.I. pose very different problems
gideons.substack.com
And that's kind of the ballgame, isn't it? Originalism is saying it's unconstitutional to regulate the courts from a seat created by Congressional action... #yolocourt
Alito says Congress lacks power to impose ethics code on Supreme Court
Justice Samuel Alito is the first member of the Supreme Court to take a public stand against proposals in Congress to toughen ethics rules for justices.
nbcnews.com
Yes please! Since some medication changes in mid 2022 I've had to essentially cut my caffeine intake to zero, and while professionally made latte or mocha is still great, even my favorite roasters seem unable to provide me with decaf beans that make a good French Press or Moka Pot.
Can Science Finally Create a Decent Cup of Decaf?
Coffee is a moody fellow.
slate.com
I am greatly enjoying watching Bonta et al teaching these NIMBY communities what "ward of the state" means. I wish Huntington Beach all the luck they deserve...which is less than zero.
Huntington Beach Continues Fight With Sacramento Over Housing Mandates
Despite a warning from state housing regulators, city council members are looking at changing how they handle their zoning for mandated housing from the state.
voiceofoc.org
The problem with elected judges continues to be that they feel the need to be "tough on crime" rather than fair - which is the ACTUAL job description. Also wondering how a public declaration of being "pro-law enforcement" will play when someone brings it up to try and force a recusal.
A Michigan Supreme Court justice hired an ex-con. Another justice shamed him into resigning.
Justice Richard Bernstein said Pete Martel's hiring as clerk was unacceptable because "I'm intensely pro-law enforcement."
reason.com
"Social insurance and the welfare state are more than a ballast against the winds of capitalism; they are part of the foundation of self-government and the cornerstone of democratic citizenship as we now understand it, where individuals are as free as possible from the arbitrary domination and authority of others." Great piece by Bouie.
The Less Talked About Part of Kevin McCarthy’s Deal With Republican Radicals
Extreme opposition to social insurance and the safety net is a natural fit for an authoritarian movement that tried to overturn the constitutional order.
nytimes.com
What a great post by Camper. Fascinating no/lo stuff.
Why Creating a Non-Alcoholic Vermouth is So Difficult | Alcohol Professor
Martini & Rossi has released two nonalcoholic vermouth substitutes labelled as “dealcoholized wine aperitif” using alcohol-removed wine.
alcoholprofessor.com
Good, if depressing, analysis on the joke that is the current House Speaker situation.
What Do The Republican Renegades Want?
If the answer is "victory" then how can McCarthy survive?
gideons.substack.com
A great writeup of Fred's favorite drinks of the year. Always a good read.
:: fred's picks for the top cocktails of 2022 ::
At the end of 2010, someone asked what my favorite drink of the year was, and I lacked an answer at first for there were so many good option...
cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com
I don't read Doctorow's posts often enough. It's the problem of prolific writers and being a read with small children, hobbies, and ADHD. ANYWAY, I think he hits the nail on the head that Mastodon maybe isn't the silver bullet, but the open standards that let the web be idiosyncratic and allow communities to form and flourish are steps towards curing the "enshitification" of our online public spaces.
Pluralistic: What the fediverse (does/n’t) solve (23 Dec 2022) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
No trackers, no ads. Black type, white background. Privacy policy: we don't collect or retain any data at all ever period.
pluralistic.net
So much pseudoscience in law enforcement - and so many things initially thought of by people trying to help other people then used to hurt people instead. Big part of why I'm not in public safety anymore.
They Called 911 for Help. Police and Prosecutors Used a New Junk Science to Decide They Were Liars.
propublica.org
Dinner tonight. This is one of my favorite winter recipes, especially when I'm sick, like tonight.
Ribollita Recipe
Even vegetable stews can have more vegetables This recipe adds a pound of kale -- that's right, a full pound -- to softened onions, carrots and celery, combined with beans and tomatoes It's simply a matter of bringing the other vegetables together in a simmer, then adding the kale and topping with the toast
cooking.nytimes.com
Demsas has become one of my favorite writers on housing. She does such a great job of capturing the un(?)intended consequences of the policies of the past century.
The Homeownership Society Was a Mistake
Real estate should be treated as consumption, not investment.
theatlantic.com
I am somewhat optimistic about California figuring things out thanks to the raft of YIMBY legislation that came out in the last two years, but we'll have to see how things go as interest rates kill off easy money for development and a massive budget deficit takes some public options off the table.
How Houston Halved Homelessness—and What California Can Learn From It
Houston, like California, follows the Housing First model, but Texas’s most populous city has a vast supply of low-cost homes.
thenation.com
Jessica has a great knack for covering things that make me nod while cringing.
Sheriff Squires, the Far Right, and the Problem of the New Law Enforcement Gentry
December 19, 2022
sheriffs.substack.com
Man, just wait until these people learn about cars.
Orange County Cities Struggle To Handle Electric Bike Regulations
While e-bikes have exploded in popularity over the past three years, local lawmakers are racing to keep up with managing the local impacts of the ever growing market.
voiceofoc.org
An interesting breakdown of messaging security, why I should probably end my love affair with Telegram and it's easy bot API, and Russian military incompetence.
Russia is spying on Telegram chats in occupied Ukrainian regions. Here's how.
Thanks to a Ukrainian in occupied Kherson, we now know how Russian occupiers are using Telegram to surveil Ukrainians — and how dangerous its design flaws are.
pwnallthethings.com
Very excited about this - even if I don't drink as much Chartreuse as I used to.
The Strongest Version of Chartreuse Is Finally Coming to the US
A more potent take on this herbal liqueur arrives this month
insidehook.com