@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

forpeterssake

@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz

Serious things: #law, #technology, #bikes, #transit, #sustainability.
Silly things: #humor, #movies, #books, #music, #scifi, #running, #backpacking, #kayaking, the complete works of #JaneAusten, and cat memes.
Apologies if my silly is your serious, or vice versa.

Los toots pueden aparecer en enspañol.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

forpeterssake, to random
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

Brown v. Board of Education was decided 70 years ago today, but the fight never stopped.

American schools are re-segregating, propelled by wealth inequality, tax and property policy, and the long shadow of racist housing and other policies.

Many on the right are trying to dismantle public schools systems entirely.

I won't let them. I will vote, and donate, and volunteer, and support the vibrant, multi-cultural schools in my community until I die.

https://apnews.com/article/school-integration-brown-board-supreme-court-9d84858db3717620a77bfae0b478cab8

forpeterssake, to random
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

Cars are never going to be the answer to combating climate change.

But even if they could, greedy car companies won't ever let them.

https://thedriven.io/2024/05/14/nearly-all-major-car-companies-are-sabotaging-ev-transition-and-japan-is-worst-study-finds/

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

What is the thing(s) that attracts you to a person romantically or otherwise?

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@RickiTarr
Laughing together! If you make me laugh, or we can enjoy something humorous together, we can totally be friends. It's even more important for a romantic partner. If we can't share a joke together, it's just not gonna happen.

forpeterssake, to random
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

This video from a car's dash cam in a parking lot in Lincoln, Nebraska, on April 26, 2024, is pretty incredible. One minute the building is there, the next it is gone! (Video by Tri Tran 70.)

https://youtu.be/MTGHQphn_Ys

mattsheffield, to random
@mattsheffield@mastodon.social avatar

Donald Trump's campaign is explicitly trying to cancel RFK Jr. from right wing media and as you would imagine, none of the people who pretend to care about "free speech" have mentioned it, let alone condemned Trump https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/01/rfk-jr-trump-2024-elections-00155425

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@mattsheffield
Not sympathetic to either party, but where is the free speech problem? Private actors, private pseudo-news outlets. They never had any internal consistency or credibility, I don't know why they would start now.

benfulton, to random
@benfulton@urbanists.social avatar

Anyone read this Cato article on induced demand? Anything interesting in it?

https://www.cato.org/blog/debunking-induced-demand-myth

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@benfulton
Right out of the gate, the example cited about Nashville is false. In 2014, the TN legislature threatened to prohibit bus lanes, but walked it back a bit. The AMP plan, as it was known, was defeated by conservatives, so no bus lanes were built. But Nashville traffic is worse than ever, regularly topping "worst traffic" lists.

The city will have a transit referendum on the ballot this fall, and guess what the plan is? That's right, bus lanes.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2023/10/31/nashville-tn-top-worst-commute-us-forbes-list/71392078007/

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@benfulton
I don't entirely disagree with the conclusion that roads need to enable a tax base that will support their own maintenance. Congestion pricing or tolls are definitely options, as are higher gas taxes and private vehicle registration fees.

The Cato author also seems to cherry-pick his topics, and he doesn't address the problems of car storage/parking or safety or pollution at all. There are multiple reasons that make prioritizing transit in urbanized areas a superior policy choice.

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@benfulton
So yes, very fair point. I don't even read the Cato piece as "debunking" it so much as making general critiques about its methodology, which may or may not be valid, and selectively applies assumptions about public transit that should also be applied to driving. But I don't limit my critiques of autonormativity to induced demand, so I brought up the many other factors that should discourage massive road building.

beexcessivelydiverting, to books
@beexcessivelydiverting@mastodon.online avatar

3 TV shows on Tubi you should watch in April 2024

https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/watch-tubi-tv-shows-april-2024/

@bookstodon

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@beexcessivelydiverting @bookstodon
I have not felt comfortable recommending anything from Tubi since learning it is owned by Fox Corporation. I prefer not to support an organization and family that have pushed our world more towards the inequality that Austen spent her writing life critiquing.

forpeterssake, to random
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

Cars are a scam.

@TheWarOnCars

https://www.vox.com/2024/4/10/24125612/rising-car-payments-auto-loans-hidden-fees

TheOverheadWire, to random
@TheOverheadWire@sfba.social avatar

Monday's Most Read # 1 - How The Small Car Died In America https://bit.ly/4aCVmjo Autopian

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@TheOverheadWire

😑 "the U.S. government has again put its finger on the scale in favor of large vehicles by placing an MSPR cap on the new EV tax credits of just $55,000 for cars but $80,000 for SUVs, trucks, and vans. Whether traditional automakers in America will hold their own against Chinese companies or capitulate and retreat upmarket remains to be seen."

DrTCombs, to transit
@DrTCombs@transportation.social avatar

I could drive, and sit in traffic with everyone else.
Or I could ride my , and whiz past that traffic in the fast lane.

https://urbanists.video/w/pmnZc6MHtP67PtEeF6DPJr

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@DrTCombs
Looks way more fun! But oh, man, those needlessly winding sidewalks, I do not like those. Why do city planners intentionally making walking or biking farther? It makes no sense! 😭 If they want to create some chicanes, do it in the road!

Techaltar, to random
@Techaltar@mas.to avatar

I tried Cowboy's new high-end bikes called the Cross
✅ Great suspension in the front & seat + fat wheels make the ride smooth as butter
✅ 50% longer lasting battery, still removable
✅ Better, integrated rear rack & light
✅ Still by far my favorite app, motor control & design
❌ 26kg!
❌ 3499 EUR starting price!

It's like the SUV of bikes. More info in The Friday Checkout.

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@schizanon @Techaltar
My thought also, I want a sturdy rack that can carry a person if "dinking" is necessary.

forpeterssake, to random
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

There's a really decent argument that changing rooms and showering facilities are meaningful climate change infrastructure, if that's what makes active transportation possible for more people.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/14/sweaty-after-a-bike-ride-hair-wrecked-by-the-rain-you-need-one-of-my-adult-changing-stations

sanae, to random
@sanae@carfree.city avatar

A political leader should take public transit, send their kids to public school, use the same healthcare as the rest of us. At the very least they should have done so regularly before taking office. We don't need to be ruled by aristocrats. You aren't qualified to run the city if you use your money to opt out of living in it.

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@shansterable @sanae
You know the Tennessee governor and a super-majority of the legislators hate Memphis as a general principle. Handicapping Memphis is a TN GOP past-time.

capntransit, to random
@capntransit@urbanists.social avatar

RT @transbridgebus BE HEARD!
Intercity buses won't be exempt from the proposed congestion toll. Buses will pay an extra $24-$36 to enter midtown.

Buses are part of the solution, not the problem!

Public comments are being taken through 3/11.

Thanks for your support! https://new.mta.info/agency/bridges-and-tunnels/cbd-tolling-hearing

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@capntransit
That's foolish policy. Does MTA see non-MTA buses as "competition"? They are more like partners for reducing traffic, not competitors!

forpeterssake, to random
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

High-speed trains from , , and Renfe waiting at Valencia Joaquin Sorolla station. Not pictured: the train that whisked me off to Madrid at just under 300kph in under two hours.

These trains were so cheap and so convenient, it makes me mad that the U.S. doesn't have them already running up and down the Eastern Seaboard and California.

Rjdlandscapes, (edited ) to random
@Rjdlandscapes@mastodon.nz avatar

This is the BYD YangWang U9

Its fast ( 0-60 in 2.3s,192 mph etc)

Apparently, according to Aston Martin, drivers dont want electric cars. Says the company that sold 6,600 cars last year...

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@Rjdlandscapes
I mean, it looks sick, but uuuuugggggghhh. Can we just make modest five-seaters with decent range for less than €25? That would get me excited.

ebooksyearn, to random
@ebooksyearn@thepit.social avatar

Is it worth reporting any of these spam accounts any more? Is there a better way to deal with it? Looking at the domains the spam is coming from, I doubt they're real instances

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@acdha @ebooksyearn @acdha

Some admins have developed block or defederating lists, if your experience is that bad, maybe your instance could do the same. This one also looks at email domains.
https://mastodon.de/@ErikUden/111940301222380638

(I have seen zero spam in the past few months, so there must be admin-level interventions making a difference.)

beexcessivelydiverting, to books
@beexcessivelydiverting@mastodon.online avatar

I’m going to recap ’s “An American in Austen” over at Excessively Diverting (https://excessivelydiverting.substack.com/). The movie is on tonight at 8 p.m. EST and the issue will be out n a few days.

Premise: “Harriet, who thinks that no real man compares to Mr. Darcy, is transported into Pride & Prejudice and gets an unexpected chance to find out.”

@bookstodon

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@beexcessivelydiverting @bookstodon You know what they say, never meet your heroes.

beexcessivelydiverting, to books
@beexcessivelydiverting@mastodon.online avatar

Did anyone catch last night on Hallmark? No? Have I got you covered!

Premise: Lilly, a hopeless romantic and literary enthusiast, is surprised when her wish to talk to her favorite author comes true and herself appears in her life.

https://excessivelydiverting.substack.com/p/austen-bronte-issue-four-recapping-love-and-jane

@bookstodon

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@beexcessivelydiverting @bookstodon
I really appreciate the recaps, I'm not sure I have the stomach for some of these, but like to know the gist of them to see if one might be worth my time!

sundogplanets, to random
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social avatar

Today I've got a Skype a Scientist with a class in Illinois, the weekly international research group meeting that I lead, a podcast interview, a meeting to organize the workshop I'm leading next week on inviting Indigenous knowledge-keepers to your astronomy class, and a meeting to organize a workshop I'm leading on teaching climate change. And somewhere in there I need to do all my normal teaching stuff and telescope planning.

I have definitely volunteered for too many things... help...

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@sundogplanets
Can we make side bets? My money is on the llama! 😄

simon_brooke, to random
@simon_brooke@mastodon.scot avatar

WOO-HOO!

The turbine is up. I did have help to get the first bolt between the turbine and the mast in, but the rest was all myself.

Turbine reassembled on the mast head. Below the masthead is my trestle, with tools. The tractor, which is anchoring the winch, is in the background.
Winching up. This is about half way.
And it's up! The wind turbine on top of its mast, which is now vertical. The tractor is still in the background, but the winch is no longer connected to the mast.

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@simon_brooke
Oooh, nice! I'd love to hear what you think about the system once you've used it for a while.

forpeterssake, to random
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

My haul:

Becca Mancari - Left Hand
https://beccamancari.bandcamp.com/album/left-hand

Laufey - Bewitched
https://laufeyofficial.bandcamp.com/album/bewitched

Lizzie No - Halfsies
https://lizzieno.bandcamp.com/album/halfsies

Katie Pruitt - Mantras (pre-ordered!)
https://katiepruitt.bandcamp.com/album/mantras

Cover art for Laufey's album Bewitched. Laufey is shown in a prone position on the floor, propped up on her elbows, wearing a silver dress and crown and looking at the camera.
Cover art fro Lizzie No's album Halfsies. Lizzie is centered in the middle, viewed standing from the side, wearing a black dress, her head turned over her shoulder towards the camera but her eyes are closed. Her hair is curly and done up. The album title HALFSIES is written across two large lines of white block letters, against a white and green and purple background evocative of flowers.
Cover art for Katie Pruitt's album Mantras. The geometric design has a black and gold border with "Katie Pruitt" at the top and reflected mirror image at the bottom and the roman numeral II in each corner. Katie's face is small in the center, seemingly fractured or broken up, with two corinthian columns on either side. The diamond motif in the middle leaves four fields in the corners; the upper two show clouds (fluffy and peaceful on the left and stormy and lighting on the right) and the lower two fields show flowers (yellow wild flowers on the left and pink/red flowers, perhaps poppies, on the right).

GazEtc, to random
@GazEtc@mstdn.social avatar

A drawer that fits around the base of the toilet, for storing whatever the opposite of valuables is.
US Patent 11612281

forpeterssake,
@forpeterssake@mastodon.xyz avatar

@jqheywood @GazEtc
Yeah, it looks like a Squatty Potty toilet stool and oh-no-I-ran-out-of-toilet-paper storage rolling into one. Might be okay for people who don't pee standing up.

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • provamag3
  • kavyap
  • DreamBathrooms
  • osvaldo12
  • magazineikmin
  • InstantRegret
  • ngwrru68w68
  • Youngstown
  • everett
  • slotface
  • rosin
  • khanakhh
  • GTA5RPClips
  • PowerRangers
  • anitta
  • thenastyranch
  • Durango
  • ethstaker
  • tester
  • vwfavf
  • mdbf
  • modclub
  • tacticalgear
  • cisconetworking
  • normalnudes
  • cubers
  • Leos
  • megavids
  • All magazines
    •