Nostr notes by Andres

nice, that looks great! I did the 8 fans and weird filter size ...

2026-07-16T20:20:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…ltfj
_________________________

nice, that looks great! I did the 8 fans and weird filter size (10x20x1] specifically to avoid having to cut any kind of shroud or top. But the flip side is that I don't have a grill protecting the fan blades from spills or DJ cats (Twig loves to play DJ)

please link if you have it handy, I'd love to see it (and ...

2026-07-16T20:09:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…v66u
_________________________

please link if you have it handy, I'd love to see it (and I'm running around right now so not a great time to search)

Here's our only air filter in the basement, the pc fan ...

2026-07-16T02:39:01Z

In reply to nevent1q…8pmn
_________________________

Here's our only air filter in the basement, the pc fan #CRBox. The basement is the same raw square footage as the first floor, and is divided up basically the same way (due to the way prior owners had remodeled the first floor to have an open kitchen, etc).

Yes, that is an #AQI of 4. Note that the basement is not particularly air-tight - the windows are leaky and old (we actually have water intrusion through one of them, and ants through another). There's a leaky door.

RE: https://social.ridetrans.it/@Andres4NY/113626681357898120 ...

2026-07-16T02:33:14Z

RE: https://social.ridetrans.it/@Andres4NY/113626681357898120

Sadly I've only made 2 of them for the house (I need to buy more PC fans), but I still use these filters. Here's why.

Currently, the outside AQI in Forest Park near my house is 235 ("unhealthy for living creatures", if memory serves). #CRBox
nostr:note1vznv5au7qdv6mkch8cyyuarpjvxnm757x8l4uthwnn3arp5un2rs2634ql

Nostr event nevent1qqspfjuhuhnzlwevlw84fla8pdmeqam083cf0npfju3nhggm5vlxhgczyzhctrfjn380d96aa5t35dxd84ns8p84r5aqywmlddlm445py8gnx02klxj

2026-06-20T23:09:48Z

"girls just wanna have phở " -- my wife

See, if I've paid $200-$400 for a used or refurbished laptop ...

2026-06-10T03:29:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…2f8y
_________________________

See, if I've paid $200-$400 for a used or refurbished laptop that has issues, I can either sell it or replace part of it pretty cheaply. No big deal, and worst case I'm out a few hundred dollars. If it's a full price new laptop and I can't return it and can't sell it for full price, now I'm out potentially thousands of dollars.

I end up using a lot of zombie laptops. I'm typing this on a Latitude 5410 keyboard/bottom with a Latitude 5400 display and back (the connections/hinges are compatible).

RE: https://furry.engineer/@kirakira/116723089688186198 The first ...

2026-06-10T03:26:06Z

RE: https://furry.engineer/@kirakira/116723089688186198

The first & only time I've ever paid full price for a laptop was circa-2001, when I bought some Dell Inspiron that had a buggy keyboard. Keys randomly stopped working; I'd be typing, then suddenly a random key would not work for 90 seconds. It wasn't like they were dirty, it happened immediately & very randomly. *Sooo* frustrating. I used the warranty. The same thing happened w/ the replacement keyboard.

Since then, I buy all laptops used/refurbished.

quoting
note1h6r…d459

remember: don't get a framework because fascism. but if you need an additional reason, also don't get a framework because the click on my trackpad is fucking dying and that's not remotely the first essential thing that has gone wrong on this laptop in the relatively short time i've had it

My kid picked up a (metal) cat-shaped cookie cutter. They ...

2026-06-03T03:37:35Z

My kid picked up a (metal) cat-shaped cookie cutter. They discovered that eggs can be fried in it, resulting in cat-shaped eggs.

My wife was making cat-eggs and had leftover raw egg she offered to me.

her: "Do you want me to make your eggs meow?"
me: "Yes fleas"
her: ...
me: "You said 'meow' instead of 'now', right? You ASKED for that."
her: "Yeah, I guess I did."

8yo: *gets up from bench on the other side of subway to show me ...

2026-06-02T00:31:26Z

8yo: *gets up from bench on the other side of subway to show me something on her phone screen*

rando next to me: *motions to kids and then himself*
rando: "Yo you want to switch seats?"

me: "Nah, I'm good. I'm enjoying the peace & quiet."

rando: "I get it. I'm a father myself. Figured it could go either way."

I love cities.

So many golden opportunities still waiting out there in inboxes, ...

2026-05-16T15:32:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…vpw5
_________________________

So many golden opportunities still waiting out there in inboxes, too.. 😢

When I searched (DDG) for spamusement, your blog was one of the ...

2026-05-05T19:25:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…ze75
_________________________

When I searched (DDG) for spamusement, your blog was one of the entries on the first page in fact. 😀https://www.harihareswara.net/posts/2014/celebrating-the-tenth-anniversary-of-spamusement/

RE: https://mastodon.social/@IveyJanette/116511727923288096 ...

2026-05-03T23:25:02Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@IveyJanette/116511727923288096

"#NYPD says it had no involvement in this [ICE kidnapping] operation"

*video shows NYPD very clearly protecting ICE agents while they're kidnapping someone*

#ACAB #FuckNYPD #FuckICE #NYC

quoting
note1epj…vde9

Brooklyn.

#nyc #blackmastodon
https://abc7ny.com/post/protest-breaks-ice-arrests-man-wyckoff-heights-medical-center-bushwick-brooklyn/19028708/
via ABC7NY App

this is what chilling dissent looks like ...

2026-04-29T19:19:05Z

this is what chilling dissent looks like

https://web.archive.org/web/20260429143906/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/mahmoud-khalil-ice-arrest-one-year-later.html

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/mahmoud-khalil-ice-arrest-one-year-later.html

#MahmoudKhalil

lol! You're right, my mistake, I was viewing the thread ...

2026-04-17T18:56:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…v2zw
_________________________

lol!

You're right, my mistake, I was viewing the thread through skyview and got confused.

RE: https://solarbird.net/blog/2025/01/16/hey-bluesky-users/ ...

2026-04-17T16:44:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…h42r
_________________________

RE: https://solarbird.net/blog/2025/01/16/hey-bluesky-users/

DemonHusky (npub1646…k30z) Hey Lyle Solla-Yates (npub1500…4yl7) , if you can see this - I'd love to also follow you on bsky, but you don't appear to be bridged. Instructions for bridging are here:

quoting
note1mu7…xzyc

##

Hey Bluesky users!

I’m on Mastodon. I like it here; it’s neat! But I know folks on Bluesky I’d like to follow, preferably* from* Mastodon.

And I can! ***If*** they give permission. So if you want to let me and other Mastodonians follow your Bluesky account, here’s how.

This link goes to a special Bluesky account profile: https://bsky.app/profile/ap.brid.gy

If you click on the link, you’ll see the profile. If you then click the profile’s “follow” button, that will give me and others from Federated services like Mastodon permission to see your posts and follow your *Bluesky* account.

That’s all there is to it. You don’t need to know anything about Mastodon, or have a Mastodon account; you’re done! We can now follow you and see your posts.

If *you* want to follow *me* from Bluesky, you can do that already. You don’t have to do anything special, because I gave *my* permission a while ago.

Here are my account profiles as seen by Bluesky users:
https://bsky.app/profile/moira.mastodon.murkworks.net.ap.brid.gy">My Mastodon account
https://bsky.app/profile/solarbird.solarbird.net.ap.brid.gy">My Wordpess blog, which is my same bullshit, but in longer form.

These act just like Bluesky accounts to you, but I’ll only see your replies if you give permission like I described above. Otherwise, I won’t see anything.

And that’s it! So… welcome to the world of non-billionaire-hijacked social media. Let’s make some connections!

#BlueSky #Facebook #meta #Twitter

I should tell those people to bridge, thanks for the reminder.

2026-04-17T16:39:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…j4m7
_________________________

*I* should tell those people to bridge, thanks for the reminder.

Note that I can still see her post via https://skyview.social ...

2026-04-17T16:24:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…mn8u
_________________________

Note that I can still see her post via https://skyview.social (bluesky is silly), so it's not completely ridiculous that brid.gy shows me the notification, but it still feels very odd to show me that.

This is very funny to me. ...

2026-04-17T16:19:41Z

This is very funny to me.

RE: https://social.ridetrans.it/@Andres4NY/116297846609329025 ...

2026-04-12T17:28:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…nngq
_________________________

RE: https://social.ridetrans.it/@Andres4NY/116297846609329025

Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦 (npub1afm…5gp4)

quoting
note1kea…6p4p

This #CalvinAndHobbes comic was published by Watterson in 1993. I've inflation-adjusted it for 2026.

#BanCars #FuckCars

This #CalvinAndHobbes comic was published by Watterson in 1993. ...

2026-03-26T22:31:49Z

This #CalvinAndHobbes comic was published by Watterson in 1993. I've inflation-adjusted it for 2026.

#BanCars #FuckCars

Heartwarming cat/Kat story https://benhiiv.beehiiv.com/p/kat . cc ...

2026-03-17T15:35:22Z

Heartwarming cat/Kat story https://benhiiv.beehiiv.com/p/kat .

cc Sumana Harihareswara (npub1hv5…xq0v)

My #AbolishICE flag is already attracting the local anarchists ...

2026-03-07T20:27:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…gk9t
_________________________

My #AbolishICE flag is already attracting the local anarchists 🤗

We usually save the unpopped popcorn kernels from the popcorn ...

2026-02-25T01:13:25Z

We usually save the unpopped popcorn kernels from the popcorn maker, to re-pop them later. My wife labeled this container. 😂

[In the US, an old-timey way of referring to the unpopped popcorn kernels in a bowl is "old maids"]

I sure hope Mamdani does something about NYC's fucked up ...

2026-02-12T20:02:52Z

I sure hope Mamdani does something about NYC's fucked up public school system, because our kids' 2E school just raised tuition to *$105k* per year. This is not an elite prep school or anything fancy, this is just an elementary/middle school that does things for kids on the spectrum that public schools were already supposed to be doing (as dictated by their IEPs).

Fun fact: did you know that the fascism that's taking over ...

2026-02-12T01:00:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…qha3
_________________________

Fun fact: did you know that the fascism that's taking over our country is enabled by car-centric design? Our rural and exurban areas are deep red and full of Trump voters. That's because places designed around cars isolate us and make us suspicious and hateful of our neighbors. What happens when we propose more housing? "What about the traffic!" say the NIMBYs. Because newcomers, rather than bringing interesting food, culture, conversation, language, & art, bring more cars in unwalkable places.

That article in particular focuses on filtering out tire wear ...

2026-02-12T00:47:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…6n96
_________________________

That article in particular focuses on filtering out tire wear particles AFTER they've entered the environment. Which is very much a band-aid, and it filters them AFTER we've breathed in the airborne particles.

We can stop them from ever being released by designing cities not for cars, but we need actual political leadership for that. Limiting/removing cars also comes with a ridiculous number of other benefits, too. Truly too many to count!

#BanCars

Nostr event nevent1qqs8tj2w3s8xdvpj3evfdx0s4q9w66un8e3trky4v0hwyy8qtp5af6szyzhctrfjn380d96aa5t35dxd84ns8p84r5aqywmlddlm445py8gnxr2s5n8

2026-02-12T00:41:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…m3ex
_________________________

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/pollution-microplastic-waste-tires-b2794350.html

"In recent times, tire wear particles have been found to account for about 45% of all microplastics in both terrestrial and aquatic systems."

"Researchers in 2020 found that more than half of the coho salmon returning to streams in Washington state died before spawning, largely because of 6PPD-Q, a chemical stemming from 6PPD, which is added to tires to help keep them from degrading."

The most frustrating thing about all this? Cities don't clear sidewalks, so more cars

The black shit covering the snow? That's from #cars. But ...

2026-02-12T00:29:37Z

The black shit covering the snow? That's from #cars. But importantly, it's not just exhaust soot - it's also pieces of tire (as they wear down). Eg, #microplastics that will end up in the ocean and in our drinking water.

My wife doesn't like that one. She's clearly wrong, but ...

2026-02-04T03:20:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…chfx
_________________________

My wife doesn't like that one. She's clearly wrong, but we're going with a different Abolish ICE sign.

Ohhh, garden flags are the thing to search for apparently. I love ...

2026-02-04T02:05:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…l25z
_________________________

Ohhh, garden flags are the thing to search for apparently.

I love this one so much: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4438724312/abolish-ice-yard-sign-fck-ice-garden?

One of my neighbors has been encouraging us to put up "No ...

2026-02-03T23:53:09Z

One of my neighbors has been encouraging us to put up "No ICE" signs by our front doors, and.. while I appreciate the sentiment, the signs themselves are ugly and kind of weak sauce.

Anyone know where I can get some "abolish ice" or even better, "Prosecute ICE" weatherproof signs?

"Are we the baddies?" he asked, putting on his gas mask ...

2026-02-02T01:16:13Z

"Are we the baddies?" he asked, putting on his gas mask and tossing a can of tear gas at a group of 8 year olds.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/02/federal-agents-launch-tear-gas-at-nonviolent-anti-ice-protesters-including-children-portland-oregon/

So, question for the self-employed US folks: are we doing a ...

2026-01-28T02:37:24Z

So, question for the self-employed US folks: are we doing a nationwide income tax get-an-extension-instead-of-paying-in-april thing? Or, like, how are we starving the beast? I'm still hoping NY gives me a way to pay state & city taxes while putting federal funds in some kind of escrow.

Racist-ass house dems are now saying they made a mistake voting ...

2026-01-27T02:12:07Z

Racist-ass house dems are now saying they made a mistake voting the ICE/DHS funding bill. Go fuck yourselves, you should've listened to your constituents in the first place!

Mmm, they should start arresting ICE agents then, if they want to ...

2026-01-25T05:33:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…sn7p
_________________________

Mmm, they should start arresting ICE agents then, if they want to show that there's a difference between cops and ICE.

We are outnumbered by cats right now. No matter where you turn - ...

2026-01-25T02:09:32Z

We are outnumbered by cats right now. No matter where you turn - whether it's the floor, a counter, or you want to escape upstairs.. boom, cat.

#CatsOfMastodon #caturday

My wife got jury duty the other day, I was explaining ...

2026-01-16T02:18:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…wk7j
_________________________

My wife got jury duty the other day, I was explaining #JuryNullification to her before she served. I just sent her this as a great example!

RE: https://spore.social/@toddbohannon/115902183250198617 Anyone ...

2026-01-16T01:35:51Z

RE: https://spore.social/@toddbohannon/115902183250198617

Anyone who's not saying #AbolishICE at this point is a Nazi. I don't care if you're a sympathizer (eg, lots of senators, including those who want to "retrain" ICE) or active Nazis (MAGA), they can all get lumped together as Nazis and get fucked.

quoting
note16c9…n542

“Officers threw flash-bangs and tear gas in my car. I got six kids in the car,” said the children’s father. “My 6-month-old can’t even breathe.” #AbolishICE
https://www.commondreams.org/news/minneapolis-children-flashbang

me: low whistles me: "Damn, check out THOSE bollards!" ...

2026-01-16T01:30:51Z

me: *low whistles*
me: "Damn, check out THOSE bollards!"

8yo: "What?"

me: "These metal things. they're nice, aren't they? No drivers parking on this sidewalk!"

8yo: *lays down on one*
8yo: "Yeah, they're good, I guess."

#SafeStreets #DontYouKinkShameMe #bollards #NYC

🎉 HAPPY NEW MAYOR 🎉 ...

2026-01-01T05:24:38Z

🎉 HAPPY NEW MAYOR 🎉

Okay, even though I'm on the opposite coast, I'm ...

2025-12-29T08:29:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…4ndu
_________________________

Okay, even though I'm on the opposite coast, *I'm* starting to get angry at PG&E.

We have labeled the band-aids/gauze. Pray we do not label it any ...

2025-12-28T05:40:12Z

We have labeled the band-aids/gauze. Pray we do not label it any further.

[#BikeTooter, I guess?]

lol, $20 train ticket if you're willing to spend New ...

2025-12-28T04:38:23Z

lol, $20 train ticket if you're willing to spend New Years' on the train. That's like chinatown bus rates!

I ate way too much south indian food, and 12 hours later I'm ...

2025-12-22T11:03:57Z

I ate way too much south indian food, and 12 hours later I'm *still* full.

I'm definitely going back there..

I have a somewhat terrible solution.. When we were dating, I got ...

2025-12-21T05:37:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…ru9k
_________________________

I have a somewhat terrible solution.. When we were dating, I got my wife an electric blanket. I'm pretty sure those things are designed to shed heat so that you don't overdo it (or at least the one I got seems to be).

At some point over the years, the heater died. So now it's my preferred blanket; feels kind of heavy (still has metal coils in it), but lets lots of heat through. She thinks I should throw it out, but it fits me just right in the winter.

One of these boats has The Epstein Files on it, and by golly ...

2025-12-05T23:36:21Z

One of these boats has The Epstein Files on it, and by golly we're going to blow up each and every last one of them until we're certain The Files are destroyed. Double-tap if we have to; how many pages can a guy clinging to the side of a boat hold? More than one, that's for sure!

Yeah, local cops will definitely save us from the federal gestapo ...

2025-12-02T22:10:21Z

Yeah, local cops will definitely save us from the federal gestapo stormtroopers.. 🙄
https://gothamist.com/news/pennsylvania-cop-was-offered-a-free-sandwich-as-a-reward-to-arrest-luigi-mangione

#ACAB

Also, 200 people? Rookie numbers. We could turn out 2000 easy; ...

2025-12-01T07:44:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…ce2n
_________________________

Also, 200 people? Rookie numbers. We could turn out 2000 easy; and with a little more advance notice, 20,000. At that point, ICE is trapped and/or running for the hills.

This will never not be funny. ...

2025-12-01T07:34:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…8cgx
_________________________

This will never not be funny.

https://time.com/7337578/ice-raid-new-york-mamdani/

"can't park there, mate."

2025-11-26T02:28:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…l7la
_________________________

"can't park there, mate."

npm was a great idea. A+, no notes.

2025-11-25T08:29:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…03yn
_________________________

npm was a great idea. A+, no notes.

hope these dickheads all get primaried ...

2025-11-13T02:23:39Z

hope these dickheads all get primaried

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-vote-bill-end-government-shutdown-longest-ever-snap-flights-rcna243438

It's amazing how little has changed in bike design in 100 ...

2025-11-08T17:10:59Z

In reply to nevent1q…y2f4
_________________________

It's amazing how little has changed in bike design in 100 years. The fixie I ordered online 10 years ago was pretty much the same as The Sentinel Roadster, just with the addition of a front (rim) brake. The Hurry Cycle could be a cargo bike available today.

This cat, I swear.. Every time I use this basket, after I empty ...

2025-11-02T03:00:22Z

This cat, I swear..

Every time I use this basket, after I empty out the clothes, Twig will hop in and demand a ride. So I have to carry him around the house until my arms get tired. #CatsOfMastodon #Caturday

Nostr event nevent1qqsy8lvxkymet2s2k2p3ck8gq0jgcyjw0xa5rtsry3l7nnt29yxz0aszyzhctrfjn380d96aa5t35dxd84ns8p84r5aqywmlddlm445py8gnx5gj5n6

2025-10-31T21:09:51Z

Ugh, Ring cameras everywhere. #Halloween

Austin St Trick-or-Streets! (put on by @npub1phx…rzlu ) ...

2025-10-31T20:25:16Z

Austin St Trick-or-Streets!

(put on by A Safer Austin St (npub1phx…rzlu) )

#NeighborsForASaferAustinSt #NYC #ForestHills #BanCars

Speaking of ballot fatigue, the judicial stuff makes me furious. ...

2025-10-25T17:06:04Z

In reply to nevent1q…qjfe
_________________________

Speaking of ballot fatigue, the judicial stuff makes me furious. I wish we had a system that didn't rely on voters voting for judges they know nothing about.

Note that @npub1hv5…xq0v wrote down her thoughts on ...

2025-10-24T18:59:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…g2uh
_________________________

Note that Sumana Harihareswara (npub1hv5…xq0v) wrote down her thoughts on #NYCElections ballot questions here: https://harihareswara.net/posts/2025/nyc-2025-election-ballot-proposals/.

I thought it was interesting that we came to different conclusions on the non-housing stuff; questions 1, 5, and 6 are a YES and two NOs respectively. I agree wholeheartedly on the "ballot panic" thing (getting derailed by these stupid ballot questions rather than just being able to vote for representatives, for example!)

However, odd year elections continue to be a disaster.

To summarize: I'm a YES on everything except #1.

2025-10-24T07:25:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…zff4
_________________________

To summarize: I'm a YES on everything except #1.

Question 1: Allow Olympic Sports Complex on State Forest Preserve ...

2025-10-24T07:25:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…9xwn
_________________________

Question 1: Allow Olympic Sports Complex on State Forest Preserve Land.

This turns some 300 acres of Adirondack Park into ski trails, but also adds 2500 acres of new forest land. However, that 1039 acres was supposed to be "forever kept wild". Personally, I dislike skiing for reasons that I won't get into, and I would rather see new land purchased for the skiing infrastructure than taking existing park land. I'm a NO on this one.

* that loophole being the possibility of including a single ...

2025-10-24T07:21:41Z

In reply to nevent1q…qkx2
_________________________

* that loophole being the possibility of including a single affordable unit to skip ahead to the fast-track process. That said, if this kind of thing is abused, then we can and should adjust the requirements around this.

Housing delayed is housing denied, and so I'd rather go ahead with an imperfect improvement and fix it later. Because we need more affordable housing.

I realized that I never finished this thread. Oops! I'll ...

2025-10-24T07:20:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…x8nw
_________________________

I realized that I never finished this thread. Oops! I'll finish this up quickly.

Question 2: Fast Track Affordable Housing.

This would make it so City Council doesn't get a final say over affordable housing projects. We've seen councilmembers try to extract concessions for more affordable housing; sometimes it works, other times it backfires and "some affordable units" turns into "no affordable units". I don't love the potential loophole* attached to this, but it can be fixed later. Vote YES.

Nostr event nevent1qqsx22c3sj493ftmqgq6xmgvxdv0a5esdqr7zw5yepdac9s482rpmeqzyzhctrfjn380d96aa5t35dxd84ns8p84r5aqywmlddlm445py8gnxlsjaug

2025-10-23T04:43:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…6yqk
_________________________

muahaha https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:mxc7liuon6iq5gzapmmwkq22/post/3m3snmmlwcc26

Oh, if you think agents had a tough time in LA and Chicago.. just ...

2025-10-22T01:22:30Z

Oh, if you think agents had a tough time in LA and Chicago.. just wait til NYC steps up. The sheer density means federal agents are going to find themselves regularly outnumbered by angry crowds.

https://www.thecity.nyc/2025/10/21/ice-raids-canal-street-trump-immigration/

The visual of 3 cops leading away an inflatable penis.. #ACAB ...

2025-10-19T03:33:18Z

The visual of 3 cops leading away an inflatable penis.. #ACAB #NoKings

https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:xxp3xlud3xwwpuy4aw37hkjh/post/3m3ioncwhfc2e

Getting old is getting tickets to the punk show, and then missing ...

2025-10-19T02:52:01Z

Getting old is getting tickets to the punk show, and then missing it because you took a nap

Early prototypes of the product used manual settings, with the ...

2025-10-08T18:03:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…854r
_________________________

Early prototypes of the product used manual settings, with the first few publicly available versions using telemetry and AI to quickly learn from users how to adjust flavor levels properly. However, as time went on and people switched to using entirely automated settings, the product was forced to train on what was essentially its own output. Reports of hospitalizations are pouring in, as the latest version goes "Oh, you like $flavor? HERE'S A DEADLY AMOUNT OF IT."

Thanks for the clarification @aschierenbeck.bsky.social! That ...

2025-10-01T03:50:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…fqa6
_________________________

Thanks for the clarification @aschierenbeck.bsky.social! That makes me a firmer YES vote.

[I can't respond directly to you unless you follow the bsky/mastodon bridge; see https://solarbird.net/blog/2025/01/16/hey-bluesky-users/]

I'm a hesitant "YES" on this, but I'd really like ...

2025-09-30T22:33:54Z

In reply to nevent1q…s6uz
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I'm a hesitant "YES" on this, but I'd really like to know what they meant by that. It'd be silly if additional minor things needed to go through land use review under the guise of streamlining the process!

..and there are a lot of excellent points made in the commission ...

2025-09-30T22:31:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…muvr
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..and there are a lot of excellent points made in the commission report; for example, an expedited process to raise up streets as sea levels rise, which sometimes trigger City Map changes. However, one thing that jumped out at me is the fact that this would somehow *increase* the number of projects subject to public review (see last image, which is on page 64 of the commission report). I think what that's saying is it will shine more sunlight on existing projects that quietly go through ULURP?

Question 3: Simplify Review of Modest Housing/Infra Projects This ...

2025-09-30T22:19:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…38tu
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Question 3: Simplify Review of Modest Housing/Infra Projects

This changes the 7-month ULURP process into an expedited 3-month process for certain applications, with no City Council review/veto of the City Planning Commission's decision. Eligible applications include things like a 30% housing capacity increase in higher-density areas , and things that don't require state/local environmental impact statements. In general I like the idea of a quicker land use review process..

Confusingly, the commission report has this Appeal Board ...

2025-09-30T21:48:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…yh94
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Confusingly, the commission report has this Appeal Board functioning for *all* ULURP decisions, but what ends up being on the ballot is specifically limited to applications that would build affordable housing. So it's pretty limited in scope (though a bad actor could game the system by adding 1 unit of affordable housing and slipping the Mayor and BP [potato chip] bags of cash). This could go either way, but I do think power sharing w/ BP for ULURP decisions makes sense. I'm a "YES" on this.

Question 4: Establish an Affordable Housing Appeals Board. This ...

2025-09-30T21:43:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…vqnu
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Question 4: Establish an Affordable Housing Appeals Board.

This would allow the Council Speaker, BP, & Mayor to override Council-rejected affordable housing applications. Now, affordable housing is a large need. The Mayor currently has a veto for affordable housing; BUT this veto can be overridden by a 2/3 Council majority. This would instead share power, requiring 2 of 3 members to override Council, but also enshrine power by making the override the final decision.

A lot of this is a power struggle between Mayor and Council (eg, ...

2025-09-30T20:59:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…9lx9
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A lot of this is a power struggle between Mayor and Council (eg, https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2025/07/charter-revision-commission-nyc-should-have-even-year-elections-member-deference-should-no-longer-reign/406852/?oref=csny-author-river https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2025/09/council-weakening-housing-proposals-survive-board-elections/408000/ ). I don't really care about that. I also have no love for developers, but until Mamdani figures out how to fund & build Vienna-style social housing, we're stuck with them. So I'll be looking at this from a lens of getting more housing built, while minimizing displacement.

I'm going to preface the next few ballot proposals by giving ...

2025-09-30T20:43:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…0jzv
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I'm going to preface the next few ballot proposals by giving my thought process. I hate Eric Adams (I'm going to claim credit for the #FuckEricAdams hashtag). I also greatly dislike our current city council, who love cars a bit too much for my taste, and like most car-lovers, tend towards NIMBYism. I'm currently a homeowner, though I've done plenty of renting over the years (last time in 2020). I believe that NYC needs more housing of all types. I don't believe it needs more highways/car infra.

Question 5: Create a Digital City Map to Modernize City ...

2025-09-30T20:00:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…jtrn
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Question 5: Create a Digital City Map to Modernize City Operations.

City maps are currently on paper, separated by borough. This would consolidate into one map that is digital by 1/1/28. There ARE currently online maps (https://streets.planning.nyc.gov/), which is very cool, but they're backed by paper maps and lack guarantees about correctness. There's all kinds of things you need city maps for, and having one city agency (DCP) overseeing canonical digital versions of this make sense to me. Vote "YES."

Question 6: Move Local Elections to Presidential Election Years ...

2025-09-30T19:39:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…59mt
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Question 6: Move Local Elections to Presidential Election Years to Increase Voter Participation.

I don't even need to read the report for this one. Voter turnout in NYC is abysmal, this is a hard "YES". But for the fiscal watchdogs amongst you: "In New York City, an estimate by the Independent Budget Office suggests that the savings would total approximately $42 million every two years." [page 14]

#VoteNYC

Okay, I can't find endorsements/recommendations for the ...

2025-09-30T19:35:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…dh5t
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Okay, I can't find endorsements/recommendations for the ballot questions (reporters/advocates be procrastinating, lol), so reading through the charter commission report (https://www.nyc.gov/assets/charter/downloads/pdf/2025/2025-Charter-Revision-Commission-Final-Report.pdf), here's my takes:

Woo, time to vote for #Mamdani! #NYC #NYCPolitics #VoteNYC ...

2025-09-30T19:04:51Z

Woo, time to vote for #Mamdani!

#NYC #NYCPolitics #VoteNYC #NYCMayoralRace

Opting out is easy (at the moment). They just look at your ...

2025-09-26T18:47:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…69wx
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Opting out is easy (at the moment). They just look at your passport and then at your face. Normalize opting out, and stop giving the US government your biometric data!

"T. rex doesn't want to be fed. He wants to HUNT," I ...

2025-09-26T00:07:23Z

"T. rex doesn't want to be fed. He wants to HUNT," I tell the 13yo as I throw the cat toy across the room.

Me: "hey, any interest in switching this [SMS thread] over to ...

2025-09-01T20:42:40Z

Me: "hey, any interest in switching this [SMS thread] over to Signal?"

Other class parent: "I would prefer not to add another service I'm not currently using. But we could do WhatsApp."

🙄

we fucking deserve the surveillance capitalism that we have

Nostr event nevent1qqsq6rj0nf4sekecl5sgpekjzwx2tu6fjnkv07ur3hy4lmdkv8akfdczyzhctrfjn380d96aa5t35dxd84ns8p84r5aqywmlddlm445py8gnxtyr7jm

2025-08-12T02:55:25Z

It's 11pm and both kids are still awake. fml.

We were walking along Queens Blvd and there was a freshly dropped ...

2025-08-11T21:55:22Z

We were walking along Queens Blvd and there was a freshly dropped chinese food noodle dish on the sidewalk (no container, just a pile of noodles). I told the 13yo that it was "VERY low mein".

Supposed to get down to 66F tonight. I'd love to open some ...

2025-08-06T03:29:36Z

Supposed to get down to 66F tonight. I'd love to open some windows, but alas - AQI is still garbage (but slowly getting better!)

*sigh*

But where's the house? Is it a secret lair built into a ...

2025-08-01T15:50:37Z

In reply to nevent1q…6q3d
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But where's the house? Is it a secret lair built into a mountain, or worse - the suburbs?

And a (retired) professor who taught Middle East politics??

2025-07-29T17:26:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…6kmf
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And a (retired) professor who taught Middle East politics??

Cuomo pronounces it [edit: actually I can't remember how ...

2025-07-19T17:37:49Z

Cuomo pronounces it [edit: actually I can't remember how Cuomo pronounces it, I just remember that he pronounces it incorrectly]. Sliwa pronounces it "mandami". Is this just a power thing?

Also, Sliwa's a huge weirdo, but the "slapping fannies and killing grannies" line was solid. https://www.thedailybeast.com/mayoral-candidate-goes-on-bonkers-slapping-fannies-rant-against-rival/

#Debian 13 ("trixie") slated for release Aug 9th: ...

2025-07-19T15:56:27Z

#Debian 13 ("trixie") slated for release Aug 9th: https://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-announce/2025/07/msg00003.html 🎉

Debian (npub1lxt…4044)

They grew up with TV making them afraid, but as bad as that was, ...

2025-07-17T18:29:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…8hlv
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They grew up with TV making them afraid, but as bad as that was, it had limits. Facebook does not.

(...says the guy trapped on mastodon, but you know what I mean!)

2025-07-17T18:27:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…xlqa
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(...says the guy trapped on mastodon, but you know what I mean!)

Nostr event nevent1qqs857muw80xdhfce8aalvucvag6e2xwswua52s3q7744wmmwg4j52czyzhctrfjn380d96aa5t35dxd84ns8p84r5aqywmlddlm445py8gnxkh34k8

2025-07-17T18:26:45Z

I feel so bad for elderly people trapped on facebook

WFP testimony was interesting (starting around 1:22:51, and ...

2025-07-16T22:21:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…20vp
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WFP testimony was interesting (starting around 1:22:51, and ending with board questions around 1:34:22). I completely understand where they're coming from, & it makes sense* that they would oppose it, but I also strongly disagree of their preference for fewer voters to target / not registering ppl WFP.

* though I found it funny that they claimed NYC's primary system couldn't be bought my billionaires. Do they not remember 2021? NYC had a literal billionaire mayor not too long ago.

Okay, so you have a different definition of "jungle ...

2025-07-16T21:43:14Z

In reply to nevent1q…90xq
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Okay, so you have a different definition of "jungle primary", then. WA and CA have similar systems, and I liked WA's system (except for the lack of RCV).

Oof, Lander's explanation for his opposition to open ...

2025-07-16T20:42:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…ntcx
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Oof, Lander's explanation for his opposition to open primaries was.. bad. He prefaced it by saying it was his general opinion, but damn. https://youtu.be/9PvK_BS37U8?t=1176 starting around 19:36

I don't know anything about Morano, but Ariola is pretty ...

2025-07-16T20:32:45Z

In reply to nevent1q…7t5n
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I don't know anything about Morano, but Ariola is pretty consistently a dumbass. :)

..Manhattan Institute and other conservative orgs supporting it ...

2025-07-16T20:19:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…0j4m
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..Manhattan Institute and other conservative orgs supporting it doesn't mean we should continue to disenfranchise independent voters, though!

Manhattan Institute does not surprise me. The biggest concern ...

2025-07-16T20:18:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…mczx
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Manhattan Institute does not surprise me. The biggest concern people (well, organizations and parties) seem to have is that open primaries will potentially allow for the oppositional party to make in-roads in a place that traditionally votes a certain way. GOP states/counties fight it because they fear Dems being able to win elections, and similarly solidly blue places like NYC can expect opposition from Dems and support from conservatives for implementing it.

Jungle primary appears to be unique to Louisiana? And the top-4 ...

2025-07-16T20:08:40Z

In reply to nevent1q…98xr
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Jungle primary appears to be unique to Louisiana? And the top-4 that Alaska uses is fascinating. https://democracysos.substack.com/p/top-four-primary-with-ranked-choice

My understanding of "jungle primary" is that someone with ...

2025-07-16T19:59:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…g6mw
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My understanding of "jungle primary" is that someone with more than 50% of the votes automatically wins the general election, otherwise the top two proceed to the general.

I don't see where that's being proposed. The Charter Commission report, on pages 102 & 107, says the top two advance to the general.