TanyaJLaird's recent activity
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Comment on Electric cars are suddenly becoming affordable in ~transport
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Comment on Electric cars are suddenly becoming affordable in ~transport
TanyaJLaird Link ParentCities shouldn't be in the parking business at all. This is supposed to be a capitalist country, isn't it? And from basic market principles if you want a good to be used efficiently, it needs to...Car rental companies are a simple example of a business that frequently is outright antagonistic to other local businesses. They are almost always one of the few massive corporations (enterprise, budget, hertz) and will gladly setup shop anywhere, even if they don't actually have the space for their inventory and customer use. They will then cannibalize the parking of adjacent businesses, and can drive them out of business if they're at all reliant on consistent sales.
Cities shouldn't be in the parking business at all. This is supposed to be a capitalist country, isn't it? And from basic market principles if you want a good to be used efficiently, it needs to have a price on it. Free public parking is a classic tragedy of the commons. Providing free street parking encourages people from using that space efficiently.
The solution is to get cities out of the parking business all together. Does your business need parking for your customers? Fine. You can pay for their parking spaces. Or, alternately, in an area with high enough demand, the demand for parking will rise sufficiently for private parking garages to be profitable.
Businesses need many things to operate. But we don't expect cities to pay for the buildings businesses reside in, the equipment they use, or any of the other physical infrastructure they need to operate. But when it comes to parking, suddenly we just expect cities to cover that bill.
No. Cities should be out of the parking game entirely. Public space should be used for efficient public use. That means vehicle and bicycle lanes only on streets, no parking spaces. You don't have a right to store your private property on the public land. And even if you did, why should we reserve that right for cars? If we have such an abundance of space on public roads, why not use that land for other purposes? For example, wouldn't that abundance of land be better spent to say, allow a previously unhoused person to set up a temporary residence on? Shouldn't someone's need for housing trump someone's desire for a place to park their private vehicle?
It just makes no sense. Cities should not be in the parking business. On street parking should be eliminated entirely. The parking space should be turned into bike lanes or sidewalks. Or if no productive use is available for them, the streets should be narrowed and the extra easement returned to the surrounding property owners. Let them figure out how to most effectively use the space.
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Comment on Nearly 80% of Americans say fast food is now a luxury because it’s become so expensive in ~food
TanyaJLaird Link ParentThis assumes a free market is actually at play and not algorithmic price-fixing.In a way, that's not wrong, but also wrong. There's a famous economic quote on that "blaming greed for inflation is like blaming gravity for a plane crashing". All parties in a market economy are incentivized to maximize their own return, and that is how they are intended to act.
This assumes a free market is actually at play and not algorithmic price-fixing.
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Comment on Blacksmiths are reconstructing a Viking ship to better understand the secrets of the navigation of Scandinavian warriors a thousand years ago in ~humanities.history
TanyaJLaird LinkOnce they figure out how to build a few boats using historic techniques, there is only one thing that must be done. These blacksmiths need to get in their ships and stage a raid of Guédelon Castle!Once they figure out how to build a few boats using historic techniques, there is only one thing that must be done. These blacksmiths need to get in their ships and stage a raid of Guédelon Castle!
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Comment on Former US President Donald Trump has been found guilty of thirty-four counts of falsifying business records to influence the outcome of the 2016 election in ~news
TanyaJLaird Link ParentI'm not sure about the fine aspect. Normally, yes. But the judge here has a damn good argument of why jail time should be assigned. Trump repeatedly violated the conditions of his bail, in the...I'm not sure about the fine aspect. Normally, yes. But the judge here has a damn good argument of why jail time should be assigned. Trump repeatedly violated the conditions of his bail, in the form of gag order violations. He ignored fine after fine. It took actually being threatened with jail time to get him to stop.
He has shown, in that very same courtroom, that his behavior is only affected by the threat of jail time. He has also shown a complete lack of remorse and has constantly disrespected the court and the rule of law. Yes, he's a first-time offender, but there are many other factors leaning towards the prison direction. The judge knows that the only thing that will actually affect Trump is a jail sentence or community service of some sort, and he can consider that in Trump's sentencing.
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Comment on Former US President Donald Trump has been found guilty of thirty-four counts of falsifying business records to influence the outcome of the 2016 election in ~news
TanyaJLaird Link ParentGive him community service. But of course, for security reasons, he'll probably need to be isolated from the public. So I suggest janitorial duties...at immigrant shelters.Give him community service. But of course, for security reasons, he'll probably need to be isolated from the public. So I suggest janitorial duties...at immigrant shelters.
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Comment on Former US President Donald Trump has been found guilty of thirty-four counts of falsifying business records to influence the outcome of the 2016 election in ~news
TanyaJLaird Link ParentI see no Constitutional issue. There's nothing that requires the president to perform their duties from the White House itself. A president could absolutely run their administration from jail....I see no Constitutional issue. There's nothing that requires the president to perform their duties from the White House itself. A president could absolutely run their administration from jail. Whatever duties couldn't be performed from the jail cell could be temporarily delegated to the Vice President.
Moreover, this could very easily be handled by Section 3 of the 25th Amendment
Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.
The most straightforward way to handle an incarcerated president is to have their VP serve as acting president for the duration of their sentence. We don't need to turn the presidency into a literal get-out-of-jail-free card. If the president can't perform their duties, their duties get temporarily handed over to their VP. That is why we have a VP.
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Comment on Former US President Donald Trump has been found guilty of thirty-four counts of falsifying business records to influence the outcome of the 2016 election in ~news
TanyaJLaird Link ParentOTOH, Trump conclusively proved during trial that only jail time actually has a chance of affecting his behavior. He kept violating his gag order, his conditions of bail. Fines never made him...OTOH, Trump conclusively proved during trial that only jail time actually has a chance of affecting his behavior. He kept violating his gag order, his conditions of bail. Fines never made him change his behavior. It took the threat of jail time to actually get him to stop violating those.
So I could see the judge saying that any fines he could levy clearly wouldn't affect Trump. Instead sentencing him to a modest jail sentence of a few months.
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Comment on Housing market predictions in ~finance
TanyaJLaird Link ParentDo you make any contributions/withdrawals to the pension? I agree that it isn't wise to divert retirement savings, especially so early in your career. But the analysis the bank is doing is an...Do you make any contributions/withdrawals to the pension?
I agree that it isn't wise to divert retirement savings, especially so early in your career. But the analysis the bank is doing is an emergency analysis. They're asking, if you had a real emergency, would you still be able to pay this mortgage?
Consider if one of you lost your job. What could you do in an emergency? You could probably cut a lot of costs and still make that mortgage, including many costs that would otherwise be necessities. For example, if one of you is out of work, your childcare budget disappears. The parent out of work is a stay-at-home parent until they find new work. Their car? Unless it's paid off, it's sold. And even if it is paid off, you remove it from insurance, lower your premium, and never drive it until you're both working again. Retirement savings? Those are on hold until you're both working again.
This is the kind of analysis your bank is doing when they approve you for a mortgage. They assume that you'll be willing to cut absolutely everything to keep your house.
I guess I'm struggling to see where your take-home pay calculation comes from. You make $100k/year. If $2500/month is half your take-home pay, that means your take-home pay is $60k/month. Payroll and income taxes are not that high, even for a person living in New York.
But really, as far as determining what is possible, you would need to share a lot more about your finances, which you understandably may not want to do. Are you driving two late-model large SUVS/trucks? That's a common thing that gets people. Most Americans literally drive themselves into poverty.
The point is, using what numbers we have, $2500/month is what you would have after taxes, insurance, retirement, and housing costs. That's $30k a year. Plenty of people survive on $30k as their gross income. Not easily, but they do it.
You're still making $100k per year. That's not what it used to be, but it is still enough to afford a basic home in most areas. You're still making substantially more than the US median household income.
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Comment on Housing market predictions in ~finance
TanyaJLaird LinkHow are you defining your take-home pay? For these purposes, the bank will look at your income after taxes and insurance. Your retirement savings would be considered part of your take-home pay. In...How are you defining your take-home pay? For these purposes, the bank will look at your income after taxes and insurance. Your retirement savings would be considered part of your take-home pay. In an emergency, you can always pause your 401k savings.
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Comment on Fifth American tourist arrested at Turks and Caicos airport after ammo allegedly found in luggage in ~travel
TanyaJLaird Link ParentI agree that gun owners should be expected to keep track of every bullet. Some mandatory fines and firearms safety training make a lot of sense. However, the people in this article are facing...I agree that gun owners should be expected to keep track of every bullet. Some mandatory fines and firearms safety training make a lot of sense. However, the people in this article are facing mandatory minimum 12 YEAR jail sentences. When you were in the military, would they have thrown you in Leavenworth for a decade for misplacing a couple of rounds?
That's the real problem here. We punish people all the time for things that can be minor lapses in judgment. Speeding tickets come to mind. But there's a reason we don't give decade-long prison sentences for casual speeding.
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Comment on Fifth American tourist arrested at Turks and Caicos airport after ammo allegedly found in luggage in ~travel
TanyaJLaird Link ParentI could absolutely see accidentally carrying a few bullets. Note, they weren't arrested for having guns, they were arrested for having bullets. What you're missing is that people bring more than...I could absolutely see accidentally carrying a few bullets. Note, they weren't arrested for having guns, they were arrested for having bullets.
What you're missing is that people bring more than just big suitcases. They also bring purses and backpacks that serve dual duty. I myself when traveling bring the exact same backpack I wear on a daily basis.
I've accidentally left contraban in my backpack on several occasions. Mostly just a can of soda that I forgot about and didn't see at the bottom of my bag. I don't own a firearm, so I've never left a gun or ammo in my bag.
However, if someone did regularly carry a gun in their bag or purse, this would be an easy mistake to make. If you own a firearm, you're primarily concerned about keeping track of the gun itself. The gun is what's dangerous. The gun is what you need to make sure you don't try to take to the airport. I could easily see someone focusing on that and accidently leaving a few bullets in a side pocket.
If someone is a gun owner and regularly carries it, a few forgotten bullets in a bag seems like a very easy mistake to make.
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Comment on What is a value or belief you have that is extremely outside the norm? in ~talk
TanyaJLaird Link ParentBy "identify" I more mean having an environment that encourages such kids to come out and seek help in a safe manner. I don't think this is the kind of thing you can identify on brain scan or...By "identify" I more mean having an environment that encourages such kids to come out and seek help in a safe manner. I don't think this is the kind of thing you can identify on brain scan or blood test. I agree that any such screening of the populace would be little better than phrenology.
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Comment on What is a value or belief you have that is extremely outside the norm? in ~talk
TanyaJLaird Link ParentI am skeptical of us ever being able to change a pedophile's orientation through therapy. A century of failed attempts at LGBT conversion therapy suggest that sexual attraction of all forms is...I am skeptical of us ever being able to change a pedophile's orientation through therapy. A century of failed attempts at LGBT conversion therapy suggest that sexual attraction of all forms is indelibly written into the brain.
Instead, what we could do is identify pedophiles at a young age. Then, offer them medications or surgery that completely eliminates their sex drive - chemical or physical castration. It's not the ideal solution, but it would likely at least be a viable solution. You suppress their hormone levels to near zero, give them some calcium supplements to balance out the bone density issues, and you kill their sex drive. As a precaution, prohibit them from working in careers involving children or childcare. But otherwise let them live lives of peaceful celibacy.
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Comment on What is a value or belief you have that is extremely outside the norm? in ~talk
TanyaJLaird Link ParentIt really is a bad thing that we can't discuss rationally, "what to do with pedophiles" beyond knee-jerk "hang them all!" reactions. From the stories I've read of psychologists working with...It really is a bad thing that we can't discuss rationally, "what to do with pedophiles" beyond knee-jerk "hang them all!" reactions. From the stories I've read of psychologists working with pedophiles, their attraction seems to develop at the same time as anyone else's. Just imagine the horror of being a 12-14 year old feeling your first feelings of sexual attraction. But to your horror, those feelings are being directed towards infants. And this is in a society where even teenagers know exactly what those feelings imply. It wouldn't surprise me at all if a substantial portion of people with these feelings, perhaps even a majority, simply commit suicide before they even finish high school. If I woke up with those feelings tomorrow, in all honesty, I would probably just throw myself off a bridge.
And honestly, I don't even know what is to be done for such people. Pedophilia is NOT like homosexuality. Sure, they're both sexual orientation the same way heterosexuality is, but there is simply no way to just accept and integrated open pedophiles into society. This is not simply an unusual act between consenting adults, it is an attraction that fundamentally cannot ever be allowed to be satisfied.
Like, imagine if we lived in a world that actually did operate like the Old Testament Sodom and Gomorrah. In this universe, God exists and he REALLY hates gay sex. In this world, if one person in a city has gay sex, God instantly smites the entire city. And this is reliable, repeatable, and observable. This is something you can verify scientifically. Two gay dudes get it on == meteor on top of the city.
In that world, there would be no way we could tolerate homosexuality, as to do so would mean immediate death for everyone. Thankfully, we don't live in that world for homosexuality, but we practically do for pedophilia.
Honestly, I think the best bet would be to try and identify pedophiles as early as possible, right when their feelings first materialize. Then, put them on hormone suppressors, effectively chemical castration, that completely eliminates their sex drive. Then they can just live lives of peaceful celibacy. Finding a way to change their orientation and allowing them to experience normal adult attraction would be more ideal. But after all the cruel and failed attempts at conversion therapy for gay people, I just don't see how that would ever work. The best we can likely do is to just completely eliminate the sex drive of these people all together and let them live in peace. Maybe as a precaution we don't let them work as teachers or child caregivers, but otherwise they should be completely free from restriction or harsh judgment.
But to do that, we really do need to start talking about this topic like adults. Knee-jerk reactions like "hang them all!" just results in pedophiles staying in the closet and not ever seeking help. Instead of getting medication or surgery that would completely nuke their sex drive, they try to fight their attractions through shear force of will. And well, we see how that turns out.
We will still always need harsh criminal penalties for the sexual abuse of children. A pedophile shouldn't be able to plead insanity citing their attraction. A pedophile raping a child is not the same ethically as say, a schizophrenic person killing someone because the voices ordered them to. The schizophrenic is completely out of touch with the world and has no ability to discern truth from fiction. The pedophile is fully aware of reality, and they know full well the harm they harm they are causing. So acts of pedophilia always need to remain extremely illegal.
But we should remove the stigma from someone simply having these feelings. Hell, we should talk about them in sex ed. We should literally tell 5th graders, "look, hopefully none of you develop these feelings. But if you do, here is what can be done about it. We can't change them, but we can give you drugs that will kill your libido and allow you to live a peaceful life without hurting anyone."
It sounds like sympathy for the devil, but I actually do have quite a lot of sympathy for pedophiles, at least the ones that haven't acted on their impulses. We can never offer them the same acceptance we do other forms of attraction, but we can at least offer them sympathy and not shame, and get them the help that they need.
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Comment on What is a value or belief you have that is extremely outside the norm? in ~talk
TanyaJLaird Link ParentWell, I wrote it from a US perspective, and I specifically discussed monarchs on US territory. It's not worth declaring war on Britain to remove King Charles. Too many innocent people would have...Well, I wrote it from a US perspective, and I specifically discussed monarchs on US territory. It's not worth declaring war on Britain to remove King Charles. Too many innocent people would have to lose their lives before we were able to get to him. And plus it would mean war in general. But if we had a law that said, "it is a capital offense for a monarch to step foot on US territory," well that would be a pretty infamous and well-known law. If a monarch still chose to come here anyway, well they would know what they're getting themselves into. And also in that case, there's no going to war to capture someone, as they're already on US soil.
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Comment on What is a value or belief you have that is extremely outside the norm? in ~talk
TanyaJLaird Link ParentWell you have to draw the line somewhere. I'm not a fan of inherited wealth in general. But at least wealth doesn't intrinsically have formal power associated with it from birth. I would treat any...Well you have to draw the line somewhere. I'm not a fan of inherited wealth in general. But at least wealth doesn't intrinsically have formal power associated with it from birth. I would treat any aristocrat the same as a monarch if that aristocratic title gave them any legally-protected advantages. For example, traditionally such titles carried the right to vote in higher assemblies, special exemptions from taxes, etc. Legally-protected inherited privileges of any kind are an abomination.
If you inherit a ton of money, but have no formal legal status, you still have to compete for political influence among other people who have a lot of money. You still have to have some connection to society at large, some relevance to the present-day world if you want to turn inherited wealth into power. But old-style aristocracy? Where aristocrats have formal titles that get passed down and carry special legal status and privileges? That's just as bad as the monarchs.
I would be in favor of very high inheritance taxes, maybe 100% above say, 100x the median national income. While inheriting large amounts of money is something we should strongly discourage, it's not a crime against humanity. But yeah, if there are aristocrats with formal titles that still obtain any degree of inherited political power, I would put them right there on the gallows next to the monarch. Give them all a chance to abandon their titles or face the consequences. Monarchs and aristocrats have no place in the 21st century. They're anachronisms still hanging on, clinging to the rim of the dustbin of history.
But monarchs especially are there own unique form of evil. The very idea that one would claim they are inherently, by birth, better and deserve special legal status is abominable.
All men are created equal. Full stop. While solving the inequities of wealth is a much more difficult task, monarchies and formal aristocracies are the low-hanging fruit of true equality. If we can't even accept the idea that no human being should have a special status that is explicitly written into law, what hope do we have at solving other problems of unjustified power, such as that from inherited wealth? Solving racism and racial injustice is a hard problem to solve, with all the subtleties and balance involved. But simply not having people that have special legal status bestowed and inherited from birth? That's an easy one.
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Comment on What is a value or belief you have that is extremely outside the norm? in ~talk
TanyaJLaird LinkOk, here's my most unusual political view. It's a bit extreme. I consider myself a militant anti-monarchist. I don't care how depowered, constitutional, or benevolent a king or a queen is. I am...Ok, here's my most unusual political view. It's a bit extreme.
I consider myself a militant anti-monarchist. I don't care how depowered, constitutional, or benevolent a king or a queen is. I am ideologically opposed to the very existence of monarchies in any form. Want to keep a symbolic head of state around and have them dress fancy and live in a gilded palace? Fine. But they should be elected to regular terms just like everyone else. No one has a right to power by birth. NO ONE. There are few things more repugnant and evil than one claiming the right, by birth, to have any kind of power over an entire nation of people. The French had the absolute right approach to dealing with monarchs. Every last one of them deserves that fate. They should all have to surrender their crowns or be treated the same. I consider being a monarch to be nothing less than a crime against humanity. I don't care if you're an absolute monarch like the Sun King or the constitutional and symbolic King of Denmark, you are still a monster.
If I had my way, being a monarch of any kind on US territory would be a capital offense. No king, queen, or emperor should be able to set foot on US soil without literally losing their head. I'm still OK with the US, as a practical matter, trading and interacting diplomatically with countries that have yet to shake of their monarchical chains. But no king should ever cross the US border. No state dinners or other high honors should be given to them. Anyone who dares claim the right to rule over others, by right of birth, should be arrested, tried for crimes against humanity, and hanged like we did the defendants at Nuremberg.
Anyone who claims the right by birth to rule over others is an enemy of all mankind. Every last one of them deserves the same fate as Louis XVI. In fact, they deserve far worse.
If this post makes me lose any chance of getting an audience in front of a monarch some day, good. All I would want to do is spit in their face. Being a monarch is a crime against humanity.
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Comment on What was it like choosing your own name? in ~lgbt
TanyaJLaird LinkI approached things pretty analytically. (Perhaps I'm too much of an engineer.) I had a few requirements. First, I wanted a name that was fairly typical of someone my age. I really didn't want a...I approached things pretty analytically. (Perhaps I'm too much of an engineer.) I had a few requirements.
First, I wanted a name that was fairly typical of someone my age. I really didn't want a name that stood out much. Sometimes trans people will pick a name that is popular at the time they transition, and they end up with a name that is more typical of someone 20-30 years younger than they are. Fine if you want to do that, whatever makes you happy. But I wanted a name I could have been born with.
Second, my family handled things pretty well. And I come from a big Catholic family. And we were all named after saints (first and middle names.) So I wanted to pick a saint's name to maintain the pattern with my siblings. (I know this is a pretty unusual requirement.)
I also if possible wanted to keep my initials the same, as I have a long-running email address that uses them.
So, putting all that together, I settled on "Tanya." It's a short form of Tatiana, so it checks all the boxes. Plus I just liked the name.
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Comment on Bike brands start to adopt C-V2X to warn cyclists about cars in ~transport
TanyaJLaird Link ParentEvery e-bike sold has to be sold with a governor on it. Everyone who relies on a bicycle or e-bike is subject to mechanically enforced speed limits. People who rely on public transit lose a great...Every e-bike sold has to be sold with a governor on it. Everyone who relies on a bicycle or e-bike is subject to mechanically enforced speed limits. People who rely on public transit lose a great deal more freedom of their schedule than GPS governors on cars would impose.
Having my, and everyone else's main form of transportation centrally controlled by some system somewhere that is potentially subject to all of those things isn't something I, or probably most people would be ok with signing up for.
I really need to push back on this. We already accept centralized control for anyone under a certain income level. Anyone who has to rely on public transit has a far greater level of control placed on them. Why are those wealthy enough to afford a car worthy of not having a single restriction placed on their movement? And we're just talking about something that forces car owners to comply with the law. Also, system outages and cyber attacks can already ruin your car commute. Toll systems are subject to this. And imagine if all the stoplights in a city stop working at once. And if someone can hack your GPS governor, why can't they just hack your engine and brick your entire car?
These honestly seem like quite fantastical scenarios, scenarios that already apply to today's computer-rich cars.
The US has bailed out Detroit on numerous occasions, and there are massive federal subsidies to support EV deployment. We've literally bailed them out from bankruptcy on multiple occasions.