Mullin's recent activity
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Comment on Generation Z is unprecedentedly rich in ~finance
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Comment on "I watched fifteen hours of COVID origins arguments so you don't have to" in ~health
Mullin LinkActually good post, I had a friend ask me about this recently, and I kind of dismissed the lab leak theory since to me it felt like too many coincidences needed to happen, and from what we know of...Actually good post, I had a friend ask me about this recently, and I kind of dismissed the lab leak theory since to me it felt like too many coincidences needed to happen, and from what we know of how Covid spread it seemed unlikely it would have become endemic just from a single or extremely small number of lab workers, vs an alternative zoonotic origin, and I didn't think much of him asking me about it. I was floored that according to this 66% of people thought it was a lab leak? 4:1 ratio over zoonotic? that just seems outlandish, when I was talking to him I figured the Wuhan lab might make it I dunno, 5x more likely, 10x more likely to be lab leak? but my prior was probably 99:1 in absence of the lab, so 90:10 I'd still have said zoonotic, either way, what a cool debate and I guess idea, I learned more about the origin of covid than I did prior. Hope I can watch some highlights from the vids but I'm not gonna go through 15 hours worth.
edit: I meant actually good post (from ACXD) btw, I mean also from OP, but I wasn't trying to disparage OP, I just generally don't put a lot of stock in ACXD, but this article is well put together.
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Comment on All the ways car dependency is wrecking us – car harm: a global review of automobility's harm to people and the environment in ~transport
Mullin Link ParentIt just seems like, and I agree that emissions aren't the only problem, but emissions are killing us far more than any amount of automobile crashes, tire particles, or poor walkability ever could....It just seems like, and I agree that emissions aren't the only problem, but emissions are killing us far more than any amount of automobile crashes, tire particles, or poor walkability ever could. It's the single biggest issue about car use, and there should be MASSIVE subsidization of EVs to replace ICE if we hope to limit the harms of cars. But I get that you're on board with that.
I've gone back and read the full article linked, and frankly.....it just doesn't move me much. It isn't that I don't believe them, or that I think the interventions suggested are bad, it's just......I feel like despite extensive references, there isn't enough explanations of the causality of things, especially when, whether I'm correct or not about it, it feels like they are omitting a possible answer. The article says that black people in Brazil are disproportionally suffering fatalities.....I check the study and it shows that 52.8% of road related deaths were black skin color.....Brazil is half black! The reference for women being more likely to be injured in a car accident I couldn't find the relevant page of that book available free online, and while I am inclined to believe it: it feels disingenuous to so heavily load "When they are involved in a crash" given the Brazil study shows us that 82% of auto related deaths were men! Why does the article not discuss the disproportionate harm that cars are doing to men vs women? It's like, I HATE having to go through something and nitpick every source because I can't trust that the information they are presenting to me is the entire story, EVEN WHEN I agree with the thrust of their argument! That's incredibly frustrating. It's the exact same to their points about how crash death rates are highest in Africa and Southeast Asia despite fewer cars per person: anyone could tell you that the adherence to road safety and infrastructure in those places is worse than in Europe, Japan/Korea, the US etc etc. It's easily explained, we don't need to talk about it as if the car is somehow intrinsically racist and this is a point to that, it feels WAY too much having a social justice axe to grind when all the other points are much more concrete and don't require any sort of harkening back to colonialism. It's........I don't know, it bothers me. It's also the same cherrypicking the ages where the leading cause of death is, 5-29, when when I checked broader statistics recently, even outside infant mortality and looking at just adults, accidental poisoning recently usurped automobile accidents (in the US).
All that is to say: I want denser, more walkable cities, I do not think we need to overemphasize or coerce data to that end: denser areas are often desirable, and people on tildes in prior arguments with me have pointed to the increased cost in highly walkable areas as a premium people are willing to pay, so if cities want some of that premium they will densify and add the things people want, most of the interventions the article suggested. All in all, it just makes me roll my eyes, which is bad, but I suppose overall it's fine? I don't really know what I'm getting at at this point, it just struck a nerve I suppose.
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Comment on All the ways car dependency is wrecking us – car harm: a global review of automobility's harm to people and the environment in ~transport
Mullin LinkI haven't read all of the article or your long reply. But 'electric vehicles solve almost none of them problems that cars create' feels hilariously wrong. Emissions pollution is the single biggest...I haven't read all of the article or your long reply. But 'electric vehicles solve almost none of them problems that cars create' feels hilariously wrong. Emissions pollution is the single biggest harm of cars, and cars have almost singlehandedly fueled the entire oil industry, to say that EVs wouldn't be a significant improvement is just ridiculous.
I don't have much to comment on, of course cars are dangerous, but there is a reason they became so ubiquitous, especially in the US: they are convenient, that's really it, that's all it takes sometimes. They had an edge over other forms of transport in final mile, and they were viewed as a luxury item, and a car culture emerged. I'm all for more dense, walkable/bikeable areas...I think it'll happen eventually, but in the mean time if we could replace all fossil fuels vehicles with EVs, then we'd be in a much better place ecologically, not to mention safety of newer cars as well as lower noise and pollution just for pedestrians nearby.
I'm honestly trying not to kneejerk too hard as I've seen this constant deluge of "fuck cars" slowly growing on the web, when it feels like there is a lack of nuance in considering why people like cars, why cities subsidized car infrastructure, and approaching more realistic ways to reduce car traffic, car dependence, and the share of fossil fuels vehicles. For one, increased push for remote work could remove a lot of vehicle miles from roads, more dense housing, more (protected) bike lanes, etc.
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Comment on Is there interest in a board game-focused Discord server? in ~games.tabletop
Mullin LinkI'm always down for more board game servers to be in, I have a few with IRL friends or more long standing online friends but it's always fun to load up tabletop sim or whatever and there's...I'm always down for more board game servers to be in, I have a few with IRL friends or more long standing online friends but it's always fun to load up tabletop sim or whatever and there's certainly styles or genres of games that my existing groups aren't interested in. I'm just fairly busy do not sure how reliable I can be (with aforementioned friends and my own life(work/family)
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Comment on Atlanta’s squatter problem is vexing Wall Street landlords in ~life
Mullin Link ParentYou can just say that from the start ;) Not that I agree, but have you heard of a Harberger tax? You should check out "Radical markets" and iirc the excerpt "Private property is another word for...You can just say that from the start ;)
Not that I agree, but have you heard of a Harberger tax? You should check out "Radical markets" and iirc the excerpt "Private property is another word for monopoly"
It's interesting from a thought experiment perspective, but I'm a big believer in incrementalism.
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Comment on Atlanta’s squatter problem is vexing Wall Street landlords in ~life
Mullin Link ParentThat is actually an insane position. I'm pretty against SFH landlording, as I think that ownership should be the most big standard and free from rent seeking, but how do you think landlording for...That is actually an insane position. I'm pretty against SFH landlording, as I think that ownership should be the most big standard and free from rent seeking, but how do you think landlording for apartment buildings is a crime????
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Comment on Atlanta’s squatter problem is vexing Wall Street landlords in ~life
Mullin Link ParentSeriously comparing squatters to Rosa Parks???! Not exactly a compelling positionSeriously comparing squatters to Rosa Parks???! Not exactly a compelling position
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Comment on In defense of squatting - the community utility of squatting in a world of algorithmic landlord collusion in ~life
Mullin LinkWhy post this as it's own topic when it's a verbatim copy of your reply to the original topic?? Either way, my response there still stands. Squatting won't lower rent, it'll encourage rental...Why post this as it's own topic when it's a verbatim copy of your reply to the original topic??
Either way, my response there still stands. Squatting won't lower rent, it'll encourage rental increases on the people not defecting. Expecting landlords to capitulate to defectors is failing to understand game theory as well.
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Comment on Atlanta’s squatter problem is vexing Wall Street landlords in ~life
Mullin Link ParentThere is zero guarantee that squatters will impact corporate landlords any more than individual landlords, maybe only insomuch as there are more corporate ones, but there are many anecdotes of a...There is zero guarantee that squatters will impact corporate landlords any more than individual landlords, maybe only insomuch as there are more corporate ones, but there are many anecdotes of a new buyer being fucked over by squatters, even when their plan was to occupy the house.
Squatters are defecting and defecting is rarely a solution. Break up the landlord collusion without encouraging friction, before you end up with people straight up harassing or being violent to squatters, and a more robust legal system wouldn't be failing to handle the volume. I'm pretty anti-landlord, but I'd rather that be through increased taxes or higher regulations than to encourage squatting, I don't think that's going to solve anything. Squatters are removing homes from the market just the same, and contributing to the housing prices, if you don't think corporate landlords will just price in their squatting losses across their other properties, which of course they will.
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Comment on Owning a dog is a complete misery at the moment in ~life.pets
Mullin LinkThere isn't any dog boarding near you? That's what my parents used for our dogs when I was a kid and we had to be away for a trip. I don't know if there's something in present year that makes that...There isn't any dog boarding near you? That's what my parents used for our dogs when I was a kid and we had to be away for a trip. I don't know if there's something in present year that makes that not common or something, but I think I've had friends use boarding for their dogs recently, I would look for that first, since you could drop them off, but maybe the anxiety makes that not an issue?
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Comment on What's something about your lived experience you wished people understood, but rarely do? in ~talk
Mullin Link ParentI think so, yeah, I mean don't get me wrong, I'm a well adjusted, emotionally mature person. But that took a lot of time, and it 100% coincided to when I hit puberty. And again, if you listen to...I think so, yeah, I mean don't get me wrong, I'm a well adjusted, emotionally mature person. But that took a lot of time, and it 100% coincided to when I hit puberty. And again, if you listen to trans men talk about their experience when they are first starting T, it felt like "Ah they get me" ya know?
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Comment on What's something about your lived experience you wished people understood, but rarely do? in ~talk
Mullin Link ParentI've never had it tested, I've fairly confident it's not low, but it's probably within range, I would assume. All my other health metrics are fine, I have thought about testing it just for fun,...I've never had it tested, I've fairly confident it's not low, but it's probably within range, I would assume. All my other health metrics are fine, I have thought about testing it just for fun, maybe I'll get around to it at some point. It might be worth knowing. I do have a weirdly high hematocrit/hemoglobin, that I've had my whole life despite living at sea level, so that could also be accounting for some of my body temperature issues.
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Comment on What's something about your lived experience you wished people understood, but rarely do? in ~talk
Mullin LinkTestosterone. Obviously most men will know this all too well, but testosterone is so fucking obnoxiously dominating of your life and you just....have to get used to it/learn to deal with it over...Testosterone.
Obviously most men will know this all too well, but testosterone is so fucking obnoxiously dominating of your life and you just....have to get used to it/learn to deal with it over time, until you get too old or need to take it just to avoid the negative effects of it being too low.
It's really difficult to describe to people, as I don't think even amongst men that levels or rather sensitivity is the same, but for me it's really, really pervasive, and I hit puberty around 12, I'm 34 now and not really for a moment has it ever abated. So much of my personality seems shaped by it, I'm extremely argumentative, disagreeable, if I get really into a competition, doesn't matter if it's a sport, or a game, if I become invested I get so competitive that it feels like my blood is boiling. I can play chess and feel my temperature go up considerably the more heated I get. Over time you learn to stop yourself, not to kneejerk argue with people, try to be more agreeable to get by. But it's tough, and it never really goes away, that's not even including the libido aspects that can be massively disruptive.
The amount of sympathy I have for trans men when they start T is immeasurable, because honest to god, it's not fun. Sex hormones are one of the worst double edged swords humans have, damned if you do (because testosterone will eventually kill you) damned if you don't (you'll have no energy or libido, lose strength etc), with estrogen you deal with periods, cramps, mood swings, then menopause comes and you get bone loss, hot flashes, it's like neither gender can win for losing.
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Comment on How Steward Health left Rockledge Regional Medical Center, a Space Coast community hospital, in a literal world of shit in ~health
Mullin LinkI'd like to say in shocked by this, but I'm not. 15 years in healthcare and not once have I thought there was sufficient regulatory oversight and auditing from the government. Health and human...I'd like to say in shocked by this, but I'm not. 15 years in healthcare and not once have I thought there was sufficient regulatory oversight and auditing from the government. Health and human services almost everywhere is an underfunded joke. You should take a look at articles about Long Term Stay or adult day cares, shit is a joke.
I don't know why or how they're able to get away with it, or convince anyone to work there when the paychecks bounce, who knows
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Comment on What Texas can teach San Francisco and London about building houses: it’s not a housing crisis — it’s a planning crisis in ~design
Mullin Link ParentI literally just told you that the median, average American settler is choosing to move to Houston, or Dallas, or anywhere that is affordable, if you look at the data since the pandemic you'll see...I literally just told you that the median, average American settler is choosing to move to Houston, or Dallas, or anywhere that is affordable, if you look at the data since the pandemic you'll see the obvious trend. Bay area, NYC, Boston are not seeing population growth since 2020, check FRED data, Houston is, people are making the microeconomic decision to spend less on housing, and more on everything else, that's not inferior, that's an advantage. People make tradeoffs when they pick where to live, you repeatedly act like there is some scale of desirability that is universal, not only is that not the case, but the revealed preferences disagree with you!
Austin has a long way to go before it densifies anywhere outside UT, but it also became wildly unaffordable in recent memory, having comparable rents to Manhattan!! That is insane to me because you're still in TX (lol) politically, AND it's hot, AND the cedar fever is awful. When I visit LA on Venice Beach you understand why those houses are millions of dollars at least.
I'm not sure that realistically there is much advantage to subsidizing highways over public transit, in theory there obviously should be but here in the US (Looking at you NYC) we can't seem to get anything done on time or on budget (also applies to TX highways but seemingly they can expand lanes more successfully than subways get built)
I feel like you think I'm unaware of your points, I'm really not, and I think places like Amsterdam are probably the platonic ideal of a city, with predominantly biking and transit all that's necessary (and while maintaining better affordability than NYC), but I dislike when people come up with excuses to patronize the choices people are making. You don't get to tell other people that what they chose to value in a city is inferior to an alternative, it should be patently obvious that price != quality, as is the case in almost every other application.
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Comment on What Texas can teach San Francisco and London about building houses: it’s not a housing crisis — it’s a planning crisis in ~design
Mullin Link ParentWhat an absolutely ridiculous comparison. People in food deserts don't have the luxury of choice, people moving their lives absolutely do (the alternative is staying where they were, or in the...What an absolutely ridiculous comparison. People in food deserts don't have the luxury of choice, people moving their lives absolutely do (the alternative is staying where they were, or in the instance where they were priced out, plenty of other choices besides Houston).
People are moving here because the cost of living is affordable and they have a higher quality of life compared to their other options, I don't see how you can use Boston as an example with a straight face considering the massive gulf of difference in affordability between the two.
I do not see why you hate townhomes that are nicer and denser than the detached SFH on large lots they are replacing?? Why shouldn't other places copy Houston in allowing replats to enable more dense housing. Again, if you have some magical way to incentivize more Bostons and less Houston's feel free to explain it, policy or otherwise. Using people's greed and aligning their own self interest to densification (via replats) vs kowtowing to nimbys who only want their property value to increase (which in Houston they are forced to pay high property taxes unlike California with it's capped property taxes(lol why the fuck would this be allowed still)
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Comment on What Texas can teach San Francisco and London about building houses: it’s not a housing crisis — it’s a planning crisis in ~design
Mullin Link ParentI appreciate you for giving the sources and data, seems most in this thread have no intentions of engaging because they have preconceived notions of what Houston or Texas is and that it's the...I appreciate you for giving the sources and data, seems most in this thread have no intentions of engaging because they have preconceived notions of what Houston or Texas is and that it's the opposite of the type of housing solutions they'd desire(ones that seem not to help much in practice). Hell, SF could look to Houston too on how to deal with the homeless. The city is far more than an oil and gas hub of guns and horses lmao
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Comment on What Texas can teach San Francisco and London about building houses: it’s not a housing crisis — it’s a planning crisis in ~design
Mullin Link ParentIf that were true, you wouldn't see Texas and the rest of the South leading the nation in new transplants? I think people want to live where housing is cheap, because it's where they can have more...If that were true, you wouldn't see Texas and the rest of the South leading the nation in new transplants? I think people want to live where housing is cheap, because it's where they can have more of their income for discretionary spending or savings.
If there is somewhere like what you are describing that is a pleasant accessible space that's affordable I'd love to hear about it.
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Comment on What Texas can teach San Francisco and London about building houses: it’s not a housing crisis — it’s a planning crisis in ~design
Mullin Link ParentWho gives a shit about the aesthetic appeal?? It's housing, if you want to solve a housing crisis, build more houses, who cares what they look like. I've lived in Houston my whole life and...Who gives a shit about the aesthetic appeal?? It's housing, if you want to solve a housing crisis, build more houses, who cares what they look like. I've lived in Houston my whole life and replacing decrepit 1920s construction pier and beam shotgun houses with 4 story townhomes is an improvement, it's moronic to act like it isn't. Houston's housing costs and rent is affordable, it's why you are seeing people flock to the city, whether they move into a townhome or buy a sfh in a far off suburbs, does it really matter? What's the point of heralding density alone as a virtue when the goal should be affordable housing, ugly or sprawling or cookie cutter be damned
Kind of a bad article, in my opinion. If you take what it says at face value, and their chart, you'd expect that zoomers are more wealthy at their age than millennials were, who were more wealthy than boomers were...so on each generation in their chart....but that's not the case. Ignoring costs and purchasing power doesn't paint the realistic picture, ignoring debt doesn't help either. I don't know the real figure, but I'd be shocked if zoomers are actually better off than millennials at the same age (ignoring the ages during the global financial crisis) and almost certainly both are worse off than boomers were, who had extremely cheap education and housing costs, while being exposed to some of the best bull runs and ZIRP. I don't see any point in this article narrowing in on wages, except to undercut zoomers who bemoan their economic conditions