rosco's recent activity
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Comment on US Congress' age debate reignites over member living in retirement home in ~society
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Comment on US Congress' age debate reignites over member living in retirement home in ~society
rosco Link ParentOh, absolutely, I think I treaded too lightly. There are a crazy amount of conflicts of interest, financial incentives, and generally fuckery. Absolutely right! Aaaand, they out of touch. Good...Oh, absolutely, I think I treaded too lightly. There are a crazy amount of conflicts of interest, financial incentives, and generally fuckery. Absolutely right! Aaaand, they out of touch. Good call out!
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Comment on US Congress' age debate reignites over member living in retirement home in ~society
rosco Link ParentThose are great points - it's hard to find a balance. I think if we could find a way to redistribute power away from the oldest folks that might help. Maybe terming out seniority positions within...Those are great points - it's hard to find a balance. I think if we could find a way to redistribute power away from the oldest folks that might help. Maybe terming out seniority positions within parties. But I don't know.
On your parent's front, I hope they have a long runway ahead of them! I was surprised by my dad, he's played soccer 3 times a week my whole life, so watching the physical and mental stuff has been weird. Literally only in the last year. It all kicked off with a knee replacement. Mom's stuff kicked off from AFIB diagnosis of her heart. Literally 2 years ago they were both working, doing intense-ish activities, and seemed like my parents always had. Sorry, I think I'm just externally processing. :)
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games
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Comment on Merry Christmas, people of Tildes in ~talk
rosco LinkMerry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and freaking happy days off work (woooo!) for everyone!!! I wish the best to everyone as we're wrapping up the year and hopefully a mellow and meaningful 2025 for all!Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and freaking happy days off work (woooo!) for everyone!!! I wish the best to everyone as we're wrapping up the year and hopefully a mellow and meaningful 2025 for all!
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Comment on Tenant unions are coming. US landlords aren't ready. in ~life
rosco Link ParentTotally agree, and also appreciate it does seem like a light lift. I think for a lot of folks, they just don't believe that their vote will make a difference and that their representatives don't...Totally agree, and also appreciate it does seem like a light lift. I think for a lot of folks, they just don't believe that their vote will make a difference and that their representatives don't represent them. I think in the US we get a lot of that narrative, purposefully, and we end up where we are. Combine that with voting practices in many places that are intended to add friction and people just fall off. Kind of like how car seats are a deterrent for having kids (awesome episode by the way!).
Anecdotally, I got into a little bit of a political tiff with a few friends I've had since we were in diapers - the kind of friends that while we're incredibly tight, I would never be friends with if we hadn't grown up together. While two of us argued about whether Elon and his "efficiency" will be a good thing for our government, our other friend - eventually tired of the political debate - piped in "It's all bullshit, I don't even vote!" Which was very surprising. He is well educated, went to Berkeley, and has plenty of time on his hands and resources to spend the time to vote. He just doesn't think it makes any difference.
I like the idea of mandatory voting though, I hadn't heard about that! Are there any negatives that come from that system? That, plus ranked choice could be a very cool system.
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Comment on US Congress' age debate reignites over member living in retirement home in ~society
rosco Link ParentOut of curiosity, what do you think a reasonable age limit would be? I've added some of my own thoughts on it below after asking you a question which is annoying of me. Feel free to disregard,...Out of curiosity, what do you think a reasonable age limit would be?
I've added some of my own thoughts on it below after asking you a question which is annoying of me. Feel free to disregard, it's just been an eye opening holiday season.
I've spent the holidays with my parents (71 and 72 respectively) and boy howdy this is the first year I've felt like they are "old". My dad is starting to lose words. My mom is getting tired when we're out past 5pm. Like, true old people stuff. It's been really jarring. I know everyone ages differently, and a limit would effect folks that I think are still incredibly with it - like Bernie Sanders - but man watching aging first hand really has me questioning the capabilities of our representatives. I think they would be invaluable as advisors and support, and there is no need to put limits on that. And all of that without taking into consideration their sometimes problematic view points and perspectives on racial, gendered, or other more modern discussions.
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Comment on US Congress' age debate reignites over member living in retirement home in ~society
rosco LinkI think beyond mental fitness, there is an argument that many of the old guard senators are chronically out of touch. We saw this recently with Nancy Pelosi whipping opposition to AOC's...I think beyond mental fitness, there is an argument that many of the old guard senators are chronically out of touch. We saw this recently with Nancy Pelosi whipping opposition to AOC's appointment to chair the Judiciary Committee. We don't need another seat being given up by a sexagenarian and given to a septuagenarian. It's time for age limits. If they wanted to make change they had decades to do it.
We recently had a municipal planning commissioner step down from his role because, i quote "You need to know when you're just not keeping up anymore. I'm still mentally there but I just don't understand where we are at culturally. It's time for your generation to lead because the choices we make will effect you, not me." For someone who was difficult at the best of times it was a fresh, admirable take. I wish some of our federal level politicians could make a similar decision.
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games
rosco Link ParentAwesome! I love the aesthetic and concept! Very excited to try it out!Awesome! I love the aesthetic and concept! Very excited to try it out!
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Comment on Tenant unions are coming. US landlords aren't ready. in ~life
rosco (edited )Link ParentI think your top level was a nice addition to the conversation and I appreciated you answering when I asked about balancing for renters. That was a new concept I hadn't heard before and it spurred...I think your top level was a nice addition to the conversation and I appreciated you answering when I asked about balancing for renters. That was a new concept I hadn't heard before and it spurred plenty of conversation. I think further down the thread it turned into a little bit of a dog pile and felt condescending.
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Comment on Tenant unions are coming. US landlords aren't ready. in ~life
rosco Link ParentSeconded. For the folks frustrated by this comment, consider that arguing in favor of the status quo is arguing a position that by and large everyone knows and has heard regurgitated at them ad...Seconded.
For the folks frustrated by this comment, consider that arguing in favor of the status quo is arguing a position that by and large everyone knows and has heard regurgitated at them ad hominem. If you have a nuanced perspective - awesome. Do you have expertise in the field? Fire away! Are you just parroting the standard talking points we've all heard for decades? Maybe give this thread a skip. The same can be said for contrarians. If it's a well trodden path, maybe leave it be.
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games
rosco Link ParentPapers Please looks really interesting! If it's still available I'd love to give it a go!Papers Please looks really interesting! If it's still available I'd love to give it a go!
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Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: Holiday 2024 in ~games
rosco Link ParentCocoon, Snuggle, Refresh, Melancholy, TogethernessA Highland Song
Cocoon, Snuggle, Refresh, Melancholy, Togetherness
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Comment on Tenant unions are coming. US landlords aren't ready. in ~life
rosco Link ParentI think it's more visible on a local level. If you rent you're more likely to have less flexibility at work and less financial buffer to take time off and participate. Compound that with retirees...I think it's more visible on a local level. If you rent you're more likely to have less flexibility at work and less financial buffer to take time off and participate. Compound that with retirees who come in a squawk at any new proposed municipal development and make up the vast majority of committees, commissions, and councils across the country. It's frustrating to be the fish swimming upstream and most of us don't realize how much of our day to day life is decided by folks going into the slowest years of their cognitive processing.
And all of this is because if you don't have time - due to work - or other obligations - taking care of kids or parents or school. Most folks simply can't be present for municipal politics. Not everyone who works can cut out of work at 2:30pm twice a month to sit and listen to pensioners yell at you for 3-6 hours. The same can be said for state level ballots measures. When you feel like the rules of the game are fixed and organizations have spent as much time and money possible to obscure the actual intent of a ballot measure or bill, it's no wonder people don't vote. I sit down with 3-5 friends every year and we collectively try to figure out the intent for each ballot, who put them together, and what the likely outcome will actually be. That's a lot to ask your average joe, particularly if they are underwater with bills.
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Comment on Sudan's biggest refugee camp was already struck with famine. Now it's being shelled. in ~news
rosco Link ParentWe've sent about $400 million in aid to Gaza, while arming Israel with $18 billion dollars worth of arms to level it. That is a ration of 45 to 1. While we should absolutely be sending aid to...We've sent about $400 million in aid to Gaza, while arming Israel with $18 billion dollars worth of arms to level it. That is a ration of 45 to 1. While we should absolutely be sending aid to Sudan, and likely taking an active role in deescalation, the aid to Gaza isn't a "good will" gesture or responsibility, its damage control.
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Comment on Sudan's biggest refugee camp was already struck with famine. Now it's being shelled. in ~news
rosco Link ParentI think the reason for the mismatch of visibility in the United States is that we're funding the war on Gaza. The same isn't true for Sudan. So while they are both horrible, my dollars are...I think the reason for the mismatch of visibility in the United States is that we're funding the war on Gaza. The same isn't true for Sudan. So while they are both horrible, my dollars are actively funding one.
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Comment on Tenant unions are coming. US landlords aren't ready. in ~life
rosco Link ParentTake all of this with a grain of salt, lots of opinion based on anecdotal experience as a renter and my time as a planning commissioner. It seems to me, based on what I have experienced and you're...Take all of this with a grain of salt, lots of opinion based on anecdotal experience as a renter and my time as a planning commissioner.
It seems to me, based on what I have experienced and you're saying, that we already have a system that doesn't have an equalizing or balancing factor. I think we're in a housing/renting crisis because of it. The polarized discussion we're having feels like a nice illustration of why we're here: folks who own or are land lords are largely oblivious to the turbulence and difficulty of renting - soaring rents, poor legal enforcement, and little new construction due to NIMBYism. But when folks don't experience it, and it becomes speculative, then there will be a lean towards protecting assets and wealth. Our government prioritizes the same thing.
I live in a hyper segregated city and have a distaste for any notion of "I got mine".
While there are some renters who are sitting on rent controlled apartments/houses and spouting the "I've got mine" ideologies, I think that is much more of an edge case than the norm. Many of us have seen rents increase 10, 20, or even 50% and have been radicalized because of it. Our last increase took us from $2,650 to $3,550. Legal protections are hard to get enforcement on, and when the rental pool is small there aren't many alternatives.
So while I understand to many this feels like an extreme overstep, I think we're at a point where renters are feeling squeezed. Renters are finding limited support from state initiatives and little sympathy from land lords.
I don't think this would be a silver bullet, or potentially even work, but I do think it's time for collective action on the part of renters. They've been left out of the discussion for too long and are working against a system designed and controlled by owners/landlords.
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Comment on Tenant unions are coming. US landlords aren't ready. in ~life
rosco Link ParentI think they are pointing out that OP didn't cite any sources and made some pretty sweeping claims about how tenant unions would affect housing. If they can have such entrenched belief about what...I think they are pointing out that OP didn't cite any sources and made some pretty sweeping claims about how tenant unions would affect housing. If they can have such entrenched belief about what a debacle this would be, I think it's fair to ask what sources lead you to believe it.
To your own point, right now we're all arguing on anecdotal feels and proxy examples like rent control. And we're all largely doing on what I assume are along rentee vs owners/land lord lines. So rather than warming up those finger for a good, stern waggle, maybe we can accept we don't know what the outcome would be.
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Comment on Tenant unions are coming. US landlords aren't ready. in ~life
rosco Link ParentWhat is the current equalizing or balancing factor for tenants?What is the current equalizing or balancing factor for tenants?
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Comment on "Shower thoughts" and other things to ponder in ~talk
rosco Link ParentI love it. Marry bread, fuck pasta, kill rice. Oddly easy decision.I love it. Marry bread, fuck pasta, kill rice. Oddly easy decision.
Holy shit, this 100%. We have the same 3-5 people zoom in to comment on EVERY SINGLE AGENDA ITEM for every single meeting. Because of the 3 minute comment limit, it means I hear from each of these people anywhere 18-30 minutes at every fucking meeting. They all say the exact same thing and laud the other commenters. They are all retired. All conservative. And will not be missed when they pass. They managed to torpedo a new skatepark that had the funding earmarked, the location picked, and saw 150 people come in to the planning and city council meeting to speak in favor. They are the bane of my existence!