The Ghost of Rationalism

@kane The goal is union jobs and union votes. The goal is not transportation.

They never report miles of functioning rail (0) passengers (0) or budget ($100B over). They just brag about graft.

@cayimby Red states have much looser building codes and inspection requirements and don't have a bunch of building fire deaths or buildings falling over. The sole topic California should have more requirements is earthquakes. The rest is just inefficiency or union gifts.

A UCLA researcher found U.S. building codes lack cost-benefit analysis and accumulate rules without removing them. The result: mid-rise buildings cost 55% more per square foot than single-family homes — a gap other wealthy countries don't see. cayimby.org/blog/shining-a…

@LizMacDonaldFOX The good news is if he is elected governor, the typical flow of grifting means he will be super rich and out of debt in no time flat!

NEWS Eric Swalwell’s new and prior financial disclosures show a mix of questionable charges to his campaign, and dubious tax and cash management strategies amid signs of a cash crunch worsened by overspending on a high-flying lifestyle. Swalwell runs a high-earning $461K two-income household, but still charged dubious expenses to his campaign, made chronic and risky delays in paying income taxes, and made precarious withdrawals from retirement accounts. He charged more than $244,000 in childcare expenses—tuition, daycare—to his campaign from 2019 to 2025, his disclosures show and the Sacramento Bee found. That’s the highest in the House, with nearly $60,000 in 2022 alone. Here’s the possible ethics problem. They are permitted under FEC law only if the charges are incurred in years the candidate is running for office or performing campaign duties. But in three of those six years he was not running for office. He charged $20K in childcare costs just days after his 2024 re-election. These FEC laws are notably lax (House members rarely charge these costs to their campaigns, reportedly only 68 during that time frame). The reporting has been out there that Swalwell has also charged luxury items to his campaign, such as stays at high-end hotels (including a well-known luxury hotel in Dubai), a $17K yacht rental, and costly airfare and travel totaling tens of thousands of dollars. He charged $360K for car and limo services paid to a campaign staffer since 2021, reports show, and he charged for thousands of dollars spent on restaurants. Swalwell’s campaign spent nearly $90,000 on travel in just the last quarter of 2023. His household has large student loan debt, up to $100K, $15K-50K credit card balances, and a $1M-5M mortgage. One of the biggest red flags his financial world is out of control is he reduced or zeroed out his tax withholding on his congressional salary in some years, effectively delaying paying federal taxes and incurring penalties. Also he and his wife pulled significant cash, more than $145,000, from retirement accounts over several years. #News @EveningEdit @FoxBusiness @FoxNews @ap @CBSNews @abc @ReutersBiz @reuters @WhatsNewsWSJ @WSJ #ericswalwell @ericswalwell

@WallStreetApes It’s less the litigants and more the plaintiff’s firms. California is run by that bar association. They add new, easier more costly ways to sue people every year.

California small businesses are being attacked by people claiming they violate the Americans with Disabilities Act They say restaurants “aren’t accessible” and sue One woman sued 80 businesses in Sacramento, Solano and Yolo counties, before that she sued 260 businesses “These people are called high frequency litigants, and when they sue, they get $4,000 for having their civil rights violated. Settling normally cost businesses between five and $15,000 plus defense fees.”

@SinaiLawFirm Does this mean you are a 'violence services purveyor'?

Call me gengins khan

@Mattxduchak @ruggsburner @MObiokoye @TheStudyofWar 2 out of 5k+ sorties.

@ruggsburner @MoralOverdraft @MObiokoye @TheStudyofWar Yea and planes are getting hit 🤣

NEW: The loss of two US aircraft does not indicate that the combined force has lost or is losing air superiority over Iran. Friendly forces can maintain air superiority even if the enemy is attempting to shoot down friendly aircraft, so long as the enemy air defenses do not seriously impede friendly operations. Iranian attempts to challenge US and Israeli air superiority have not seriously impeded the combined force’s ability to conduct operations over Iran, as demonstrated by the persistent strikes nationwide. Other Key Takeaways: China’s efforts to help Iran reconstitute Iran’s ballistic missile program could undermine the combined force efforts to degrade or destroy the supporting elements of the ballistic missile program. The combined force targeted the Iran-Iraq border crossing in Shalamcheh, Khuzestan Province, amid reports that PMF fighters have deployed to Basij bases in the province via the crossing.

@Mattxduchak @MObiokoye @TheStudyofWar You can drop an SDB from cruising altitude and it’s very accurate. Perhaps they tried low altitude gun runs for some reason but I doubt they’ll try again, and SDBs can be made cheaply in very large quantities.

@MoralOverdraft @MObiokoye @TheStudyofWar Yeah, because they’ve exhausted supply and have to get closer. And then there’s been a half dozen aircraft hit. Thanks for stating what everyone knows

@Mattxduchak @MObiokoye @TheStudyofWar They are mostly using SDBs now. Very cheap. Expensive precision weapons were used early when that mattered more.

@MoralOverdraft @MObiokoye @TheStudyofWar Not when the several thousand sorties expended their entire supply of cruise missiles and the only drops were high altitude. Now that they’re running low on standoff munitions they’re getting worked

@MObiokoye @TheStudyofWar Are you AI or just dumb? It’s a war. Being able to fly several thousand sorties with 2 losses is air superiority. The infantry equivalent would be you attack and have two dead while wiping out a division.

So the US admits losing two aircraft over Iran but still claims "air superiority." That’s like saying you control your house while burglars keep punching you in the face. If Iranian air defenses are shooting down advanced US planes, that’s not "not seriously impeding"—that’s a problem. And China helping Iran rebuild missiles? Suddenly the "forever war" has new sponsors. The real question: How long before this becomes a ground war no one voted for? Are we watching air superiority or air delusion? Let’s argue. 👇

@mnolangray The blue states believe in strong government in all things but then design government in a way in which it can’t do anything other than pay existing special interests a lot of money and prevent private entities from doing anything. It’s an incoherent set of values and approach.

I don't think so. Red state metros (Houston, Charlotte, Orlando) build a lot more infill per capita than blue state metros, in addition to sprawl. "Do you support sprawl or infill?" isn't how this issue plays out in the real world. It's, "do you support or oppose everything?"

@woke8yearold The system right now rewards sloth and dishonesty and mediocrity and punishes contribution and honesty

The amount of fraud in places like California really infuriates me. I have to pay some of my taxes manually and it makes me feel like a complete sucker for being honest

@TiffanyFongEtc That’s an incredibly vague prompt that means one thing only: Engagement farming. Lol

restaurant recommendations in LA ?

@butstupider @DonnyApocalypse @jackUSAmiller @hutchinson I couldnt find the berkeley rubric, but the UCI one is from the same system and is very similar to what I recall the berkeley one being.

@butstupider @DonnyApocalypse @jackUSAmiller @hutchinson longer article about this topic: city-journal.org/article/a-deat… This stuff still remains in MS, HS, some college some faculty apps. It's the opposite of freedom of speech when its govt institutions discriminating against you for views like this. And it turns young people against it.

Seriously what the fuck happened with Gen X why are they so Trumpy??

@butstupider @DonnyApocalypse @jackUSAmiller @hutchinson For ex, it was impossible to get a facility position in Berkeley sciences without a high dei statement core, and ‘colorblind meritocracy’ as your view got you a 1 or 2 out of 5 disqualifying you from second round even if perfect application otherwise. Progressive trope is 4-5 / 5

@butstupider @DonnyApocalypse @jackUSAmiller @hutchinson Simple ex is DEI statements in HS/UG admissions & faculty apps where you risk being punished if you don’t tow the line. The simple risk of it makes people lie. Earnest people hate it. I know a 6th grader who agonized over it for a MS app. Many colleges filtered heavily on it.

@butstupider @DonnyApocalypse @jackUSAmiller @hutchinson People also react to polarized black and white thinking like Jake is showing and bucket the whole movement as zealous and unreasonable.

@butstupider @DonnyApocalypse @jackUSAmiller @hutchinson It’s not, but it’s the rush to scold and punish due to non conformity to orthodox progressive ideas. Kids see someone get that treatment by a zealous non self reflective authority figure with power due to some minor dissent and see and remember the hypocrisy forever.