How to tell someone's feelings about urbanism in 1 easy step

Also probably check to see what their opinion on North American Car Dependence is and if they are normal about dense housing

You are right @autisticwreckingball the 15 minute city is a good starting point to see if someone is at least inclined towards urbanism because of how it is such a simple and basic good concept

@backsetx Then it's a great time for me to explain Dutch cycling infrastructure for you. Dutch cycling infrastructure is infrastructure where bikes are given priority and separation from cars is placed at a high importance. It is does by building separated lanes and bike streets. Here are some photos of it below

Oh, I like that, actually. I've almost been run over by bikes in NYC cause cyclists are forced to ride their bikes on the sidewalk. If there were separate bike lanes then that wouldn't be a problem (and maybe more people would ride bikes which would be nice).

Yeah, proper cycling infrastructure is important as it makes it safer for everyone as cyclists can move more easily and don't have to worry about cars, pedestrians have a berrier between them and the street plus won't be hit by bikes, and cars don't have to worry about hitting a cyclist. Plus it encourages more cycling and walking which is better for people's heath and the environment

the biggest problem with dutch cycling infrastructure is the lack of encouragement to wear a damn helmet

I think that's just a dutch culture thing, unless we purposely hit people on the head we have no way to encourage helmets

Thoughts on the Dutch not wearing bike helmets. For starters, cycling there actually is a LOT safer for many reasons. They don't share space very much with cars, when they do it's on very low speed streets. And, since almost literally everyone there rides a bike at times, the motorists understand cycling and know how to behave around bikes. Also, the skill level is crazy high. I've raced on road and track and toured all over the place and ridden for daily transportation for 50 years. My skill level is off the charts in America. But the average housewife going shopping in the Netherlands has that skill level. They live on bikes from the time they can walk.

The bigger reason though is cultural. You put on special safety gear, like helmets, for doing unusual activities of special danger. You don't put on special safety gear for the ordinary activities of daily life. Quite a lot of people suffer head injuries falling in the tub or shower, but nobody suggests helmets for bathing. For the Dutch, riding a bike is just as much normal daily life activity as taking a bath or brushing your teeth, so special safety gear feels unnatural to them.

They do, by the way, wear helmets for high speed sport riding, just not for their daily transport riding.

This made me bust out laughing

Peer-reviwed from @myturtlegotjacked

All you pale northerners, take heed.

The best girls don't wear them at all.

Are you hungry? If you aren't, I am!

Tomorrow isn’t promised, sit on a bearded man’s face today.

I would offer mine, but it's reserved seating only.

It's not just flawed, it's flawed in UnitedHealthcare's favor.

That's not a flaw... that's fraud.

I work in healthcare, and let me tell you, NO ONE denies care as much, as often or as blatantly badly as UHC. Not a one. It's known in the industry to be one of the worst insurance carriers around. DO NOT sign up for UHC this or any other open enrollment period. (I work in rehab and the things they deny are basic and hugely important to quality of life)

I'm reblogging this again because I realized that I didn't include something important. If you have a plan with UHC (or any carrier, honestly) and you are denied something that you and your care team believe you need, ask your doctor to ask for a "peer to peer" review. This is a process in which the doctor speaks to another doctor in the company. It cannot be handled by AI and cannot be just denied without review by an actual doctor. Peer to peer!

I know there are not many Medicare age folks here, but you have parents and grandparents. Avoid ALL Medicare Advantage plans. Plain old traditional Medicare with a supplement is the way. The MA plans look appealing - theoretically, they cover everything Medicare does and costs you less than Medicare and supplement.

But there are two catches: The first catch is that they cover it "when medically necessary" - and they get to decide when a treatment is necessary. The second catch is that they have "networks" of providers. Traditional Medicare allows you to see pretty much any doctor and get care at any hospital. With the advantage plans, it's limited to "in network" providers. Bad deal.

“stop traumadumping to your friends tell this to your therapist” my god they paywalled human connection

“If a friend of mine gave a feast, and did not invite me to it, I should not mind a bit. but if a friend of mine had a sorrow and refused to allow me to share it, I should feel it most bitterly. If he shut the doors of the house of mourning against me, I would move back again and again and beg to be admitted so that I might share in what I was entitled to share. If he thought me unworthy, unfit to weep with him, I should feel it as the most poignant humiliation.”

Oscar Wilde

Wilde, of course, says it perfectly. I will risk adding a little codicil: If you are going through something terrible and a friend offers to help, LET THEM HELP! You are not imposing on a friend by asking them to do small things for you during your time of trouble. When someone I care about is going through something awful - like dying, or losing someone close to them - the worst thing for me is feeling helpless. I want to relieve their pain, but there is nothing I can do to change the basic awfulness of the thing. So, being allowed to help in some mundane way, like giving them a ride, cooking a meal, running an errand, lets me feel just a bit less helpless. You do your friends a favor by allowing them to help.

Just a cow on a motorcycle, nothing to see here | source

Not in my house. I am number one cook, always.

Whatever works

Ohhh Musk has no idea how badly he's fucked up

Tesla Faces its First Ever Strike after Refusing to Negotiate with Swedish Union

Sweden has one of the highest rates of unionization out of the Nordics (which have the highest rates of unionization globally alongside Cuba and Vietnam) and the thing about that is you get sympathy strikes:

There's already talk of launching similar strikes here in Norway if the Swedes aren't heard. For an idea of what happens if they keep this up, let's look at the time McDonald's tried these kinds of tactics:

Or Toys R Us:

Tesla's presence in the country is limited compared to those, but I think it's fair to say their choice is going to be between pulling out or caving to their demands, because these kinds of threats to union power are not tolerated.

If you've seen news declaring the strike was called off and that the workers are all happy with their jobs: It's misinfo, those are scabs, the strike is on and it could very well break Tesla's resistance to unionization and trigger a domino effect in other countries if the Swedes win out.

It's confirmed, Tesla is doubling down and the strikes are ramping up!!

The import blockade began in select cities today, and Tesla has already tired to get around it. The unions have responded by extending the blockade to every port in the country, with further measures in the works if Musk refuses to budge.

With Musk controlling Twitter/X now, discussions about it on there are predictably filled with trolls and detractors. The workers at Tesla could all be tremendously happy with their jobs and it would not change the fact that this is an attack on the entire labour model that gives other workers decent conditions. This is not just about Tesla, it's about preventing it from setting a precedent for other employers.

IF Metall have asked people to talk about this on social media, particularly on X, to counteract Musk's army of trolls and build awareness and support for the strikes, so please do if you can. Here's an up-to-date (Nov 7th) article in English which you can share:

Talk about it! Post about it! (Be more concise than me about it!) The hate they're getting from Musk's shills on X right now is insane.

BREAK that Nazi pig!

Union solidarity done right!

There is one of these not far from my home. Still looks just the same.

…….breakfast is served

My favorite!

🤣🤣🤣 I laugh because of how often I fix a certain lady's jacket zipper. Because I care.