"Gov. Gavin Newsom and California lawmakers on Monday enacted some of the most significant changes to the state’s environmental review law since its inception that supporters say will lessen a major barrier to building housing":
https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/california-ceqa-reform-20401081.php
#progress #abundance #politics #GoodNews

#ThrowbackThursday to a corgi plushie I made about two years ago, and comparing it to my most recent Pocket Pal design!
It’s always really interesting to compare how I tackled the same concept at different times!

Evolution. Today's cartoon by Mark Winter (Chicane). More cartoons: https://www.cartoonmovement.com/search?query=&sort=created&order=desc

“… Staffers at the US National Institutes of Health … published their own letter of dissent [against] #politicization of #research and #destruction of #scientific #progress under the #Trump administration. They called it the Bethesda Declaration. … https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/09/health/nih-letter-bethesda-declaration

In a world filled with challenges, there are incredible stories of progress happening all around us.

Let's dive into this week's roundup of good news and perhaps you can share your own success stories too! #GoodNews #Progress

Are you ready to change everything?

https://crimethinc.com/zines/to-change-everything

"We want someone like #JoeRogan but who cares about #science, #progress, & #democratic values."

OK so nothing like Joe Rogan?

Back in my day, we had reference manuals for software and hardware. Now we get intro videos and quick ref guides.

In the last 3ish years, we've had #trans and now #progress #pride flags outside on our extremely visible but also surprisingly windy corner

In that time, we've gone through 3-4 flag poles thanks to bad #design and cheap construction

I kinda want to #diy this bc it can't be this hard

Design constraints:

- 3'x5' (1x1.5m) flag
- long dimension of flag parallel to the ground
- 6-8' (2-2.5m) tall
- very strong in bending (windy corner)
- weighted bottom rather than dug (ground is usually frozen, rocky or mud)
- not "ugly"

Naively, I'd stick an iron or PVC pipe in a bucket of cement, then mount the flag with rotating clips. But even painted, I can't claim this isn't "ugly".

The base needs to be smaller. How heavy/wide do I really need? How would I even measure the torque the wind is applying? I guess a spring scale and just pull the pole to about the same bending I see from the wind....?

Is there a flag pole design standard?

#mechanical #engineering

(I've seen the "RV style" and it's clever, but not quite the look I want.)

It’s not all finished, but it is finished enough that I can run trains! Here’s a short clip of two trains going through the station area from opposite directions. There’s a Class 37 and a Class 411 EMU. Enjoy.

The US obsession with keeping #noncitizens out & with #cutting #research #funding is keeping #scientists from around the world away from here, causing #cancellation of US #conferences. That is #deglobalizing #scientific #progress. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01636-5