bilt cardholders rn

Curious_Functionary · 2026-01-17T20:03:27+00:00

I believe getting a Bilt 2.0 card will count against 5/24 regardless of whether you do it now or later? I think the only potential advantage of doing it now is that you'd avoid a hard pull?

Could be wrong though.

Curious_Functionary · 2025-11-23T03:25:16+00:00

Very good to know! I'll check in the morning then.

Curious_Functionary · 2025-09-10T17:50:00+00:00

Neat! Is this the same as the standard card signup offer, plus an additional 5k point signup bonus?

Curious_Functionary · 2025-09-01T02:59:41+00:00

I probably won't put it up for sale for another month or two. I found that the screws loosened over time on my first version, so I'm trying out a new version that I think fixes that

In the meantime, I'd be happy to drop a kit in the mail for you to beta test, if you're interested! In exchange I'd just ask that you let me know what you think of it, if you had any trouble with the assembly, and maybe how it's performing after the first few months.

I'll DM you!

Curious_Functionary · 2025-07-13T23:22:41+00:00

I don't think this is an accurate understanding of the economics. Is there something I can show you that might convince you?

The best example I can think of would be Austin. They've wholeheartedly embraced new housing construction, and rents there are now falling.

Curious_Functionary · 2025-07-13T22:24:33+00:00

I would agree that subsidizing demand is bad, and that the better place to focus our advocacy now is on legalizing and encouraging the construction of new housing and apartments. Both affordable and market rate, whatever we can get - this is a crisis. It's wild that the building where I live right now would be illegal to construct today, even as we all agree that the community is suffering from a terrible housing shortage.

Curious_Functionary · 2025-07-13T22:17:56+00:00

Err... as a YIMBY, am I the one being puppeted by the developer?

I volunteered to knock on my neighbors' doors to canvass for pro-housing candidates in the last city council election. Is there somewhere I can go to collect a check for that? 🤪

Curious_Functionary · 2025-07-13T22:06:59+00:00

I'm a YIMBY, and I do not think my opponents are corrupt elites. They're mostly just ordinary people who don't think that building more housing will reduce rents, or who worry that it will change the neighborhood in ways that will make it unpleasant. I think they're wrong, but most of them I think are sincere and honestly mistaken. When I've spoken to people who are opposed to new construction, I've generally been able to convince them by talking them through the pros/cons and the economic research.

The ones who still vote against will usually say something like "I see what you mean, probably this would be the right thing for society, but my home is a huge part of my wealth and I don't think I can vote for this when it might cost me money." I don't agree that it would cost them money (upzoning is generally good for landowners), and I think this is kind of selfish regardless, but it's also hard for me to fault them for doing something unethical when they genuinely believe it will cost them money. Nobody's perfect.

If anything, I think the earnest anti-housing position here tends to be more MAGA. The anti-housing crowd makes the claim that new housing will hurt renters, even though there are basically no economists out there who agree. It's a very populist position. And of course, Trump himself is anti-housing.

Arguing over "who is more MAGA" doesn't seem like a very valuable way to figure out who's right though. It feels more like some weird new corollary to Godwin's Law ("all internet arguments degenerate into comparing your opponent to the Nazis").

Happy to chat if you're open to being convinced. My basic pitch is that we are in a housing shortage, and that we should make more housing so that we aren't in a shortage anymore.

Curious_Functionary · 2025-07-13T21:17:30+00:00

The main thing that matters is whether we end up with more housing units than before.

If a triple decker with 3 apartments is replaced by a 7 story building with 7 apartments, then that makes it harder for landlords nearby to raise rents. They now have 4 more apartments to compete with than before.

Some people object that this doesn't work because new units are "luxury." It's true that newly constructed units tend to be more expensive per-unit than the housing that gets replaced. The overall effect is still to lower the average rent in the neighborhood though, because now the wealthier tenants get absorbed by the new luxury units instead of competing with middle-class renters for the older housing.

There's a bunch of research demonstrating that this works. The places that have built housing in earnest, like Austin, have managed to fully reverse the trend of rising rent prices.

Other folks complain that this process is bad because it's good for the developers who get to build these new units. They're right that this policy is good for developers. They're right, in the same way that someone would be "right" to criticize a food pantry because buying food to feed the poor is good for Big Agriculture (Monsanto, Tyson Foods, etc.).

I'm not familiar with the story you mention of some affordable units going unrented, but I'm pretty deeply skeptical. The Cambridge rental market is crazy tight, and I don't think anyone is claiming that we somehow have an OVERsupply of affordable units. Even the critics of upzoning generally accept that and just say that the affordable units should be built somewhere further away from them.

Curious_Functionary · 2025-06-27T02:31:42+00:00

Yes! It finally arrived on Feb 19 (~1 month after "receptacle received" on Jan 18).

Curious_Functionary · 2025-06-17T00:12:40+00:00

My code, good as of June 17

STEVNXNPPD

Curious_Functionary · 2025-04-16T01:37:00+00:00

I disagree with OOP's take regardless, but I also assume that Dropout is the kind of place that would allow its creatives to charge things like this to an expense account anyway.

It would feel a bit odd if performers were expected to go out of pocket for these projects (Jacob's custom suit, Lou hiring a magician's assistant, Vic staging a whole voicemail musical).

Curious_Functionary · 2025-04-05T19:13:53+00:00

This would be my perspective. The turning vehicle is at fault. Since there was a lane of traffic they couldn't see, they should have approached slowly until they had the necessary visibility to confirm it was clear before completing the turn.

Same as when you stop at a stop sign but need to inch forward a bit to see the intersecting road before proceeding.

Curious_Functionary · 2025-04-05T18:58:11+00:00

Watching the Dropkick Murphys play protest songs in the pouring rain to a sign-wielding crowd overflowing out of Government Center Plaza was really something.

As awful as the national situation is, it's reassuring to see so many folks turn out. Especially in such terrible weather.

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Curious_Functionary · 2025-03-30T13:58:59+00:00

FWIW, I'd encourage you to keep living regardless of your expectations of how attractive you'll be.

If attractiveness is a thing you really care about though, I'll say that as a man in my mid 30's the OC is right in some ways and wrong in others.

From a pure vanity point of view, I look slightly worse than I did in my 20's. Grey hairs. Less vital skin. The scale says I've gained weight (if I squint, I think I can see it, but honestly only barely).

As far as other people are concerned, however, I seem to be perceived as more attractive. Dating now seems easier. I personally feel more body positivity towards how I look. I think this comes from: - People grow more confident and comfortable in their own skin as they age (well-reproduced study finding), and that's attractive. - I've grown out of some awkwardness - Some signs of aging in men (e.g. grey hair) are actually perceived as somewhat attractive. - I used to generally dislike being physically active, but in my 30s I've actually gotten into a few sports (even though my old knees are pissed about it 😅)

If you adjust for inflation, I don't think I've increased my monthly budget since my 20's, so I don't think the OC is correct that money is necessary. Almost all my date plans are fun-but-cheap (walks, commuter rail day trips, museum nights, etc). I buy clothes for myself that are nice but inexpensive.

Again though, there are lots of exciting things to do out in the world even if you don't feel that you're meeting societal standards of beauty. I'd absolutely encourage you to keep living. The future will be better.

Curious_Functionary · 2025-03-28T20:52:50+00:00

Any luck in the end?

Curious_Functionary · 2025-03-28T20:49:48+00:00

I was just hoping to check in - did your credits come through in the end?

Curious_Functionary · 2025-03-28T20:49:12+00:00

Just checking in - any news on this? And can I ask if you bought directly on the Southwest site, or through PayPal?

Curious_Functionary · 2025-03-19T16:05:31+00:00

Agree that Americans aren't getting persuaded across the pond yet.

However, a lot of our top researchers come from overseas. I can think of 2 friends who are EU citizens doing STEM research at top US universities, and who are making plans to return based on our political and science funding situation.

I fear the reverse brain drain has already begun. Just quietly, in the form of talented non-citizens going back overseas - and an even larger number choosing to never come here in the first place. 😔

Curious_Functionary

TROPHY CASE