On Monday afternoon, San Francisco’s notoriously long waiting list for a shelter bed numbered 1,267 people. You can see the ever-changing list online and also each homeless individual’s chances of sleeping in a bed that night. You won’t see anybody’s name or much about them, but you can see the client identification number the city uses to track them, and their birth date. There are surely 1,267 sad stories on that waiting list. The saddest to me was No. 20 in the line — born on Aug. 30, 1930, when Herbert Hoover was president and there were just 48 states. Yes, there was somebody 88 years old waiting for a shelter bed in San Francisco on Monday.

Source: Radical notion: State Sen. Wiener works on plan to shelter every homeless person in California – SFChronicle.com

California became the first state in the nation to require homes built in 2020 and later be solar-powered, following a vote by the Building Standards Commission. The unanimous action finalizes a previous vote by the Energy Commission and fulfills a decade-old goal.

Source: California officially becomes first state to require solar panels on new homes – Los Angeles Times

When France did this they gave you a choice between PV or a green roof. It seems to me that in urban areas, the effects of the green roof — cleaning the air, moderating temperature, absorbing rain/reducing runoff, providing an amenity for people and habitat for birds — may outweigh the relatively small amount of power produced by rooftop PV. Then put utility-scale solar in the desert.

For fans of Goodfellas and/or medications which help you quit smoking, this is the mash-up for you!

Source: Someone Re-Cut Ray Liotta’s Chantix Commercial with Scenes from ‘Goodfellas’ and It’s Pretty Awesome

SACRAMENTO — Every homeless person in California would have a right to a bed year-round under a statewide “right to shelter” policy proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener. The San Francisco Democrat announced SB48 on Wednesday, although key details of the bill — including how much the added shelters will cost, how they will be paid for and who will be responsible for ensuring enough beds are made available — will not be worked out until at least next year. Wiener’s bill calls for the Legislature and stakeholders to work together to create the policy. Wiener said Tuesday that he hopes to have a finished bill in 2019, but that it’s possible he’ll need to work on it the following year as well.

Source: California would guarantee a bed for every homeless person under new bill – SFChronicle.com

As I understand it, NY has so many fewer people sleeping on the street compared to CA because it has this.

Scott Wiener presser

A California state senator has revived a major effort to boost homebuilding near transit, a proposal he says is necessary to address the state’s housing affordability and climate change challenges that have only deepened since his initial bill failed earlier this year.

Source: California legislator revives bill to boost apartment complexes near transit – Los Angeles Times

50 is the new 827. presser

Source: Tom Cruise wants to fix your TV by turning off motion smoothing

Normal folks and long-time email sysadmins alike will find a lot to love here.

Source: Review: Helm Personal Server gets email self-hosting (almost) exactly right | Ars Technica

As recently as last year, the ride between BART’s Glen Park and Balboa Park stations was a screeching cacophony, as the rail system’s old cylindrical wheels scraped on its corrugated rail. Now, that journey is about 20 decibels quieter, Greg Shivy, the principal track engineer, said during a recent presentation to BART’s Board of Directors. The difference, he said, is that between a roaring gas-powered lawn mower and a steadily thrumming dishwasher. BART began shaving about 2 millimeters of metal off every wheel in its fleet two years ago, a simple solution to the head-splitting squeal a train makes as it roars along the track. That project is almost complete.

Source: BART rides getting quieter with repairs to steel wheels – SFChronicle.com

Carvey’s impersonation of Bush was not particularly flattering. So the Saturday Night Live star was floored when the president invited him to the White House in 1992.

Source: Dana Carvey and George H.W. Bush’s unlikely friendship – The Washington Post

TerraPower, a nuclear-energy company founded by Bill Gates, is building a molten-chloride fast reactor that could help lower carbon-dioxide emissions.

Source: Bill Gates’ TerraPower developing molten-chloride nuclear reactor – Business Insider

previously

TerraPower not to be confused with Terrestrial Energy which is also working on an MSR.