March 2023 Current Event thread

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Internet VFW > March 2023 Current Event thread

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

I live near a christmas tree farm and we have heavy woods behind my property. We just buy a tree and chuck it in the forest or the river behind it and they break down over time, get colonized by mice, fungus birds in the woods what have you. Not the worst system imo. The folks running the xmas tree farm let the areas between the trees fill up with wildflowers etc during the warmer season and its turned into a breeding / nesting area for the local turkeys, a hunting ground for the hawks and is always full of bees and other pollinators. Pretty good imo.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:08

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# ? Jun 3, 2024 12:38

facialimpediment: Feb 11, 2005; as the world turns

This escape didn't end up working, but the associated picture is an all-timer.

https://twitter.com/LivEchonews/status/1640816840304730113

don't be a pubbie - always remember to look up

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:09

Jonny Quest: Nov 11, 2004

Hekk posted:

It�s not like dudes with chainsaws are running through forests cutting down all the pine trees they can find and selling them in the Lowes parking lot.

Hilariously the local Home Depot tree jockeys told me to go to Lowe's and get a tree there because their supply was poo poo. Apparently their normal supplier sold off his farm for retirement since the kids didn't want to deal with it and they were getting single bedroom U-Hauls full of trees from randos. The Lowe's guys kept talking poo poo about the "artisinal" tree vendor down the street and how "he did pick his [scientific names] trees one by one but drat if they're worth $200."

I have never seen these employees since so I'm convinced there's a group of seasonal, catty-as-hell tree-enthusiasts who look like central casting A-listers for LA gangbangers.

But yeah, McMansion entranceways are seemingly purpose-built for having a fake foyer tree, plus maybe a second tree at the top of the stairs, then the "real" tree in the family/living room.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:20

Tiny Timbs: Sep 6, 2008

That Works posted:

I live near a christmas tree farm and we have heavy woods behind my property. We just buy a tree and chuck it in the forest or the river behind it and they break down over time, get colonized by mice, fungus birds in the woods what have you. Not the worst system imo. The folks running the xmas tree farm let the areas between the trees fill up with wildflowers etc during the warmer season and its turned into a breeding / nesting area for the local turkeys, a hunting ground for the hawks and is always full of bees and other pollinators. Pretty good imo.

I get really drunk and throw mine whole in the fire pit once it�s good and dry

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:22

Discussion Quorum: Dec 5, 2002; Armchair Philistine

We got almost six weeks out of our last one and it probably had another week left in it when pickup day came. Most years we put up a fake tree, but it is kind of nice having a real one.

Around here they compost them or turn them into mulch. Back in Louisiana they were used as wind/wave breaks to manage erosion, sucks if people are landfilling them but I've never lived anywhere that actually did that.

Our plastic tree is eternally shedding needles (yay, microplastics) and will eventually spend eternity in a landfill. I've never had a fake tree, cheap or expensive, that didn't eventually go to poo poo one way or another. The Nature Conservancy says that real trees are the "green" choice, I'm sure there is a carbon cost for transport but it doesn’t seem like a crazy conclusion.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:26

Kazinsal: Dec 13, 2011

CainFortea posted:

What's the problem? Christmas trees literally grow on trees.

imo they're kind of like a milder, seasonal version of the golf course issue. Farming douglas firs in the desert is dumb and a waste of precious environmental resources, but if you live somewhere that there's millions of them within spitting distance and it rains year round, enjoy your christmas tree.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:28

Milo and POTUS: Sep 3, 2017; I will not shut up about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I talk about them all the time and work them into every conversation I have. I built a shrine in my room for the yellow one who died because sadly no one noticed because she died around 9/11. Wanna see it?

Nothing like fostering winter kittens then letting the tree sit up for a week after the ornaments are off for them to play in.

I've heard of people who have those little stocked fishing ponds using them as attractors or habitats.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:32

CainFortea: Oct 15, 2004

Kazinsal posted:

imo they're kind of like a milder, seasonal version of the golf course issue. Farming douglas firs in the desert is dumb and a waste of precious environmental resources, but if you live somewhere that there's millions of them within spitting distance and it rains year round, enjoy your christmas tree.

Wait are people actually doing christmas tree farms in the desert?

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:34

Milo and POTUS: Sep 3, 2017; I will not shut up about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I talk about them all the time and work them into every conversation I have. I built a shrine in my room for the yellow one who died because sadly no one noticed because she died around 9/11. Wanna see it?

THE MoST EfFICIENT systEm

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:35

Tiny Timbs: Sep 6, 2008

Doesn�t seem optimal but I have a hard time caring about using the resources to give people some seasonal joy instead of growing gigatons of feed for Saudi horses.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:37

Discussion Quorum: Dec 5, 2002; Armchair Philistine

I doubt it, most of the trees we use for that don't like hot weather. There are Christmas tree farms here in the piney part of Texas but as far as I know it's all pine or cypress because nothing else will grow. Fraser firs are mostly grown in the Carolinas IIRC. (e: this was about farming in the desert)

Jonny Quest posted:

The Lowe's guys kept talking poo poo about the "artisinal" tree vendor down the street and how "he did pick his [scientific names] trees one by one but drat if they're worth $200."

When we get a real one (typically only if we're hosting, so maybe every 3-4 years), we go to a local nursery and all-in with delivery that's about what it costs for a basic 6-7ft Fraser. I thought it was stupid the first time, but there really is a difference between a healthy tree that has been taken care of and something that gets stacked in a grocery store parking lot.

Wouldn't do it every year, but for a special occasion? Worth it.

Discussion Quorum fucked around with this message at 18:40 on Mar 29, 2023

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:37

LongDarkNight: Oct 25, 2010; It's like watching the collapse of Western civilization in fast forward.; Oven Wrangler

facialimpediment posted:

This escape didn't end up working, but the associated picture is an all-timer.

https://twitter.com/LivEchonews/status/1640816840304730113

don't be a pubbie - always remember to look up

Pigs can't look up.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:42

Hekk: Oct 12, 2012; 'smeper fi

1 year 4 months confinement for growing some plants? Seems a bit steep.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 18:46

Milo and POTUS: Sep 3, 2017; I will not shut up about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I talk about them all the time and work them into every conversation I have. I built a shrine in my room for the yellow one who died because sadly no one noticed because she died around 9/11. Wanna see it?

poo poo nvm he's from albania

# ? Mar 29, 2023 19:09

Itchy_Grundle: Feb 22, 2003

lightpole posted:

Christmas lasts from the day after Thanksgiving till Feb 1 at a minimum and so does my scraggly tree

I chop down my tree but those are quick growth, its not like I'm cutting down some 1000 year old piece of history

Same--we also get it from a local farm that grows them specifically for this. They need the business because they're getting screwed as small farmers these days. We have enough space that I can compost them in the woods behind our house. There's a christmas graveyard back there providing habitat.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 19:49

lightpole: Jun 4, 2004; I think that MBAs are useful, in case you are looking for an answer to the question of "Is lightpole a total fucking idiot".

CainFortea posted:

Wait are people actually doing christmas tree farms in the desert?

I doubt it. A lot of trees get shipped. The Christmas tree runs to Honolulu are a pretty big time of the year since it takes a lot of reefer boxes.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 19:49

Coasterphreak: May 29, 2007; I like cookies.

My parents always have a real tree but we�re in the Carolinas so there�s tree farms everywhere.

I never buy one because I can�t be assed with the effort.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 19:57

Soylent Pudding: Jun 22, 2007; We've got people!

I always buy 44 real trees per holiday season. Artificial trees don't burn as well in the menorah.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 20:41

Qtotonibudinibudet: Nov 7, 2011; Omich poluyobok, skazhi ty narkoman? ya prosto tozhe gde to tam zhivu, mogli by vmeste uyobyvat' narkotiki

Soylent Pudding posted:

I always buy 44 real trees per holiday season. Artificial trees don't burn as well in the menorah.

sure they do

dont breathe the smoke

# ? Mar 29, 2023 21:24

Godholio: Aug 28, 2002; Does a bear split in the woods near Zheleznogorsk?

facialimpediment posted:

This escape didn't end up working, but the associated picture is an all-timer.

https://twitter.com/LivEchonews/status/1640816840304730113

don't be a pubbie - always remember to look up

Must be a Firefly fan.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 22:01

TheWeedNumber: Apr 20, 2020; by sebmojo

Godholio posted:

Must be a Firefly fan.

what if he was just chilling smoking a doobie?

# ? Mar 29, 2023 22:08

facialimpediment: Feb 11, 2005; as the world turns

I present to you a jury story in two parts.

https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1641189535374618626

"yup, that's an axe all right. GUILTY"

facialimpediment fucked around with this message at 22:29 on Mar 29, 2023

# ? Mar 29, 2023 22:25

Platystemon: Feb 13, 2012; BREADS

DeSantis� Reedy Creek board says Disney stripped its power

quote:

LAKE BUENA VISTA � Gov. Ron DeSantis� handpicked board overseeing Disney World�s government services is gearing up for a potential legal battle over a 30-year development agreement they say effectively renders them powerless to manage the entertainment giant�s future growth in Central Florida.

Ahead of an expected state takeover, the Walt Disney Co. quietly pushed through the pact and restrictive covenants that would tie the hands of future board members for decades, according to a legal presentation by the district�s lawyers on Wednesday.

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District�s new Board of Supervisors voted to bring in outside legal firepower to examine the agreement, including a conservative Washington, D.C., law firm that has defended several of DeSantis� culture war priorities.

�We�re going to have to deal with it and correct it,� board member Brian Aungst Jr. said. �It�s a subversion of the will of the voters and the Legislature and the governor. It completely circumvents the authority of this board to govern.�

Disney defended its actions.

�All agreements signed between Disney and the district were appropriate and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida�s Government in the Sunshine law,� an unsigned company statement read.

Taryn Fenske, a DeSantis spokeswoman, called the move �last-ditch efforts� to transfer �rights and authorities� from the district to Disney.

�An initial review suggests these agreements may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void as a matter of law,� Fenske said in a prepared statement. �We are pleased the new governor-appointed board retained multiple financial and legal firms to conduct audits and investigate Disney�s past behavior.�

The previous board, which was known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District and controlled by Disney, approved the agreement on Feb. 8, the day before the Florida House voted to put the governor in charge.

Board members held a public meeting that day but spent little time discussing the document before unanimously approving it in a brief meeting.

DeSantis replaced those Disney-allied board members with five Republicans on Feb. 27, who discovered the binding agreement the previous board approved.

DeSantis and Disney clashed over the corporation�s opposition to what critics call the �don�t say gay� law, which limits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.

The new DeSantis-aligned board expressed dismay over the previous board�s actions.

�This essentially makes Disney the government,� board member Ron Peri said. �This board loses, for practical purposes, the majority of its ability to do anything beyond maintain the roads and maintain basic infrastructure.�

Among other things, a �declaration of restrictive covenants� spells out that the district is barred from using the Disney name without the corporation�s approval or �fanciful characters such as Mickey Mouse.�

That declaration is valid until �21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, king of England,� according to the document.

A development agreement allows Disney to build projects at the highest density and the right to sell or assign those development rights to other district landowners without the board having any say, according to the presentation by the district�s new special legal counsel.

Disney and its affiliates own the vast majority of the land in the district, and other companies have operated there with the corporation�s blessing.

The development agreement bars the board from regulating the height of buildings, which would be solely under the purview of the Federal Aviation Administration.

The previous board also agreed to give Disney vast authority over its own buildings, according to its declaration. The agreement states that Disney must review any exterior changes to the district�s buildings to ensure consistent �theming� with Disney World.

Aungst said he is hopeful Disney will work with the board and correct the agreement in a �very collaborative manner.�

But board members also approved hiring four outside law firms with Chairman Martin Garcia citing a need for �lawyers that have extensive experience in dealing with protracted litigation against Fortune 500 companies.�

One of those firms is Cooper & Kirk, which has gotten more than $2.8 million in legal fees and contracts from the DeSantis administration to defend a controversial social media law, a ban on cruise ship COVID-19 �vaccine passport� requirements, and a restriction on felons seeking to vote.

Cooper & Kirk�s lawyers will bill $795 an hour, according to the firm�s engagement letter. The boutique firm�s roster of lawyers includes Adam Laxalt, who roomed with DeSantis when he was training at the Naval Justice School in 2005 and made an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate last year in Nevada.

The firm�s alumni include Republican U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Tom Cotton of Arkansas.

The board also approved bringing on Lawson Huck Gonzalez, a law firm that was launched earlier this year. One of its founders is Alan Lawson, a retired Florida Supreme Court justice.

The board approved two local firms as well � Nardella & Nardella and Waugh Grant.

Outside legal help is needed because of the vast resources Disney has at its disposal, Garcia said.

�What it looks like to me [is that] because Disney has the Magic Kingdom, they thought they could be king for a day,� he said.

More like �king for thirty years�. 🤣

# ? Mar 29, 2023 22:58

A.o.D.: Jan 15, 2006

What the gently caress does the king of England have to do with this?

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:06

Crab Dad: Dec 28, 2002; behold i have tempered and refined thee, but not as silver; as CRAB

Platystemon posted:

DeSantis� Reedy Creek board says Disney stripped its power

More like �king for thirty years�. 🤣

Lol house of Mouse loving spanked them hah

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:09

McNally: Sep 13, 2007; Ask me about Proposition 305

Do you like muskets?

A.o.D. posted:

What the gently caress does the king of England have to do with this?

Because they can't say "in perpetuity," they went with "for as long as the House of Windsor stands plus 21 years."

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:09

not caring here: Feb 22, 2012; blazemastah 2 dry 4 u

Those fuckers got on that board though that they were gonna grift, grift, grift, and do DeSantis' bidding and now they are in charge of poo poo pipes and potholes, and I also find that very amusing.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:10

Nick Soapdish: Apr 27, 2008

Platystemon posted:

DeSantis’ Reedy Creek board says Disney stripped its power

More like “king for thirty years”. 🤣

https://twitter.com/Ugarles/status/1641185415158804490?t=CRWndTe3XTcaq0DAWhJefQ&s=19

Law talkin guy talks about that weird phrase

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:10

Platystemon: Feb 13, 2012; BREADS

A.o.D. posted:

What the gently caress does the king of England have to do with this?

You can�t have indefinite agreements in some jurisdictions for some purposes, but there�s nothing preventing you from making it a long as hell time with specificity.

e: Yeah the thread above has this snippet from the document itself that�s like �look we think that we can make this enforceable literally forever here, but on the off chance that some court has a problem with that, just make it practically forever�

Platystemon fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Mar 29, 2023

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:10

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

McNally posted:

Because they can't say "in perpetuity," they went with "for as long as the House of Windsor stands plus 21 years."

and if you're gonna tie it to a family, that's as close to immortality as you're likely to get

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:15

A.o.D.: Jan 15, 2006

I would have tied it to the expiration of Desantis' copyright estate for extra eye poking.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:17

AreWeDrunkYet: Jul 8, 2006

Comrade Blyatlov posted:

and if you're gonna tie it to a family, that's as close to immortality as you're likely to get

Living descendants as of the date of the declaration.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:21

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

AreWeDrunkYet posted:

Living descendants as of the date of the declaration.

quote:

That declaration is valid until “21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, king of England,” according to the document.

You sure? Doesn't say anything about living there

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:22

A.o.D.: Jan 15, 2006

A thought occurs: does the British monarchy have any ownership stake in Disney?

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:25

McNally: Sep 13, 2007; Ask me about Proposition 305

Do you like muskets?

Comrade Blyatlov posted:

You sure? Doesn't say anything about living there

yeah, I just found out that the legal requirement is for a living person. So it's "last surviving grandchild plus 21 years"

GOP gonna try to bring down the royal family now

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:28

A.o.D.: Jan 15, 2006

McNally posted:

yeah, I just found out that the legal requirement is for a living person. So it's "last surviving grandchild plus 21 years"

GOP gonna try to bring down the royal family now

I wouldn't be too broken up over that since monarchies are a crime against humanity.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:29

Platystemon: Feb 13, 2012; BREADS

I think that AreWeDrunkYet is right, but literally most lawyers aren�t paid enough to answer questions about the Rule Against Perpetuities, so eh.

You�re supposed to choose a dead person with a thousand branches on the family tree so that whenever the contract is signed, dozens will be quite young and at least one is likely to live to a ripe old age.

Charles III has five grandchildren born 2013�2021, so it�s fine, whatever. The agreement will in all likelihood be enforceable in the year 2100.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:31

Tiny Timbs: Sep 6, 2008

You mean all my "til the heat death of the universe or 21 years past the last surviving atom" contracts aren't valid? gently caress, man

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:32

Coasterphreak: May 29, 2007; I like cookies.

Crab Dad posted:

Lol house of Mouse loving spanked them hah

This drama has been playing out for a while, and pretty much anyone that pays attention to the industry has been laughing their asses off about it because there was no way Disney was gonna let Desantis get his paws on their poo poo. I bet they got a law passed loving decades ago to prevent exactly this kind of crap.

The Florida government was is Disney�s pocket for years.

You Do Not gently caress With The Mouse.

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:41

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# ? Jun 3, 2024 12:38

Terrifying Effigies: Oct 22, 2008; Problems look mighty small from 150 miles up.

"You didn't think we managed to build a global hegemonic business empire off a cartoon mouse and some orange groves in Anaheim by accident, now did you?"

# ? Mar 29, 2023 23:42

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