Erica Van Houten
@epvh.bsky.social
Trans girl in Texas. Software nerd by day, local and state advocate by night.
Found it.
February 14, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Found it.
See? Not hard!
ICYMI: I introduced my Trans Bill of Rights with @markey.senate.gov — legislation to defend trans people across this country as Republicans continue to push anti-trans rhetoric and bills.
To our beloved trans community: We see you, we love you, and we will always stand with you.
To our beloved trans community: We see you, we love you, and we will always stand with you.
February 13, 2026 at 9:23 PM
See? Not hard!
Reposted by Erica Van Houten
Reposted by Erica Van Houten
I knew it was bad but I didn’t know it was 200x bad.
“When Citizens United was decided in 2010, billionaires had spent $18 million on the 2000 election, $13M 2004 and $16M in 2008. Then came the deluge. In 2012 it was $231M, and nearly doubled again in next three election cycles —to $682M in 2016, $1.2 billion in 2020 and $2.6 billion in 2024.” Gift:
Opinion | Affordability and the ‘Epstein Class’ Will Define American Politics
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:26 AM
I knew it was bad but I didn’t know it was 200x bad.
The length of this contraction is wild. Last couple of times was a 12 month cut back then they rehired everyone. This is just a slow bleed put it seems.
The US tech sector continues losing jobs—overall, employment decreased by 8k last month and is down 45k over the last year
That's not as bad as the worst of the 2024 tech-cession, but extremely bad compared to the 2022 boom or even pre-2020 norms
That's not as bad as the worst of the 2024 tech-cession, but extremely bad compared to the 2022 boom or even pre-2020 norms
February 11, 2026 at 2:26 PM
The length of this contraction is wild. Last couple of times was a 12 month cut back then they rehired everyone. This is just a slow bleed put it seems.
GVW based road funding needs to become a normal thing.
@pbotinfo.bsky.social needs to start reducing the number of lane-miles, and get monster vehicles to start paying their fair share.
Damage to roadways is based on axle weight to the 4th power. Double the weight -> 16x the damage.
Levy should be a property tax on vehicles, with the % based on GVW.
Damage to roadways is based on axle weight to the 4th power. Double the weight -> 16x the damage.
Levy should be a property tax on vehicles, with the % based on GVW.
February 11, 2026 at 2:17 AM
GVW based road funding needs to become a normal thing.
That’s lip-syncing.
February 10, 2026 at 8:20 PM
That’s lip-syncing.
Every Democrat should close their time by saying “With all due respect and no offense intended, Mr. President is a fascist.”
House Oversight hearing on ICE opens with the rules:
"It is also a clear violation of the rules of the House to make statements that might personally be offensive to the President or the Vice President of the United States."
"It is also a clear violation of the rules of the House to make statements that might personally be offensive to the President or the Vice President of the United States."
February 10, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Every Democrat should close their time by saying “With all due respect and no offense intended, Mr. President is a fascist.”
Do you know something that would make it illegal for you to be on it? No? Then don’t, because people that do have extra info are.
Crazy story: A bank analyst published a report showing Kalshi users lose money even faster than sports gamblers, so Kalshi first tried to pressure the data provider to change their data and then accused them and the analyst of conspiring to extort them when that doesn’t work.
February 4, 2026 at 2:27 PM
Do you know something that would make it illegal for you to be on it? No? Then don’t, because people that do have extra info are.
Reposted by Erica Van Houten
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAJAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
*breathes*
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA
*breathes*
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA
February 2, 2026 at 6:29 AM
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAJAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
*breathes*
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA
*breathes*
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA
I mean… god damn.
February 2, 2026 at 1:37 AM
I mean… god damn.
Reposted by Erica Van Houten
I can’t even begin to explain to cis people how their words and actions cause harm. They just can’t imagine that someone that doesn’t hurt them can hurt anyone else.
February 1, 2026 at 5:35 PM
I can’t even begin to explain to cis people how their words and actions cause harm. They just can’t imagine that someone that doesn’t hurt them can hurt anyone else.
A 31 point swing? What in the actual fuck.
JUST IN: Democrats flip a red seat in the Texas Senate.
Taylor Rehmet wins against Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist who helped lead right-wing efforts to take over TX school boards.
With all early vote, and 95% of precincts, in, Dem up 57/43.
Trump won this seat by 17% in Tarrant County.
Taylor Rehmet wins against Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist who helped lead right-wing efforts to take over TX school boards.
With all early vote, and 95% of precincts, in, Dem up 57/43.
Trump won this seat by 17% in Tarrant County.
February 1, 2026 at 3:16 PM
A 31 point swing? What in the actual fuck.
Reposted by Erica Van Houten
You are being misled about renewable energy technology.
YouTube video by Technology Connections
www.youtube.com
January 30, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by Erica Van Houten
vibe coding is the geocities of apps
January 29, 2026 at 6:29 PM
vibe coding is the geocities of apps
When you’re a working professional and affording to actually live in the city is a stretch there’s a major problem. I desperately wanted to move to NYC but the cost of living is such a shock! I sincerely hope Mayor Mamdani can get NYC to a more affordable place.
For all the fearmongering about capital flight from New York City, there’s an exodus few want to talk about: working people.
Sky-high rents and outrageous child care costs are already pushing families out of the city they keep running.
That’s what we have to change.
That’s what we have to change.
January 28, 2026 at 8:41 PM
When you’re a working professional and affording to actually live in the city is a stretch there’s a major problem. I desperately wanted to move to NYC but the cost of living is such a shock! I sincerely hope Mayor Mamdani can get NYC to a more affordable place.
All this sub-skeeting about Wheaton got me to try to figure out what is going on and I still don’t know.
the Overton Wheaton
January 28, 2026 at 3:08 PM
All this sub-skeeting about Wheaton got me to try to figure out what is going on and I still don’t know.
If you want to be immigration pilled go to the Ellis Island museum and actually read the exhibits in there. Xenophobia is the one thing that unites Americans across generations. It was wrong then, it is wrong now.
The central failure of US immigration policy over my entire adult life is that it has always put xenophobia over facts. This is the result. And if we were talking about facts, this one would be setting off all our alarms. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/u...
U.S. Population Growth Slows Sharply as Immigration Numbers Plunge
www.nytimes.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:15 PM
If you want to be immigration pilled go to the Ellis Island museum and actually read the exhibits in there. Xenophobia is the one thing that unites Americans across generations. It was wrong then, it is wrong now.
Leaning the thing that no one else wants to learn and you can’t teach anyone about it because they don’t wanna. Story of my life.
January 25, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Leaning the thing that no one else wants to learn and you can’t teach anyone about it because they don’t wanna. Story of my life.
Because I am a glutton for punishment I went over to fox news covering the latest murder and the comment section is people mocking the victims and cheering on ICE. What have we become?
January 24, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Because I am a glutton for punishment I went over to fox news covering the latest murder and the comment section is people mocking the victims and cheering on ICE. What have we become?
I’m 41
I started at 38
It is never too late
I started at 38
It is never too late
I'm 40
I started at 32
It is never too late
I started at 32
It is never too late
I'm 36
I started at 29
It is never too late
I started at 29
It is never too late
January 24, 2026 at 3:02 PM
I’m 41
I started at 38
It is never too late
I started at 38
It is never too late
I imagine my first (and last) firefight experience would end before I even realized I was in a firefight.
if i was in a firefight i would do all the same things that Master Chief would do
I am always fascinated by people who have never been in a firefight but speak so confidently about what they would do in a firefight
January 23, 2026 at 8:55 PM
I imagine my first (and last) firefight experience would end before I even realized I was in a firefight.
Everthing sucks and no one is allowed to fix it.
L.A. Metro, the main transit operator for Los Angeles, just voted to oppose SB 79, a law legalizing the construction of housing near stations. You can't make this stuff up. Legislators should remember this the next time they come to Sacramento begging for more money.
laist.com/news/housing...
laist.com/news/housing...
LA transit agency seeks to override state law allowing more homes near train and bus lines
The L.A. Metro Board of Directors voted to oppose implementation of SB 79, calling for a countywide exemption.
laist.com
January 23, 2026 at 2:29 AM
Everthing sucks and no one is allowed to fix it.
Reposted by Erica Van Houten
Quote of the Day: “America was not designed for the car. It was destroyed for it.”
open.substack.com/pub/thehappy...
open.substack.com/pub/thehappy...
Ptolemaic complexity
Sometimes people are incredibly right at being wrong.
open.substack.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Quote of the Day: “America was not designed for the car. It was destroyed for it.”
open.substack.com/pub/thehappy...
open.substack.com/pub/thehappy...