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Soylent CEO Could Face Criminal Charges for LA Hilltop 'Experiment'
- drewrv 10y agoYet another article that makes me think the show Silicon Valley writes itself.
- mikebelanger 10y agoThat's what I was thinking too. Mike Judge probably just has to read the local news to figure out the story arcs.
- jonnybgood 10y agoAfter his blog post about perpetually buying new clothes and never washing his donated clothing as an act of goodwill is really starting to make me think he is either a douche, lived his entire life in a bubble, or he is just delusional.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- jmportilla 10y agoprobably all 3
- braythwayt 10y agoIs there such a thing as a “false trichotomy?"
- darpa_escapee 10y agoAnyone have a link to this post?
- heyalexej 10y agohttp://robrhinehart.com/?p=1331 http://robrhinehart.com/?p=1331 in the "Clothing" section.
- jonathankoren 10y agohttp://robrhinehart.com/?p=1331 http://robrhinehart.com/?p=1331 There are so many choice quotes in this post, I wholeheartedly recommend reading the whole thing. If you haven't, it will make your decade.
- maldeh 10y agoStrange, that wasn't my take from Rhinehart's blog post. His lifestyle is certainly... alternative. But I think his choices appear to be driven more by dispassionate energy calculations than douchebag judgmentality. Which isn't to say that I am convinced by half of his "life hacks" as being more energy-efficient - I'm uncertain if he has accounted for a lot of externalities of the stuff he advocates (like costs of trashing / recycling used clothing? Food wastage from frequent restaurant usage? Uber over Tesla?) But what's interesting to me is that even if we assume the worst case, the energy profile of his lifestyle does not appear to be too far off from that of the typical consumer. In a sense, he's attempting an extreme form of dog-fooding of the ethos of his company - Soylent undergoes constant iteration and refining of its core ingredients to further its objective of being eco-friendly and healthy - some choices don't work out because they are sourced from the same places as the fast food industry, or may trigger hitherto unknown reactions within one's gut microbiome... but that's not a good reason to swear off experimentation altogether (albeit with reasonable safety regulations). And on occasion, his method may lead him to stumble across an objectively good idea. At any rate, I'd rather cut a man some slack to dream and experiment on new ideas, than dismiss him off-hand as a delusional silicon valley kid.
- microcolonel 10y agoWRT clothing recycling, he says that he donates the clothing to be mass-washed and distributed by clothing banks. He figures that this is lower-impact than throwing it out or washing it himself. I also wouldn't be so quick to imagine that a restaurant will waste more food per meal than you do. Unless you make a specific effort not to waste ingredients, there's a good chance that you're squeamish about some part of a plant that you don't mind eating at a restaurant. Funnily enough, nobody suggested an actual solution in this whole thread: grafiti resistant coatings? high-durability windows? a simple pole foundation? land access sensors? Nope, everyone is predisposed with judgement for what should have been a pretty mundane neighbourhood complaint.
- maldeh 10y agoOn whether I am myself mistaken about the ecological impact of clothing, eating out, etc. I agree - it is hard to compare efficiencies in a complex environment, or to quantify the net environmental impact of any one action, so my assumptions may well be just as flawed, if not more so - even if I am not personally convinced by the validity of Rhinehart's choices, who am I to judge?
- maceo 10y agoThis guy is an absolute douchebag. He's a disrespectful piece of shit and anyone involved with Soylent in any capacity ought to be ashamed with his antics. For those who don't know, Lincoln Heights is a working class neighborhood, that as of the last 2-3 years is undergoing rapid gentrification.
- PhantomGremlin 10y agoYou're being downvoted, probably for the forcefulness of your opinion. But sometimes there just isn't a "nice" way of stating things like this. FWIW I agree with you. This guy isn't yet anywhere near the level of douchebag that, say, Martin Shkreli is. But he's well on his way.
- icebraining 10y agoFor those who don't know, Lincoln Heights is a working class neighborhood, that as of the last 2-3 years is undergoing rapid gentrification. Sounds like he's helping to counteract that by reducing the neighborhood value.
- SquareWheel 10y agoHe bought some land and put a shipping crate on it. So what? Your response seems completely unproportionate.
- msh 10y agoAnd why does that matter in this case?
- blackguardx 10y agoWhy was this open space land for sale?
- jessaustin 10y agoPerhaps the previous owner had difficulty getting a permit for a small building or a party?
- discardorama 10y agoCame here to ask this. Why was the land sold in the first place, if it's a public piece of land? Why doesn't the City of LA buy the land and place it in the public trust? I hate these half-assed pieces of reporting. I don't like the guy, he sounds like Ehrlich from SV, but if you're reporting this as news, at least fill in the blanks!
- toodlebunions 10y agoMy question exactly. Let alone for $21,000??? In LA?? Missing a few zeroes for a view property like that....
- ChuckMcM 10y agoWow. I get that the permitting process is painful but rather than simply ignoring it one could try to make it either easier or more transparent.
- mc32 10y agoGrowing up and having a little exposure to people who tagged, I find it hilarious he thinks there "There is no evidence of illegal activity taking place on the property... I have private security conduct regular inspections." given the whole container is tagged inside and out and the windows are now all smashed in. The guy has his head in the sand.
- nchelluri 10y agoI think he was just saying that stuff to get the people asking those questions off his back.
- threeseed 10y agoI assume his "private security" is nothing more than his drunk friends. Let's not pretend he is honestly ignorant about the situation. He is just being an asshole.
- awl130 10y agohis point is that there is no proof that the graffiti was done without authorization. neither is the window smashing. for all people know, he could have trashed his property himself, which is totally legal. or he could have given permission to someone to do it.
- tedks 10y agoJust the tagging/graff isn't illegal if he's okay with it. Certainly there is drug use, public sex, etc., occurring in this large parcel of empty space in an urban area, much like literally any park. I think that sort of phrase is the standard rejoiner when a reporter asks you about the possibility of illegal activity on a property that you own. It doesn't really imply much.
- 10y ago
- joeyspn 10y ago> [...] the food-replacement guru—known for surviving for months on nothing but Soylent—apparently roasted a whole pig during the party [...] I guess soylent is not that cool for parties and social gatherings...
- dopu 10y agoI believe he's talked about how Soylent, for a lot of people, is meant to replace meals that you'd rather not spend time cooking and cleaning for. i.e., not social gatherings and BBQs.
- terinjokes 10y agoIndeed. They blogged about it back in December before the holiday season. http://blog.soylent.com/post/133807501267/go-feast http://blog.soylent.com/post/133807501267/go-feast > Connection to the past is a powerful thing, and it’s important to take time to renew our social bonds. We at Soylent encourage you to enjoy your feasts of choice, and hope that they will be made all the more festive with the knowledge that your everyday sustenance can be obtained with far less effort. When the dust settles and you’re tired of leftovers, we’ll be here for you.
- apalmer 10y agoI thought he was pretty douche until i got to the part where it says he bought the land... if he bought the land whats the beef?
- rosser 10y agoWould you be so sanguine about "if he bought it he can do what he wants with it" if he were upwind of you, and kept a pig farm or something? What if your child were allergic to bee stings, and he kept bees on land he owned near you? Ownership isn't a free pass to do whatever you want, and the neighbors can suck it.
- darpa_escapee 10y agoThere are people here who think property rights trump all rights and even form ideologies where all rights stem from property rights.
- rosser 10y agoThere are also people here who think climate change is propaganda, and probably even some that think the moon landing was faked. That doesn't make any of these things true.
- darpa_escapee 10y agoI agree. However, if you posted on Prison Planet something that might seem blasphemous to that line of thought, you might run into some backlash. Here, you might run into someone who thinks your property rights trump the rights and needs of others. I'm not one of them.
- Shivetya 10y agostill I would love to know what the restrictions for that parcel of land is. are they unlawfully restrictive? The problem is that in many areas the land use restrictions are very similar to regulated businesses, there to protect those who came first and don't want competition or others near them. While I think a shipping container is absurd I want to know, what is the restriction on building a house there?
- untilHellbanned 10y agoSeems like YC continues to miss Jessica Livingston's social radar. Racking up lots of antics. http://www.paulgraham.com/jessica.html http://www.paulgraham.com/jessica.html
- sitkack 10y agoIf he wanted to be a total asshole, he'd remove his crappy little container and build an eye-sore of mansion, lights, guard dogs, etc, all the trappings of wealth and resource consumption that make people "happy" with development over a temporary metal box.
- mcbits 10y agoI suppose they would be happy enough if he just planted a bunch of silly turfgrass and spritzed it with poison once a week like any respectable citizen would.
- sitkack 10y agoChemlawn hits so many points. We have a winner.
- karma_vaccum123 10y agoHe'd have to have a permit to construct a residence....even if he is willing to flaunt process, no contractor is going to risk their license on a giant visible project without paperwork.
- seizethecheese 10y agoMuch ado about nothing. He put a shipping container on a flat piece of land that he owns. It's now graffitied so it bothers the neighbors. Why are we supposed to care?
- droopyEyelids 10y agoYeah, seems odd that people are getting worked up about it. To me, this backlash seems like one of those over-regulated/over-litigious things about America that make it more hostile to people exploring their lives than a poorer or less developed country. But maybe it's wrong to say it's the country. Pretty sure his neighbors would have joined him if this happened in Appalachia instead of LA.
- threeseed 10y agoThis isn't an American problem. This would be a problem in most countries. Just because you own the land doesn't mean that (a) you can construct any dwelling you want and (b) you can do anything you want on it if it affects your neighbours.
- jessaustin 10y agoThis would be a problem in most countries. Why does this call to mind all the goofy statistical comparisons that pit USA against ten tiny nations in Europe plus Japan? Get out more, man.
- dmix 10y agoThe responses by the neighbors make this seem to me not to be such a simple black and white case. They seem to have been minorly inconvenienced and then went about grasping for every possible bylaw and regulation and proceeded to pump up the charges ("he created a haven for criminality!") in order to give themselves an ounce of credibility. This was their autopilot response. Im with the OP here, in a less litigus/hyper-regulated community and most importantly a more socially laid back one this would not be such an overblown problem. Most likely a problem like this could easily be dealt with by being approached by the neighbors and being politely told of their problems with it. Reasoning with him first and resorting to law only for extreme situations. Even in the article he said he's doing it because a neighbor complained. That makes you question the value of immediately jumping to the leg system to solve all of your minor problems. As Americans seemed to have been raise to do. No wonder the legal system is continually bursting at the seems from demand for court time.
- gravypod 10y agoWait, if he bought the land then I don't really see a problem. I know that "it's an eye sore" but that is subjective. Can I say "your orchard is an eye sore, you have to flatten it"? If he bought the land then I don't see a reason to press criminal charges. I could see them saying "you need to maintain the property," but I don't understand "you need to remove it." I think it's crazy that people can come on to your private property and say "remove this" and make you comply. If anything, why the hell aren't the cops arresting people who are destroying his private property? In my eyes they are coming after a victim.
- threeseed 10y ago> If anything, why the hell aren't the cops arresting people who are destroying his private property? Because he had "private security" conducting regular inspections.
- gravypod 10y agoThe presence of one security contractor does not mean that another doesn't need to do their job.
- rcthompson 10y agoOwning a plot of land doesn't mean you can do anything you want with it. I can't buy a plot in the suburbs and build a skyscraper on it. Buildings require permits, even buildings made of shipping containers.
- seizethecheese 10y agoSo putting a shipping container in my yard should require a permit?
- ChuckMcM 10y ago"should" is perhaps the right question, however in California the answer is "does it?". I don't know if you live in California, but "permits" are the go to weapon of neighborhood activist groups to try to get what they want. Whether it is to prevent building, property use, or nuisances. My guess is that someone argued the container is a "building" (it has windows and a door after all), and every city requires that you get a permit before you put a building on your property. Whether it is a lowly garden shed or a guest house. Should neighbors be able to attack each other with the municipal code? That is a pretty deep question. Do they? Sure all the time.
- toodlebunions 10y ago> Rhinehart bought the parcel of land beneath the shipping container at auction in December for $21,300, property records show. Wow that's some auction luck. Is anyone else amazed someone was able to buy stellar La real estate for so cheap?
- masonhensley 10y agoSometimes land bought at auction for cheap isn't really that cheap. The sale could require the payment of years or decades of back taxes. Source - I've bought a lot of land at a city tax auction. edit: (a lot = single lot of land)
- toodlebunions 10y agoEven with many years of back taxes that would be way under market value. A view lot like that in LA is easily 7 figures. Out of curiosity, why do you buy land? Are you a property developer?
- masonhensley 10y agoBought my parcel of land next to a large city's medical district as an investment. Might eventually build on it - tbd. Most of the tax delinquent pieces of property that I've come across that go to auction are sometimes 5-10+ years delinquent & in "blighted" neighborhoods. The patience and laws of cities and states varies in how fast they take action on foreclosing on delinquent taxes. From my basic research, a sizable number of properties fall behind on taxes due to the death of an owner and an out of state heir essentially "giving up" on the property as it wasn't worth the trouble. In the case of my property - the city acquired it via a tax foreclosure, used it as an access point for some infrastructure construction, let it sit for 10+ years after they were done with it then lumped it in with an auction. On another note - Some cities will also sell land with requirements that low income / affordable housing be build on it.
- piplgobde 10y agoNo, the area (a working class neighborhood) isn't so highly sought, so I'm not surprised it isn't going for a higher price.
- joshuakcockrell 10y ago> "If an earthquake comes, that thing’s going to roll right down the hill and crush everything in its path" - public safety chairman From the looks of the pictures, it would take a pretty huge earthquake to get that container even to a spot where it could start rolling; the container would be the least of your problems.
- justin66 10y agoYou know this is all taking place in Los Angeles? They're right to worry about what happens during a huge earthquake.
- dmix 10y agoI also found that a curious comment to make given that the structure is not close to the edge and would have to move quite a far distance to be at risk of causing any significant damage. Homes need to factor in earthquake risks but at the same time you need to be realistic about those risks. I hope the person making that statement has a little more to back it up than just speculation of extreme worse case scenarios (ie: level 8-9 earthquakes). Particularly because the other statements also seem like they are grasping at straws for anything to use against him.
- jessaustin 10y agoYou know this is all taking place in Los Angeles? We're all batshit insane here!
- Jack_AX 10y agoLook, I'm from Chile, literally the country with the worst earthquake in history. That thing isn't gonna roll down, things in a earthquake don't jumble around like in a bingo ball blower and btw that's probably the most stable building in LA, houses in the US are made of plasterboard glued with snot to shitty pine-wood, they aren't designed to be stretched and compressed. At the end, the neighbours are just being annoying EDIT: i need coffee
- boznz 10y agoAgree, its an ugly peace of shit, but it is not going anywhere in an earthquake
- marcusgarvey 10y ago>"I feel like I'm living in the movie Brazil." Says the Soylent salesman. Irony!
- dkarapetyan 10y agoMakes the guy sound like a grade-A douchebag but then again this is pretty bad gossip rag reporting. Maybe he's pulling a Shia LaBeouf and doing some avant-garde thing?
- simbalion 10y agoGuy sounds like a douchebag. He knows why what he's doing is wrong.
- maxander 10y agoThis reads like a satire of the out-of-touch Silicon Valley archetype. Guy buys a bit of land in the middle of a pristine public park and puts a big day-glo orange box in it for abstruse reasons, and wonders why people are annoyed at him. After all, its legal! ...Or, well, no, its not necessarily legal, but the reasons why it's illegal aren't immediately obvious! Shouldn't that mean I get to do whatever I want?
- rdlecler1 10y agoSo you do a Series A these days and you get fuck-you money just like that. Good to know the pension fund LPs money is going to good use with over inflated salaries.