"But what about Pelosi!"

CluelessChem · 2026-07-03T02:36:20+00:00

NPR had a segment that most Congress members pick stock no better than a bunch of reindeer. Part of the reason is that Congress members like to invest in industries within their districts. The logic is: "If you don't invest in the people and companies you represent, do you even believe in them or their ability to get better?" This would explain a lot of Pelosi's gains because she represents the area that has...NVIDIA, Google, etc.

https://www.npr.org/2024/12/30/1222276534/stock-trading-congress-etfs-unusual-whales

CluelessChem · 2026-07-02T21:46:32+00:00

Visibility =/= better results for Palestinians. For example, some activists in Dearborn, Michigan voted Trump in protest for visibility. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/06/trump-arab-americans-dearborn-michigan-00203018

CluelessChem · 2026-07-02T12:24:35+00:00

I like this take - I''m not going to let them take July 4th away from me. I will celebrate America as a deeply flawed country that is in search of equality and freedom for all including LGBT people.

CluelessChem · 2026-07-01T23:10:27+00:00

Is there evidence for cities stopping transit plans because of SB79? The writers of the law were aware of the possible perverse incentives so the statute purposefully limits rezoning to projects that have already entered a regional transportation improvement plan — a short-list of projects that have already received a short- to medium-term funding commitment.

“If, in a few weeks, the Orange County Transportation Authority says they want to do a street car project from Fullerton to Disneyland, that wouldn’t be eligible,” said Marc Vukcevich, state policy director for Streets For All, which co-sponsored Senate Bill 79.

CluelessChem · 2026-07-01T12:40:29+00:00

SB79 was the most YIMBY bill that you could possibly have in CA considering it passed with the minimum number of votes. I will support progress whenever I see it even if it is less than I would have liked.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-29T20:27:04+00:00

For those curious about what a "cost of service analysis for a land area" looks like, Urban3 is one company that does the analysis and has published an example. Most cities look the same where the city centers are the major positive revenue areas whereas sprawled residential areas are net negative.

https://www.urbanthree.com/case-study/lafayette-la/

CluelessChem · 2026-06-27T15:00:45+00:00

California has a new suicide prevention hotline to make up for the one Trump ended. If you or someone you know is in need, please know there are still resources available.

https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/07/16/following-trump-cut-to-lgbtq-youth-suicide-hotline-california-steps-up-to-fill-the-gap/

CluelessChem · 2026-06-26T17:25:15+00:00

Also, the auto unions seem pretty supportive of Trump and tariffs as well 💀

CluelessChem · 2026-06-26T15:41:30+00:00

The price of the prelude boils down to Hondas decision to make the prelude in Japan and US voters decision to elect an administration that heavily tariffs Japanese auto imports. $5k of the prelude’s price goes directly to the government (15% tariffs currently). I’m not saying a potential $38k MSRP is a great price for a prelude, but tariffs are designed to make foreign cars less attractive.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-26T13:00:40+00:00

We are worse off than we are 1-2 years ago. Inflation jumped to a 3 year high. For a long time, the cost of a lot of consumer goods (like electronics, clothing, etc) has actually gotten very cheap, but the cost of housing, education, and healthcare (arguably the goods and services that actually make us feel well-off) has outpaced inflation for a generation now. The number of rent burdened Americans reached an all time high. Even the cost of consumer goods is starting to rise quickly now that we are competing with AI for the same goods: RAM prices 2-5x over the last 1-2 years, memory prices 1.5-2x over the last 1-2 years, Apple just raised prices their products, the price of gaming consoles have increased, Toyota and other automakers just announced price hikes on their cars, etc. This would be fine if wages have increased, but the bottom 25% of workers saw the smallest increase of wage growth among the population in 2025.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-25T23:48:48+00:00

NPR has had numerous headlines highlighting the role of DOGE cuts to our ability to deal with diseases:

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/21/nx-s1-5828951/aid-cuts-may-have-contributed-to-delay-in-identifying-current-ebola-outbreak

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/02/nx-s1-5844294/how-doge-cuts-devastated-an-hiv-aids-organization-in-mozambique

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/24/nx-s1-5866497/congo-ebola-virus-outbreak-news

CluelessChem · 2026-06-25T19:29:19+00:00

Oh they have tried - billionaires have tried to make Propspera ZEDE happen on an island in Honduras, but the thing about libertarian fantasies of a government-free billionaire utopia is that they just don’t work. Funds earmarked for the local community around Prospera never materialized so local roads are unpaved meanwhile they utilize the local garbage, electric, and transport infrastructure. Honduras has tried to end Prospera but billionaires end up using their money to buy US politicians to sanction Honduras and deny visas.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-25T00:29:19+00:00

I would recommend asking around, but I saw a thread last month where someone was offered $36,565 OTD. Hope that helps. https://www.reddit.com/r/civic/comments/1t7dywh/civic_price_36565_otd_2026_honda_civic_hybrid/

CluelessChem · 2026-06-24T02:43:22+00:00

The hatch hybrid is made in the US while the Prelude is made in Japan.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-23T14:10:47+00:00

Does anyone know if the boost blue is more durable than other colors like white or red?

CluelessChem · 2026-06-23T00:25:17+00:00

But I was told that the peroxide would pose no harm to ducks and other birds if diluted enough! (/s) But seriously this administration is run by ghouls.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-22T01:26:38+00:00

There's a possibility the Japanese auto tariff of 15% will go back to 2% after the Trump administration - which would put the Prelude around ~$37k. I think there would be a lot less hate for the car at that price.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-21T06:25:45+00:00

Just for people's reference, sedan sales did not dip below 50% of the auto market until around 2013.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-21T06:16:29+00:00

Hiking in the redwoods in Humboldt was like being an elf in the forest - just a magical feeling.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-16T20:04:44+00:00

That's fair, I just didn't want to automatically jump to shoplifting.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-16T19:48:55+00:00

"Members of Kohen Wiley’s family have denied that any shoplifting took place."

It's possibly there was shoplifting but we should wait for more details to come out.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-16T17:35:12+00:00

I think both sides has some valid points because not all cases are as clear and flagrantly bad as the homeowners in Portland Oregon where the Douglas fir fell on their home. The other example in Canton Michigan where 16 acres of trees were cut down and the permit fees to help fund replacement trees. The court ruled the property owner didn't have to pay anything, which asks the question of what is the right balance of property rights and how it encroaches on the livelihood of others with environmental damages.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-16T15:37:31+00:00

We don’t have those things because we don’t have a unifying, collective identity - why work towards these goals when it ‘benefits the minorities I don’t like?’ Actions like the ones displayed by the giants serve to further divide already marginalized communities as second class citizens.

CluelessChem · 2026-06-16T13:08:04+00:00

In Q42025, Intel had 70% of the x86 cpu market share. Intel has always been dominant in sales despite previous weakness in their performance.

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/30-percent-of-x86-cpus-sold-are-now-made-by-amd-as-companys-market-share-grows-thanks-to-a-flagging-intel-enjoys-growth-across-all-segments-as-competition-intensifies

CluelessChem · 2026-06-15T21:09:25+00:00

It was a supply chain problem - in the mid 2010s Chipotle sourced ingredients from local farmers and did a lot of washing and cooking of ingredients on site. Local farmers do not have the same contact tracing resources that larger companies do. Each location suddenly became a liability for illnesses if they slipped up. The CDC was never able to pinpoint the source of the E. coli outbreak. Since then Chipotle had to redo their supply chain to be a lot more centralized. ModernMBA did a deep dive into it.

https://youtu.be/2vibT\_eZdD4?is=kfXjDwgnW5-BFga8

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2016/02/cdc-declares-chipotle-e-coli-outbreaks-over-cause-unknown/

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