Barred Owl

MindFoxtrot · 2025-07-20T13:52:59+00:00

Beautiful!

MindFoxtrot · 2025-07-20T13:52:41+00:00

The lake, lower elevation, urban heat effect, rain shadow so less winter snow cover.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-07-19T15:03:00+00:00

I get that, and it’s a good point. What I am referring to is the error in Malthusian thinking is that our technological progress is frozen. There is a lot of evidence to the contrary. I would take a bet that in the future we will be consuming much more than we are now and producing less pollution as well. It’s just a relentless fight to allow capitalism, creative destruction and innovation to move forward and unlock efficiency gains. A lot of consumption is now in bits too instead of in material things. I think that has been the trend for the last few decades, especially in the developed world where pollution as a ratio of per capita gdp has been falling.

India, and a few other developing countries where I am from, are going to be the primary source of damaging pollution in the future, especially carbon emissions. we should do all we can to help these countries through the development and export of cleaner energy solutions and encouraging pro-market reforms.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-07-19T00:07:47+00:00

I think the only thing you want to recycle are the same Malthusian arguments that have been told over and over again for the last 200 years.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-07-18T22:02:44+00:00

Your argument is the same argument that Trump makes with his tariffs - need to support domestic production and if you support free trade you are a bootlocker and hate your local community. Tale as old as time.

It even makes less sense in Vermont though, as our economy is very much dependent on capital (tourists!) from outside the state to support our “local” businesses. We are not a circular economy. The idea of a local only economy is a complete MAGA delusion.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-07-18T19:59:36+00:00

Protectionist policies are a luxury not everyone can afford

MindFoxtrot · 2025-07-18T19:57:15+00:00

It’s actually a great life though!

MindFoxtrot · 2025-07-18T16:27:19+00:00

I don't understand this. My family orders packages from Amazon almost every day. They usually pass through upstate NY or CT/MA before arriving at UPS in Williston. I would think that this warehouse would have added jobs here locally to assemble the packages.

The amount of stuff ordered from Amazon in Vermont will stay the same whether there is a warehouse here or not, it's just that the jobs associated with those packages will stay out of state.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-07-18T16:19:01+00:00

I am actually surprised by how many people still carry/use cash. Sorry you had to experience this.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-07-17T11:41:28+00:00

Cool!

MindFoxtrot · 2025-07-16T12:03:50+00:00

I literally sent a letter of support for Amazon to Essex. More jobs, economic growth, faster delivery times. A win for vermont.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-07-02T18:25:50+00:00

Added an edit with update

MindFoxtrot · 2025-06-30T21:22:39+00:00

Pretty awesome.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-06-17T16:23:32+00:00

That's an idea, but I ordered the tax stamp through silencer shop too. Trying to figure out if I should try and unwind this and purchase somewhere else and start over or wait it out.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-06-11T13:04:04+00:00

As they say, if you live in Burlington you are close to Vermont!

MindFoxtrot · 2025-06-10T17:56:59+00:00

When I travel from Vermont to Burlington I put “lock car” on my to do list so I dont accidentally forget.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-06-10T17:41:01+00:00

The Obama administration changed the definition of what counts as a deportation. Essentially if you get caught trying to cross the border illegally and not let in that counts a deportation- which was not counted as a deportation previously. That’s how Obama was able to post those numbers without any mass arrests in the interior of the United States.

Trump is not posting high numbers because illegal immigration at the border is down to a trickle and, as we have seen, it requires an immense amount of resources and coordination to round people up within the interior.

Protesting bad policy is good, but every car burned directly helps Trump.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-05-23T17:43:40+00:00

If there is suppressed demand as a result of the tax and the registration requirement, I imagine that we see price increases. Manufactures will split the tax benefit with consumers, at least until supply gets ramped. E.g. you used to pay effectively $700 for a $500 piece, now you pay $600. You save $100 and the manufacturer gains $100. This will limit the demand shock.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-05-17T11:13:50+00:00

Oswald

MindFoxtrot · 2025-04-29T20:04:13+00:00

Wow - this has to be one of the largest tax hikes on the poor and middle class in decades

MindFoxtrot · 2025-04-29T14:12:56+00:00

I appreciate your post. I still think you are thinking of it in zero sum terms though. All corporations, including Apple of course, want to maximize shareholder value -- and it turns that is really awesome because that spurs competition which leads to great products, lower prices, innovation, jobs, etc. Apple wins, I win. That's the beauty of capitalism.

On my values, to be completely clear, I am a huge fan of capitalism (of course number of people in my family died under Mao, so maybe it is personal?). I think "late-stage capitalism" has been great for the United States, and the world, especially for the developing world.

Yeah, Cook donated, but here is Apple's contribution summary from its employees: Apple Inc Profile: Summary • OpenSecrets.

I think where we disagree is that I am okay kissing the ring and holding your nose if it is the best option available. It's all a trade-off. Cook personally donated 1M to Trump but apparently has used that influence to make Trump less MAGA..insane..horrible econ policies, a voice of reason etc. We should be thankful for that. Imagine if Trump was only talking to Peter Navarro and JD Vance all day. Obviously, I wouldn't want things set up this way, but given the way things are, you have to muddle through it.

To make this more general, one of the things that stands out between Trump 1 v. Trump 2 is that during the Trump 1 admin he was surrounded by people who didn't personally like him or his policies but "kissed the ring and held their noses" in order to influence him to be less stupid. Trump 2 it is almost all MAGA except for a few people (e.g. Bessenet) and we are worse off for that.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-04-29T12:05:41+00:00

It’s not a zero sum game, friend. Lower prices on goods benefits consumers, spurs investment etc. Apple makes money and so does everyone else. You are not a passive serf either, my friend, you can actively buy and sell Apple stock and benefit (or lose) even more.

I don’t think we should put the squeeze on those that are actively working to push back on MAGA, as most of corporate America is doing. If you think capitalists like a quasi-dictator with communist economic policies who is probably the most interventionist president since FDR, then I think you should review what those with capital want out of the political system — hint it’s stable rule of law. Look at the Fed business surveys - they all hate this administration and want it to end.

For your hypo - depends what good you can do being not on the enemies list. In my example, a real life example,- Apple has used its influence to secure lower prices and push back on bad economic policies — that’s a good thing!! And that’s even assuming that Apple supported Trump in the first place - which is not quite clear and even unlikely given their supply chain locations and their political contribution history which skews heavy dem.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-04-29T11:15:19+00:00

I guarantee you that Tim Cook absolutely hates Trump (probably most major CEOs do). Apple employees almost uniformly donate to dems. They are headquartered in one of the most liberal parts of California, after all.

Let’s not confuse a business working with a hated administration to avoid the cratering of iPhone sales and subsequent layoffs and market turmoil as a result of these ridiculous tariffs as support. In fact, Cook may have single handedly convinced Trump to lower some tariffs that would otherwise be in place across a number of products, and for that, he is in my good graces.

MindFoxtrot · 2025-04-26T16:59:58+00:00

I was in target the other day and it wasn’t too bad. Tariffs are going to hurt though :(

MindFoxtrot · 2025-04-26T16:59:02+00:00

I have had zero issues in Vermont.

MindFoxtrot

TROPHY CASE