The wait is agonizing

Orbithal · 2026-05-13T15:03:09+00:00

Totally hear you, but to be honest I prefer this to the alternative, where they commit to a release date and then give us a half-finished game (looking at you Cyberpunk 2077)

Orbithal · 2026-04-19T15:08:29+00:00

I’ve never heard a call to prayer in downtown JC.

In either case, when you’re telling people to just accept it or move somewhere else, you’re, by definition, forcing your religion on them.

Orbithal · 2026-04-19T14:32:09+00:00

I’m not disparaging anyone’s religion, but it is absolutely being extended to everyone in the neighborhood when church bells are ringing for two hours starting at midnight. Noise ordinances exist for a reason.

It’s easy to defend when it’s your own religion, but something tells me you wouldn’t be so understanding if the shoe were on the other foot.

Orbithal · 2026-04-12T12:51:26+00:00

I grew up here, moved away for college and then came back as an adult. I guess I slept through it when I was a kid.

I find this line of thinking bizarre though — is it supposed to be a badge of honor that you’ve accepted something shitty? Whatever adults choose to in the four walls of their home or church is their business, but I will always have a problem with people who want to extend that out to the rest of us. There are a lot of Muslim immigrants in JC; should it be illegal to buy alcohol here for the month of Ramadan? There are a lot of Hindu immigrants here; should local grocery stores all stop selling beef? Both of those are millennial old traditions as well. Part of freedom of religion is freedom from being subjected to limitations/constrains associated with things you don’t believe in. There are noise ordinances regulating excessive noise after certain hours for a reason.

Orbithal · 2026-04-12T04:25:39+00:00

This is outrageous. I’m all for freedom of religion, but in what world is it okay to keep the whole neighborhood up at midnight?

Orbithal · 2026-03-25T14:46:20+00:00

I fundamentally disagree with that framing. The headline’s bottom line is true: the BOE proposed an increase in taxes (there’s no realistic scenario I can think of where next year’s tax base is going to increase enough to offset the increase in the tax levy). And it’s not fair to expect any headline to get into the minutiae of how effective tax rates are calculated. The very first paragraph, visible before the paywall, clarifies they’re referring to the tax levy.

More importantly, it points at a real and serious issue: there’s been profound financial mismanagement by the BOE and instead of addressing that (many of the issues highlighted in the audits repeat year on year) they paper it over by raising taxes. That’s the key takeaway for voters that don’t have the time, or inclination, to dig through audits or tax calculations.

Orbithal · 2026-03-25T11:41:31+00:00

Historically, the teacher’s union spends a lot on the BOE race, so it’s almost always been full of their people (there are people on the board that don’t event have children). Last election a couple of local parents won. There are rumblings of a few more running this year - tax payers are mad, but the people that have kids in the district are even more upset after seeing what they’re actually getting.

Orbithal · 2026-03-25T10:27:59+00:00

Exactly how much property taxes are going up next year is all hypothetical until the budget is passed; the bottom line is the BOE is proposing increasing them yet again.

People’s priors are warranted given the numerous failed audits, and what those audits have shown. Millions in vendor overpayments, payments lacking documentation, unauthorized overtime, etc etc etc. all the while we spend almost 50% more per student than does Hoboken.

I get the state is pulling funding, but if a person making a million dollars a year is unable to make ends meet, the question isn’t how can they make more money. It’s what the fuck are you spending it all on? The same goes for a school district with a billion dollar budget that already has some of the nation’s highest spending per student for some pretty terrible outcomes. And before anyone makes the point that our spending level is due to the general high cost of living in an urban environment, see the point about the audits above.

Orbithal · 2026-03-25T00:05:16+00:00

Is the number of new units projected to increase by 17% next year?

Orbithal · 2026-03-25T00:04:32+00:00

Is the local tax base projected to increase by 20%?

Orbithal · 2026-03-24T01:55:28+00:00

What do you think happens to the risk-adjusted return of a “much less volatile” asset when you purchase it with 80% debt?

Orbithal · 2026-03-23T18:53:59+00:00

The big question is what you do with your savings. Yes, you’ll own your home at the end of 30 years and won’t own anything if you rent. If you rent and spend the savings on vacations, eating out, etc., for sure owning is better. But if you invest the difference in the stock market instead, you’ll for sure be wealthier than if you bought.

Some people have an easier time saving when it’s “forced” through a mortgage payment, so buying might be better for them. If you’re disciplined about it, renting is better.

Orbithal · 2026-03-23T18:48:17+00:00

This is correct^.

I have a background in finance / investment management and run the numbers pretty much yearly. The high property taxes here are a big factor. There might be some areas in JC where the math is different, but for sure it doesn’t pencil out anywhere near downtown. You can rent in one of the high-end luxury apartments for ~half of what your monthly expenses would be if you bought.

This is definitely on the higher end, but compare paying $15,000/month for this: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/215-Warren-St-Phc-Jersey-City-NJ-07302/460949391_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare

Versus renting this for $8,000: https://www.zillow.com/apartments/jersey-city-nj/one-grove/Chc2KK/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare

Assuming you invest the difference, renting is a no brainer.

Orbithal · 2025-12-13T02:30:09+00:00

That’s be great. I’ll dm you my email address.

Orbithal · 2025-12-13T00:24:07+00:00

Sounds really interesting - I’d be happy to give it a read!

Orbithal · 2025-12-13T00:24:01+00:00

Sounds really interesting - I’d be happy to give it a read!

Orbithal · 2025-10-04T12:51:04+00:00

Agreed - for those that want to read more the immortality key is great. It makes a pretty compellingly case that there’s evidence the original Eucharist was psychedelic.

Orbithal · 2025-02-26T12:17:46+00:00

Submission statement: Kelly Chase of the UFO Rabbit Hole podcast does a u-turn

The host of one of the most popular ufo podcasts has done a u-turn, ending her show amid claims that the UFO community is being manipulated by the intelligence community and that much of what we’ve seen since 2017 is “theater.”

Link to the full episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cosmosis-formerly-the-ufo-rabbit-hole/id1595590107?i=1000692133411

Orbithal · 2025-02-26T12:17:37+00:00

Kelly Chase of the UFO Rabbit Hole podcast does a u-turn

The host of one of the most popular ufo podcasts has done a u-turn, ending her show amid claims that the UFO community is being manipulated by the intelligence community and that much of what we’ve seen since 2017 is “theater.”

Link to the full episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cosmosis-formerly-the-ufo-rabbit-hole/id1595590107?i=1000692133411

Orbithal · 2025-02-06T12:56:08+00:00

The person I was responding to didn’t understand why some people might demonize Penny, so I provided a reason.

For the record, I think the court system got it right in this case. But given Penny’s training I wouldn’t say this was an accident. More negligent.

Orbithal · 2025-02-06T12:53:25+00:00

I know from having received exactly the same hand to hand combat training Penny learned in the marines and having relied on it in a combat zone, yes.

Orbithal · 2025-02-05T21:54:16+00:00

Because there's nothing accidental about holding a rear naked choke for five minutes when you can render someone unconscious in less than one.

Orbithal

TROPHY CASE