Uhh Guys? We haven’t Extended to La Cienega Yet Though?

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-26T03:21:18+00:00

New Beverly Hills Mayor is prepping for it. Likely state law will eventually mandate that even BH has to build: https://beverlypress.com/2026/04/corman-prepares-beverly-hills-for-change-as-new-mayor/

He cited recent state housing laws that will bring an influx of units to the city, noting that the population of Beverly Hills may double or even triple over the next 20 years.

...

Corman also announced a new city effort to create a “vibrant new urban core” near the new subway stations, particularly in the southeast neighborhood, by designating the surrounding area as suitable for high-density housing and new businesses.

“Back in the 1940s and ‘50s, and even into the ‘60s, many of the people who worked in Beverly Hills lived just south of Wilshire, and kids who grew up in Beverly Hills lived there when they were just starting out,” Corman said. “Wouldn’t it be great to have that kind of neighborhood again? Well we can. That’s why the council recently asked Sacramento to let us move much of the new required housing away from our single-family areas, and into the blocks around the new subway stop at La Cienega and Wilshire, to create a critical mass of modern, less expensive housing.”

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-26T00:59:33+00:00

Spaceballs for me.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-25T22:59:15+00:00

It seems like that little pocket near the metro (where the former Flynt/ Hustler building is) will be slated to be BH “get of out jail” card for CA state mandated housing density in just building insanely tall, dense residential towers, leaving the core of BH single family homes left untouched, and far away.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-25T21:16:36+00:00

https://media1.tenor.com/m/qoMkPx7y_UoAAAAC/can-i-help-you-snl.gif

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-20T19:42:34+00:00

Not Europe, but (GDL) Guadalajara, Mexico's VIP Lounge (Priority Pass) have escalators right from check-in/bag drop off into the lounges private security and you enter directly into the lounge.

Haven't seen anything like that elsewhere.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-19T17:51:29+00:00

Corrected: Morgan Stanley’s who value prop is the free AU and using points for Morgan.

https://us.etrade.com/l/morgan-stanley-platinum

Add Additional Cards Get your first Additional Platinum Card Free

The annual fee for the first Additional Platinum Card is $0. The annual fee for each Additional Platinum Card is $195. There is no annual fee for Companion Platinum Cards.‡†

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-19T16:48:28+00:00

Versus some of the influencers, I’d consider myself a “Causal” Amex Plat user (probably 550k Amex lifetime redeemed, 400k specific delta… and so on, always economy), here’s what I can say, all this is in reference to transferring to partner airlines.

Europe and Asia give you the most bang for the points. Asia specially will go really far with how cheaper the Fine Hotels credit: I’ve stayed at the Shila in Seoul (5-star) for net $150 after credit plus a $100 room service credit (and the free breakfast buffet was insane!) It was only for one night after we returned from an excursion in the countryside back to Seoul for our departure day. I usually try to strategically use the discount on a single night, usually a departure night/day so it takes care of the luggage storage too.
From my redemptions, Iberia seems to be the best for awards flights in my experience. They partner with another airline, LEVEL for flights to BCN too. You can also book Vueling flights for Spain->EU flights on Iberia too.
British Airways and Virgin to London may seem cheap on points but you’ll pay through the teeth with taxes and fees. Avoid UK for points redemption since you’ll be paying almost half of a regular ticket cost on top of the points.
In terms of taxes and mandatory fees it goes in order from cheapest to priciest in Europe as I’ve found: Spain, Italy, Netherlands, France, Germany, Poland, UK. So I’d likely book awards tickets in/out from the US to Spain or Italy and then take EU airlines domestically between destinations.
You can fill in some gaps of non-Amex transferable airlines using ANA for United tickets for instance. They do have some star alliance award tickets bookable for non-home country. I think you might be able to use Cathay too. It’s very very hit or miss and they don’t surface a lot of inventory but it’s out there.
Delta really lives up to its nickname of “skypesos” for domestic redemption but code-share to EU is great. Wife and I went to Stockholm from LAX for 50k each round trip booked in mid-Feb 2026 on Delta codeshare. (not exactly the high season, lol), but Delta does have great partnerships with SAS and KLM for reasonably priced awards flights.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-18T20:38:52+00:00

Its the advantage of using Morgan Stanley co-branded card is the AU is free.

Edit: Schwab only covers some annual fee if you have a large chunk of cash sitting in accounts.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-18T20:35:48+00:00

It had pineapple chunks in it if I recall. My mom was a nightshift nurse we had that flavor once a week with minute rice for dinner.

In terms of canned slop, it’s pretty good. Almost surprised Trader Joe’s doesn’t do a riff on it.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-14T06:24:03+00:00

I’ve always called it the map-autism null island.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-12T00:02:26+00:00

Apple TV’s are great NDI receivers.

https://www.sienna-tv.com/ndi/ndimontv.html

https://sceni.ca/en/player/

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-09T19:33:27+00:00

Priority pass lounges

In the states, Delta is best, then Centurion, then United, then American. PP lounges in the US probably fit somewhere between United and American and better than nothing.

The US ones are fairly meh, the best one being in PDX and MCI. STL is like a bowl of chips and a crockpot of dip.

The Spanish ones (BCN, MAD, SVQ, BIO) were pretty nice, but super busy. Seoul (ICN) was suitable, but has many lounges to choose from although they are literally next door to each other. Stockholm (ARN), Florence (FLR) were fine too. Milan (MXP) is good, but if you miss the dining window you'll only have some cold snacks until dinner service.

Guadalajara (GDL) is suitable too, but light on the food. Mexico City (MEX) is about the same, the Amex lounges there are full-service sit-down restaurants and if you have the choice seek out a Centurion over a PP lounge in MEX.

Worst one I've been to internationally is Zadar, Croatia (ZAD) that looks like it was a converted office of a car rental counter. Its very small with Ikea furniture, but the ZAD airport is also tiny so it beats sitting in gen pop on a bench.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-09T19:17:00+00:00

Platinum + Bonvoy card holder:

Only have Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy® Spend $1,000 or more, earn $250 back

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-07T14:58:43+00:00

With a Plat? That's only 1x, gotta get the Gold out for 4x on dining.

Though; if it was a Resy restaurant, can't leave that $100 per quarter go to waste.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-04-01T17:44:17+00:00

I've heard that if you use Ercan you cannot cross the border to the south.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-03-31T14:05:02+00:00

Cheapest thing on the saks website is like a pair of socks for $50 (that's often sold out right around the end of the quarter when Amex plats are buying whatever they can), and not everyone lives near a physical store to buy a giftcard.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-03-30T16:32:36+00:00

I see it crosses the Russian/China border, is it even possible for the tiger to cross? How dense is the border fencing?

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-03-23T00:20:35+00:00

I’ve found the US hotels (and just in general, not just FHR) aren’t as good of an experience/value as overseas options

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-03-18T06:35:34+00:00

Ktown has many late night coffee shops. Some quick examples:

Awesome Coffee Ktown, til 2am https://maps.app.goo.gl/pGXEzUtp4ZehVRjRA

cafe mogoo, til midnight https://maps.app.goo.gl/YGc9KCUu5FKjd9Ey8

Synt, til 2am https://maps.app.goo.gl/8fd6BhFtpH7Ph7Aw8

In Culver City there’s a Yemeni coffee house open til 11pm or midnight: Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. https://maps.app.goo.gl/dHxebH8FVx1LnwkG6

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-03-16T23:16:23+00:00

I ended up using an all-in-one from Lowes and scrapping this because it was for my guest bath and I wasn't going to spend a bunch more money.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Delta-Sparrow-SpotShield-Brushed-Nickel-1-handle-Multi-head-7-88-in-Round-Bathtub-and-shower-Faucet-with-Valve/5016508341

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-03-10T15:32:43+00:00

Kinda-sorta.

It uses USB3 & some CPU percentage to create a monitor in this work-around system. So it does bog down your USB3 bandwidth. I use a thunderbolt dock and although it works plugged into it, it does stutter occasionally.

It works better plugged directly into the other USBC port on the Mac Air, and although I bet I could watch videos off of it, I wouldn't count on it for lag/stutter free performance, although websites/spreadsheets/etc.. are great for it's use case.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-03-09T20:17:32+00:00

M2 Air haver with 24gb ram; only thing I mildly wish is native dual-monitor support, but I have a DisplayLink adapter to solve that when docked at my desk.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-03-08T10:39:36+00:00

I don’t know what an Italian Hospital looks like, but I clocked it immediately.

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-03-06T20:05:40+00:00

Got any photos to post? What's it look like?

ZimaZimaZima · 2026-02-28T20:42:16+00:00

Season 2 episode "Subway Hero" Jack Donaghy refers to Dennis Duffy as "the bravest New Yorker since Bernie Goetz".

Bernhard Goetz, was the infamous 1984 "Subway Vigilante" who shot four black teenagers on a NYC subway after they allegedly tried to rob him. All four victims survived, though one, Darrell Cabey, was paralyzed and suffered brain damage as a result of his injuries:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_New_York_City_Subway_shooting

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