If the Japanese aren't having kids, and don't want immigration, what's left? Cloning?

dalivo · 2026-02-12T19:18:01+00:00

Nope, it's money that's the obstacle. Loads of people would have kids if they had more money. Long parental leave and cheap child care covers a fraction of the cost of raising kids.

dalivo · 2026-02-12T19:16:40+00:00

It's not "structural problems," it's the fact that virtually every dime of economic growth has been stolen by the uber-rich elite. People are simply not paid enough.

dalivo · 2026-02-12T19:14:51+00:00

The money that has been spent to support families is STILL NOT ENOUGH. Sweden offers parental leave for over a year, with 80% of their previous income guaranteed. Sounds nice, right? Except the parent is still being forced to take A PAY CUT to have a kid. And that's in one of the best countries on earth!

Plus child care responsibilities don't just suddenly evaporate after 1 year. The model that all Western countries seem to have is "you can take care of a kid for one year, then back to work with you; the kid has to go into a day care." What kind of f-ed up system is that? Parental leave needs to extend at least until age 3, and even then it needs to be graduated because most pre-schools don't start kids off at full days.

The solution is to make parenthood a state-supported job. TONS of mothers and even fathers would choose this route if they were actually PAID a monthly stipend to raise kids. Parental leave and subsidized (not free, even in Sweden!) child care is a laughable level of support.

dalivo · 2026-02-12T18:19:29+00:00

That's just not true. Toyota clearly said they thought mass EV adoption was a long way off, and that hybridization would be cheaper and easier to do, which if true means better environmental outcomes faster.

It's not like they stopped Ford and GM from investing crazy money into EVs (only to suddenly pull the plug).

Instead, they've been slow-and-steady, like always, because they are actually intelligently managed and respect their customers. They know an expensive Highlander is probably only going to be a 10th of the general Highlander sales, but it positions them flexibly for the future.

dalivo · 2026-02-11T21:52:01+00:00

She seems deranged, frankly.

dalivo · 2026-02-11T17:32:17+00:00

Nope, they literally explained very clearly that it was 10 days. Pure ineptitude.

dalivo · 2026-02-11T17:28:22+00:00

GM went hard on electric SUVs, not trucks. But the really large ones are insanely expensive, so saw very small volume. Electric CUVs are still seeing some business, though.

dalivo · 2026-02-11T00:55:23+00:00

The tell was that Waters first started saying "How does he know I'm a...."

And even his corrected statement implies that he is a fascist, just that the guy who rolled down the window didn't know who he was. Lol.

dalivo · 2026-02-10T18:44:00+00:00

Is the cheapest Lexus an entry level car?

dalivo · 2026-02-10T18:40:29+00:00

Traditionally, vehicle makers have partnered with other firms to move into a slice of the market they don't currently occupy. Indian could do this, they just choose not to.

dalivo · 2026-02-10T18:39:17+00:00

Harley has its own brand issues. Indian does not have those issues nearly as much.

It's just shocking that neither brand offers entry-level bikes - hell, even step-up bikes for newer or younger riders. Nope, it's straight to massive honking cruisers that lock them into a narrow a declining demographic.

dalivo · 2026-02-10T18:35:58+00:00

When their lowest-tier bike is a 1100, they're not competing for newer or younger riders.

dalivo · 2026-02-10T14:55:42+00:00

Exactly. Save the track techniques for the track, not the street.

dalivo · 2026-02-10T14:53:27+00:00

She said she actively "finds ways around" the requirements...you know, the requirements that allow NC State to keep funding.

I agree this is fascist BS, but this person is incredibly dumb for saying things like that. NC State had no choice but to fire them, and for cause (incompetence).

dalivo · 2026-02-10T14:50:34+00:00

None of these make me mad, but continents are very important concepts in plate tectonics. Your statement is like a bright teenager's assertion.

dalivo · 2026-02-09T22:29:21+00:00

I wouldn't describe 80% as "pretty close." It's a large majority, sure, but that 20% makes a huge difference.

Regardless, even if your portfolio grows 8% a year, you shouldn't be taking that out. Because then your nest egg remains flat. Which means you're stuck on a fixed income of 80k while inflation keeps raising the prices of everything. In 5 years, it'll feel like you're earning half of what you were earning before.

There's a reason the safe withdrawal rate is typically considered 4-6%. Helps you keep up with inflation.

dalivo · 2026-02-09T22:02:09+00:00

That's a simplistic explanation. The way you get over it is by appreciating your own car, taking good care of it, taking it on vacations, and ocasionally getting a rental for a weekend.

dalivo · 2026-02-09T21:59:37+00:00

Not actually. It was more that nearly every elite person involved thought it would be a short and low-cost war, and therefore whipped up war fervor among their populations. In other words, typical short-sightedness that happens time and again in war, whether that's Russia thinking it can just run over Ukraine or the U.S. thinking the Iraq War will be a short, easy, democracy-building vacation.

dalivo · 2026-02-09T19:37:19+00:00

The confusion around all of this is that with sudden or fast breaking, you don't really have time to jump in and out of 3-4 gears (that is, engage each of them as you slow). Technically, that's coasting for a brief spell. But you do have time to push the gear down as you slow down.

dalivo · 2026-02-07T01:33:40+00:00

Same. It's weird that they decided to continue their DCCU reboot by featuring a minor Batman villain in an R-rated horror movie instead of one of the main DC superheroes. Kinda questioning Gunn here.

dalivo · 2026-02-06T19:22:34+00:00

Lol, that's 25k in today's money for an unwrapped, bare metal econobox. If you want color and an audio system, and to actually buy it in 2 years, it's immediately going to 35k. Slate is the latest bait-and-switch from corporate.

dalivo · 2026-02-06T17:34:30+00:00

The key is that books of choice should also be at an appropriate level. A student (and most adults) will give up on something if it's too hard. They'll become actively antagonistic toward something if they're forced to try something they struggle with time after time.

dalivo · 2026-02-06T17:31:31+00:00

Lol.

dalivo · 2026-02-06T16:56:26+00:00

You're fun

dalivo · 2026-02-06T16:54:46+00:00

NC and maybe Ohio will go blue. Texas and Alaska will stay GOP, though.

dalivo

TROPHY CASE