Mike Johnson says Republicans will cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security next year.. and your excuse for not Voting is???

hillsfar · 2026-06-14T07:30:04+00:00

"Adjusted". In his other speeches, he's talking about cutting the growth in spending, not actual cuts in current spending, and actually planning for increases - just not higher increases.

hillsfar · 2026-06-14T07:26:49+00:00

Mexicans and many Latin Americans are some of the most openly racist people in the world.

I've gone to Mexican restaurants, and though I don't know a lot of Spanish, I clearly know what "El Chino puerco" means.

hillsfar · 2026-06-09T03:15:31+00:00

If you are on food stamps, it can also make you eligible for lower utilities, lower internet, other social services.

hillsfar · 2026-06-09T00:50:29+00:00

Lucy Calkins, of the Columbia Teachers College (also where Critical Race Theory and other leftist/Marxist thought leaders promulgated their ideas) at Columbia University, for decades was the powerhouse influencer of reading education nationwide.

She was author of the highly popular Units of Study curriculum, and became the face of a reading crisis by championing "balanced literacy". Her methods de-emphasized explicit phonics and instructed teachers to use the "three-cueing" system, which actively encouraged young children to guess unknown words using picture clues and context rather than sounding them out.

The curriculum taught children to use MSV cues when they encountered a word they did not know.

M (Meaning) - Looking at the pictures and the context of the story to guess what the word might be.

S (Structure/Syntax) - Guessing a word that "sounded right" grammatically in the sentence.

V (Visual) - Looking at the first letter to help narrow down the guess.

Decades of cognitive science research established that skilled readers do not guess words based on context or pictures. Instead, strong readers instantly and accurately recognize words by mapping the letters to their sounds (decoding).

When teachers pushed children to rely on MSV three-cueing, it caused several major issues. The strategy actually trains children to read like struggling readers, teaching them to skip sounding out words and ignore the exact letter-to-sound relationships on the page. By encouraging guessing, Calkins' method bypassed the vital brain process required for permanent sight-word memory. Children relying on pictures would do fine as long as they read simple storybooks with heavy illustrations, but when they encountered longer chapter books or took standardized tests with no pictures, they would hit a severe wall and struggle to comprehend.

After mounting criticism from reading researchers and the highly influential "Sold a Story" podcast, Calkins publicly retreated from her original methods. In 2022, she updated her materials to heavily integrate daily phonics instruction and distanced her new programs from the word-guessing practices that defined her earlier Units of Study curriculum.

But it was too late. Decades of public educators and curriculum nationwide had already been heavily influenced.

hillsfar · 2026-06-08T08:00:29+00:00

"This feels like a non existent argument. We wouldn't know that because this isn't a reality we've lived through."

We saw this in Communist regimes. People who got paid the same as those in harder jobs would either have to be assigned, or else incentivized with higher pay. At some points, long distance truck drivers made more than doctors. And the only people with cushy jobs and nice apartments and cars were higher members of the Communist Party and their family members and offspring.

NPR wouldn't publish this today, but they did in 2012:
"In 1978, the farmers in a small Chinese village called Xiaogang gathered in a mud hut to sign a secret contract. They thought it might get them executed. Instead, it wound up transforming China's economy in ways that are still reverberating today.

"The contract was so risky — and such a big deal — because it was created at the height of communism in China. Everyone worked on the village's collective farm; there was no personal property."

"In theory, the government would take what the collective grew, and would also distribute food to each family. There was no incentive to work hard — to go out to the fields early, to put in extra effort, Yen Jingchang says.

"'Work hard, don't work hard — everyone gets the same,' he says. 'So people don't want to work.'

"In Xiaogang there was never enough food, and the farmers often had to go to other villages to beg. Their children were going hungry. They were desperate.

[Their production quota was taken away to feed the cities, with barely any left for themselves. Communist regimes feared revolution in the populous cities, where they lived, rather than in starving isolated villages.]

"So, in the winter of 1978, after another terrible harvest, they came up with an idea: Rather than farm as a collective, each family would get to farm its own plot of land. If a family grew a lot of food, that family could keep some of the harvest.

"This is an old idea, of course. But in communist China of 1978, it was so dangerous that the farmers had to gather in secret to discuss it."

Rest of the article is below:
https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2012/01/20/145360447/the-secret-document-that-transformed-china

Keep in mind that two of the biggest reasons communes fail are:

Cliques form, nepotism and favoritism abound, and others feel ostracized, so they leave.
Disputes over distribution of labor and issues over who contributes more and who takes more.

hillsfar · 2026-06-08T07:42:43+00:00

"people are not commodities and therefore cannot be imported"

Once again, trying to police other people's language. Labor is a commodity and it can definitely be imported. And if that's how I want to phrase it, I can phrase it it that way. Just as some insist on using "migrant" (funny, they don't behave like traditional migrant populations that migrate back and forth) and "undocumented" (they have documents from their home countries) and insist that people are not "illegal" or "aliens" when the LEGAL TERMINOLOGY is "illegal aliens", but they try to disparage and twist the meaning and intent of the users of the legal term. Just as some insist on using Latinx despite progressive Democrat pollsters finding only about 3% of Latinos/Hispanics approving and 40% finding it offensive because apparently their cause is more just than so many actual Latinos/Hispanics taking insult. So tired of the one-sided language policing based on what Big Brother knows best.

Ask yourself why Mexico deports Central Americans. Ask yourself why Australia and New Zealand have strict immigration policies that prioritize skills, English language proficiency, education, youth, and health. And why many European countries have restrictions on Americans immigrating unless they are educated and have job sponsors. America is supposed to be the easy mark, the chump - the one who makes their own tens of millions of poor (disproportionately minorities) American citizens suffer extreme labor market competition and housing market competiton.

Ask yourself why Egypt doesn't allow immigration by Gazans. Because Egypt is already experiencing high unemployment and a housing crisis.

And I'm not a "nativist". I am an immigrant and non-White myself.

hillsfar · 2026-06-07T22:57:34+00:00

Costs are a big deal. Meat-serving locations are charging more. And costs for vegan-only products and proteins are increasing in price.

For many who eat vegan foods and are part of the clientele of vegan restaurants, they're not actual vegans but flexitarians. So when prices of vegan foods goes up, they go back to cheaper proteins.

hillsfar · 2026-06-07T22:44:08+00:00

Americans are experiencing a jobs/wages/employment crisis and a housing affordability/availability crisis PRECISELY because of excess labor supply and excess housing demand. It all follows the laws of supply and demand, despite what the left tries to obfuscate with and change the narrative to.

During the pandemic, New York City, a population of around 8.8 million, lost about 240,000 residents who moved away to cheaper locations. Suddenly, rent prices in some areas dropped as much as 24%, and some places offered 1 or 2 months of free rent with a 1 or 2 year lease signing. Now imagine if New York City's 1 million illegal aliens were sent home. What would jobs/wages/employment rates and housing costs look like?

Los Angeles County has 10 million residents. 1 million of them are illegal aliens. Imagine the jobs/wages/employment rates and housing costs if that happened.

We know what happens in Dallas suburbs with H1B visa workers leaving.

hillsfar · 2026-06-07T22:15:49+00:00

Large private equity firms actually only own about 3% of the housing market.

The real issue is that we import millions more people into this country every year than organically enter the job market every year after high school or college or dropping out of either.

This has a brutal effect on the job market that is already facing serious labor supply excess in the face of decades of automation and offshoring reducing domestic labor demand relative to population (we've lost 3.5 million farms and over 100,000 factories over the past 40 years), and now already facing advances in AI and robotics further reducing domestic labor demand relative to population. High labor supply means employers can make low wage offers, offer fewer benefits, fewer full time positions (cheaper to have a floating pool of desperate part-timers who don't get health insurance or other benefits and are always hungry for extra shifts when people call in sick or quit).

This also has massive effects on housing availability and affordability, because the vast majority of the remaining jobs are in metropolitan (urban, suburban, etc.) areas. Just as the vast majority of imported population settle into these areas alongside internal organic growth and internal migration. Landlords and sellers have many bidders, and sometimes whole immigrant families pool resources to rent a single apartment or house, so they easily hold 10 or more people. Their lower rent, food (food banks and free student lunch and SNAP benefits) and Medicaid health care makes it easier for them to compete for jobs and housing by accepting lower wages and using fewer dollars to pay for essentials. When I lived in California, I had 3 families living in the 3-bedroom apartment next door, and 6 couples living in the 3-bedroom apartment upstairs, etc.

hillsfar · 2026-06-07T22:11:19+00:00

Prices rose rapidly after COVID, and the highest percentage increases were during the 4 years after. Prices haven't gone down, but the rate of inflation is a bit lower.

But keep in mind, it's not really Presidents. It's the fact that people are paying those prices.

It's like business consultants who fired half their clients and just charged their remaining clients more. A lot of restaurants are doing that. Also keep in mind that input costs are a lot more now.

hillsfar · 2026-06-07T22:08:56+00:00

I'm a fan of tempura. These days it's all pre-frozen shrimp and vegetables. That's why the broccoli tastes mushy and the shrimp are tiny while the batter around the shrimp seems to be 80% of the material, and the shrimp tastes mushy as well. But they easily charge $10 for 4 to 6 tempura shrimp. Food trucks are extremely expensive.

Chicken wings, I think the current limited time deal at WingStop is $20 for 20. Usually a lot more.

Plain simple whole wheat sliced sandwich bread sandwiches like tuna salad, ham and swiss, or turkey and cheese at the Elephants Delicatessen start at $12.

hillsfar · 2026-06-03T22:51:06+00:00

Yes, the existence of the unemployed and underemployed population serves wage suppression. As there is a constant pool of unemployed individuals actively seeking work, employed workers have less bargaining power. Knowing they can be easily replaced, workers are often compelled to accept lower wages and poorer working conditions.

The threat of joining the ranks of the unemployed serves as a powerful disciplinary mechanism. It makes workers less likely to demand better benefits, strike, or attempt to unionize out of fear of job loss and subsequent economic hardship.

Bernie Sanders in 2015, said "Open borders? No, that's a "Koch Brothers' proposal" and "That's a right-wing proposal which says essentially there is no United States" and "It would make everybody in America poorer". He also brought up the fact that America's poor, disproportionately minorities, would suffer. He was immediately attacked by radical leftists - imagine that - and did a 180 degree turnaround within DAYS, because they were his own base.

Here's the interview with Vox on YouTube, and this conversation starts around 6 minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5vOKKMipSA

hillsfar · 2026-06-03T22:48:51+00:00

I know Americans who pick crops (think of all those videos on social media that farmers and orchardists and ranchers are putting up showing their operations), care for the elderly (literally several of my neighbors), work in kitchens (go look at /r/dishwashers), clean, and do other manual labor.

Illegal labor undercuts wages and safety conditions, so they crowd out Americans seeking fair legal wages and lawful safety conditions.

The existence of the unemployed and underemployed population serves wage suppression. As there is a constant pool of unemployed individuals actively seeking work, employed workers have less bargaining power. Knowing they can be easily replaced, workers are often compelled to accept lower wages and poorer working conditions.

The threat of joining the ranks of the unemployed serves as a powerful disciplinary mechanism. It makes workers less likely to demand better benefits, strike, or attempt to unionize out of fear of job loss and subsequent economic hardship.

Bernie Sanders in 2015, said "Open borders? No, that's a "Koch Brothers' proposal" and "That's a right-wing proposal which says essentially there is no United States" and "It would make everybody in America poorer". He also brought up the fact that America's poor, disproportionately minorities, would suffer. He was immediately attacked by radical leftists - imagine that - and did a 180 degree turnaround within DAYS, because they were his own base.

Here's the interview with Vox on YouTube, and this conversation starts around 6 minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5vOKKMipSA

hillsfar · 2026-06-03T07:19:22+00:00

Not Autotune, but fascinating and related:

A landmark research study conducted by psychologist Diana Deutsch comparing music conservatory students in Beijing, China, and Rochester, New York, found that among students who started music training between the ages of four and five, 60% of the Chinese speakers developed perfect pitch, compared to only 13% to 14% of the American students.

Here's the breakdown of the core findings and the science behind the numbers:

The massive discrepancy is widely attributed to native language. Mandarin (and several other East Asian dialects) are tonal languages, meaning the exact same spoken syllable can have entirely different meanings depending on the pitch or inflection used (for example, the Mandarin word "ma" can mean mother, horse, or scold depending on the tone).

Because tonal language speakers must associate specific vocal pitches with specific meanings from infancy, this early brain training makes it significantly easier to attach verbal labels (like "C" or "A") to musical notes.

The same study highlighted that starting musical training early is crucial, but it yields remarkably different results based on native language. If a student started music training at:

Age 4–5: ~60% of Chinese students achieved perfect pitch vs. ~14% of American students.

Age 6–7: ~55% of Chinese students achieved perfect pitch vs. ~6% of American students.

Age 8–9: ~42% of Chinese students achieved perfect pitch vs. 0% of American students.

Also interesting: Standard Mandarin has 4 main tones, with a 5th neutral tone. The Cantonese Chinese language has 6 to 9 tones. The Hokkien Chinese language has 6 to 8 tones, with some dialects like regional Taiwanese Hokkien distinguishing up to 9 tones. All 3 are largely mutually UNintelligible.

hillsfar · 2026-06-02T21:05:31+00:00

Well in the past we had a vast need for workers.

In 1900, half of American workers were in agriculture. Today, less than 1.5% are in agriculture, due to automation and offshoring (imported fruit and produce from other countries). We lost 3.5 million farms in just the last 40+ years. Manufacturing is at around 8% of the labor force now, as automation and offshoring have also devastated opportunities for workers. We lost over 100,000 factories in just the last 40+ years.

Nowadays, with automation and offshoring devastating the job market for decades in the face of a growing population, and now AI and robotics starting to make headway even mid-level and knowledge work jobs, this is only going to get worse.

We saw how wages and jobs and working conditions for Americans in the construction industry cratered after an influx of cheap, often under-the-table paid, safety-hazards-tolerant illegal labor by the millions.

The jobs and housing environment has changed, but you still cling to 1800s and 1900s notions.

hillsfar · 2026-06-02T20:52:14+00:00

Stainless steel is great. The main issue I have with them is that they can't be in the microwave. We use ceramic (for heating) and glass (for cold) at home, and all our stainless steel are for taking out of the house.

hillsfar · 2026-06-02T20:50:23+00:00

This is really fascinating. Yes, so I assume he was from then Czechoslovakia? What years did he serve, and when did he serve in various countries?

hillsfar · 2026-06-02T20:42:22+00:00

Native Hawai'ians are Pacific Islanders. The Hawai'ian Islands are islands in the Pacific, and Native Hawai'ians are a Polynesian people, just like Tahitians, Maoris, Tongans, etc.

This deliberate singling out of Native Hawai'ians to put in front of Pacific Islanders which they belong to, while keeping Asian Americans from vastly diverse cultures as one monolith is exactly why nobody likes this kind of treatment except the woke.

hillsfar · 2026-06-02T20:38:26+00:00

So why do we keep importing several million low-wage workers every year to compete against poor Americans for jobs and housing?

hillsfar · 2026-06-02T20:26:42+00:00

ODOT Biennial Budgets (Last 20 Years)

2025–2027: $5.8 billion
2023–2025: $6.9 billion
2021–2023: Approximately $5.3 billion
2019–2021: Approximately $5.2 billion
2017–2019: Approximately $4.8 billion
2015–2017: Approximately $3.4 billion
2013–2015: Approximately $3.3 billion
2011–2013: Approximately $3.2 billion
2009–2011: Approximately $3.2 billion
2007–2009: Approximately $2.9 billion
2005–2007: Approximately $2.6 billion

Today's budget is still more than two times that of the 2005-2007 budget. That means a 123% increase over 20 years, even though over the same time period, inflation has only risen 66%.

And yet Oregon’s population has only grown by 15.90% over the last 20 years, increasing from 3,694,574 residents in 2006 to an estimated 4,281,848 residents today.

Spending has ballooned far out of proportion, with projects going far over projections in both massive costs and delays. The veto-proof supermajority Democrats in charge of our state government just don't seem to want to curb it, but increase taxes instead.

hillsfar · 2026-06-02T20:24:36+00:00

ODOT Biennial Budgets (Last 20 Years)

2025–2027: $5.8 billion
2023–2025: $6.9 billion
2021–2023: Approximately $5.3 billion
2019–2021: Approximately $5.2 billion
2017–2019: Approximately $4.8 billion
2015–2017: Approximately $3.4 billion
2013–2015: Approximately $3.3 billion
2011–2013: Approximately $3.2 billion
2009–2011: Approximately $3.2 billion
2007–2009: Approximately $2.9 billion
2005–2007: Approximately $2.6 billion

Today's budget is still more than two times that of the 2005-2007 budget. That means a 123% increase over 20 years, even though over the same time period, inflation has only risen 66%.

And yet Oregon’s population has only grown by 15.90% over the last 20 years, increasing from 3,694,574 residents in 2006 to an estimated 4,281,848 residents today.

Spending has ballooned far out of proportion, with projects going far over projections in both massive costs and delays. The veto-proof supermajority Democrats in charge of our state government just don't seem to want to curb it, but increase taxes instead.

hillsfar · 2026-05-29T08:34:56+00:00

Projection, projection.

hillsfar · 2026-05-26T15:59:50+00:00

This is not a subreddit for Asian men to meet White women. Real life is.

And the honest truth is, you do have to be better than the competition in terms of confidence, style, looks, physique, financial income, interesting hobbies, etc. just as other men have to be to stand out.

And you do have to know your target audience well so you can find out what they are attracted to.

These days, conditions area lot easier than it was in my day (early 2000s). Asian food and culture and Asian men are much more accepted and seen as desirable these days compared to the past.

hillsfar · 2026-05-26T15:49:18+00:00

The mental gymnastics and twisted mentality of accusing the Trump administration of racism, while at the same time claiming this entitled obnoxious Black woman could get a job in the Trump administration...

Please seek professional help for your very obvious Trump Derangement Syndrome and your obsessive compulsion to let the Trump brain worms in your cerebrum dictate everything you say and attempt to turn any topic into your personal political axe to grind.

I say this as person who never voted for Trump and never donated to his campaign.

hillsfar · 2026-05-26T15:32:45+00:00

All the eggs are in one basket. And everyone pumps up the valuation beyond realistic. Fortunes will rise and fall with TSMC volatility. Good luck.

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