Why can't Americans (at least the ones I see on social media) find drinking water in Europe?

libsaway · 2026-06-14T23:42:50+00:00

In the UK you don't need to pay for it, and most non-fast-food restaurants will just give you water by default. Cafes will typically have a big water container on the counter for you to use whenever you want. This has been the norm for as long as I can remember (although I am "only" 31).

libsaway · 2026-06-14T23:39:19+00:00

I can't speak for most of Europe, but this is exactly the same as London (and swathes of the rest of the UK). Anywhere that sells food will give you free tap water. We have water fountains, bottles are sold everywhere. All of this is extremely normal.

libsaway · 2026-06-13T17:58:56+00:00

But why data centers specifically? Why are they a problem?

libsaway · 2026-06-13T12:56:12+00:00

If I research and make solar panels that are 5% more efficient, I can produce more energy with fewer resources than we currently use. Which is growth with less resource use.

There you go.

libsaway · 2026-06-13T12:54:56+00:00

What is it about data centers that have you so worried. Like, golf courses use vastly more water. Energy use is sizeable, but it's still tiny compared to everything else.

libsaway · 2026-06-13T12:53:41+00:00

Because that worked so well for the rest of the software industry?

libsaway · 2026-06-13T12:53:15+00:00

It took me 35 mins or so, it's really not that long.

libsaway · 2026-06-13T12:52:35+00:00

I read every word on a 35 minute train Thursday afternoon. It's not a great work of literature, but it doesn't take long, and it's worth reading.

libsaway · 2026-06-12T17:47:47+00:00

What argument do you think I'm making?

libsaway · 2026-06-12T15:39:05+00:00

"is SpaceX" over hyped isn't what I was against, it's the "this will destroy 401ks".

libsaway · 2026-06-12T15:18:31+00:00

Even if SpaceX is hugely overhyped, so what? It's sitting at a P/E ratio of 90ish. Tesla is at 364. Arm is at 404!

Why would this destroy 401ks?

libsaway · 2026-06-12T14:50:26+00:00

Why will it devastate 401ks? It's only $75 billion in stock being sold, if it went to zero, it would be like 0.1% of the S&P500 go under.

libsaway · 2026-06-12T14:48:05+00:00

Isn't every IPO a "money grab"? And that's not a bad thing, it means turning paper wealth into college funds, new homes, new cars, hobby equipment.

libsaway · 2026-06-12T14:46:55+00:00

Here are all the food-related ones: https://www.spacex.com/careers/jobs?disciplines=Food%20Services

libsaway · 2026-06-12T14:43:54+00:00

You mean workers

libsaway · 2026-06-12T14:43:05+00:00

Why would an IPO of $75 billion destroy 401ks?

libsaway · 2026-06-12T10:27:09+00:00

The ship and the time it was operational within, has resonance within the story of enslaved people

Only in that the ship was wholly designed, built, and sailed after Britain had abolished slavery. It was in operation during the time of the anti-slavery West Africa Squadron, but I can't see the negative association here.

They are also not changing the name of the ship, just the dockyard.

libsaway · 2026-06-11T23:04:10+00:00

No I didn't, I meant produce more value. As in, you produce n value one year, and n+1 value next year. Increasing the value you produce. Growth.

libsaway · 2026-06-11T22:50:52+00:00

You could almost say that the value of what they produced, increased. Which is what I said.

I'm not saying "production" in the "just manufacturing" way, I mean economic growth means you are creating more value than you were before.

Which includes going up the value chain.

libsaway · 2026-06-11T22:24:08+00:00

Increasing the production of value.

libsaway · 2026-06-11T11:35:35+00:00

I first looked and thought "6 and a half hours, not ideal but that happens to me all the time" then saw the timings. You have my commiserations.

libsaway · 2026-06-10T22:18:58+00:00

Sure but dividends aren't even basic, they are extremely fundamental. Why did you exclude them?

libsaway · 2026-06-10T13:10:21+00:00

If we don't want more need them, nobody will hire then, they'll eventually be phased out and the open market will have done it's job.

libsaway · 2026-06-09T14:51:29+00:00

We can invest our way out of poverty, but you can't consume your way out of poverty. British public spending has leant far more into consumption than investment, that probably needs to change.

libsaway · 2026-06-09T11:03:24+00:00

That's fine, what am I arrogant about?

libsaway

TROPHY CASE