Tomorrow is my last day that I'll be reliably on the DBD for the next three weeks. I'll be watching spring training baseball, then in Manhattan, then Uzbekistan for 2 weeks. So post away, folks.
The Stans are an interesting part of the world. Russian influence has ebbed away from there leaving the countries to be mostly independent - some more than others. They are also not blessed with great education, natural resources, or developed logistics - which creates an interesting dynamic. The country is poor, but it is not without its culture, impressive places, and beauty. They are amongst the human equivalent of the shrinking rainforest - places like Papua New Guinea, Nepal, and a few other places where you can go there and basically step back in time where people are living their life where their culture is still very strong, not diluted with pan-globalism. Thirty years ago, it was pretty easy to go drop yourself into a third world country and have a "National Geographic" moment. These days, you go to many of those same places and the culture has been replaced by McDonalds. I have heard from a friend that Uzbekistan will deliver that National Geographic moment that I want.
"I had no idea gold was from stolen golden toilet" is the defense of one of the guys who allegedly stole the toilet. If you've been following this case, they were literally conspiring on their phone to do so, had code words for gold to try to throw people off their trail, and one literally took a selfie with the toilet a day before it was stolen.
Most bacon is trash quality. People love it because it has so much fat and salt that it pokes people right in the pleasure center - but it's generally poor quality pork that is masked by fake smoke flavor, sugar, and salt. Good bacon is effing amazing.
Oh, and in Tsuyama, Okayama, there’s a store called Natural Bush. I thought is was a throwback porno shop, but it is like herbal stuff and soaps, iirc.
Jose Altuve is about the become the second shortest outfield in MLB at 5'6". He is arguably taller than Jorge Barrosa - a journeyman minor leaguer who occasionally gets called up to bat below the Mendoza line. Depending on the source, Barrosa is anywhere from 5'5" to 5'9". You can drive a truck through that range, so long as the truck is shorter than 4 inches tall.
The Atlanta Fed's GDPNow model - its unofficial economic model - forecastsed growth rate for 1Q25 to be -1.5%, down from +2.3% and +4.0% from a month ago. Yesterday, this was revised down to -2.8%.
At the core, this model is factoring in the front-loading that American businesses of inventory purchasing - which is causing a very large trade deficit. But the bigger gorilla in the room is the waning American consumer sentiment, which may get smacked once the Canadian/Mexcian/Chinese tariffs go into effect today. Those three countries are about 40% of our trade.
Back in 2018, NPR hosted a podcast to answer what the worst tariff ever was. The trigger for that was Trump initiating 25% steel & aluminum tariffs. To be clear, the tariff was short lived and basically nothing changed.
The gist of the NPR podcast is that the worst tariff ever was the Smoot Hawley Act.
This had me thinking. Today's tariffs may be the worst tariffs ever. You torpedo 40% of our imports and exports and you pin it to something that can never be solved (fentanyl smuggling & illegal immigration) by our trade partners. So he's painted himself into a corner in order to demonize [checks long list of Trump's perceived enemies] key trading partners.
Breaking news: China imposes tariffs and trade restrictions in retaliation to Trump's really great terrific tariffs. China's imports are tiny compared to export to the US and their tariffs are narrow (agricultural products). But these tarriffs will sting disproportionately to the 15% rate because they are on things that are basically commodities - making their price non-competitive. This will disproportionately hit farmers - which tend to heavily lean toward being Trump voters.
Canada enacts 25% tariffs. They point out that less than 1% of interdicted fentanyl comes via Canada. The are targeting $155 bn dollars of goods. This is about 40% of US trade to Canada.
JD Vance discounts the lives of British and French soldiers laid down and the blood spilled as allies in Afghanistan and Iraq. Trump is setting the ground to pull out of NATO, but not before pissing off our closest allies.
The Pope is resting after the Vatican admits he had two setbacks with pneumonia. He's on supplemental oxygen now, but is not intubated. Honestly, I'm pretty impressed at how transparent the Vatican has been about his health.
Press like to light a virtual candle for Pope Francis.
Trump says he has a plan for a Federal Strategic Reserve of Crypto Currency. Bruh, isn't one of the main things that proponents have for crypto is that it is outside the fiat currency realm?
Awesome plan to increase the exchange value of cryptocurrencies for a small population of sellers and help tank the dollar in the process, masterful move sir
I do not want a cent of my tax dollars going to crypto. It’s just a direct wealth transfer to the crypto whales, who are rich already and in some cases literal criminals.
(Also VCs and crypto execs. Some of whom would also be literal criminals had Trump’s SEC not just dropped its fraud cases against them.)
The First Amendment burst into flames as Trump threatened to withhold any Federal funding from any university that allows "illegal protests", following up that he'll jail and deport people who do protest.
I was looking through the sports pages while eating lunch. In the men’s polls under others receiving votes they have listed California, San Diego. Did I miss a memo that changed their name? I’ve always only seen UCSD.
It’s time once again for Oski Disciple’s Question of the Day.
During transportation delays there are often announcements in which people are thanked for their patience. How do they know people have been patient? Are they spying on us?
My brother got so angry at me when he was a kid that he pulled the 9" chef knife from the butcher block and tried to stab me with it. So, one? I mean, does it count as a knife fight if I was unarmed?
Your brother was more serious than my sister, who threw a butter knife at me during a family dinner- or it could be that the chef knife just wasn't in reach at the time...
Such announcements as described are, indeed, entreaties to riders for their understanding and... patience. At the same time, I have only ever noticed resignation from riders to such announcements and, rarely, some facial expressions of disgust.
Riders really don't have much choice, especially when you're contained within an aluminum tube on rails and no easy way out. Creating a disturbance or rioting does not seem an effective option.
EDIT: I think the longest I have been stuck on a stopped BART train was about 30 minutes following the Loma Prieta Quake in '89. And that as only until track inspections gave the all clear to BART Control to move trains to the next station.
Chile
Excellent site for astronomical observatories. Also they eat a lot of dulce de leche.
I really want to get to Patagonia some time. For those who have been, must visit spots?
DBD Logistics
Tomorrow is my last day that I'll be reliably on the DBD for the next three weeks. I'll be watching spring training baseball, then in Manhattan, then Uzbekistan for 2 weeks. So post away, folks.
Can I as what’s in Uzbek? Not a place I hear about many traveling to.
The Stans are an interesting part of the world. Russian influence has ebbed away from there leaving the countries to be mostly independent - some more than others. They are also not blessed with great education, natural resources, or developed logistics - which creates an interesting dynamic. The country is poor, but it is not without its culture, impressive places, and beauty. They are amongst the human equivalent of the shrinking rainforest - places like Papua New Guinea, Nepal, and a few other places where you can go there and basically step back in time where people are living their life where their culture is still very strong, not diluted with pan-globalism. Thirty years ago, it was pretty easy to go drop yourself into a third world country and have a "National Geographic" moment. These days, you go to many of those same places and the culture has been replaced by McDonalds. I have heard from a friend that Uzbekistan will deliver that National Geographic moment that I want.
Are you traveling alone? Of all the Stan’s, how or why did you pick Uzbek?
Just Uzbekistan with my family. We have a fixer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh_NSKlEdZE
Nuclear waste (kidding!)
"I had no idea gold was from stolen golden toilet" is the defense of one of the guys who allegedly stole the toilet. If you've been following this case, they were literally conspiring on their phone to do so, had code words for gold to try to throw people off their trail, and one literally took a selfie with the toilet a day before it was stolen.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg170x26r5o
SHE BLINDED ME WITH...
Killer Whales don't just eat seals, fish, and dolphins.
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/west-seattle-whale-watchers-witness-once-in-a-lifetime-orca-behavior/FVHO73CH6BHFDB5PGT2RB4AVGU/
What's a nearly universally loved food that you secretly think is trash?
Grocery store bacon
Most bacon is trash quality. People love it because it has so much fat and salt that it pokes people right in the pleasure center - but it's generally poor quality pork that is masked by fake smoke flavor, sugar, and salt. Good bacon is effing amazing.
Coffee
Pesto
Mayonnaise
Name a product/company with a name that’s a bit questionable
Kum & Go
I've driven past a few and wonder WTF
What is it?
From Japan (easy pickings):
Pocari Sweat
Hard-Off (store selling used stereo stuff, spinoff of the far more common Book-Off.
Plussy (juice). It’s from Plus (vitamin) C
Oh, and in Tsuyama, Okayama, there’s a store called Natural Bush. I thought is was a throwback porno shop, but it is like herbal stuff and soaps, iirc.
PRO
Moustakas signs a 1 days deal with Royals, retires.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44100592/mike-moustakas-retires-member-kansas-city-royals
Jose Altuve is about the become the second shortest outfield in MLB at 5'6". He is arguably taller than Jorge Barrosa - a journeyman minor leaguer who occasionally gets called up to bat below the Mendoza line. Depending on the source, Barrosa is anywhere from 5'5" to 5'9". You can drive a truck through that range, so long as the truck is shorter than 4 inches tall.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44098062/astros-say-jose-altuve-expected-play-mostly-left-field
Kyrie Irving out for the season with a blown ACL in his left knee. Kyrie is 32 years old
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/44107102/sources-mavericks-kyrie-irving-torn-acl-rest-season
CAL
Go Bears!!!
DBD STREET JOURNAL
The Atlanta Fed's GDPNow model - its unofficial economic model - forecastsed growth rate for 1Q25 to be -1.5%, down from +2.3% and +4.0% from a month ago. Yesterday, this was revised down to -2.8%.
https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/atlanta-fed-shock-sounds-trumpcession-warning-mcgeever-2025-03-03/
At the core, this model is factoring in the front-loading that American businesses of inventory purchasing - which is causing a very large trade deficit. But the bigger gorilla in the room is the waning American consumer sentiment, which may get smacked once the Canadian/Mexcian/Chinese tariffs go into effect today. Those three countries are about 40% of our trade.
Back in 2018, NPR hosted a podcast to answer what the worst tariff ever was. The trigger for that was Trump initiating 25% steel & aluminum tariffs. To be clear, the tariff was short lived and basically nothing changed.
The gist of the NPR podcast is that the worst tariff ever was the Smoot Hawley Act.
https://www.npr.org/transcripts/598333995
This had me thinking. Today's tariffs may be the worst tariffs ever. You torpedo 40% of our imports and exports and you pin it to something that can never be solved (fentanyl smuggling & illegal immigration) by our trade partners. So he's painted himself into a corner in order to demonize [checks long list of Trump's perceived enemies] key trading partners.
"Anyone, anyone" clip from Ferris Bueller's Day Off
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhiCFdWeQfA
The Smoot Hawley Tarriff Act (referred to as "Hawley Smoot Tarriff Act") is referenced in the clip.
Love to see a good middle class tax increase
Breaking news: China imposes tariffs and trade restrictions in retaliation to Trump's really great terrific tariffs. China's imports are tiny compared to export to the US and their tariffs are narrow (agricultural products). But these tarriffs will sting disproportionately to the 15% rate because they are on things that are basically commodities - making their price non-competitive. This will disproportionately hit farmers - which tend to heavily lean toward being Trump voters.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/04/economy/trade-mexico-canada-china-tariffs-trump-hnk-intl/index.html
Canada enacts 25% tariffs. They point out that less than 1% of interdicted fentanyl comes via Canada. The are targeting $155 bn dollars of goods. This is about 40% of US trade to Canada.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/04/trumps-tariffs-start-global-trade-live-updates.html
Mexico says it will announce tariffs and other restrictions on Sunday
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/04/trumps-tariffs-start-global-trade-live-updates.html
Ontario Premier threatens to shut off electricity exports to the US
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/13/business/canadian-us-energy/index.html
Which states will this impact?
Which just means the GOP and Trump will bail out the majority of those farmers with our tax dollars.
My sister who lives in Iowa rails about this from the first time around.
POLITICS
JD Vance discounts the lives of British and French soldiers laid down and the blood spilled as allies in Afghanistan and Iraq. Trump is setting the ground to pull out of NATO, but not before pissing off our closest allies.
https://x.com/antoguerrera/status/1896827304946581995
The Pope is resting after the Vatican admits he had two setbacks with pneumonia. He's on supplemental oxygen now, but is not intubated. Honestly, I'm pretty impressed at how transparent the Vatican has been about his health.
Press like to light a virtual candle for Pope Francis.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/03/europe/pope-francis-respiratory-failure-intl/index.html
The USS North Carolina is visiting Wilmington NC.
https://www.wect.com/2025/03/03/submarine-commissioned-wilmington-scheduled-visit-friday/
Wait, doesn't Wilmington already have the USS North Carolina?
https://battleshipnc.com/
Trump says he has a plan for a Federal Strategic Reserve of Crypto Currency. Bruh, isn't one of the main things that proponents have for crypto is that it is outside the fiat currency realm?
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/04/pro-trump-techies-enraged-by-crypto-reserve-plan-causing-early-rift.html
Awesome plan to increase the exchange value of cryptocurrencies for a small population of sellers and help tank the dollar in the process, masterful move sir
Make the house of cards bigger, That way it will be more spectacular to watch when (not if) it collapses.
I do not want a cent of my tax dollars going to crypto. It’s just a direct wealth transfer to the crypto whales, who are rich already and in some cases literal criminals.
(Also VCs and crypto execs. Some of whom would also be literal criminals had Trump’s SEC not just dropped its fraud cases against them.)
DBD AV CLUB
Dolly Parton's husband has passed away. They were together for over 60 years. Poor Saint Dolly.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DGwdXPoPvoj/?hl=en
ELSEWHERE IN COLLEGE
The First Amendment burst into flames as Trump threatened to withhold any Federal funding from any university that allows "illegal protests", following up that he'll jail and deport people who do protest.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-federal-funding-will-stop-colleges-schools-allowing-illegal-protests-2025-03-04/
As long as it isn’t the 2nd amendment, they won’t care.
I was looking through the sports pages while eating lunch. In the men’s polls under others receiving votes they have listed California, San Diego. Did I miss a memo that changed their name? I’ve always only seen UCSD.
It’s time once again for Oski Disciple’s Question of the Day.
During transportation delays there are often announcements in which people are thanked for their patience. How do they know people have been patient? Are they spying on us?
My brother got so angry at me when he was a kid that he pulled the 9" chef knife from the butcher block and tried to stab me with it. So, one? I mean, does it count as a knife fight if I was unarmed?
Your brother was more serious than my sister, who threw a butter knife at me during a family dinner- or it could be that the chef knife just wasn't in reach at the time...
I have a slightly different take from AndyPanda.
Such announcements as described are, indeed, entreaties to riders for their understanding and... patience. At the same time, I have only ever noticed resignation from riders to such announcements and, rarely, some facial expressions of disgust.
Riders really don't have much choice, especially when you're contained within an aluminum tube on rails and no easy way out. Creating a disturbance or rioting does not seem an effective option.
It’s actually pretty rare that I get stuck on Metro but I am never without reading material just in case.
I *always* have reading material when on BART.
EDIT: I think the longest I have been stuck on a stopped BART train was about 30 minutes following the Loma Prieta Quake in '89. And that as only until track inspections gave the all clear to BART Control to move trains to the next station.
They are desperately hoping we will be patient, and forgiving. This is increasingly a false hope.
Bonus question: When was the last time you were in a knife fight?
I make every effort to avoid them.
Lately, feels like just about everyday.