the problems caused by AI data centers are all downstream of previous policy failures that should've been fixed with or without AI entering the picture

I went to see the new Avatar, having not seen the second one and only watching the first one once in 2008, but it was pretty easy to catch up after all these years. I remembered who the bad guy was (not sure why he's an Avatar but its the same aggro dude) and the good guy and that's all that matters

This is overall a decent rundown of the evidence on Housing First, but it’s noteworthy that the only anti-HF “experts” they could find are ideologues who share the tech fascist Joe Lonsdale as a patron. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/25/u...

Having a normal Christmas morning

“I’m Black. I’m not White, Hispanic, Indian, Chinese, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, transgender, gay, non-citizen, or a temporary resident. But all these people are my people — the American people. An attack on any of them is an attack on America and on me.”

Stopped in the Richmond Target this evening and shared it with the descendants of African slaves, Asian refugees, English settlers, and Hispanic immigrants - all doing that most American of activities: last-minute Christmas shopping. That's the America I swore an oath to support and defend 🇺🇸

The thing about the East Bay is that I fucking love it. The home you choose, yknow?

Seriously I always find it absolutely wonderful when I go to a park and there’s a bunch of Chinese tech bros playing basketball, there’s a Mexican family celebrating a quinceañera, an Iranian group is playing some soccer, and Indians are playing Cricket off in the baseball diamond.

Darrell cooked here. Oakland, the East Bay, the Bay Area, LA, and California as a whole make me feel so proud to be an American. We’re strong, not despite our differences, but because of them

"Every morning, Black, Asian, and Hispanic kids play basketball at Wilma Chan Park in Chinatown, blissfully unaware that this country’s discourse is consumed with the idea that they can’t get along."

My parents and I moved to Fremont when I was less than a year old, and we haven't left the East Bay since. I grew up in Union City, went to UC Berkeley, and live in Oakland. It taught me what the US is and could be: A land where difference doesn't separate us from making each other's dreams happen.

I love the east Bay Area. People of different races and religions live and work together to build the American Dream. We in liberal society take this for granted but the national rise of extremism stemming from online content seeks to take this away from us. darrellowens.substack.com/p/the-americ...

It’s out of control. I’m on my way home from work, and I switched cars because someone was watching tiktoks on full volume. Ten minutes later, someone else gets on and starts playing tiktoks. I like to read on BART, but I guess I need to get headphones and start listening to music. It’s too annoying

Santa's in New York!!!!

A little good news from the world’s fourth largest economy: “From 2022 to 2023, GHG emissions per capita in California fell by 2.8% while inflation-adjusted GDP per capita grew by 2.3% over the same time period, demonstrating that climate ambition and economic growth can complement each other.”😎

Good news: I figured out how the API works for Alameda and Contra Costa election results so I can map the results live as they come in for 2026 instead of waiting till they release the full excel sheet a month later. Why they dont just map every result contest themselves, I don't know.

It's funny IMO that Berkeley, California was one of very first jurisdictions to ban straws/plastic bags -- you know, for the environment -- But soon as we learned the actual leading source of plastic pollution? Crickets. Performative progressivism. www-pbs-org.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.pbs....

"The people of San Francisco vote for liberal politicians, but when it comes to protecting the beauty of their city, they are hard-line conservatives." —Mayor Art Agnos

Its really understated how much of a turnaround Richmond, CA has. In the 1990s Richmond was a homicide capital of the west coast! There were blocks in Richmond I could not walk or wear red shoes on for fear of being shot.

GREENLAND UPDATE: 🇬🇱🇬🇱🇬🇱🇬🇱🇬🇱🇬🇱 Message from the Premier of Greenland

Drivers are so stupid they dont realize they're the main beneficaries of this policy. Making driving harder for people who dont need to drive (like me) frees up space for drivers who do need to drive.

i don't like Santa Baby

Only reason the court did this is that they're now genuinely worried that total lawlessness will be used against them in the future. They had to draw the line somewhere but still give Trump otherwise tremendous leeway to do whatever he wants.

Thanks El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll for holding a powerful vigil yesterday for Donna Revecho, who was killed while crossing San Pablo Ave. It was inspiring to join dozens to stand up for safe streets. We need to hold Caltrans accountable to make San Pablo safer & prevent more tragedies!

Today in extremely Berkeley headlines

Actual Challenge Mode: One Mustn't Go.

BART needs to start making PSAs onboard trains telling people to put their headphones in and stop blasting noise from their phones. It's genuinely getting annoying and this is all post-pandemic bad behavior.

Amazing results in New York remind me how disappointing it is that congestion pricing efforts have stalled in San Francisco. With congestion pricing, Muni service could be robustly funded, transit ridership would climb, and traffic through much of the Bay Area would significantly decrease.

This is a bizarre article about BART’s fiscal precarity that endlessly quotes from former Orinda Senator Steve Glazer, including the baseless assertion that if the regional measure fails the system could preserve service levels through vague executive salary cuts. sfstandard.com/2025/12/21/b...

I dont like that BART has delays almost daily now, but the freeway does too. No one blames Caltrans or declares they'll stop driving when you encounter traffic due to accidents, faulty infrastructure, or police activity.

Local realtor Eric Gellerman has a good monthly newsletter...

Im watching the Channel 5 video on the white-only settlement in Arkansas and the ringleader says is "we're a community of European traditions like the nuclear family." What's funnier: Americans thinking Europeans think of themselves as a single race or thinking the nuclear family is traditional.

i really want a little kitten so I can name them nimby.

In Santa Monica, the FPPC has disqualified pro-housing Councilmember Jesse Zwick from all future housing votes. They said that because he works for a housing non-profit, he’s “conflicted” and must recuse. Pretty absurd. The NIMBY deep state strikes again. www.smdp.com/state-regula...

Holy smokes the quotes here are deranged. He's pro-housing and pro-immigration but people on here are fantasizing about executing him because they can't read

State building code should supercede local code for situations like this. If it's been there for decades and hasn't been a flood, fire or mold hazard, and it meets state code, it's fine. The only purpose a more stringent city code serves is a shakedown.

Im in the South Bay and the backup to get to Great Mall is severe. You move like an inch per light cycle. So i did a hack: park on the street just outside the great mall and walk 10 mins to it. The South Bayers are shocked. The biggest invention since sliced bread.

Yes, it’s entirely true that many of the migrants who came under the Biden admin did not have housing arranged for them when they arrived and so ended up in homeless shelters at first, at times for months, while they got on their feet. This is 100% true, not an anti-immigrant gotcha, just the facts.

Rest In Power to Betty Reid Soskin www.grandviewindependent.com/betty-reid-s...

This is a man who called himself an atheist until he was apprised that that was a political liability in Ohio. Now he calls himself a Catholic, while flouting the church's theology and holding the church itself up to ridicule.

"Real-estate agents are noticing more throuples and polycules buying homes together, often with everyone’s name on the deed." www.wsj.com/real-estate/... (gift link)

“.. based on the data we have to date; it looks like manufacturing is experiencing more of a slump than is generally recognized ..” @deanbaker13.bsky.social cepr.net/publications...

Not having 2 workers on a train means a surplus of workers tha could be used for more train frequency, janitorial duties, station safety etc. It doesnt mean mass unemployment.

The NY TWU turned opposed congestion pricing as well. Really seems like they're laser-focused on extracting the rents they can from a static or declining system rather than participating in a positive-sum program to expand transit service to more New Yorkers

An immigrant works a dangerous job to protect Americans. It puts him in medical debt. Now he also has to worry about being deported by ICE when he goes to work or takes his kid to a soccer tournament. Feel safer?

I think on some level conservative NIMBYs oppose more housing because they dislike the idea of young people having more choices in how their lives are going to unfold

Another Oakland area earthquake. Very slight; felt like a truck drove by. We're getting a lot of little tremors lately. Wonder if the climax coming after 30 years of waiting. Make sure you have an earthquake emergency kit! berkeleyca.gov/safety-healt...