First Class Duck
@firstclassduck.bsky.social
an opinionated and jaded traveler
Reposted by First Class Duck
I am convinced that no delivery model eliminates the need for an informed client who knows what they want. If Metrolinx wanted to put the decisions on DB than they would have to solidify constraints and requirements and then step back and let Db basically be the informed client for them.
November 13, 2025 at 6:45 PM
I am convinced that no delivery model eliminates the need for an informed client who knows what they want. If Metrolinx wanted to put the decisions on DB than they would have to solidify constraints and requirements and then step back and let Db basically be the informed client for them.
Reposted by First Class Duck
By learning from other countries and adopting international best practices, California High Speed Rail was able to cut its costs by $14 billion and cut 70% of tunnels.
This is a big lesson for transit projects both in NY & around the US: start by learning from other countries.
tinyurl.com/mvsmfxa2
This is a big lesson for transit projects both in NY & around the US: start by learning from other countries.
tinyurl.com/mvsmfxa2
November 11, 2025 at 10:29 PM
By learning from other countries and adopting international best practices, California High Speed Rail was able to cut its costs by $14 billion and cut 70% of tunnels.
This is a big lesson for transit projects both in NY & around the US: start by learning from other countries.
tinyurl.com/mvsmfxa2
This is a big lesson for transit projects both in NY & around the US: start by learning from other countries.
tinyurl.com/mvsmfxa2
Reposted by First Class Duck
They [Democrats] couldn't keep the government shutdown until the midterms. This was always about focusing attention on the costs of healthcare.
bsky.app/profile/dore...
bsky.app/profile/dore...
The one thing I'm most sure of: if this government shutdown doesn't end well the people on Bluesky demanding it will blame Democrats for doing it wrong.
November 10, 2025 at 5:11 AM
They [Democrats] couldn't keep the government shutdown until the midterms. This was always about focusing attention on the costs of healthcare.
bsky.app/profile/dore...
bsky.app/profile/dore...
Reposted by First Class Duck
Not sure about the chances Dems were ever gonna get Republicans to fold. They're pretty comfortable starving out people on SNAP and making federal workers go broke. They went to court so they could starve people!
November 10, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Not sure about the chances Dems were ever gonna get Republicans to fold. They're pretty comfortable starving out people on SNAP and making federal workers go broke. They went to court so they could starve people!
Reposted by First Class Duck
However much you, a politically engaged person, think the average American knows about what's going on, I can promise you: it's way less than that. No matter how low your estimation. It's lower than that.
October 29, 2025 at 11:12 PM
However much you, a politically engaged person, think the average American knows about what's going on, I can promise you: it's way less than that. No matter how low your estimation. It's lower than that.
Reposted by First Class Duck
The immediate liberal take on the 2024 election was that swing voters are kind of dumb, and just vote based on vibes.
Reality has not disproved that yet.
www.americansurveycenter.org/quiz/
Reality has not disproved that yet.
www.americansurveycenter.org/quiz/
October 30, 2025 at 1:16 AM
The immediate liberal take on the 2024 election was that swing voters are kind of dumb, and just vote based on vibes.
Reality has not disproved that yet.
www.americansurveycenter.org/quiz/
Reality has not disproved that yet.
www.americansurveycenter.org/quiz/
Reposted by First Class Duck
I've always said the Berenstain Bears were like if Ned Flanders tried to write a Simpsons episode.
October 29, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Reposted by First Class Duck
We do this discourse over and over. Lot of Americans love the idea of a Scandinavian safety net but don't love the idea of paying for it. So we tell stories about how we can tax just "the rich" to get there. And that is not how math works.
No, his point is not that we shouldn't tax the rich into oblivion. We obviously should. It is that we can't only tax the rich into oblivion. We will also have to raise taxes more generally to produce a strong safety net. Taxing the rich is necessary but not sufficient.
October 29, 2025 at 4:49 PM
We do this discourse over and over. Lot of Americans love the idea of a Scandinavian safety net but don't love the idea of paying for it. So we tell stories about how we can tax just "the rich" to get there. And that is not how math works.
Reposted by First Class Duck
Everytime I see a "just tax billionaires for it" reply, as if thats an unlimited amount of revenue, all I hear is "how dare you ask me, a smol bean, to also contribute to the public goods that I want to use"
October 29, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Everytime I see a "just tax billionaires for it" reply, as if thats an unlimited amount of revenue, all I hear is "how dare you ask me, a smol bean, to also contribute to the public goods that I want to use"
Reposted by First Class Duck
Absolutely. Trump is a reflection of who we’ve become. Breaking the mirror doesn’t change anything about the person looking into it.
October 28, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Absolutely. Trump is a reflection of who we’ve become. Breaking the mirror doesn’t change anything about the person looking into it.
Reposted by First Class Duck
Hey remember when he tried to kill Mike Pence during a coup attempt and we just shrugged it off and re-elected him anyway?
At this point, the voters are the problem. Until we demand better, we are getting what we deserve.
At this point, the voters are the problem. Until we demand better, we are getting what we deserve.
October 28, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Hey remember when he tried to kill Mike Pence during a coup attempt and we just shrugged it off and re-elected him anyway?
At this point, the voters are the problem. Until we demand better, we are getting what we deserve.
At this point, the voters are the problem. Until we demand better, we are getting what we deserve.
Reposted by First Class Duck
I guess that's like tautologically true but someone making minimum wage at Wal Mart will not starve to death without SNAP, they will just have to start living out of their car or forego medical care or make some other horrible accomodation to poverty because of the money they now must spend on food
Classic Iron Law of Wages reasoning that you can't pay people less than they need to live, by definition. I mean not if you expect them to continue to show up for long.
October 27, 2025 at 4:41 AM
I guess that's like tautologically true but someone making minimum wage at Wal Mart will not starve to death without SNAP, they will just have to start living out of their car or forego medical care or make some other horrible accomodation to poverty because of the money they now must spend on food
Reposted by First Class Duck
I don't think "SNAP is a subsidy to low wage employers" frame is useful or correct. It implies that, if SNAP did not exist, these companies would be forced to pay workers more when the actual situation is that low wage workers would get the same wages from these employers as now but be poorer
October 27, 2025 at 4:23 AM
I don't think "SNAP is a subsidy to low wage employers" frame is useful or correct. It implies that, if SNAP did not exist, these companies would be forced to pay workers more when the actual situation is that low wage workers would get the same wages from these employers as now but be poorer
Reposted by First Class Duck
We need to internalize the fact that racial gerrymandering only works due to the reliability with which white people vote for segregationists.
Single-member districts make all kinds of mischief possible.
The Supreme Court would be irrelevant here if we had proportional representation. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...
The Supreme Court would be irrelevant here if we had proportional representation. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/u...
October 26, 2025 at 5:19 PM
We need to internalize the fact that racial gerrymandering only works due to the reliability with which white people vote for segregationists.
I see we’ve never been to Calgary. :-)
I liked Toronto, but admittedly went up there to go walk around and ride trains for a three day weekend so my version of being a tourist is different when compared to your average traveler.
I liked Toronto, but admittedly went up there to go walk around and ride trains for a three day weekend so my version of being a tourist is different when compared to your average traveler.
To me, Roncy falls into the "great place to live, not a great place to stay as a tourist" category—which isn't a bad description of Toronto itself.
October 26, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I see we’ve never been to Calgary. :-)
I liked Toronto, but admittedly went up there to go walk around and ride trains for a three day weekend so my version of being a tourist is different when compared to your average traveler.
I liked Toronto, but admittedly went up there to go walk around and ride trains for a three day weekend so my version of being a tourist is different when compared to your average traveler.
Reposted by First Class Duck
when you make the *existing city* illegal to build again today this is the obvious and inevitable consequence: www.latimes.com/california/s...
October 22, 2025 at 1:36 PM
when you make the *existing city* illegal to build again today this is the obvious and inevitable consequence: www.latimes.com/california/s...
Reposted by First Class Duck
Reposted by First Class Duck
📺 Happy Monday! We have another Cab Cam video for you! You’re watching sped-up footage of the BART Red Line from the view of a rider from Millbrae to Richmond.
Head to our YouTube channel at youtube.com/@BARTable for the full video.
Head to our YouTube channel at youtube.com/@BARTable for the full video.
October 13, 2025 at 8:53 PM
📺 Happy Monday! We have another Cab Cam video for you! You’re watching sped-up footage of the BART Red Line from the view of a rider from Millbrae to Richmond.
Head to our YouTube channel at youtube.com/@BARTable for the full video.
Head to our YouTube channel at youtube.com/@BARTable for the full video.
Reposted by First Class Duck
As a constituent who has voted for Elizabeth Warren in all three of her Senate runs, I have always had an extremely difficult time getting a hold of her office.
Elizabeth Warren has never shown aspirations to become the Commonwealth‘s favorite daughter — let alone a fixture — here, and it shows.
Elizabeth Warren has never shown aspirations to become the Commonwealth‘s favorite daughter — let alone a fixture — here, and it shows.
October 13, 2025 at 8:20 PM
As a constituent who has voted for Elizabeth Warren in all three of her Senate runs, I have always had an extremely difficult time getting a hold of her office.
Elizabeth Warren has never shown aspirations to become the Commonwealth‘s favorite daughter — let alone a fixture — here, and it shows.
Elizabeth Warren has never shown aspirations to become the Commonwealth‘s favorite daughter — let alone a fixture — here, and it shows.
Reposted by First Class Duck
Elizabeth Warren did badly here in the Massachusetts primary because she has a notorious reputation for taking her constituents — particularly minorities — for granted.
Most of us here are used to Barney Frank’s long letters and Ted Kennedy’s strong constituent services.
Most of us here are used to Barney Frank’s long letters and Ted Kennedy’s strong constituent services.
October 13, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Elizabeth Warren did badly here in the Massachusetts primary because she has a notorious reputation for taking her constituents — particularly minorities — for granted.
Most of us here are used to Barney Frank’s long letters and Ted Kennedy’s strong constituent services.
Most of us here are used to Barney Frank’s long letters and Ted Kennedy’s strong constituent services.
Reposted by First Class Duck
Of course, you're in a business to make a profit, so you have to sell it for more than you paid. Typical mark-up for a brand is 2x (some can be 2.5x). This will help cover your other costs, such as design, warehousing, worker benefits, etc.
So you sell this shirt to a store for $90.
So you sell this shirt to a store for $90.
October 12, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Of course, you're in a business to make a profit, so you have to sell it for more than you paid. Typical mark-up for a brand is 2x (some can be 2.5x). This will help cover your other costs, such as design, warehousing, worker benefits, etc.
So you sell this shirt to a store for $90.
So you sell this shirt to a store for $90.
Reposted by First Class Duck
It's hard to help Americans left behind because so much of US identity is rooted in individualism. The average American conservative holds all three positions at once:
— Virtue signals about supporting US manufacturing
— Against raising the minimum wage
— Buys foreign imports because they're cheap
— Virtue signals about supporting US manufacturing
— Against raising the minimum wage
— Buys foreign imports because they're cheap
October 12, 2025 at 9:38 PM
It's hard to help Americans left behind because so much of US identity is rooted in individualism. The average American conservative holds all three positions at once:
— Virtue signals about supporting US manufacturing
— Against raising the minimum wage
— Buys foreign imports because they're cheap
— Virtue signals about supporting US manufacturing
— Against raising the minimum wage
— Buys foreign imports because they're cheap
Reposted by First Class Duck
Ultimately, the death of US manufacturing is about this attitude. It's easy to say "buy american or stfu" because virtue signaling is free. But it's hard to actually sustain a business because many Americans simply don't want to pay what it costs to produce things ethically in this country
October 12, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Ultimately, the death of US manufacturing is about this attitude. It's easy to say "buy american or stfu" because virtue signaling is free. But it's hard to actually sustain a business because many Americans simply don't want to pay what it costs to produce things ethically in this country
Reposted by First Class Duck
“.. a nagging worry is beginning to grow louder on Wall Street: What if these kinds of collapses, capable of taking bonds from par to cents on the dollar in a matter of days or weeks, are not an aberration after all?” 👀
@bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
@bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
October 13, 2025 at 12:38 AM
“.. a nagging worry is beginning to grow louder on Wall Street: What if these kinds of collapses, capable of taking bonds from par to cents on the dollar in a matter of days or weeks, are not an aberration after all?” 👀
@bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
@bloomberg.com
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Reposted by First Class Duck
BTIG: Trump tariffs were “the match that lit the selloff, but .. kindling for a fire was set over the last few weeks .. private equity and credit names were really selling off,” discretionary was weak. “There is enough damage below the surface .. to suggest this is the start of a deeper pullback ..”
October 13, 2025 at 12:45 AM
BTIG: Trump tariffs were “the match that lit the selloff, but .. kindling for a fire was set over the last few weeks .. private equity and credit names were really selling off,” discretionary was weak. “There is enough damage below the surface .. to suggest this is the start of a deeper pullback ..”