Mac the squirrel :)
@macsquirelera.bsky.social
I like trains. Studying computational linguistics at the university of Stuttgart
A little blog about public transit and my life: https://macsquirrelera.substack.com
A little blog about public transit and my life: https://macsquirrelera.substack.com
Pinned
Thread of all the public transit I’ve ridden in the world
Every article about landlords finds a bunch of unsympathetic people, and that’s what commenters focus on. But there is a core grain of truth about NYC having a really poorly thought out rent stabilization program
In a city packed with mighty real estate titans, they are the small ones.
New York landlords say they are at their breaking point as Mayor Zohran Mamdani begins to implement even more aggressive tenant-friendly policies.
New York landlords say they are at their breaking point as Mayor Zohran Mamdani begins to implement even more aggressive tenant-friendly policies.
NYC’s small landlords say they won’t survive Mamdani plan to freeze rent
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has criticized landlords and vowed to freeze what tenants in rent-stabilized apartments pay monthly.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 7, 2026 at 12:56 AM
Every article about landlords finds a bunch of unsympathetic people, and that’s what commenters focus on. But there is a core grain of truth about NYC having a really poorly thought out rent stabilization program
Reposted by Mac the squirrel :)
Building code reformers only want one thing and it’s pretty nice actually
Don’t let anybody tell you that developers won’t build single-stair buildings on larger sites. Three right in a row.
February 6, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Building code reformers only want one thing and it’s pretty nice actually
Reposted by Mac the squirrel :)
So, now students will be explicitly competing against each other in the classroom given that A's are a finite resource. Look for an increase in cutthroat behavior, and reductions in mental health and collegiality at a time when students are already stressed. Beware the cure worse than the disease.
I will be enthusiastically supporting faculty legislation to cap the number of A's at Harvard at 20% (plus a bit). The collective action problem that has driven grades higher & higher over time is increasingly problematic. I hope other institutions consider similar steps.
February 6, 2026 at 7:49 PM
So, now students will be explicitly competing against each other in the classroom given that A's are a finite resource. Look for an increase in cutthroat behavior, and reductions in mental health and collegiality at a time when students are already stressed. Beware the cure worse than the disease.
the problem with this is that it will hurt undergrads, because single sided dearmament doesnt work
I will be enthusiastically supporting faculty legislation to cap the number of A's at Harvard at 20% (plus a bit). The collective action problem that has driven grades higher & higher over time is increasingly problematic. I hope other institutions consider similar steps.
February 6, 2026 at 10:20 PM
the problem with this is that it will hurt undergrads, because single sided dearmament doesnt work
looking at machine learning engineer jobs. I gotta take more ML courses immediately
February 6, 2026 at 9:32 PM
looking at machine learning engineer jobs. I gotta take more ML courses immediately
My favorite hobby is making CSVs in python (gods chosen data structure) and then exporting them to stupid made up ones like pickle
February 6, 2026 at 9:11 PM
My favorite hobby is making CSVs in python (gods chosen data structure) and then exporting them to stupid made up ones like pickle
This is also what happened with Brexit.
Just saw a lady quoted in a local small town paper say she signed the separatist petition even though she doesn’t want to separate but wants to “send a message” and I’m just beside myself
Like this isn’t a fucking joke lady
Like this isn’t a fucking joke lady
February 6, 2026 at 9:08 PM
This is also what happened with Brexit.
I made a successful neural network and wow that was a lot of fun! its a hypothetical about deepfake audio detection (processing is done for us we just get vectors). Really cool to see all the stuff I spent the semester learning about working
February 6, 2026 at 7:11 PM
I made a successful neural network and wow that was a lot of fun! its a hypothetical about deepfake audio detection (processing is done for us we just get vectors). Really cool to see all the stuff I spent the semester learning about working
Dawg those poor tunnels are gonna collapse if they keep running trains them without a real rehab
*GATEWAY COMMISSION SUSPENDS CONSTRUCTION OF NEW NY-NJ TUNNEL
February 6, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Dawg those poor tunnels are gonna collapse if they keep running trains them without a real rehab
Your avg democrat is about 1 million times more left wing on illegal immigration than a general left European.
I like seeing how material differences shape opinion
I like seeing how material differences shape opinion
"Sure, ICE is bad, but we need to deport illegal immigrants"
No you don't.
If immigration enforcement leads to concentration camps and roving death squads, maybe it's time to just get rid of the concept of illegal immigration entirely. You've tried it, it's a bad idea in practice, so bin it.
No you don't.
If immigration enforcement leads to concentration camps and roving death squads, maybe it's time to just get rid of the concept of illegal immigration entirely. You've tried it, it's a bad idea in practice, so bin it.
February 6, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Your avg democrat is about 1 million times more left wing on illegal immigration than a general left European.
I like seeing how material differences shape opinion
I like seeing how material differences shape opinion
Reposted by Mac the squirrel :)
Reposted by Mac the squirrel :)
I was initially skeptical of self driving cars, which I thought were vaporware intended to undermine public and active transit.
Now that I have lived with them for a couple years, I can confidently say that the Waymo cars are Good: they drive safely and courteously while actually following the law.
Now that I have lived with them for a couple years, I can confidently say that the Waymo cars are Good: they drive safely and courteously while actually following the law.
the fact that early-stage automated vehicles that still occasionally require remote operation assistance are like several orders of magnitude safer than the average American driver should be the real wakeup call here, not the idea that these vehicles still sometimes need remote operation assistance
February 6, 2026 at 6:10 PM
I was initially skeptical of self driving cars, which I thought were vaporware intended to undermine public and active transit.
Now that I have lived with them for a couple years, I can confidently say that the Waymo cars are Good: they drive safely and courteously while actually following the law.
Now that I have lived with them for a couple years, I can confidently say that the Waymo cars are Good: they drive safely and courteously while actually following the law.
It’s really fun to be reminded by the very modern trolley bus that it operates in a city founded more than a thousand years ago
February 6, 2026 at 5:46 PM
It’s really fun to be reminded by the very modern trolley bus that it operates in a city founded more than a thousand years ago
The Super Bowl starts at 00:30 here :(
I guess I’ll watch a recording on the train on Monday
I guess I’ll watch a recording on the train on Monday
February 6, 2026 at 5:40 PM
The Super Bowl starts at 00:30 here :(
I guess I’ll watch a recording on the train on Monday
I guess I’ll watch a recording on the train on Monday
Finished my first semester of classes in Germany and of grad school. It was very interesting, now to not fail my exams
February 6, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Finished my first semester of classes in Germany and of grad school. It was very interesting, now to not fail my exams
Neural networks are mostly reading a book waiting for things to finish
February 6, 2026 at 4:41 PM
Neural networks are mostly reading a book waiting for things to finish
The Idea of an asset tax is back in Germany. Interesting proposal for a future left wing coalition to think about. The left wants about 170 billion in income from it, but even half that could be transformative for infrastructure investments and education
February 6, 2026 at 9:30 AM
The Idea of an asset tax is back in Germany. Interesting proposal for a future left wing coalition to think about. The left wants about 170 billion in income from it, but even half that could be transformative for infrastructure investments and education
It’s so wonderful it’s been an entire morning rush without notable delays :)
☕️ Guten Morgen,
Die nächtlichen Bauarbeiten im S-Bahn-Verkehr sind beendet.
Die S-Bahnen können wieder regulär verkehren.
Die nächtlichen Bauarbeiten im S-Bahn-Verkehr sind beendet.
Die S-Bahnen können wieder regulär verkehren.
🚧 #Drandenken 🚧
Die DB führt heute Nacht Instandhaltungsarbeiten am #Pragtunnel durch.
Die Linie #S6 kann nicht wie gewohnt verkehren.
Details, hier: 👉 s-bahn-stuttgart.de/s-stuttgart/...
Die DB führt heute Nacht Instandhaltungsarbeiten am #Pragtunnel durch.
Die Linie #S6 kann nicht wie gewohnt verkehren.
Details, hier: 👉 s-bahn-stuttgart.de/s-stuttgart/...
February 6, 2026 at 8:35 AM
It’s so wonderful it’s been an entire morning rush without notable delays :)
Not nearly as old but it’s fun to see an old COVID sign on the S Bahn (from today)
February 5, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Not nearly as old but it’s fun to see an old COVID sign on the S Bahn (from today)
how do I get a loan from african american venacular english
February 5, 2026 at 5:06 PM
how do I get a loan from african american venacular english
I think the federal railroad administration is mostly fine
So, my liberal buds, my progressive pals: you know how you're beginning to realize that ICE (perhaps the whole of DHS?) is structured to allow abuses, riddled with career psychopaths, utterly beyond saving as an institution?
Now, consider, in the spirit of inquiry: the entire federal government
Now, consider, in the spirit of inquiry: the entire federal government
February 5, 2026 at 2:22 PM
I think the federal railroad administration is mostly fine
I really need to take this stupid train. I swear its never running and when it does it prob has like 4 passengers
February 5, 2026 at 1:46 PM
I really need to take this stupid train. I swear its never running and when it does it prob has like 4 passengers
Blind dog searches for cat puke the old fashioned way
February 5, 2026 at 1:03 PM
Blind dog searches for cat puke the old fashioned way
The Chinese system of huge visible infrastructure spending, constant deflation and currency devaluations to encourage manufacturing is what the median voter wants
“Roughly” is loadbearing here. Low inflation is if your average $200 weekly trip costs average $204 in year. Moderate inflation is if it costs average $208 in a year. Will you reliably detect that $4 difference? If not, you can’t determine inflation levels from grocery trips.
Wrong. We know roughly what our weekly shop costs.
February 5, 2026 at 12:29 PM
The Chinese system of huge visible infrastructure spending, constant deflation and currency devaluations to encourage manufacturing is what the median voter wants
Me and making German restaurants pay taxes so they accept cards
you want to fund the IRS to take down billionaires and crypto bros
i want to fund the IRS to do that and also take down small business owners
we are not the same
i want to fund the IRS to do that and also take down small business owners
we are not the same
February 5, 2026 at 10:03 AM
Me and making German restaurants pay taxes so they accept cards