Ben Feddersen
@snoozebuttonben.bsky.social
There's tremendous alpha in being default halal.
January 17, 2026 at 4:21 PM
There's tremendous alpha in being default halal.
As with COVID, people are remembering things that happened under Trump 1 as being Biden's fault.
January 16, 2026 at 11:30 PM
As with COVID, people are remembering things that happened under Trump 1 as being Biden's fault.
The weird thing is that most of the discontents of llms seem to be most readily solved by running their output through other llms recursively.
January 16, 2026 at 11:28 PM
The weird thing is that most of the discontents of llms seem to be most readily solved by running their output through other llms recursively.
I'm banned from ACX for constantly pointing out that IQ "science" is BS but this was still a lovely eulogy. As a childhood lover of dilbert (and dave barry) it tugged at my heartstrings.
For the record, Dave Barry still lives, is still professionally funny, and hasn't become a gigantic asshole.
For the record, Dave Barry still lives, is still professionally funny, and hasn't become a gigantic asshole.
January 16, 2026 at 11:14 PM
I'm banned from ACX for constantly pointing out that IQ "science" is BS but this was still a lovely eulogy. As a childhood lover of dilbert (and dave barry) it tugged at my heartstrings.
For the record, Dave Barry still lives, is still professionally funny, and hasn't become a gigantic asshole.
For the record, Dave Barry still lives, is still professionally funny, and hasn't become a gigantic asshole.
I know you meant that as a compliment, but socrates was famously ugly and was killed for being too annoying. I don't think any of that applies here.
January 15, 2026 at 6:45 PM
I know you meant that as a compliment, but socrates was famously ugly and was killed for being too annoying. I don't think any of that applies here.
I spent the first 20 years of my life there. IU is my alma mater. Indiana is Midwest Mississippi.
January 15, 2026 at 3:12 PM
I spent the first 20 years of my life there. IU is my alma mater. Indiana is Midwest Mississippi.
What happens when a country dependent on oil to fund its government and trapped in a massive inflationary crisis cuts interest rates and refuses to let its currency devalue? Any recent historical parallels, maybe from a country in the Caribbean?
January 14, 2026 at 11:05 PM
What happens when a country dependent on oil to fund its government and trapped in a massive inflationary crisis cuts interest rates and refuses to let its currency devalue? Any recent historical parallels, maybe from a country in the Caribbean?
Dred Scott 2, i won't finish the meme but if you know you know
January 14, 2026 at 11:02 PM
Dred Scott 2, i won't finish the meme but if you know you know
Somehow that brings me to mind of that episode way back where a genetic ancestry show had George Lopez on and told him he wasn't actually Hispanic, but just a mixture of Native American and European ancestry, and he was like, what do you think Hispanic IS?
January 14, 2026 at 10:59 PM
Somehow that brings me to mind of that episode way back where a genetic ancestry show had George Lopez on and told him he wasn't actually Hispanic, but just a mixture of Native American and European ancestry, and he was like, what do you think Hispanic IS?
"America always does the right thing after it tries everything else" remains undefeated.
January 14, 2026 at 10:17 PM
"America always does the right thing after it tries everything else" remains undefeated.
Pretty massive caveat from the world bank here: Particular caution should be used in interpreting the figures for percentage urban for different countries. Countries differ in the way they classify population as "urban" or "rural."
January 13, 2026 at 9:12 PM
Pretty massive caveat from the world bank here: Particular caution should be used in interpreting the figures for percentage urban for different countries. Countries differ in the way they classify population as "urban" or "rural."
To be clear, I don't actually care about birthrate decline. All the cures seem worse than the disease. I reckon the "problem" will fix itself eventually.
January 13, 2026 at 6:21 PM
To be clear, I don't actually care about birthrate decline. All the cures seem worse than the disease. I reckon the "problem" will fix itself eventually.
US birthrates would be the strongest evidence that this works. Contrast with highly urban Asian/European countries. Passes the smell test to me.
January 13, 2026 at 6:00 PM
US birthrates would be the strongest evidence that this works. Contrast with highly urban Asian/European countries. Passes the smell test to me.
Opening up cheaper, less desirable and less productive living space provides housing that families can afford that singles don't want, at least partly BECAUSE singles don't want it.
The suburbs sucking is a feature not a bug.
The suburbs sucking is a feature not a bug.
January 13, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Opening up cheaper, less desirable and less productive living space provides housing that families can afford that singles don't want, at least partly BECAUSE singles don't want it.
The suburbs sucking is a feature not a bug.
The suburbs sucking is a feature not a bug.
The problem with that explanation is that the urbanization/birth rate relationship is global, building codes are not.
January 13, 2026 at 5:54 PM
The problem with that explanation is that the urbanization/birth rate relationship is global, building codes are not.
Two seconds of googling will show you all the data you'd ever want, go nuts.
January 13, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Two seconds of googling will show you all the data you'd ever want, go nuts.
You build a new apartment building. Great, now growing families have more space to expand into. Except new adults can also move into the city and take that space instead. So the two sides have to bid against each other and bigger families can bid less per sq ft relative to their needs.
January 13, 2026 at 5:49 PM
You build a new apartment building. Great, now growing families have more space to expand into. Except new adults can also move into the city and take that space instead. So the two sides have to bid against each other and bigger families can bid less per sq ft relative to their needs.
The real problem is that urban housing will also attract adults, who have the money to outcompete children for the space.
January 13, 2026 at 5:39 PM
The real problem is that urban housing will also attract adults, who have the money to outcompete children for the space.
Unfortunately the solution this would suggest is: suburbs.
January 13, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Unfortunately the solution this would suggest is: suburbs.
Bizarre how rarely I see the relationship between urbanization and birthrates discussed even though the correlation is a stone cold lock and the mechanism makes perfect sense (urban areas are more expensive per sq foot and kids take up sq ft without earning income).
January 13, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Bizarre how rarely I see the relationship between urbanization and birthrates discussed even though the correlation is a stone cold lock and the mechanism makes perfect sense (urban areas are more expensive per sq foot and kids take up sq ft without earning income).
For all the talk about the Chinese market it's pretty crazy that half is still ice.
January 10, 2026 at 12:10 PM
For all the talk about the Chinese market it's pretty crazy that half is still ice.
In 20 years batteries will be doing 10x the capacity of all the new nuclear plants in illinois under this bill, and that's the absolute lower bound.
Batteries are the new grid.
Batteries are the new grid.
January 8, 2026 at 8:26 PM
In 20 years batteries will be doing 10x the capacity of all the new nuclear plants in illinois under this bill, and that's the absolute lower bound.
Batteries are the new grid.
Batteries are the new grid.
Trump apparently found the one thing Turley won't condone. Or is he saying it's totally awesome actually?
January 7, 2026 at 2:25 PM
Trump apparently found the one thing Turley won't condone. Or is he saying it's totally awesome actually?
43% yoy growth in BEVs, you'd never know it looking at the headlines.
January 6, 2026 at 2:27 PM
43% yoy growth in BEVs, you'd never know it looking at the headlines.