Author: ZacharyST
Full Review of The Power Broker
The Power Broker had for so long been a white whale, a book I wanted to read, had to read, but was afraid to start. A reader my entire life, I don’t think I had ever read a book longer than 1,000 pages. I know you are supposed to drop books that you don’t enjoy […]
How to Extract Data From an Online Power BI Table
For a report I am working on about Los Angeles’ Executive Directive #1, which created middle-class housing across Los Angeles before NIMBYs curtailed it, I want to see if changes to the ED 1, of which there have been two substantive ones, impact the number of submitted projects or their size. ED 1 version 1 […]
THIS Was Twitter, and Now You Can Study it Too
Until recently, Twitter was among the most studied social media platforms in the world. Its accessibility to researchers, coupled with its role in key moments of modern history—from the Arab Spring to the COVID-19 pandemic—made it an indispensable source of data. But in March 2023, the company’s new ownership sharply restricted access to its data, […]
Cash is Widely Accepted in China
I have just returned from a work trip to China. In preparation, I purchased a new used Android phone and acquired a local SIM as soon as I landed. A main motivator for this configuration was to be able to pay for items. Though I was with a conference and most transportation and meals were […]
In a Coastal City, a Baby Costs Around $50,000 Annually
Anyone who has considered having a baby or reads general interest publications has certainly come across stories about much babies cost. The answer is usually something like, “Hundreds of thousands of dollars until they are 18”. This answer is nearly useless because no one is going to dive that number by 18 to get an […]
In Defense of Government Services
Since, approximately, the Articles of Confederation, Americans love to bemoan government services, especially federal ones. They are slow, inefficient, bloated, blahblahblah. Well, I have had plenty of positive interactions with government, whether that is calling emergency services, non-emergency police, 311, contacting a representative, and so on. So, to remind everyone that government is good, I […]
What They Don’t Tell You About the Coavas Window Film Privacy Frosted Glass Static Cling UV Sun Blocking Heat Control Window Tint Day and Night Home Bathroom Door Decorative Frosting Cover
Having been raised in places with cloud cover, I found the incessant sun of Los Angeles and the architecture that invites it into every crevice overwhelming. Tired of three skylights that let in too much late afternoon sun, in Spring 2023 my wife and I bought three sheets of the Coavas Window Film Privacy Frosted […]
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