yakiimo
@yakiimo.bsky.social
I write about politics (left-liberal), philosophy (analytic), metal (heavy), and Japan (anime and idol groups).
Kind of a weird title, given that the article doesn't actually address the health effects of caffeine.
It's a healthy substance overall. Moderate intake (~3 cups per day) is associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality. The only real health concern is that it does
It's a healthy substance overall. Moderate intake (~3 cups per day) is associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality. The only real health concern is that it does
Cafes across the U.S. are embracing the low- and no-caffeine lifestyle, with options that are a far cry from dusty tea bags and rewarmed decaf. nyti.ms/3XKlqoj
February 10, 2026 at 1:32 AM
Kind of a weird title, given that the article doesn't actually address the health effects of caffeine.
It's a healthy substance overall. Moderate intake (~3 cups per day) is associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality. The only real health concern is that it does
It's a healthy substance overall. Moderate intake (~3 cups per day) is associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality. The only real health concern is that it does
Now that I've caught up with 2025 anime, my year-end ranking:
1. Takopi's Original Sin. Already wrote about this one. Pretty much perfect in every respect.
2. The Summer Hikaru Died. Crazy good direction and sound design convey the heavy atmosphere of living in a small town where you don't belong.
1. Takopi's Original Sin. Already wrote about this one. Pretty much perfect in every respect.
2. The Summer Hikaru Died. Crazy good direction and sound design convey the heavy atmosphere of living in a small town where you don't belong.
February 2, 2026 at 11:03 PM
Now that I've caught up with 2025 anime, my year-end ranking:
1. Takopi's Original Sin. Already wrote about this one. Pretty much perfect in every respect.
2. The Summer Hikaru Died. Crazy good direction and sound design convey the heavy atmosphere of living in a small town where you don't belong.
1. Takopi's Original Sin. Already wrote about this one. Pretty much perfect in every respect.
2. The Summer Hikaru Died. Crazy good direction and sound design convey the heavy atmosphere of living in a small town where you don't belong.
Xi's call for the renminbi to become a reserve currency isn't recent. He made it in 2024, it's just being republished now in the CCP's journal.
China's ability to internationalize the renminbi is limited by capital controls and lack of convertibility and market depth.
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...
China's ability to internationalize the renminbi is limited by capital controls and lack of convertibility and market depth.
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...
China is on a ‘strong currency’ mission to make the yuan a global reserve: Xi
Xi Jinping says the goal of becoming an international powerhouse is a long-term one and will rest on core foundations.
www.scmp.com
February 1, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Xi's call for the renminbi to become a reserve currency isn't recent. He made it in 2024, it's just being republished now in the CCP's journal.
China's ability to internationalize the renminbi is limited by capital controls and lack of convertibility and market depth.
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...
China's ability to internationalize the renminbi is limited by capital controls and lack of convertibility and market depth.
www.scmp.com/economy/chin...
So this guy's criteria for knowing that a regime is fascist are that (a) intellectuals are *not* claiming that it's fascist, whereas (b) the masses living under it *do* on the whole believe that it's fascist.
What a goofy set of criteria.
www.wsj.com/opinion/amer...
What a goofy set of criteria.
www.wsj.com/opinion/amer...
January 30, 2026 at 6:14 PM
So this guy's criteria for knowing that a regime is fascist are that (a) intellectuals are *not* claiming that it's fascist, whereas (b) the masses living under it *do* on the whole believe that it's fascist.
What a goofy set of criteria.
www.wsj.com/opinion/amer...
What a goofy set of criteria.
www.wsj.com/opinion/amer...
Just finished watching Takopi's Original Sin, and I'm blown away by how great it was. The kinda show that reminds me why I still bother keeping up with anime.
January 26, 2026 at 12:43 AM
Just finished watching Takopi's Original Sin, and I'm blown away by how great it was. The kinda show that reminds me why I still bother keeping up with anime.
Noteworthy that the immigration restrictionist project fails even on its own terms as a project aimed at preserving American culture, because ICE and MAGA more generally destroy everything good about American culture.
January 25, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Noteworthy that the immigration restrictionist project fails even on its own terms as a project aimed at preserving American culture, because ICE and MAGA more generally destroy everything good about American culture.
Hell yeah, the greatest anime year in review article is out. This thing is a crazy labor of love, and it's the only way that I (belatedly) keep up with anime anymore.
Having read it, here's what I'm gonna watch from last year:
City The Animation
Takopi
100 Meters
Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc
Niccolo
Having read it, here's what I'm gonna watch from last year:
City The Animation
Takopi
100 Meters
Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc
Niccolo
As we do every year, we gathered creators in all positions related to animation as well as people passionate about art to share the works, old and new, that they've loved the most over the last year. It's finally time for the Sakugabooru Animation Awards 2025! blog.sakugabooru.com/2026/01/23/s...
January 24, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Hell yeah, the greatest anime year in review article is out. This thing is a crazy labor of love, and it's the only way that I (belatedly) keep up with anime anymore.
Having read it, here's what I'm gonna watch from last year:
City The Animation
Takopi
100 Meters
Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc
Niccolo
Having read it, here's what I'm gonna watch from last year:
City The Animation
Takopi
100 Meters
Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc
Niccolo
The zero-sum nature of many real estate transactions encourages this kind of antisocial attitude: "in order for me to win/be right, everyone else must lose/be wrong."
See also that other guy who came up in real estate and learned a zero-sum worldview from it.
See also that other guy who came up in real estate and learned a zero-sum worldview from it.
If you’re wondering what the 73% is thinking…
January 22, 2026 at 3:46 PM
The zero-sum nature of many real estate transactions encourages this kind of antisocial attitude: "in order for me to win/be right, everyone else must lose/be wrong."
See also that other guy who came up in real estate and learned a zero-sum worldview from it.
See also that other guy who came up in real estate and learned a zero-sum worldview from it.
My problem with messaging that reduces moral questions to questions of affordability is that it suggests that it might be acceptable to do heinous things if they *did* lower prices. That's precisely the Treatler logic that led swing voters to vote for Trump.
January 21, 2026 at 4:25 PM
My problem with messaging that reduces moral questions to questions of affordability is that it suggests that it might be acceptable to do heinous things if they *did* lower prices. That's precisely the Treatler logic that led swing voters to vote for Trump.
If guys like him were smart, then they'd like Mamdani more than the average socialist because he's a sewer socialist. But they're not, so instead they hate him even more than the average socialist because he's Muslim.
January 20, 2026 at 11:47 PM
If guys like him were smart, then they'd like Mamdani more than the average socialist because he's a sewer socialist. But they're not, so instead they hate him even more than the average socialist because he's Muslim.
This is why you don't want high turnout.
She's says she's not politically active, and she was clearly uniformed about Trump's immigration policy, but had bigoted beliefs. Since low-propensity voters have no policy knowledge, turning them out means inviting them to vote on base instinct.
She's says she's not politically active, and she was clearly uniformed about Trump's immigration policy, but had bigoted beliefs. Since low-propensity voters have no policy knowledge, turning them out means inviting them to vote on base instinct.
Incredible quote here from a Somali small business owner in Minneapolis who voted for Trump. minnesotareformer.com/2026/01/19/a...
January 20, 2026 at 10:19 PM
This is why you don't want high turnout.
She's says she's not politically active, and she was clearly uniformed about Trump's immigration policy, but had bigoted beliefs. Since low-propensity voters have no policy knowledge, turning them out means inviting them to vote on base instinct.
She's says she's not politically active, and she was clearly uniformed about Trump's immigration policy, but had bigoted beliefs. Since low-propensity voters have no policy knowledge, turning them out means inviting them to vote on base instinct.
Every day I wake up and check the Greenland news and prediction markets to see how worried about the End Times I need to be today. I can only imagine how much worse it is for Greenlanders and Europeans.
January 20, 2026 at 2:33 PM
Every day I wake up and check the Greenland news and prediction markets to see how worried about the End Times I need to be today. I can only imagine how much worse it is for Greenlanders and Europeans.
If this decline in X mobile daily active users continues on the trend that it's followed since 2024, then by 2028 they'll have dropped by 50%🥳
techcrunch.com/2026/01/18/t...
techcrunch.com/2026/01/18/t...
January 20, 2026 at 1:50 AM
If this decline in X mobile daily active users continues on the trend that it's followed since 2024, then by 2028 they'll have dropped by 50%🥳
techcrunch.com/2026/01/18/t...
techcrunch.com/2026/01/18/t...
There's a moral void at the heart of US society and a lack of social consequences for abhorrent behavior. In a healthy society, all these people's careers would be over, and they and their supporters would be ostracized for life.
www.miamiherald.com/entertainmen...
www.miamiherald.com/entertainmen...
Miami Beach’s Vendôme apologizes after influencers seen partying to ‘Heil Hitler’
Influencers including Andrew Tate, Tristan Tate, Nick Fuentes and Clavicular appear to be blasting Kanye West’s song, a video shows.
www.miamiherald.com
January 19, 2026 at 8:12 PM
There's a moral void at the heart of US society and a lack of social consequences for abhorrent behavior. In a healthy society, all these people's careers would be over, and they and their supporters would be ostracized for life.
www.miamiherald.com/entertainmen...
www.miamiherald.com/entertainmen...
The thing about Hanania is that his whole "elite human capital" shtick is premised on the idea that he's not like the other rightists because he's too high IQ to be a Trump supporter.
But at the end of the day, he voted for Trump just like all the rest of them. So what good did his IQ do anyone?
But at the end of the day, he voted for Trump just like all the rest of them. So what good did his IQ do anyone?
January 18, 2026 at 8:28 PM
The thing about Hanania is that his whole "elite human capital" shtick is premised on the idea that he's not like the other rightists because he's too high IQ to be a Trump supporter.
But at the end of the day, he voted for Trump just like all the rest of them. So what good did his IQ do anyone?
But at the end of the day, he voted for Trump just like all the rest of them. So what good did his IQ do anyone?
The whole argument for talking to Republicans on podcasts is that it enables you to reach median-voter types and expose them to Democratic arguments that they might not have heard before.
Newsom is accomplishing the exact opposite here.
www.mediaite.com/politics/gav...
Newsom is accomplishing the exact opposite here.
www.mediaite.com/politics/gav...
Gavin Newsom Walks Back ICE ‘Terrorism’ Post Under Pressure From Ben Shapiro: ‘That’s Fair’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom walked back a social media post from his press office under pressure from Ben Shapiro on Thursday.
www.mediaite.com
January 16, 2026 at 8:08 PM
The whole argument for talking to Republicans on podcasts is that it enables you to reach median-voter types and expose them to Democratic arguments that they might not have heard before.
Newsom is accomplishing the exact opposite here.
www.mediaite.com/politics/gav...
Newsom is accomplishing the exact opposite here.
www.mediaite.com/politics/gav...
I've seen some crazy predictions lately about AI causing a massive rise in GDP in the near future.
Most mainstream models predict something like a 2-5% gain in GDP level by 2030-2035. I'd be surprised if the actual gain were dramatically higher than that.
www.imf.org/en/publicati...
Most mainstream models predict something like a 2-5% gain in GDP level by 2030-2035. I'd be surprised if the actual gain were dramatically higher than that.
www.imf.org/en/publicati...
January 16, 2026 at 2:40 PM
I've seen some crazy predictions lately about AI causing a massive rise in GDP in the near future.
Most mainstream models predict something like a 2-5% gain in GDP level by 2030-2035. I'd be surprised if the actual gain were dramatically higher than that.
www.imf.org/en/publicati...
Most mainstream models predict something like a 2-5% gain in GDP level by 2030-2035. I'd be surprised if the actual gain were dramatically higher than that.
www.imf.org/en/publicati...
Brain-rot short-form video is naturally repellent to smart people, but we probably need some more smart people to take one for the team and get in the game so that we have a fighting chance of reaching median voter types.
January 14, 2026 at 4:18 PM
Brain-rot short-form video is naturally repellent to smart people, but we probably need some more smart people to take one for the team and get in the game so that we have a fighting chance of reaching median voter types.
Third Way calls Abolish ICE an "emotional" "impulse" (come on dude) and says we should drop it.
I disagree:
1. Abolishing ICE is an intrinsically important policy goal and this may be the best window of opportunity that we'll ever have to make it happen.
www.thirdway.org/memo/democra...
I disagree:
1. Abolishing ICE is an intrinsically important policy goal and this may be the best window of opportunity that we'll ever have to make it happen.
www.thirdway.org/memo/democra...
Democrats: Abolish ICE Abuses—Not ICE
Third Way is a national think tank and advocacy organization that champions moderate policy and political ideas. Our work on the center left acts as a critical bulwark against political extremism.
www.thirdway.org
January 14, 2026 at 1:59 AM
Third Way calls Abolish ICE an "emotional" "impulse" (come on dude) and says we should drop it.
I disagree:
1. Abolishing ICE is an intrinsically important policy goal and this may be the best window of opportunity that we'll ever have to make it happen.
www.thirdway.org/memo/democra...
I disagree:
1. Abolishing ICE is an intrinsically important policy goal and this may be the best window of opportunity that we'll ever have to make it happen.
www.thirdway.org/memo/democra...
It's ironic that Trump wants to cap credit card rates, which would lead to a tightening in credit availability comparable to the effect of several Fed rate hikes... given that he's so desperate for the Fed to loosen monetary policy with rate cuts.
January 13, 2026 at 2:16 PM
It's ironic that Trump wants to cap credit card rates, which would lead to a tightening in credit availability comparable to the effect of several Fed rate hikes... given that he's so desperate for the Fed to loosen monetary policy with rate cuts.
ICE is spending $100m to recruit officers via online influencers and to "normalize and humanize" ICE officers by sharing their "lived experiences."
We should denormalize being an ICE officer and stigmatize their lived experiences.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
We should denormalize being an ICE officer and stigmatize their lived experiences.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
January 12, 2026 at 6:12 PM
ICE is spending $100m to recruit officers via online influencers and to "normalize and humanize" ICE officers by sharing their "lived experiences."
We should denormalize being an ICE officer and stigmatize their lived experiences.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
We should denormalize being an ICE officer and stigmatize their lived experiences.
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
"I suggested Powell step down to protect the Fed's independence."
Powell caving to Trump's threats and letting him get the easy-money policy that he's been pushing for would by definition end the Fed's independence. I mean come on, it's not like it would be a mystery why he'd resigned.
Powell caving to Trump's threats and letting him get the easy-money policy that he's been pushing for would by definition end the Fed's independence. I mean come on, it's not like it would be a mystery why he'd resigned.
As regards the reporting below from the NYT:
For those of us who value the operational autonomy of central banks, the risk is that this situation could expose deeper issues—further undermining the credibility of a Fed whose public standing is already fragile.
This is the scenario...
1 of 3
For those of us who value the operational autonomy of central banks, the risk is that this situation could expose deeper issues—further undermining the credibility of a Fed whose public standing is already fragile.
This is the scenario...
1 of 3
January 12, 2026 at 2:29 AM
"I suggested Powell step down to protect the Fed's independence."
Powell caving to Trump's threats and letting him get the easy-money policy that he's been pushing for would by definition end the Fed's independence. I mean come on, it's not like it would be a mystery why he'd resigned.
Powell caving to Trump's threats and letting him get the easy-money policy that he's been pushing for would by definition end the Fed's independence. I mean come on, it's not like it would be a mystery why he'd resigned.
Trump straight up admits the truth of the analysis that his foreign policy is motivated by a psychological need to be perceived as dominant.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/u...
January 9, 2026 at 12:27 AM
Trump straight up admits the truth of the analysis that his foreign policy is motivated by a psychological need to be perceived as dominant.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/u...
So if a leader specifically targets weak countries for invasion, then he's not a fascist? Weird criterion.
Hitler invaded Poland in part because he thought that Poles were racially inferior and would therefore be easily defeated, so by this logic, I guess Hitler wasn't much of a fascist.
Hitler invaded Poland in part because he thought that Poles were racially inferior and would therefore be easily defeated, so by this logic, I guess Hitler wasn't much of a fascist.
January 8, 2026 at 9:01 PM
So if a leader specifically targets weak countries for invasion, then he's not a fascist? Weird criterion.
Hitler invaded Poland in part because he thought that Poles were racially inferior and would therefore be easily defeated, so by this logic, I guess Hitler wasn't much of a fascist.
Hitler invaded Poland in part because he thought that Poles were racially inferior and would therefore be easily defeated, so by this logic, I guess Hitler wasn't much of a fascist.
"If we abolish ICE then who should handle interior enforcement?" Nobody! We had minimal levels of interior enforcement prior to the passage of the IIRIRA in '96, and we got along just fine without it.
cmsny.org/wp-content/u...
cmsny.org/wp-content/u...
January 8, 2026 at 1:44 AM
"If we abolish ICE then who should handle interior enforcement?" Nobody! We had minimal levels of interior enforcement prior to the passage of the IIRIRA in '96, and we got along just fine without it.
cmsny.org/wp-content/u...
cmsny.org/wp-content/u...