u/Automatic-Example754

I'm trying to figure out why several of my states are stuck with persistent high employment (like 125k pops) and empty building levels when the usual explanations don't fit (social security is at the minimum level, no goods shortages or really expensive goods, no qualifications shortages). Watching the building for a few weeks, I noticed that the weekly balance was persistently positive yet the cash reserves were dropping.

According to the tooltip, the building is paying out more dividends than the weekly balance, and spending cash reserves to cover the difference. When the balance is large enough to cover the dividend payment, instead the payments are increased and even more is taken out of cash reserves (second screenshot).

A few weeks later (screenshot #3) the balance is similar to screenshot #2, +20k, but now it's only paying 12k in dividends, and 8k are added to the cash reserves. This might be because productivity has increased to 24. But the steel mills in the same state have a productivity of 31, a weekly balance of +62k, and are taking nearly 16k out of cash reserves to pay 85k in dividends (screenshot #4). (I'm not going to add yet another screenshot, but a couple of weeks after that the steel mill has a balance of 37k and is taking 42k out of cash reserves to pay out 78k in dividends.)

According to the wiki, "When a building is profitable, a 25% to 50% of the profit is deposited into the building's cash reserves with the rest paid to the owners as dividends." This only fits with screenshot #3.

So my questions are: What counts as "low balance"? How are dividends determined?

(I'm posting this for the PIs since a lot of students don't check their email, especially over the summer. Note that it's only open to juniors and seniors in the listed majors: philosophy, public health, data science, and CS. You should get in touch with Prof. Hicks directly if you have questions: dhicks4@ucmerced.edu.)

Prof. D. Hicks (philosophy) and Prof. Susana Ramírez (public health) are looking to hire three undergraduate student researchers for the entirety of the next academic year, Fall 2026 through Spring 2027, for a project on the political polarization of vaccinations over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. This will be an interdisciplinary project, with one USR from philosophy, one from public health, and one from data science or computer science. Each position is paid, with a workload of about 10 hours per week during the regular semester.

There's more information about the project, and requirements for the USR positions, on the application form: https://forms.gle/DE8DyrwHXANResvs7

Applications will be reviewed starting July 15, with a goal of making offers by August 1 and an official start date of August 26, the first day of classes.

I'm starting my PCT section hike in late June, and had planned to do my final shakedown hike this Thursday-Friday, with the Pohono Trail in Yosemite from Glacier Point to Stanford Point and back.

But the forecast for this Thursday looks more mid-spring than my early summer loadout is intended to handle. I'm also wary of being at 7k feet if lightning gets in the mix.

So I'm brainstorming alternate trips for Friday-Saturday, after the weather clears:

1. Crabtree TH to maybe like Piute Lake (Emigrant Wilderness). I haven't been on this trail in years, and I've never been further than Bear Lake. I imagine, if you actually get into the wilderness, it isn't as ridiculously busy as Bear Lake.

2. Gianelli TH to Chewing Gum Lake or Y Meadows Reservoir (Emigrant Wilderness). Gianelli to Chewing Gum is a really nice day hike, and it's a nice but busy overnight. Gianelli TH usually isn't open this early in the season, but the USFS site doesn't list it as closed. Satellite imagery indicates patchy snow, and with the storm there could be some accumulation at 8.7-9k feet.

3. Jennie Lake (Jennie Lakes Wilderness, Sequoia NF). Could be an out-and-back, or come back the long way and maybe spend a second night at Weaver Lake. I've been to Jennie Lake, but not the far leg of the loop. Currently totally clear on satellite, but it tops out at 9.1k, so I'm worried about accumulation.

In general, I'd prefer to not hike too much more than 10 miles and 2k feet elevation gain each day, central Sierra western slope, doesn't require reservations, not too busy, also not a big burn scar.

Any other ideas?

Booz Allen Hamilton sucks. Story here