u/Low-Cartographer-429

I've flown from the East Coast of the US to Asia a number of times in Economy class using both JAL and Cathay Pacific over the last few years. But this year, I rarely, if ever, see award availability on JL and CX. It's all been Qatar Airways (unreliable given the political climate) and occasionally Condor (not a OneWorld member so I have to pay for seats and can't use OW lounges). The awards for Condor I see are also 55K atmos (a premium tier; I never see plain Economy) vs. 42.5K for JL and CX. Starlux has insane redemption prices so I don't pay attention to those even if I see them. Typically as much as 3X the cost of using JL and CX.

Anyone know why CX and JL to Asia Economy class award seat availability is now practically non-existent? Perhaps there's availability from the West Coast but I never see anything from the East Coast.

"Break for the lane, get a 'bow in your neck, now."

I've been wondering about stocks like Service Now (NOW), Salesforce (CRM), and others since they got hammered due to fears of AI replacing them. Are they in fact oversold? Perhaps like video game stocks got hammered when Google came out with a product that easily created virtual worlds?

Wondering why people may either be continuing to steer clear of SaaS stocks or are quietly loading up on them.

What other SaaS stocks are worth looking at? If not for the long haul, then at least for "volatility harvesting" if they shoot back up. What is the "come back" case / scenario if there is one?

Went to the movies in Thailand and was ready to stand for the King when the national anthem came on. It was all Thais and no one stood up. I was shocked. Is this not a "thing" any more or was my experience atypical? Farang not knowing they're supposed to stand I can see. But Thais themselves?

Feeling silly this morning. I'll start: "Unearthly Estate." If you have a gimmick for your hypothetical Rush cover band, post that too, e.g. "Unearthly Estate" = a Rush cover band founded by Seminary students.

How do people feel about UBER as an Autonomous Vehicles (AV) play? Or simply a stock that could rise in a "Physical AI" hype cycle? I'm a little confused by TSLA; simultaneously saying they're getting out of the vehicle space while still pursuing robotaxis? Then there's Waymo from Google. I'm sure there are others. Sorry if I'm conflating vehicle manufacturers with robotaxi service. Trying to get a handle on it.

Seems like UBER can benefit from AV vehicle development regardless of which manufacturer succeeds; because who's going to download a separate app to hail Tesla, Waymo, and other robotaxis? Some might, but people tend to be lazy (self included). Aren't Tesla and Waymo partnering with UBER to offer their vehicles for rides? Again, it's convenient to have one app (or at least a primary one).

As a consumer, I'd prefer to continue using UBER since it's an app I already have installed; and it would be interesting to see what robotaxi vs. human driver taxis cost. I also have the Lyft app, and I do often still check it to see which platform my ride would be cheapest on for any given trip. Don't want to add a third or fourth app. Maybe I've torpedoed my "argument" (such as it is) by admitting to already checking two apps.

I've heard Jensen pushing "Physical AI" as the next big thing after LLMs and I'm wondering if UBER may suddenly becoming a stock darling if Physical AI becomes a new mania.

Also wondering about car ownership and shifting demographics. Many young people don't bother learning how to drive. AVs could fix that, but haven't they become accustomed to not having car loans?

UBER doesn't seem well-loved right presently which is why I'm wondering if now might be an opportune buying time. Anything in the fundamentals or valuation that would give anyone pause?

How many years do we have before AI makes the market efficient and/or most trading happens through AI agents? Will it ever happen? By that I mean a time when retail investors won't be able to earn much money from trading since AI will know nearly everything there is to know about the markets; and profit from trading may largely be limited to The Big Guys through tiny movements in stocks but by placing huge trades.

How much automated trading is done now and what drives it? Obviously, automated trades haven't made retail stock trading unprofitable thus far. But I'm wondering if there's a time in the foreseeable future when that will be the case. Maybe there won't be, but I'm curious what people think about this.

I have to travel to Holly Springs to get authentic Thai food. One's a hole in the wall run by Thais and is where many Thais eat. The other is run by a chef from Bangkok. Both are outstanding.

Not just looking for "good Thai food" recommendations in Durham / Morrisville / Cary. Often too sweet and has been adapted for a farang's palette. People who don't know what authentic Thai food is will surely comment. So if you're Thai or have been to Thailand please say so in your comment. Looking for food that tastes as close to what you've had in Thailand as possible.

Went to a Total Wine and surprisingly they didn't stock a single Thai or Southeast Asian beer. Looking for Chang, BeerLao, San Miguel, etc. Where can I purchase these beers around RTP / Morrisville / Cary?

How do we feel about pure play Quantum Computing stocks (or close to pure play) for a 4+ year or longer time horizon? I realize they'll be highly volatile. But wondering if any look good to buy now then (try to) forget about it. What's a good approach? Buy a basket of them and DCA over time or focus on one (or at most two)?

IONQ and RGTI seem to be the most talked about or trusted candidates right now. They may be the only ones with revenue. Hoping to learn more about those two.

Sometimes I'll see GOOG, IBM, and MSFT as Quantum Computing picks but obviously those aren't pure play stocks and are unlikely to become 10 baggers.

I hate that lights often get turned off during daytime flights. Turning aircraft cabins into what I call "The Crypt." Why is this done during daylight versus a few decades ago when it didn't seem common? Is it really to reduce glare on entertainment devices even for planes that have seats with no in flight entertainment systems? Any truth to the claim that FAs do it to pacify passengers to make their jobs easier?

I'd start getting window seats so I can control the light but I prefer aisle seats and often need to get up to use the lav or just stretch. But I feel I'd get angry stares from other passengers. Also don't want to bother people trying to sleep.

That's another thing that puzzles me, seeing tons of people immediately go to sleep during daytime flights. I understand that travel can be hectic and that some may be on a final flight segment from somewhere else and need to rest. Regardless, I still find it somewhat puzzling. Catching up on sleep they didn't get the night before is what they're doing I guess.

Anyway, seems like the only time FAs allow light in the cabin is during food and beverage service; with perhaps the exception of very short flights.