sauromatian wrote in Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:
Do you ever use LED lightbulbs?

There are many old designs we could return to which use simpler or fewer electronics. Given how oversold computers are today, maybe it would be an improvement.

I dont like LED lights overall for the price and quality of light. They are expensive. Regular bulbs are literally and figuratively more like natural sun light. Lots of heat a little bit of white light. The mandated use of LEDs feels like a gift to GE, like the rest of the massive energy subsidies they have received over the years.

I do use LEDs in our basement. It reduces heat/humidity primarily. My basement lights are on 16 hours a day, at least five days a week. We have 6 PCs and 11 monitors running all the time. Throw in a TV, and I want to save all the heat I can. It works well. The basement hasn't got above 71 this summer and its usually stuck at 68. I was also told lights can make a difference for my cards and books, but I think we are talking about the course of a lifetime or more. Light bulbs aren't the actual the sun. Dont tell the comic guys I said that.

As far as old designs? Yea, we all know its literally to make them cheaper. A precision, hand built, high quality, metal-parts-design is just a lot more expensive than a ten-cent chip controlling a man-made ten-cent magnet and switch. I will say, my grandmother used to brag about her 35 year old fridge when I was in high school, but it was like $350 in the mid 60s. I realized at some point that was a lot of damn money and it better damn well last that long.

What I don’t understand is why anyone cares? It’s not like you can pretend you don’t expect these things to happen when they happen every day in society. We all know the dangers we face every day in society. We can’t pretend we don’t. Both participants were just dumb and have learned their lessons I’d hope.

As I see it, we get what we sow. If we sow degeneracy, enshrine it in law, glorify it in our media, teach it in our schools, and pay for it with our hard earned money, those of us who do not like the outcome have no right to complain. It’s not as if the population around us did not choose this path.

I’m sure if people wanted to live with different moral and ethical standards, and with different laws, they would choose to live in such a society. We live in a democracy, and on aggregate, the moral and ethical behaviours exhibited by those around us are a culmination of those values and behaviours we praise in our homes, teach in our schools, and worship in our media.

sauromatian wrote in Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:
Accurate enough. I've been looking at some old, steampunk-era designs of pneumatic machines, & they got pretty complicated before being replaced with electric motors. But enough about machines - let's talk about the soul of America!

Do we actually deserve to survive as a society? Not a rhetorical question, & I'd actually like to hear opinions on this one. Consider this example from today's news:
Jury acquits delivery driver of main charge in shooting of YouTube prankster - WTOP News

In infamous Loudoun County, Virginia (a suburb of Washington, DC), a jury has just convicted a defendant on gun charges, even though they also thought he was defending himself from threatening behavior. The person he shot is paid (& continues to be paid) several thousand dollars a month (by YouTube, owned by Google) to threaten & steal from random strangers on camera.

Let's review: In a suburb of our nation's capital, one of our largest corporations pays thugs to terrorize & humiliate people. There are no laws to stop it or hold Google accountable, & individuals are not allowed to defend themselves from Google's paid representative, because our nation is a failed state. True? False? Why?

Not disagreeing with the general take here but the article says the delivery driver was found not quilty.

sauromatian wrote in Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:
"The jury was split though on two lesser firearms counts, and decided to convict him on one and acquit him on the other."

Ah, thanks. I missed the "major" in the title there.

sauromatian wrote in Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:
I sympathize with your crisis of faith. Today, a 31-year-old idealist of Effective Altruism is going on trial for his efforts to redeem mankind. The powers & principalities of earthly authority may seek to suppress the message, but the word flies free. Sam Bankman-Fried, superstar, do you think you're what they say you are?

I don’t get why anyone cares? I do get that some gullible people invested money, and that’s why they care, but they are idiots and they get what they deserve. A fool and his money and all that. No different from Bernie Madoff.

At the end of the day it’s all just theatre to keep the muppets entertained. No different to The Amber and Depp Show, the January 6th Carousel, or the Alien Invasion on Hawaii. All exciting camera angles and pretend shock and overly excited IQ deficient presenters.

Maybe we’ll get some good legislation out of it to keep all the lazy people ‘safe’, and some good news stories to tell them what they shouldn’t be thinking. Better still, if you can’t trust people with money, take it off them and tell them what they can and can’t do with it. Then you know they won’t be invest in such schemes.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/11/doj-sue ... llion.html
'DOJ sues eBay for selling ‘rolling coal’ devices; fines could hit $2 billion
The Department of Justice alleged that eBay has allowed more than 343,000 illegal “rolling coal” pollution devices to sell on its platform.
Each of the alleged transactions would come with up to a $5,580 fine under the Clean Air Act.
Rolling coal is the practice of tampering with a vehicle’s emissions control system, causing it to spew black clouds of sooty exhaust.'

I wonder where Ebay will get the $2 billion? Oh right, from you...

mbassoc2003 wrote in Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:Why would anyone care?

Have you read anything about the U.S. DOJ, lately, lol?

Tszii wrote in Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:The FTC sued Microsoft to stop them from acquiring a PC game company.

Tyranny can take many forms. It is said that democracy seems like the worst form of government until you consider the alternatives, implying that democracy is always the least-objectionable government. Occasionally, it is not.

I read an interview with a corrupt Middle-Eastern politician, where he argued for judicial reforms unpopular with his people. He said that his reforms will improve democracy, not destroy it. But his rationale sounds a lot like what any schoolkid here learns about 'mob rule' in the Federalist Papers. Also, he really likes killing large numbers of civilians. Present tense.

I wonder if there are any military officers in his government with better morals than his, who might be willing to do what is necessary.

p.s. On a completely unrelated matter, this is a good song.
Circle Jerks - Coup D'Etat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJjuVzZQj0U

p.p.s. On another completely unrelated matter, this Monday will be the anniversary of when the existence of the the Warsaw Ghetto was formally announced by the occupation government. Completely unrelated.

Tacky is the nicest word that I can come up with for those gates…  

-SKA