And culture

And conservatism, I say.

Those first two translate to me as “Remember I hate the same people you do, so it’s OK to struggle while I keep more money. I donate to Republicans, you know.”

10 or 20 years ago I might have excitedly speculated about what will replace the smart phone in 2155. Could it be some kind of glasses or smart contacts that give you private AR-style access to your digital life? Maybe even an implant!

Me now: Still love my technology, do not trust the megacorps that are evil on their own, never mind the fact that the line is blurring between trillion dollar tech companies and the government. Oh and I live in the US, so it’s the raw uncut shit.

With any luck, the closer I personally get to 2155 the less I will continue to use my old-fashioned smart phone. I already lose it in my own house for hours on end. Feels good man.

That strategy works when you uninstall Windows too. :D

Is there anything those damn media companies won’t screw up? Even my frozen Mt Dew, man.

y = mx + b

It’s algebra. It’s linear. 😬

Hol up though…

Is that the Arch flavor or the Fedora flavor? I think that’s important information to have on hand.

I say we shouldn’t take any platforms “seriously.”

This platform is small and open and hosted by volunteer individuals. That is what makes it nice for most of us, but it also means there will always be a variety in who you interact with and it will never be a consistent homogenous branded product.

The huge corporate platforms kind of flip that - you get a massive user base and a very intentionally designed user experience, but everything else about it is a nightmare.

I think interacting with the natural world is good for us, almost regardless of the state of the environment.

My back yard is a complete disaster right now because it’s essentially an active construction zone where my kid and multiple dogs play every day.

But if I wander outside, play some fetch, stare at some trees and clouds, listen to the birds, and feel the sun on my skin, it does some subtle subconscious stuff for the better for sure. It’s even a little bit of exercise.

the idea of unifying to fight against a common enemy hits me

Organized cooperation is basically one of the human superpowers though, so it’s hard to hold that against you.

That miata concept sounds fun. But would it be more fun than one that has revs and gears, even though it would be way faster?

Honestly the ideal in my case might be like 2500lbs and 300hp but only like 100 miles of range to keep the battery size down. But I don’t think that’s gonna happen.

You are correct, but that does not absolve the companies or the government of any responsibility. It should not be “anything goes” as far as intentionally addictive designs on anything with a screen for the same reason they can’t just put cocaine in Doritos. They still engineer in what they can, but with some guardrails. And even in that case the regulations here in the US leave a lot to be desired.

Oh boy, I get to do more Freedumsplaining!

The luxury sport sedan price is the fake sticker price they bill up front.

The sensible commuter sedan price is the secret agreed-upon price that the insurance actually pays out to them.

The out of pocket costs are a completely separate number, where the individual is responsible for all the costs until they hit their deductible (and sometimes pay a percentage for a while until they hit a second complete out of pocket limit).

For some of us, however, there is a silver lining to this shitcloud. Obviously when a 2-hour stint in a chair gets paid out actually for real at tens of thousands of dollars, that money is not going to the wonderful nurses poking my arm and checking on me. Therefore, it is very much in the best interests of the pharmaceutical shareholders that I do not stop my treatment just because I can’t afford it. So these companies have copay assistance programs that will pay your out of pocket costs, with no income threshold.

So the reward that I get for having a health condition is… I effectively get decent healthcare coverage as an American. For 11 months of the year. If something bad happens in early january it can cost a few grand in the blink of an eye.

You can’t be on government insurance and use those programs though. But Medicaid on its own is great coverage.

I have a “fun” american anecdote for you then! The office that gave me crap for being late a while back is also coincidentally the expensive one.

I’m on a biologic medication that I get every month via IV. I get the infusions at a cancer treatment center at the local hospital. The chairs are comfy and the nurses are amazing. They will actually give me free snacks and drinks too. I am typically there for about two hours.

The amount they charge my insurance company? About a new BMW.

What my insurance company actually pays them? Surprisingly, about a new Honda!

Is this an elaborate “yet you participate in society!” retort?

I am a regular consumer of our ridiculous inhuman healthcare system in the US. The people who are hands-on with patients are generally NOT the problem.

I’m sure my anecdote applies to people from all three, and even to some of the boomers that didn’t ingest as much lead and have kept their head on straight.

When I mentioned The Oregon Trail generation though, that’s usually an Xennial label.

I have been existing in a superposition of both of these states for a few years and really like it.

During the day I’m a senior engineer on embedded c/c++ stuff. During free time at home I dig in the dirt and build shit and do my “farm chores” like tending to my koi pond. Feels good man.

I think most people would agree that fresh air, exercise, hobbies, and personal goals are good for your body and mind. It’s still wild when I notice it actually working.

I’m not sure what your use cases and performance requirements are, but Windows works great in a VM.

I rarely use it, but I happened to fire it up today and after updating it I got a full screen ad to start backing up my computer to their shit.

I’m sober for Satan! How 'bout you?

Things are always calm and normal in the US while we’re at war with another country.

I think that’s why we’re always at war, and why the effects on oil prices get all the attention. That’s the biggest conceivable effect of the war on most americans in their minds.

It’s like Europe is the city where all the people have to live with one another, and the US is the mansion out in the boonies with almost no neighbors, and the inhabitants are dicks to the few neighbors they do have.