Not that we should have the contracts and control a country like that, but I’d like to think there could have been a win/win. Would have been nice to have a friendly and supported Iraq, on its way to healing some, at the end of the day.

Overall, a failure of US leadership on all fronts. Any positive results may have just been a bridge too far in the minds of politicians and rallying the public just not worth it for them. Silly.

Or the wonky intertwinement is the peace mechanism? How much more bloody would the world have been without it?

Lord. The irony. Could have had a little US in Iraq after us essentially living there forever. Now it’s Chinatown

An Axis is forming.

Maybe canines? Idk

I just think it would be dope to drive under as a dramatic fight between an elk and wolves tumbled off the side onto my vehicle. Killing all of us instantly. What a way to go!

As I understand it, the $7.5k isn’t any EV, but EVs that were assembled/built primarily in the US. Many weren’t compliant with that legislation. Not out of spite or anything, but because manufacturing wasn’t quite ready to comply. That led to a number of vehicles sitting ineligible for the 7.5k break. As well as consumer confusion over which ones could be discounted. Overall, a transitional growing pain for a crappy industry that relies on monthly sales.

Cities Skylines 2 has been great for this. Just log in and tinker with your city! Very relaxing creative problem solving…

True. Though they have been stuck with 30 years of damage simply reverse too.

Sounds freaking sweet!

I just got one question. What is cruft?

True. I’ve certainly scoped out blu ray players of a particular vintage for those reasons. Just crazy we have to reach back in time to attempt to get around a trap that the vast majority of consumers don’t see.

Just passively take it from you. Not saying physical is pointless at all, but physical discs and their players haven’t stood still technologically either. If anything, streaming and discs converged.

Simply considering the fragile nature of a disc and the parade of new formats puts a clock on your time with it.

I could very well be mistaken and please correct me if I am. I remember reading that canning a show before season 3 or so was a way of getting around union costs that kick in for a ‘longer’ running show. A very anti labor strategy designed to cash in quickly then drop it so Netflix wouldn’t have to share the wealth.

Aren’t physical 4k Blu-rays still DRMd? When every part of the chain is digital your physical disc is still only as good as the will of Sony or whoever really owns it.

Two cents on the headphone jack issue folks bring up all the time. The convenience of 3.5 mm is great and valid. Totally agree.

However, I use and own a lot of wired higher end headphones and a dongle DAC is just better audio quality than the 3.5mm jack. Let me explain.

3.5mm jacks means the phone’s on board DAC is doing the work and outputting an analog stereo signal. You are stuck with whatever, typically sub-par, DAC is built into your phone. Yes, some phones have better DACs than others, but it is a challenge to sort out and is often not a priority for most manufacturers.

With type C dongle you can escape your phone’s limitations and use dongles with audio features like fully balanced audio because the signal stays digital from your phone to the dongle. Personally, I’m a fan of 4.4 mm balanced connection, as most of my headphones will run balanced. This is something I could never do with 3.5mm alone.

DDHifi, XDUOO, ifi, etc makes some great ‘audiophile’ - dumb title but you know what I mean - DACs.

I often don’t hear this side of the issue discussed.

I think the dates are more relevant than the software. COVID pandemic was probably more impactful here than Linux.

Streaming has ultimately taught me how little I ‘need’ to watch since it trains you to really only seek out a couple things per service. I’ve also become very advertisment sensitive being blessed with tools to avoid that and companies honeymooning people for a while with fewer ads compared to what cable did.

Obviously, the dipshits are springing their ‘trap’ but I’m not bullish on the strategy of forcing consumers to suddenly tolerate a return of ads everywhere and always on entertainment. I just see folks running away again/further disconnecting from traditional media.

I can only imagine the delicious conversations about what objectionable art other people are enjoying that ‘their’ tax dollars paid for. Sure, let’s do it.

And when the GOP holds enough power again we could finally have real US branded State TV! The Trump News Network will live, lol

Did Tupac’s estate agree? Or receive compensation?

Or, idk, regulators could like, do their jobs.