To take myself as an example ….

• all smart home stuff is arguably a gimmick. None of it is necessary, but for some of us it can add value or interest.
• the resolution is plenty for many applications
• I always liked the idea of a moving ticker for status or info, like the stock ticker. I assume this could
• I always wanted a clock large enough to read without my glasses, without all the crap on the cheap ones, or maybe configurable to my choice of crap
• I’m gradually putting together a house status alert system, and this is so much more expressive than the colored LEDs I’m looking at so far
• this is so much more interesting, more of a statement than a simple screen
• it’s local. We’re not locked into some god awful vendor portal
• someone was creative, had an idea, packaged it nicely, and offered it to the world. I want to support that, encourage more of it

I’m not sure if I’ll get one but it’s definitely tempting

I actually like this example. All too often we hear a kernel of truth, “the moon rang like a bell”, without context or explanation and can just apply logic that that seems reasonable with things we understand without questioning the result

Or maybe location dependent - we have significantly reduced air pollution in most places. I can easily imagine places with chronic haze that are no longer so

What do you want out of it? Owning adds responsibilities and costs. If you don’t have a reason to own other than you can, why take on those responsibilities and costs?

Owning a property is not just an investment, not just not paying rent, but a commitment. Some of us consider it well worth it. Some of us even like that part of it. But consider whether that’s you

There are models that can run on raspberry pi. Obviously not the latest and greatest but still useful

The training is much more expensive than the actual usage

I’m pretty sure no one is going to think an in-game npc is real

Do it: modify Minecraft so a villager gives investment advice. No one could be dumb enough to expect that to be real, right?

1. Not getting off the sofa. Video doorbell pops up on my watch, no matter where I happen to be, so I can immediately decide whether it can interrupt what I’m doing.
2. Shut the hell up. Sometimes I turn off the chimes so I’m not bothered by yet another door to door sales drone. But I still have my watch in case whoever is at the door is legitimate
3. Intercom. My kid sometimes want to tell me something without coming inside
4. History. Yes, sometimes I want to scroll back through all motion trigger s in front of my door
5. Wildlife. Minor feature but it is occasionally fascinating to see what animals amble in front of my door. I’m urban so it’s limited but we have turkeys and coyotes

Dammit, I fell for rings assurances of “only in response to a warrant”. Mostly out of laziness, but still …… I really am going to have to figure out self hosting a video doorbell, aren’t i

For sure we should reduce overall travel.

• To the extent people still work from home: we do. On days when I work from home I generally don’t use a motor vehicle for anything
• to the extent we order online, we do. I rarely goto stores besides the grocery. Sorry retailers and local shopping advocates but a dedicated delivery vehicle is more efficient that you taking yours
• I’ve seen gradual progress in train buildout from the 2022 infrastructure bill. It’s very slow, piecemeal, not dramatic but there are more transit options

Even crazier when you started working from home at least part time since pandemic, so the shoes you’d normally wear to work get little use.

I got divorced about five years ago and still have a closet full of shoes I apparently needed but they’re all unworn so I might have a lifetime supply

…… And don’t go out in the woods during deer season because there’s always someone treating a deadly weapon all too casually and don’t think those rules apply to them

Here in the US, the reasons people generally cheer for ICE vehicles boil down to how expensive EVs are here. Legacy manufacturers sell them only in premium trims and dealers tack on excessive profit to help discourage them - they truly are not affordable here.

They don’t seem to understand this is a choice by legacy manufacturers, combined with protectionism bought by those same manufacturers.

I suppose there’s a range concern but I don’t see how that has any validity. As people have more direct experience, that should mostly disappear. While there are never enough chargers, most of the population has high speed charging convenient to them and most homeowners can charge at home.

the question is whether oil is still a hugely important energy commodity and the answer is a resounding yes

This is a HUGE reason to push for progress. Oil is critical to so much of modern life and we have no substitutes for all too much of it. We need more progress where we do have options (eg. EVs) so we can start growing out of our dependency before it becomes a crisis

This is one of the concerns I have watched with interest ……

• with the first mass market push to wind “grid won’t be stable with any significant amount”
• as wind and solar became more popular “renewables can only be 30% without destabilizing the grid
• this past summer “with today’s renewables and storage technology, the cheapest most stable option is 95% of the grid”

Your concern may be technically and historically valid but is rapidly disappearing

He wants oil even if the wind is cheaper, the wind farm is almost finished and already producing power

If I can give an overly pedantic answer, it’s not him. I certainly never give such a vile human being a pass but …… his advisors have their own agendas. At least some of the evilness is their agenda and Trump is either the sock puppet, was bribed, or just doesn’t care about anyone besides himself.

You can’t, and shouldn’t try. Spending time in moderation is more important, so limit that. Sure when they’re little you have to open restrictions over time but keep the focus on recognizing ai slop and understanding the issues with it.

Sooner than you think, they’re watching is out of your control so it quickly becomes critical for them learn about

More accurately I’m more pessimistic about direct resistance. Even if you’re kidnapped out of the country, at least you’ve survived and have hope. That law is on your side, so if we ever get back to following laws ….

My understanding is they succeeded partly by being the bigger force. You can do that when the enemy is a small local police force with the weapons of that time. However it’s not the same when it’s a larger militarized federal force that is already claiming “total Immunity”.

If they have the overwhelming force and believe they have no limits, escalating will only escalate their response.

But legally they don’t have “total immunity”. Legally there are limitations. Legally there are civil rights. Pursuing it through the courts is slow and uncertain, but much more likely to succeed

Something may be better than nothing but escalating without hope isn’t better.

It’s a bad idea to attempt force against overwhelming force. You will never win and you may lose a lot

You’re much more likely to get good results by surviving and following through in the courts. Your strength is knowing your rights, filming everything, ensuring it’s clear on video when those rights are validated.

For example, you may not be able to physically prevent an illegal search. But you can film it. You can make it clear that you do don’t consent to a search (while not physically interfering with their illegal activity). You can ask about their warrant. You can even ask for their grounds for suspicion. When they are on video violating that, it’s pretty damning evidence. That won’t help you in the short term, but it will help in the future. If there is due process, you may get any evidence obtained illegally dropped. You can follow through with a civil rights proceeding. It won’t be fast or easy but you’re much more likely to eventually get justice, than any fantasies of violent resistance