Thank you for explaining that!

That sounds delicious! Now I need to find an Indian place that also serves fries.

Actually, one of the funny things about this is the degree to which Elon is obviously bothered by every little thing. He's the richest human being to have ever lived, but he is so rife with obsessions, insecurities, and fears that he is probably less happy than most of us.

Translation: People noticed something shortsighted and irresponsible that the Trump administration was doing, so they backtracked it and moved on to their many other shortsighted and irresponsible projects.

Things like this are yet another reason we have got to get these people out of power as quickly as possible. These things aren't just stupid, they result in massive physical damage and they kill a lot of people.

Is there anything like a rational explanation for why an area where focus and accuracy are most critical insists on working people long past their ability to function efficiently? In a sane world, there would be shorter shifts for this, not longer. (And there would be more people doing them, instead of the absolutely minimum necessary to avoid disaster.)

I appreciate your explanation. I had misunderstood. And I do agree with your point.

"Influencer" is the first job I've heard threatened by AI where I think I'm on the side of AI. Reviewers serve a valuable purpose. Influencers are parasites who prey on the people without critical thinking skills.

Thank you. The attempts to normalize unacceptable behavior have been a big part of the problem.

Lying has not stopped being lying. Lying has not stopped being wrong.

There is a wonderful cartoon book by Tom Weller called "Minims". A minim is the opposite of a maxim. So the book is full of illustrations of wisdom like "The early worm gets eaten by the bird." and "You'll catch more flies with honey than you'd care to." The book's subtitle is "Man is the only animal that wears bow ties."

(Although, I have to admit, my husky sometimes wears bow ties and he looks a lot better in them than I do.)

I like all of those. I was thinking along the lines of "The Department formerly known as Justice". Or, taking a more direct approach, "The Department of Toddler Tantrums".

I'm with you. When I find one I want to forward to a friend, I transcribe it.

My theory is that since almost everyone is using phones for this stuff, slowness of typing makes grabbing a screenshot more attractive. I do most of my browsing on a laptop, so typing is far less trouble.

I'm 65 and both my parent are still alive, which is amazing. My father is 94. Unfortunately he has been suffering from increasingly serious dementia over the last few years. It is terrible to see a genuinely great mind crippled by having less than a minute of reliable recall. I know it isn't likely, but I keep hoping that one of the many breakthroughs in treatment that are in early trials will become available while it can still do him some good.

My father was a successful engineer for a few years, then decided that wasn't what he needed to be doing. He went to a seminary for a master's degree and became a Methodist minister. Although he grew up around Chicago, he went to South Carolina because they were very short of qualified ministers. As a white midwesterner in the rural deep south during the late 50's and early 60's he took part in the civil rights movement, which nearly got him killed more than once. My parent moved back north before I started school, because they weren't willing to put me into the 49th best educational system in the country.

He spent the rest of his career in Iowa, often assigned to churches that recovering from serious problems. (For example, his predecessor at one had been found to be a pedophile and sent to prison.) My father was good at restoring people's trust, partly because he never said or did the easy things. He challenged people to think and to act on their convictions.

In his late forties, he went back to school part-time, while continuing to be a full-time pastor, and earned a doctorate in theology. It wasn't part of a career change, he just wanted to continue his education. And I don't think he ever used the title that came with it.

I should also note that he was a good father. He spent time with us, despite working long hours as a minister. He was loving and supportive.

My father has never been perfect. He got frustrated, angry, and impatient, like everyone else, but he was an amazing example of what an intelligent and courageous person can be.

It's hard not to feel that I've already lost him. I do try to appreciate the time I still have with him, but it is sometimes hard.

I'm a big fan of the Dresden Files books. The series was somewhat different, but very good in its own right. The actor who played Harry was amazing. It's another of those missed opportunities that could have gone on to greatness if it had been given time to find its footing.

I like the way you think.

The current US government is strongly in favor of corporations screwing over individuals, so we aren't likely to get any help there. The EU and China are the only organizations that might be able to intervene. Unfortunately, they both seem more interested in the surveillance opportunities than in the good of their citizens.

We seem to be heading toward a two-tiered internet. One that will be accessible to everyone, but will be limited in terms of commerce and possibly content. One that will only be accessible to people who are willing to give up their privacy. That might actually turn out to be a good thing. Buying from the corporations could easily end up limited to the later group, which would encourage more people to shift their buying to other sources.

"The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the flagrantly guilty who are in power." --Dragnet 2026

I very much appreciate you communicating about this.

I agree that defederating seems like the right solution.

How is she ever going to learn chemistry if you keep shutting down her experiments?

The truth is that everyone should be paired with a dog to help them deal with stress.

I have mine. It works wonders.

This is genius! Deeply disturbed genius, but still genius.