How are data caps affecting you? Not sure what mine is, but I never go over on my home and phone connections. Are you hitting the cap? What are you doing and paying?

No, I’m not suggesting this isn’t an issue. I’m interested in what people are dealing with outside my experience.

Naw, last thing I want is the government running our internet. Hell, it would have never kicked off 30 years ago if not for private enterprise. Back then your average Joe knew jack about this new “information superhighway”. Voters would have never agreed to fund it, let alone blow it up as fast as the capitalists did. And yes, we’ve entered the “last stage” of that particular game. Enshitiffication is well under way.

As of 10-years ago or so (thoughts?), internet access is a need. Not as important as power or water, but it should clearly be regulated like a public utility. I’ve worked for a few ISPs, so I know the devil in the details, but:

• ISPs should be mandated to provide for rural customers at the same terms as urban folks.
• Local governments, even states, should be shut out of decisions concerning competition. If a competitor can build new plant, or light up dark fiber, they can go for it.
• Provide base-level service as a welfare benefit. Access is that important. Try finding a job without it.

tl;dr: Government’s role is to dial it in, not take it over.

Vance will do what he’s told and is non-retarded. I can see a play where Trump’s cabinet colludes to 25th him, especially given recent events.

LGBT, blacks and women have been the largest gun buying demographic for a few years. Some of you suburban white boys need to ask yourself why before you end up on a train ride you never thought could happen.

I’m a straight, middle-aged white dude, but I have no fear wearing my gear out and about.

https://imgur.com/g1E6ESe (overkill cheapo 12-gauge, but it works!)

https://imgur.com/pg97mfI (one of my gun cases)

https://imgur.com/ynquDlz (can’t find the pic of that one on my rifle case)

https://imgur.com/knFMCuk (another rifle case, fuck yeah)

https://imgur.com/XP8i1TE (wife sporting her Christmas present!)

Damn. You’re right. This isn’t the crash it’s been made out to be.

https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/djt

That’s my bet. People have, for years, tried to act smart, say, “He’s always been an idiot!” Nah. Below average intelligence? Sure. But he really turned a corner in 2021-22 or so and now the roller coaster is off to the races.

He’s come with 9,000 stupid, mystifying, illogical, evil even, statements. But yesterday was something I’ve never seen before. You and I would be headed for a rest home if we acted like that. Put that in the bucket with the last 2-years of lunacy, we would be living with a full-time caretaker if we were rich.

People like us that are watching and politically engaged have been noting the slide, but that performance yesterday was on display for a long time, not merely a sound bite a supporter can weasel around.

I’d pay MONEY to see that.

100mph at 3,000 to 4,000 feet

That seems a bit beyond “hobby” level drones. I may be wrong though.

My daily driver uses the Anduril UI, but that can be mind blowing if you get lost in the settings.

Football happens so fast all that extra input wouldn’t help. These guys are generally pretty smart, have to be to calculate what’s happening in real time. Guess I’m saying their bodies and minds are already running full throttle, more data would be overwhelming.

My bf was a high school All State offensive linemen, told me those were the smartest guys on the team, and I’ve heard that elsewhere. He could explain it far better, and that conversation was 20-years ago, but they have outstanding pattern matching skills, are able to make split second decisions and have dozens, maybe hundreds, of play patterns memorized. Think I’ve heard the center is the smartest guy next to the QB? Looks like a bunch of pushing and shoving, but that’s because they’re pros on both sides of the line, and both sides deny advantage. Point being, they’re already observing and calculating quickly, more input would be a hindrance.

So how would they benefit? It’s not like the enemy is hiding, he’s right in front of you. Any player can see the whole field and they shout instructions before the ball snaps. I don’t think even the smartest QB could be dodging defenders, looking for a receiver or a hole and still watch his HUD.

The coaches OTOH are certainly using tech and I believe they still have radio contact with the QB?

tl;dr: Too fast to be comparable to ground combat.

(Damned interesting question OP!)

And as to 2016, we all seemed to have forgotten that James Comey announced that the FBI was reopening the investigation into Clinton, at this same time before the election. I thought, “My God. He just handed Trump the election on a silver platter.”

narcissistic collapse

^ We have a winner.

This interview should clear things up. I have no idea why this woman hasn’t been assassinated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaDTiWaYfcM

I honestly don’t think so. I can’t imagine Trump giving two shits about immigrants or any other brown people. The racism is what got him on the road to 2016, immigration issues are polling as a concern, he’s just going for what works.

Guess I’m saying, to call him a Nazi is to ascribe beliefs to him. The man has no beliefs whatsoever. Remember, he was basically a New York City Democrat until he found he could sell himself better espousing hateful rhetoric.

She may well be correct with her numbers, I’m too lazy to check. But the Saffir-Simpson scale only measures wind speed. Makes for a fair thumbnail sketch, but doesn’t say much about the actual effects on the ground. For example; a slow moving CAT-3 can easily do more damage than a fast passing CAT-5. Keep in mind, Helene was only a CAT-2 by the time it hit NC, something we laugh about here in Florida. But it was huge, slow and wet. And due to the geography, well, flooding. Florida is so flat that water just drains out, nothing to channel it.

I have seen so many pictures and videos of the damage

I’ll just add this, nothing you see, or can see, in the media does justice to what it’s like living in the aftermath. My ex-FIL was in the Mississippi Guard. Two tours or Iraq, two Bronze Stars. What he saw and did after Katrina gave him PTSD and he abandoned his wife of 32-years and his daughter. Picture destruction that the United States military struggles to push through. House in the road? They fucking chainsawed them and pushed them to the sides. Stuff like that.

Ivan was my “war” and I drove MS from the Gulf Coast to Hattiesburg after Katrina. At this point I’m numb to it and the pictures all look the same.

Torque and a $5 BT car computer dongle. It tells you everything about your car. You can see what warning lights mean and clear the codes.

Lot going on there! Let’s stop and appreciate the interviewer. He came off as a passionate and “educated” supporter, didn’t press too hard, well handled. LOL, and despite the gay lisp, Stone thought they were on the same side. C’mon, you gotta be suspicious of a gay man pumping you for answers on how to throw an election for Trump. Stone was certainly drunk.

One thing he was honest about: Those 62 cases of election fraud were not heard. And no evidence was brought before the courts. Because every one of Trump’s lawyers, when asked if they were alleging election interference and/or if they had evidence, bailed. (OK, I think one was heard and Trump got 6 votes somewhere in PA.) Throw that at your election denier friends and family. Pretty fucking damning when even Trump appointed judges wouldn’t even hear the cases.

Another solid Stone point; It’s not about the federal government, it’s about the states. These people aren’t stupid, they know how the game is played. I believe a man once said, “All politics is local.”

Anyhow, I’ll vote in person. And armed. Y’all can count on the “authorities” to do the right thing, but I’ll have serious questions for any red hats milling around.

China is fucking over the Philippines, hard. They’re ramming and boarding their boats, fishing in their waters. We need a naval presence and a message to China that the US views their actions against our ally as piracy and we will sink the next ship fucking around. (I have no idea what’s going on with the Vietnamese.)

Beijing is testing what they can get away with, always has, always will. We need to call their bluff, no need to actually open fire. Promise they wouldn’t fuck if there was a destroyer group parked in Manila Bay.

Now I’m giggling imaging a Los Angeles-class surfacing as the Chinese navy approaches a Filipino vessel.

“Sup.”

If I’m not betting on your future performance, why am I giving you money to open a factory?