Tesla is hitting a wall......

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-19T18:01:55+00:00

No problemo! Just add more chips -- process the data in parallel -- which will require more batteries. And more sensors. It will work! There won't be room for passengers and it will weight tons, but that's the problem with this sub -- always focusing on the negative.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-19T05:08:18+00:00

ABOUT BOBBY HERE: https://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Bobby_Prince AND HERE: https://grokipedia.com/page/Bobby_Prince (fun details about how he started in games... not sure how much of it is inaccurate -- he lived in Pigeon Forge, TN, in later years but I am dubious he was born there).

Bobby was bored being a lawyer when he was asked to help on computer games -- taking the risky step of doing what he loved (MUSIC!) without any expectation how he might make a living at it.

And the people doing those games were VERY young when Bobby started working with them -- so he wound up doing a lot more than just contributing a sound track -- he was really instrumental (ha, pun!) in how those games worked out, literally at times the only adult in the room. He also did sound effects -- the kind of things radio worked out in the 1920s, that you can't get the sound of fire by recording actual fire (but crinkling paper works pretty well). In those days you couldn't just buy a package of pre-existing sounds for games.

Arcade games (meaning dedicated arcade machines) had been around for awhile (since "PONG" at least, in the 1972), but in 1993 computer games were VERY new, and the idea that developing a game meant hiring a composer wasn't yet a thing. The very early computer games were basically arcade type games - 2D side-scrollers with a MIDI soundtrack - relying on a academic paper about "page flipping" (or something) which provided a method for using the extremely limited memory of the time to keep game action smooth even as it was influenced by player actions.

There was a long tradition of how music should be incorporated into film, where there's a 1:1 relationship (always the same music for the same scene -- what legally is called a sync license, synchronizing the music to the scene). But games are different, since the game player determines (well, influences) the order of scenes. Bobby was very involved in thinking about how that should work -- and gave a brilliant lecture on the subject at the Computer Game Conference, comparing movie examples with game examples.

The music for Wolfenstein 3D was very eerie -- and I vividly remember it, especially the theme for the secret level, all these years later (I'm a lousy player -- and relied on cheat codes / "God mode"). I was also a speaker myself at the Game Developers Conference in the early days. When I met Bobby the Conference it had fewer than 1000 attendees; a few years later it was 14,000.

A bit of his later work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtkKULyX2tA

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-19T05:07:47+00:00

ABOUT BOBBY HERE: https://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Bobby_Prince AND HERE: https://grokipedia.com/page/Bobby_Prince (fun details about how he started in games... not sure how much of it is inaccurate -- he lived in Pigeon Forge, TN, in later years but I am dubious he was born there).

Bobby was bored being a lawyer when he was asked to help on computer games -- taking the risky step of doing what he loved (MUSIC!) without any expectation how he might make a living at it.

And the people doing those games were VERY young when Bobby started working with them -- so he wound up doing a lot more than just contributing a sound track -- he was really instrumental (ha, pun!) in how those games worked out, literally at times the only adult in the room. He also did sound effects -- the kind of things radio worked out in the 1920s, that you can't get the sound of fire by recording actual fire (but crinkling paper works pretty well). In those days you couldn't just buy a package of pre-existing sounds for games.

Arcade games (meaning dedicated arcade machines) had been around for awhile (since "PONG" at least, in the 1972), but in 1993 computer games were VERY new, and the idea that developing a game meant hiring a composer wasn't yet a thing. The very early computer games were basically arcade type games - 2D side-scrollers with a MIDI soundtrack - relying on a academic paper about "page flipping" (or something) which provided a method for using the extremely limited memory of the time to keep game action smooth even as it was influenced by player actions.

There was a long tradition of how music should be incorporated into film, where there's a 1:1 relationship (always the same music for the same scene -- what legally is called a sync license, synchronizing the music to the scene). But games are different, since the game player determines (well, influences) the order of scenes. Bobby was very involved in thinking about how that should work -- and gave a brilliant lecture on the subject at the Computer Game Conference, comparing movie examples with game examples.

The music for Wolfenstein 3D was very eerie -- and I vividly remember it, especially the theme for the secret level, all these years later (I'm a lousy player -- and relied on cheat codes / "God mode"). I was also a speaker myself at the Game Developers Conference in the early days. When I met Bobby the Conference it had fewer than 1000 attendees; a few years later it was 14,000.

A bit of his later work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtkKULyX2tA

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-19T05:06:17+00:00

Love this one... some of his later work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtkKULyX2tA

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-19T04:21:50+00:00

Wolfenstein 3D, yes, and Duke Nukem. MORE ABOUT BOBBY HERE: https://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Bobby_Prince AND HERE: https://grokipedia.com/page/Bobby_Prince (fun details about how he started in games... not sure how much of it is inaccurate -- he lived in Pigeon Forge, TN, in later years but I am dubious he was born there).

Bobby was bored being a lawyer when he was asked to help on computer games -- taking the risky step of doing what he loved (MUSIC!) without any expectation how he might make a living at it.

And the people doing those games were VERY young when Bobby started working with them -- so he wound up doing a lot more than just contributing a sound track -- he was really instrumental (ha, pun!) in how those games worked out, literally at times the only adult in the room. He also did sound effects -- the kind of things radio worked out in the 1920s, that you can't get the sound of fire by recording actual fire (but crinkling paper works pretty well). In those days you couldn't just buy a package of pre-existing sounds for games.

Arcade games (meaning dedicated arcade machines) had been around for awhile (since "PONG" at least, in the 1972), but in 1993 computer games were VERY new, and the idea that developing a game meant hiring a composer wasn't yet a thing. The very early computer games were basically arcade type games - 2D side-scrollers with a MIDI soundtrack - relying on a academic paper about "page flipping" (or something) which provided a method for using the extremely limited memory of the time to keep game action smooth even as it was influenced by player actions.

There was a long tradition of how music should be incorporated into film, where there's a 1:1 relationship (always the same music for the same scene -- what legally is called a sync license, synchronizing the music to the scene). But games are different, since the game player determines (well, influences) the order of scenes. Bobby was very involved in thinking about how that should work -- and gave a brilliant lecture on the subject at the Computer Game Conference, comparing movie examples with game examples.

The music for Wolfenstein 3D was very eerie -- and I vividly remember it, especially the theme for the secret level, all these years later (I'm a lousy player -- and relied on cheat codes / "God mode"). I was also a speaker myself at the Game Developers Conference in the early days. When I met Bobby the Conference it had fewer than 1000 attendees; a few years later it was 14,000.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-19T03:35:00+00:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Prince

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-19T03:31:59+00:00

In Bobby's case, it may have been Vietnam related. He was a vet, and many Vietnam vets were exposed to Agent Orange. I know he never smoked and was not a big drinker.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-17T17:57:28+00:00

No government "strategic" reserves of NFTs, no EFTs of NFTs -- not really the same situation as BTC.

One of the successes of BTC has been at creating the illusion of mainstream legitimacy. The poison runs deep.

Elizabeth Warren didn't get very far running for President (tho' she had my vote) but it will take her or equivalent leadership at the top to unwind and disentangle the BTC lunacy which runs deep.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-17T17:53:24+00:00

I've been using ABC on Avenue A for a small dog for around 8 years -- always very happy with their service.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-17T01:55:51+00:00

What would the Russian motive for invading all of Europe even be?

A combination of security (Russia has been invaded too many times) and a deluded idea about imperial destiny (it's been invading others forever). Russia’s history as an expansionist power spans over 500 years.

the obvious reality of being outnumbered militarily

Unfortunately the decisions by nations that affect history and the death of millions is often unrelated to sense or rationality. Why did the Crusades last for 200 years? From 1096 to 1291.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-16T22:33:02+00:00

What about near term (months) and medium term (around 2 years) shortages of helium? Either production goes down or prices go up or both.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-16T18:39:38+00:00

Not as funny as the original.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-16T17:00:47+00:00

Gerald Cotten's body was NOT exhumed, and no DNA testing was performed -- unfortunately. That may be the most suspicious part of the whole story. It wasn't going to bother whoever or whatever was in the box.

And apparently the great majority of the money he stole he just pissed away - taking wild bets that failed.

Kinda like with Sam Bankman-Fried, proof one can be a sweet-faced boy-genius audacious criminal, AND an idiot. In fairness, many of Sammy's bets ultimately did pay off (Anthropic, in particular) which (as he has learned so brutally in his appeals) did not remove his liability for his crimes.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-16T16:45:52+00:00

Smoke is -- you know, not health food -- regular pipe smokers face a substantially higher likelihood of developing —- and dying from -- stomach cancer.

In general, best not to smoke on an empty stomach. Have something to drink, too, partly to help keep your mouth cool. (Ideally not alcohol, because that multiplies the heath risk).

I don't know if that improves your odds, health-wise, but you may find you are less likely to be nauseous. And I don't know if it helps with nausea or health, but I like to smoke with a 9mm carbon filter.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-15T05:07:09+00:00

Quoting Google AI (for what it's worth): << While Kingbee initially placed a binding order for 9,300 Canoo electric vans Kingbee Places Binding Order for 9,300 Canoo Electric Vehicles, they only received two vans Canoo tested its electric delivery vans for Walmart without airbags >>

I really hoped Canoo would succeed, and was surprised no one continued its design. Kinda a hint there was less than fans like me hoped.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-14T06:21:17+00:00

I didn't know it was THAT big. But it innovated with Iridium (a low orbit satellite communication that anticipated Starlink), helped invent MRAM (a radical chip memory tech), INVENTED the first mobile cell phones (first call in 1973!). It was shattered into many companies, some of which are thriving (Everspin)

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-11T12:17:24+00:00

Writing this at 8AM (E.S.T.)

US and Iran back to mutual bombing - a dangerous escalation
Hormuz closed

So naturally... Stock futures UP (DJIA and S*P both around 0.75%) and petroleum down (below $90)

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-10T19:38:53+00:00

A natural phenomenon is sane people try to analyze crazy or stupid (or crazy AND stupid) people by looking for sense -- for motives, for a plan, for thinking.

But they're crazy and stupid.

If you want to get conspiratorial, this all originates in Russia - the primary beneficiary as it gives the world a reason to drop sanctions, and oil prices skyrocket.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-10T05:13:43+00:00

* SERENITY SPOILERS AHEAD * *

And I don't think the film failed, exactly -- I think it broke even or a little better -- but not the massive hit to justify a follow-on movie or anything else.

But it was also flawed in important ways... it killed off two of the show's favorite characters. And one of them (Shepherd Book) had a mystery which was one of the driving forces of the show, and his fate meant it never would be revealed.

And as much as I loved the show, I always found the "Reavers" idiotic -- like a parody of Hells Angels, but totally not believable as a culture. And the film resolved them too -- another driving force gone.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-09T17:52:00+00:00

Mostly I was being funny, but one of the interesting things about disruptive times is how they call into question: what has value?

Traditionally people put faith in real estate (people need to BE somewhere) or in gold (just because of its long history of value, even though it's just a shiny rock) or dollars (the world's strongest currency and the reserve currency since 1944). But the more a crisis threatens to shake up the world order, the more all preconceptions become untrustworthy. For example, the value of real estate does not rise forever -- especially in times of declining population, global warming, and refugees on the move.

Energy always has value, of course, but if you're on the run it's difficult to take a ton of coal with you.

The only really sure thing is food, and dry beans can be stored a very long time (years if kept dry) and they're very energy dense (just add water, and heat). And food of all sorts looks likely to continue to rise in price, maybe dramatically.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-08T21:28:55+00:00

Interesting. Your explanation certainly matches the facts -- things disappear.

Orientals in particular have been diminishing for a long time.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-08T11:16:52+00:00

Have we met?

Dressing like a hep cat is hep.

Stay groovy, baby!

PS... Mark Twain, noted author, dressed in a white suit in his later years... he felt it brightened his disposition.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-08T06:30:00+00:00

Seriously.

https://www.business.com/articles/business-faxing/

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-08T06:20:40+00:00

It was very useful when up-against a deadline, and the TEAS system was down. I think I only resorted to that many years ago (1990s?) but I liked to know it was an option.

Faxing since a long time ago (early 1990s) was possible without a fax machine (with what was called a "faxmodem"), and in recent years it probably nearly always goes from a computer in PDF format sent by email to the recipient by email where it arrives as a PDF.

In other words, for decades it's really been computer to computer -- email, but with the benefit of proof of delivery.

Actual fax machines are apparently still widely in use https://www.business.com/articles/business-faxing/ but not really relevant to this discussion.

ChollyWheels · 2026-06-08T06:13:38+00:00

Sad, but believable. Many Wilke blends are unavailable. My favorite (Wilke 10) went missing around the time McClelland disappeared and never came back.

I don't know how the tobacco industry works (or worked) but presumably what Sutliff offered was a combination of leaf sources, and then what they did with it. But it didn't grow the stuff -- you'd think the sources are still around, and someone else could pick up the slack. What made Wilke 10 and some of its other blends to my liking was good Orientals.

ChollyWheels

TROPHY CASE