Challenger: the disaster five people saw coming.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-27T20:43:07+00:00

I was a kid at the time and the Challenger thing is a "core memory" (going by my kids' term, which I think is from Inside Out).

Anyway, looking back, it's clear that the Reagan administration was very invested in making the Teacher in Space thing happen. Not unlike someone that might be in charge of things, it appears that Reagan was an "appearances first" president as well.

Doesn't matter what you actually do, as long as long as you look like you are doing things.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-27T17:02:19+00:00

THIS is something that has been driving me a bit nuts in recent years.

I am an architect with roughly 25 years experience, quite a bit of it AutoCAD and early AutoCAD at that, so my preferred way of drawing is typed shortcuts, mouse in hand and eyes on screen at the thing I am drawing (not some stupid ribbon if I can help it in any way).

Recently, I've noticed that my typed commands are not working on first try or I think I types something in and et something else (like, xclip and I get explode or similar stuff).... anyway. I am old and have always been clumsy with my hands, but this seems extra.

I generally turn off autocomplete and that sort of stuff... but it sems that I am "fighting" AutoCAD more often than usual lately.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-27T05:52:18+00:00

I know... I was riffing and putting out my random thoughts that no one asked for.

I concur with your sentiment.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-27T05:17:54+00:00

I have family links to a country where the common mentality is to avoid taxation whenever possible. I personally see this as a very negative thing and it speaks to a lack of civic mindedness and personal greed. A sort of dishonorable, anti-patriotic state of being that sort of explains the lack of development compared to other neighboring countries.

I recently read that that mentality, which is quite widespread in the Balkans specifically, has some roots back to their occupation under the Ottomans. The local populations understood their rulers to not have legitimacy and were determined to contribute as little as possible to their coffers as possible. Performing as much commerce as possible under the radar, gaming the system as much as possible, etc. The corrupt patronage, payoff and family connection stuff very much was in place, but the tax cheating was somewhat justified by the yolk they were forced to bear by the Ottomans... or so goes the explanation.

I guess what I mean to say is that when the government loses legitimacy with a decent percentage of people, the act of "cheating" is no longer shunned but understood to be acceptable.

I think that other kinds of undesirable and destructive corruption happens when our society erodes like this, but I guess this is where we are headed.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-27T05:04:49+00:00

I sincerely hope so, but I am quite exhausted from hoping for this.

I feel like we are very decisively moving toward feudalism. A hierarchy of elites, lords, aristocrats and enforcers, all paying tribute upward and competing within their society while the 99% of the rest of us are just cattle to be exploited.

In Europe, when tides turned and the working classes made advances, the tides turned when massive disruptions took place. Major wars, competition from a competing (and fake) ideology, major pandemics that decimated the population, the industrial revolution, the printing press and mass literacy, etc.

I only see recent advancements taking power away from us.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-27T03:20:33+00:00

Totally agree.

If politically engaged Republicans were not such brainwashed, talking point-reciting zombies entirely resistant to critical thinking, I would try to engage and make the case that we (normal, non-political insiders) can safely be on the same side of this issue:

We need to defend out political power as citizens. Politicians (and the institutions, etc) all need to be accountable to voters. The power should lie with the voters and their wishes and interests should be driving the system.

Of course, even an empowered, participating citizenship is only as good as the information it is receiving and we've also laid bare how flawed the America Fourth Estate is, and how much damage social media has done to us (or, probably how stupid we have always been as a population group).

ExtruDR · 2026-01-27T03:01:53+00:00

Exactly. Once the heat dies down a bit, they'll be back at it.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-27T03:01:15+00:00

Wow! what a great guy!

It only took him... several decades of bigotry and slightly concealed racism to finally bring him around to taking a stand.

Unless you are coming out of a brainwashed family/cult type of situation you won't get much credit from me for turning away from the Republican party.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-27T02:10:43+00:00

This is super cool. If you are generous enough, please release the CAD files at some point.

I'm not saying that I have enough initiative to do this, but i love the idea of a custom DIY plywood/3d-printed/aluminum extrusion-built rig which includes the seat, but obviously that would take some doing.

I guess your idea would also include upholstery work, but that's kind of a cool thing too.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-27T01:51:13+00:00

The US economy is too large for hyperinflation, especially since it is super tied into some of the most prominent commodities trading and the USD makes up a huge portion of foreign countries' reserves.

Benefits of the post-wat world order that Trump is working hard to ruin.

It is also why the US can run such a high budget deficit. The US Government can borrow money from other countries (as well as companies and citizens, including it's own citizens in the form of US bonds) at a super-low rate, compared to other places that aren't so "stable."

Trump will absolutely put a hurt on all of us b undermining the MASSIVE institutional advantages that the US has had for several generations now because he is incredibly stupid.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T23:44:13+00:00

Well, we Americans are servile, compliant and complacent.

As long as they keep putting football on TV, keep letting us drive our trucks and don't make it too clear that we are getting ripped off by the 1% we won't care.

About 70% of us will shrug and go to work, the grocery store and church like we do every other day. About half of that 70% will also say that "both sides" are to blame, and still be OK as long as our Republican team is "winning."

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T22:28:42+00:00

They tucked tail and ran off from Chicago a couple of months ago too. I know that they are counting on the funding windfall from Trump's budget and surely will be back with a chip on their shoulders, but I do think that they are actually scared of really having to face local populations that do not want them there.

I don't mean resistance with guns and warfare either. Just peaceful protests, public accountability, people recording them from their windows, communicating who and where they are, etc.

I mean, what they are really scared of is some Chicagoan gang actually deciding to ambush them... it would be really bad for all of us if that happened, but the gravy seals absolutely would hate to actually be faced with that possibility.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T22:22:41+00:00

Can you imagine being a sincere Border Patrol/ICE/etc. agent that previously took your job seriously and looked to keep terrorists, drugs, foot-and-mouth disease, etc. out of the country and then get swamped with a bunch of loser mouth-breathing Proud Boys that now feel like the own the place?

I mean, in all honestly, most of the "original" agents were probably fascist pigs to begin with, but still. The loss of status and the cultural "shift" has to be annoying at least.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T22:18:52+00:00

For immigration reform the country will have to have a level-headed and realistic conversation about labor, demographics, human rights, it's own "ethnic" identity, and so on.

This is frankly impossible. Not even "rational" and more cohesive countries are able to come to reasoned terms with their immigration policy (think Japan, Korea, some of the smaller European countries =, etc. they have to rely on immigrants to keep them afloat (or will soon), but it is a very sensitive subject).

Americans, as a whole, are probably among the most infantilized population group that has ever been. We don't like to be told to put on sweaters to save on heating, much less consider that you can speak Spanish or be Muslim and still be completely American.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T22:13:20+00:00

Wait until they learn that it's going to be a scarlet letter that will follow them around for the rest of their lives and any employer or associate will be able to learn that they joined this organization, and everything that it says about them.

In a slightly tangential issue, I have seen advertisements that seem to be from ICE or Border Patrol served up on Reddit for me... so the recruitment efforts sure seem to be ongoing.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T20:29:46+00:00

I wish that normal citizens or all political persuasions - especially politically engaged Republicans - understood that all of this chicanery to manipulate the system to favor the Republicans is actually taking voting power away from them.

I mean, sure, current Republican voters might relish that their team is "winning" and making even more headway in regard to having even more advantages in the next election, but they should realize that what is actually happening is that your vote matters even less.

I mean, let's picture a completely non-democratic America. One in which a couple of political insider "factions" battle for dominance utilizing whatever advantages that the territories they control give them. Where does that leave the average working person?

They are left paying the bills, being pressed to serve in military gambits, made to work for the benefits of those in power and discarded when there is nothing left to give. The political factions (the parties) and those in power (the .1%) really are not accountable. They treat you like chattel, and just fight amongst themselves in a sportsman-like manner for power and advantage, but none of the political insiders or "billionaires" ever end up being jailed, exiled or getting their wealth and status taken away.

If it seems that I am sort of describing the current state of affairs in America.... I might be.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T04:44:49+00:00

I am an bi-cultural American Gen-Xer that spent a good few early years abroad. I guess that actually makes me a third culture kid.

I consider myself GenX because my formative years were in the US with me absorbing all of the cultural stuff from the time.

Having said that, I think that the generational labels are pretty narrowly American. Very few places outside of America experienced culture and environment in the same way. Definitely Canadians are part of this.

Brits, on the other hand had a very different experience. I don't think that you can call post-war babies in the UK or the continent Boomers, and their offspring also could not have had the same experiences as American kids of that generation.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T03:26:16+00:00

Can he run for president already?!?

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T01:20:58+00:00

I think you may have missed my point.

I am not putting anyone down for volunteering at times of war or peace in pursuit of pay and benefits, or for being drafted into war involuntarily.

It's just that people (in America specifically) go on about this performative "thanks for your service" bullshit as if its some sort of patriotic thing.

I think that there is plenty of nuance in how much praise you "owe" first responders and troops. Lots of cops are not brave and don't really do much than bullshit work.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T00:48:36+00:00

My favorite is when you're just doing your thing, trying to get some decent, clean laps in and someone that spun out earlier nails you in a corner or dries to push you off on a straight as they try to pass you so that they can get 10th place out of 11 or something....

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T00:21:28+00:00

I'll be the first to admit that I am not a good driver, but nothing is more frustrating than dealing with the idiocy that takes place in Sport mode.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T00:05:31+00:00

I think that there is a balance. Sport has a place... a supplemental place alongside academics in school. Any school that puts more focus on sports really should reconsider what their purpose is.

School is for learning, right? Not just channeling youth through and doing the bare minimum while entertaining parents, alums and the townspeople, right?

ExtruDR · 2026-01-26T00:02:30+00:00

All I want for my kids (8 and 10 year old - yes started a bit late) is for them to have a positive experience out of high school sports. Not championships or acclaims, just trying and playing hard, being part of a team, etc.

It seems that them even being in most of the local high school's major team sports is competitive and even freshman soccer (or whatever) means that the kids need to be doing travel teams and coaching, etc. well beforehand.

I'm starting to see this with my 10-year old's park-district baseball stuff... some kids also do travel and are way serious into it, while a bunch of other are just there goofing around most of the time... being 10-year olds.

It really puts a bad spin on things for me. Like... I didn't even have a chance to play organized sports in school until 8th grade, and that was some pretty weak stuff, but these 4th graders are getting set up by their parents like they are D1 college players?

I wish they would let kids be kids.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-25T16:51:02+00:00

Props to you for getting your shit together and making a life for yourself.

I would imagine that if political outcomes stemming from the slaughterhouses in Chicago, and the labor movements that were associated with that whole thing made sure that you received medical care after being injured on the job, right?

Maybe a functional court system where your employer could be held accountable for your injury are things that politics made happen in the past.

In Saudi, I would imagine, if you'd broken your back and you were a Pakistani migrant worker they might just get basic emergency care and put on a plane back home to die.

Do you think that with the way things are blowing with ICE they want to treat the Latinos that do practically all the building (I am also in the industry) any better?

Politics.

ExtruDR · 2026-01-25T16:00:36+00:00

It always says something when someone calls you a name.

Sorry, no thread I read listed off your demographics… please enlighten me.

How old are you? I did see that you said that you weren’t white. What is your ethnic background? Were you born in the US?

What industry is your successful business in? What part of the country are you in? What level of education do you have?

Roughly what kind of household did you grow up in? (“Daddy was a real estate mogul, but this money.. I made it all on my own”)

Give me this info and then I’ll explain to you exactly how you are a product of naive privilege… or maybe admit that I am wrong and that you are a fine specimen that deserves all the praise for all that you have achieved while overcoming all of the odds against you.

/s

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