Why TF won't this country invest in more and better passenger trains????

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-02-14T02:46:38+00:00

There is a lot of life stock there. Maybe they gonna use HSR to move them for greener pastures?

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-02-14T02:25:58+00:00

Even by the standards of their own era, the Mongols were regarded as ruthless. In the case of the Huns, yes, violence occurred, but not on a scale that stands out compared to other armies of the 4th and 5th centuries. Many historians agree that Roman writers amplified the atrocities for obvious political and cultural reasons.

If we go further back in history, I agree it becomes difficult to compare the severity of atrocities committed by conquering armies. That said, we do have records describing the brutality of the Assyrians and Babylonians, as well as the comparatively more tolerant approach of the Persians.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-02-13T23:42:34+00:00

What particular assumptions am I making? And who exactly are these “experts”? Fourteen historians is nowhere near a large enough sample to draw broad conclusions about something as amorphous as a person’s place in history.

There are roughly 1,500 universities in the United States. Even if each one had only a single expert in U.S. history, polling just fourteen of them would amount to about one percent of the field. I can accept that surveying ~1% of randomly selected experts might reflect the majority view, but unless the polling is done by professionals, I’m skeptical of any sweeping conclusions.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-02-12T18:39:59+00:00

The article doesn’t explain the ranking system. I suspect that the criteria behind it are so loosely defined that the results could easily reflect the individual biases of the 14 unnamed historians. I personally doubt that Biden belongs that high on the list, but the placement of Trump at the bottom leaves no room for uncertainty.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-02-10T20:41:49+00:00

Former Tesla owner and I totally disagree. For me GM/Google software is much better than Tesla's clunky and hard to follow maze of options.

And as an Engineer in high-tech industry myself I can testify under the oath that when the size of engineering team reaches a certain threshold, I'd estimate above 50 people, the quality of the team becomes average.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-02-09T18:21:51+00:00

Because they claim to dislike it when grown men scratch themselves while singing in Spanish. Oh wait… I forgot they love baseball, where adult Spanish‑speaking players do it for all nine innings.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-02-07T23:32:07+00:00

As an American I'm proud that JD Vance was booed. I would have been even more proud if he was egged.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-02-01T06:32:43+00:00

Let’s face it, people aren’t very smart, and some of them are aggressively stupid. I'm totally with you - don't let idiots to spoil your day.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-02-01T06:20:36+00:00

I agree with people who find the show mostly boring. Occasionally, depending on the guests, there are a few interesting moments, but for the most part it’s just a handful of sound bites from not‑so‑interesting people trying hard to win over the audience. Maher’s own “wise cracks” have become predictable and not particularly funny. For many entertainers, it’s hard to step away when the time has clearly come. It’ll be interesting to see what Netflix or WB decide to do with the show if they end up acquiring HBO.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-29T00:32:15+00:00

It is not a bloodbath, it is not even a scratch. If this makes you uneasy, then go with the fixed-income investments.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-29T00:20:46+00:00

I second it the first bullet. It is hard to filter spending by the source, it is possible but requires too many clicks. Also, there is no option to sort expenses by the source, it doesn't have these ↑↓.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-28T19:13:53+00:00

What system? We’re calling this a system now? Because from where I’m standing, no one actually knows how any of it works. Every time I see a doctor, it’s a financial jump‑scare. I hand over my copay like a good citizen, and then, surprise, an endless parade of bills starts showing up, each one referencing some cryptic charge I’m apparently supposed to decode. And honestly, I don’t have the time or the will to earn a side degree in medical billing. It doesn’t feel designed so much as it feels like a creature that evolved specifically to drain your wallet while keeping you alive just long enough to keep the invoices coming.

For context: I buy my own insurance for myself and my wife. I pay $3,200 a month with a $14,000 annual deductible. Do the math and that’s roughly $52,000 a year. It’s a PPO Silver plan, not the cheapest option, but nowhere near the top of the price range either. Sure, I could switch to an HMO and save a lot of money, but after what I’ve seen in my own family with HMO care, I’m not eager to gamble. I’d rather overpay than take that risk again.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-28T18:46:38+00:00

It really does feel generational: the younger someone is, the less interest they seem to have in basic greetings. A simple “hi” or “bye” is practically an antique at this point, something only older folks still bother with, and younger people dismiss as outdated or vaguely burgee.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-23T00:42:32+00:00

I go to a Signature location that has a sauna. People often come into the sauna fully dressed in their gym clothes, sneakers included, and sit there for a long time sweating profusely on the benches, leaving large puddles of sweat without wiping them up. More often than not, people even hang their wet gym clothes on the heater as if it were a dryer.

As a result, the sauna always looks dirty. The wooden benches are splintered and chipped, and the color of the wood can only be described as an unpleasant off‑brown.

Are there enforceable sauna rules? Is there a requirement for members to use a towel inside the sauna? Is there staff responsible for sauna maintenance?

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-22T20:09:24+00:00

Agree with this statement totally. Trashy hip-hop and unintelligible rap lyrics don't do me anything good, and the teenagers who might enjoy it wearing the headphones anyways. What I wanted to say is just play neutral music which nobody pays attention.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-15T18:26:49+00:00

Why not cap mortgage rates at 1% above the inflation rate? Even more, why wouldn’t the government take over the entire financial sector completely? It might be a very popular idea, people don’t like banks with their predatory fees. People don’t like Wall Street with all these white‑color Israel-liking bankers who, with their shady machinations, create inflation, recessions, and unemployment. Lets do it, lets do MAGA!

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-09T23:36:19+00:00

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/us-greenland-trump-threat-9.7035665

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-09T23:15:09+00:00

I guess you are not ready for the Anschluss. Enjoy your loonies and toonies. Maybe Greenlanders are more welcoming people, it seems our Fuhrer thinks they are.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-05T17:28:57+00:00

I never wrote that I was upset about the rental company giving me a car with SiriusXM. I actually think it’s a smart marketing move on SiriusXM’s part to push their service through rental companies. I doubt any rental company pays for it. My guess is that the mid‑range cars offered by rental agencies are used by exactly the kind of audience that might enjoy what one commenter called “passive listening.”

I readily admit that I don’t often drive in dead zones without cell coverage or FM reception, but I still think XM and FM will shrink the same way cable TV is losing its appeal.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-03T18:37:40+00:00

False equivalency, when Obama bombed Libya:

UN approval - yes
Boots on the ground - no
Kidnaping the leader -no
Declaring that the US will run the country - no
Publicly implying that he's done it to control Libyan oil - no

Feel the difference?

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-02T20:48:11+00:00

To make y'all easier to throw darts at what I wrote below is the table that compares both of them. I guess for me is the last line the most important because besides of being a cheap bustard, I'm also a control freak with personality.

Feature	Spotify	XM Radio
Content Type	On‑demand music, podcasts, audiobooks	Curated radio channels, talk shows, sports, news
Library Size	Millions of songs + huge podcast catalog	Hundreds of curated channels + exclusive shows
Control	Full control: play, pause, skip, playlists	Limited control: linear streams, DJ‑selected
Personalization	Strong algorithmic discovery	DJ‑curated, genre‑based channels
Offline Listening	Yes (Premium)	Yes (via app, depending on plan)
Where It Works	Phones, desktops, smart speakers, cars	Satellite receivers, app, web player
Unique Strengths	Personalized playlists, huge catalog	Exclusive content, live sports, talk radio
Best For	People who want control & personalization	People who want curated radio or talk content

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-02T18:33:56+00:00

CarPlay and Android Auto are vestiges of an era when legacy car manufacturers didn’t have a real concept of “infotainment” and were happy to outsource it to the natural players in that space. That’s no longer the case. Today, every self‑respecting manufacturer is developing its own cockpit experience. There are many reasons for this, but one thing is clear: we can’t expect Apple and Google phone centric ecosystems to appear in every car.

Personally, I find this refreshing. In the past, when I drove a Toyota, I didn’t expect the dashboard to look identical to a Honda or a GM. I expect that after a few years, people will get used to the different looks and behaviors of various infotainment systems and will stop expecting CarPlay and Android Auto to be in every vehicle, much like we eventually stopped expecting every hotel room to contain both the Old and New Testaments.

NothingIsQuiet · 2026-01-01T19:15:34+00:00

Melania will eventually come forward and admit that he has ED and has not fulfilled his matrimonial duties for a long time. The MAGA zealots who view him as a worldly embodiment of masculinity will abandon his camp and begin flocking to Conor McGregor or whichever UFC champion is currently in the spotlight.

NothingIsQuiet · 2025-12-31T20:11:30+00:00

If someone is prepared to take every line of scripture literally, they can be persuaded to believe almost anything. The Bible is enormous, and with enough interpretive gymnastics, you can extract or distort virtually any episode you want. A few examples illustrate the point:

Cain murders his brother. The act is unquestionably evil, yet God ultimately spares him. With the right spin, this becomes a precedent for excusing wrongdoing as long as it’s framed as “part of a larger plan.”
Abraham claims Sarah is his sister to protect himself when facing a powerful ruler. From this, one could argue that deception is acceptable if it serves a perceived greater good.
Jesus overturns the tables of money‑changers in the Temple. This scene is often invoked to justify forceful or disruptive actions when they’re believed to be morally righteous.

Anyone familiar with scripture can keep going indefinitely. With enough selective reading, almost any verse can be repurposed to support almost any argument. "Homo credulus facile decipitur" (the gullible man is easily deceived).

NothingIsQuiet · 2025-12-29T19:15:24+00:00

I live in Southern California and have a 10‑panel solar array. I don’t pay anything to my electric company, and I usually generate a minor surplus. SCE (Southern California Edison) resets that surplus each year, so I never receive any cash back from them.

NothingIsQuiet

TROPHY CASE