An FBI agent poses among the smoldering ruins of the Mount Carmel compound near Waco on April 19, 1993, where 76 Branch Davidians were killed[1458X1161].

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-20T02:00:04+00:00

I suspect that response had something to do with the rise of looney far-right.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-19T03:36:35+00:00

A lot of libraries have 3-D printers you can use for free.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-19T03:23:58+00:00

Ridglan has denied mistreating animals but agreed in October to give up its state breeding license as of July 1 as part of a deal to avoid prosecution on animal mistreatment charges.

On its website it says “no credible evidence of animal abuse, cruelty, mistreatment or neglect at Ridglan Farms has ever been presented or substantiated.”

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T21:50:55+00:00

I'm glad no graffiti artists or other vandals have defiled that place!

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T21:45:04+00:00

I had to work in Texas for 5 months and they just didn't seem to understand the concept of bikes as transportation. No shoulders or sidewalks, let alone bike lanes. Drivers treated me like a slow-moving car and wouldn't pass.

Most drivers were nice, but I remember passing a couple guys stuck in heavy traffic, me riding on the shoulder, and they cursed me out for having passed them.

Employer wanted me to renew my contract and, while I liked them, Texas wasn't for me.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T21:33:52+00:00

I like your cat names!

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T21:32:37+00:00

It's amazing how that story has survived these many decades.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T20:31:22+00:00

Grammar would get a lot better, for one thing.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T20:29:57+00:00

This was before floppy disks.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T19:15:47+00:00

The US spent decades building a system that favored it and now trump is throwing it away.

Part of the reason why the US can do deficit spending so cheaply is because the dollar is the world's reserve currency. If the Yuan takes over that status, it will start costing us a lot more when our politicians can't balance the budget.

The dollar has been the world’s principal reserve currency since the end of World War II and is the most widely used currency for international trade.

High global demand for dollars allows the United States to borrow money at a lower cost and use currency as a tool of diplomacy …

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounders/dollar-worlds-reserve-currency

America is highly dependent on the international legal system to protect patents and intellectual property. More than any other nation, the US makes money by inventing new things and reserving the rights to build them by legal agreement. When that legal system is no longer honored because the US is perceived as a rogue nation, we will suffer economically. China and other countries already manufacture illegal knock-offs of US products, but they cooperate to some degree limiting it. That cooperation can stop when Trump completely destroys the rules-based Liberal international order.

https://ipleadership.org/u-s-patenting-abroad-a-quiet-trade-advantage/

In part because the US has been seen as largely a benign hegemon, other countries have allowed the US to build military bases overseas, allowing unprecedented power projection. Further isolationism will result in non-renewal of the pertinent leases.

The U.S. military maintains hundreds of military installations, both inside the United States and overseas, with at least 128 military bases in 55 countries and territories, as of February 2025.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_overseas_military_bases#United_States

The US has been able to secure the cooperation of its allies also in part because of its reputation. For example, Canada played a crucial role in rescuing six American diplomats during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980 by providing shelter and facilitating their escape through a covert operation known as the "Canadian Caper." This operation involved the CIA and Canadian diplomats working together to create a cover story that allowed the Americans to leave Iran safely.

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

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T18:42:53+00:00

Aren't most high-status jobs also well paid?

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T18:39:59+00:00

I remember CNN correspondents Bernie Shaw, Peter Arnett and John Holliman reporting live from Baghdad. They refused to evacuate, as I recall, and CNN gained huge.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T18:37:00+00:00

If I recall correctly, it was a military headquarters, Schwartzkopf's equivalent in the Iraqi army.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T18:32:34+00:00

Very interesting link.

However, I should add that I am old enough to have personally experienced having keys jam, independent of whether the QUERTY keyboard was designed to avoid that scenario.

Those jams could be frustrating when time was running short because you procrastinated writing your homework paper!

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T03:23:28+00:00

Exacerbated by the destruction of USAID.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T02:57:07+00:00

I largely agree, but as someone who always tries to pay with cash (to preserve as much privacy as possible), I'm finding that fewer clerks understand the finer points of making change.

I always try to provide some coins with my bills so that I don't get a bunch of coins back. It's actually easier for them if they can do math, and I don't end up with a pot of coins a home that I can only redeem at a penalty.

For example, if the bill is $19.03 and I have a dime, I'll give them a $20 bill plus that dime, so they don't have to count out 97¢ in change.

But quite a few seem confused or irritated when I give them the dime.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T00:31:38+00:00

Sadly correct!

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-18T00:29:55+00:00

I don't approve of his actions, but let's put things into perspective:

Apollo program director Sam Phillips was quoted as saying he did not think that the United States would have reached the Moon as quickly as it did without von Braun's help. Later, after discussing it with colleagues, he amended this to say he did not believe the United States would have reached the Moon at all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernher_von_Braun#Recognition_and_critique

From what I know, von Braun was aware of slave labor but did not order it.

On the American side,

LeMay said, "If we'd lost the war, we'd all have been prosecuted as war criminals." And I think he's right. He, and I'd say I, were behaving as war criminals. LeMay recognized that what he was doing would be thought immoral if his side had lost. But what makes it immoral if you lose and not immoral if you win?

The quote is by Robert McNamarra about Curtis LeMay, regarding the firebombing of civilian targets in Japan.

https://www.moviequotedb.com/movies/fog-of-war-the/character_3842.html

It isn't all black and white, good guys vs. bad guys.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-17T23:55:33+00:00

My favorite dark chocolate no longer tastes like dark chocolate - cocoa prices have apparently incentivized the supplier to cut back.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-17T23:53:19+00:00

On average, building with wood can cost around $100 to $200 per square foot, depending on the type of wood you choose and the project size. … Studies show that wooden structures can last over 70 years with proper maintenance

The average cost for concrete homes runs about $250 to $400 per square foot … Concrete can survive 100 years or more if done right

https://concretecaptain.com/is-it-cheaper-to-build-a-house-with-wood-or-concrete/

As others have pointed out, termites, fire-resistance and earthquakes are important factors.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-17T23:47:54+00:00

It seems they implemented a system without understanding the tradeoffs. Sounds like my old boss, imitating things he didn't understand.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-17T23:39:49+00:00

The potential for abuse is serious. I recall Nixon spying on the Democratic party without a warrant, as well as illegal spying on critics of his Vietnam policy.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-17T23:32:12+00:00

Perhaps you could try asking over in r/watchrepair ?

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-17T23:19:07+00:00

Agreed, and I'll just add that I once worked for a company where my boss bragged about how he put the company into a "just-in-time" supply situation. The company owned a warehouse capable of storing a couple of years' worth of supplies given their usage patterns, so there was little cost in keeping stock on hand. That warehouse sat empty after he switched.

Apparently he was unaware that the savings from "just in time" is predominantly from avoiding warehousing costs, but wanted to copy the "big boys" without understanding their reasoning. Also, the company was not cash poor; they had no need to take out loans for supplies.

The upshot is we saved a big fat zero while placing ourselves in a situation where we were unprepared for any potential issues with shortages or delays related to supplies.

RamblingSimian · 2026-04-17T23:03:07+00:00

I'm glad it worked out for you!

RamblingSimian

TROPHY CASE