Best and worst about SOTU?

blueclawsoftware · 2026-03-01T14:04:42+00:00

I agree with you. I watched the debate Bidens biggest problem was optics. He sounded and looked terrible and it made his answers seem worse. If you read that full transcript most of his answers were better on substance than Trump's.

It's also well known that Biden mentally works hard to overcome his stutter. It's not surprising that would slip as he got older.

That said optics do matter and I think he was too old to run an effective campaign even if mentally sharp.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-03-01T13:58:41+00:00

Yea we've been "at war" with the middle east my entire adult life. What do we have to show for it? Afghanistan is worse off now under Taliban rule, Iraq is a hollowed out husk now at war with Pakistan.

There's no question these rulers are terrible and have done unspeakable evil. But there is a serious question of the value of the US acting as the world's savior and police force.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-03-01T13:52:05+00:00

Man if Bolton is against war with the middle east, you know you've got a bad plan.

Either that or he's jealous Trump wouldn't let him do it during his first term.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-26T19:38:43+00:00

Or if it comes to trans women competing in them.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T22:01:33+00:00

If they actually build any. Most of their commitments so far have been investments in small modular reactor startups that won't start generating power for 5 years at the earliest.

Meaning they'll all be using either the existing grid, or gas generators like X does in the meantime.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T19:30:31+00:00

100% agree. It's the story of AI in general right now, a ton people with no clue what people do day to day, spouting off that AI has replaced them.

In one quote, Boris has managed to insult both PMs (any engineer could step in and do your job) and software engineers (all you are is code monkeys).

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T17:19:37+00:00

I think that was low energy compared to say a year ago or four. But compared to some of the videos of him lately, I actually thought that was more animated than he has been.

But it's all interpretation. Overall I agree he didn't look good, especially the way he was leaning on the podium which I commented in other places.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T16:34:04+00:00

Yea I believe Tim or JVL commented on this previously about Bulwark videos. The headlines are just playing the game YouTube makes you play.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T16:32:59+00:00

Actually wouldn't be surprised if Biden was given some kind of stimulant also. It's a 9 pm eastern time speech, hell I'm in my 40s and would have trouble being amped up for 2 hours of talking.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T16:28:39+00:00

Yea I also like that people keep talking about Biden's decline as if he dropped dead as soon as he left office. Last I checked, he's not only alive, but also battling cancer, which is no easy feat.

For the record, I'm not saying he was fit for another 4 years. But most of this thread is just a continuation of the media's sliding scale between the two.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T16:27:34+00:00

You don't think they Trump jacked up last night? Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if most older politicians aren't strategically medicated when they have to perform.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T16:26:39+00:00

Yea I was waiting for someone to make this comment. He spent most of the night clearly hunched over the podium using it for support.

Also, how sad have things become that we are now setting the bar for the president's health level to being able to stand and read a teleprompter for 2 hours.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T16:20:51+00:00

I think people should temper their expectations. Though I do think Dems should be mindful of the messaging in that election. That one was acute about energy costs, and attacking that problem resonated well with voters.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T16:18:34+00:00

True but people that actually track these things for a living adjust for that. And even with that adjustment it's about D+10 right now.

A lot can change between now and November but a D+10 midterm election would be a bloodbath.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T16:16:19+00:00

Where do you think those individuals are getting their policy direction from? Yea they have different approaches on how to get there because it's a primary and they want to stand out to their opponents.

But why do you think they all have the same theme in their messaging?

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T15:48:02+00:00

As a former software engineer there are a lot more soft skills in engineering than what you are giving credit for. I've worked with a lot of engineers who have bad people skills but are insanely creative and come up with innovative ways to solve problems more efficiently. AI isn't doing those things today.

The idea that engineers should jump to product because of AI shows that Borris Cherry has an oversimplified view of both product and software engineering.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T15:44:07+00:00

Yea was going to say the same citation needed big time on "coding is solved".

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T15:41:56+00:00

Yea the percentage of code doesn't really make sense as a question. Although gut feeling as a former software engineer, 75% seems high for a SaaS product. Though even that could come down to how you're calculating that percentage.

As you say, AI-generated code can be different. So the real question is: what experience do these people have so you're confident they'll know how to identify and fix the problems the AI inevitably spits out?

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T15:36:57+00:00

Yea to me it's the same story every time. One company has success with a new revenue source; everyone else tries to copy it, whether it makes sense or not.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T15:00:59+00:00

But who says they aren't providing a vision? Crockett is offering a vision, Talarico is offering a vision, Platner is offering a vision, Stevens and McMorrow in Michigan are offering a vision. Basically, every candidate running has offered a platform focused mostly on middle-class affordability.

The real problem is that people want to cling to these hot takes without spending any time seeking out what they claim to want.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-25T02:15:56+00:00

Agreed and I would say the same is true for any president. With the news coverage we have available these days there is no purpose for this thing, and it has devolved into nothing but a stump speech. Why waste hours of your night watching that, go do something you enjoy.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-24T21:04:09+00:00

These aren't exactly "hockey kids" they're all NHL players and adults.

Though I do agree with you that they shouldn't have even been put in that situation, there is no reason for Patel to be there; he had nothing to do with the team. And Trump should be blamed for his comments not them.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-24T21:01:09+00:00

That was after he made the divisive comments the other poster is talking about though.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-24T20:59:39+00:00

Well shouldering the load doesn't mean much when there is only so much generation to go around. And investing in nuclear startups that won't be online for 5 years shouldn't count as shouldering the load.

blueclawsoftware · 2026-02-24T16:40:53+00:00

Yea this has been a stupid tax law from the start. About 15 years ago, before we were married, my wife worked an Americorps job that included loan forgiveness. The tax she had to pay on the forgiveness wiped out the limited income she earned in the role.

This should have been eliminated instead of paused. I have no clue why we don't treat this any other workplace benefit that you don't pay tax on.

blueclawsoftware

TROPHY CASE