Pokepokalypse

In my study, (n=2), I can attest, indeed, that both of my dogs will willingly give up roaming outside in the wild for snacks, scritches, and belly-rubs.

I have long ago lost my enthusiasm for this stuff, and now I just do it because I need a paycheck.

Frankly, at least in the context of US Copyright Law, we need to go back to Article I of the Constitution that defines copyright. The very first sentence is "To promote the useful arts and sciences..."

If congress passes a copyright law, and that law can't demonstrate that it actually MEASURABLY does promote the useful arts and sciences, (but rather hinders them, as is often the case), then that law should be overturned, desecrated, and posted on a wall-of-shame as an example to others of what doesn't work.

I think that would solve 90% of our problems with copyright law. But that's just me. I'm not typically a "Constitutional Originalist" but I think this kind of thinking here could help.

back in the 1990s, they used to hold open house tours.

I've lost too many friends to mass-layoffs over the years. I just can't do that shit anymore.

Modern homes have much better insulation and energy efficiency (like LED bulbs), etc. But I think it's also true that a lot of builders can get away with cutting corners, and the materials that go into homebuilding are also often of lesser quality (like wallboard from China that outgasses toxic sulfur fumes). Modern plumbing is mostly snap-fit plastic tubing rather than copper pipes. It's a LOT cheaper to install. Supposedly lasts as long or longer, but it's still shitty plastic.

Shitty wildcat builders throwing down entire subdivisions of deeply defective homes is a serious problem in the Phoenix area, I know that for a fact.

"teaching is the highest form of mastery"

-- (don't know who said this quote)

lol. that's me; only I start by writing out the problem as an email to ask someone for help. 90% of the time, I find that I didn't have a complete understanding of the problem to begin with, and I usually end up solving it before hitting "send".

Then I'll have this odd memory of - "I discussed this with you, I told you all abo- oh wait, I didn't send it."

Pretty amazing to think that since this life evolved here, a lot of it thrives on methane. Therefore: I think there's a high likelihood of similar life on Titan. (which has a mostly-methane atmosphere)

yes. Dr. Gerard O'Neil figured this out in like 1978.

Then, OPEC decided to demonstrate just how temporarily infeasible they could make it, by manipulating global oil prices (far from the first time).

warmer atmosphere == higher capacity to hold water vapor.

CO2 plus H2O (water vapor is also a highly potent greenhouse gas).

We sold my daughter's condo 2 years ago, and we're still getting email solititations to buy it. Apparently there's a company sitting behind about a half-dozen shell companies, and they're trying to buy up enough units that they can sit on the association board, and convert the whole complex to rentals; forcing the remaining owners to sell.

I'm glad I got her out of there 2 years ago. The rising crime problem there was the motivating factor.

It does cost a lot, but in most cases you're going to get more bang for your buck. (and you can also forgo features you don't like or need: like a homeowner's association; or pre-existing utility connections you don't want).

The other thing about building a home - particularly if you're in a high-demand area, the appreciation in the first 2 years is pretty insane.

Here is exactly why:

In America, this is basically the ONLY way "normal people" can make money (or at least used to be - those of us who didn't "get on the bus" in time have missed out).

Unless you create valuable intellectual property (ie. inventor, etc), or unless you're a doctor or lawyer, you're mostly just barely getting by. Those of us who were able to invest in housing, and take that ride, might actually have enough economic security to retire on.

So why does it have to be that way?

Because the politician who tries to change this system, will get voted out of office.

I don't want to say bad things about democracy. I love democracy, and I think it's one of the most important human innovations of the past 2000 years.

But the way we practice it in the USA; we're basically voting for our own extinction.