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Mellow Seas posted:Yeah, sometimes we kinda get stuck with quality loss as a universal bottleneck. Like when every music producer started compressing songs to sound good at any volume, or on cruddy earbuds - so much sound information is lost in that process. But it's almost impossible to get music produced any other way now. Don't get me started on the loudness wars. You'll have to pry my half speed masters out of my cold dead hands. I was blown away by the detail I missed when I heard some music the first time on a decent setup. Mellow Seas posted:I don't think there's any bad way to spin "lower wait times;" Republicans will just never mention it and continue to scaremonger about the Tax Man knocking down your door to count the pennies in your piggy bank.
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Aug 18, 2023 16:53
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Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:- Phone calls to the IRS were previously answered only 18% of the time. It has increased to 90%. Related to this, something I'm curious about but have been unable to find info on- a few years ago I read an article about a company whose business model was to robocall the IRS help line in such volumes that it tied up most of their available slots, then sell the calls that had reached a live agent to accountants and tax preparers. This seemed incredibly scummy but it was unclear what the IRS planned to do about it at the time; I'm wondering what happened to that company and if the IRS was able to fight them off and if this contributed to improved phone support for everyone
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Aug 18, 2023 17:17
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I will literally pay more to stream media than I would to buy a physical copy because I don't want to deal with having to keep track of and find a place for a physical copy of media that, let's be honest, I am only ever going to watch once, and if I do want to watch it again will probably need to buy a new copy because who knows what the hell I did with the old one (which is probably scratched now anyway). This is not true of games, where I still have CDs I install and play that I purchased in the 90s, but even for those I often just buy a new copy if its available because it means it will work without hassle on my new hardware (usually) and it's not that expensive. There are lots of things I want to own, but "entertainment" is not really one of them.
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Aug 18, 2023 17:32
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GlyphGryph posted:I will literally pay more to stream media than I would to buy a physical copy because I don't want to deal with having to keep track of and find a place for a physical copy of media that, let's be honest, I am only ever going to watch once, and if I do want to watch it again will probably need to buy a new copy because who knows what the hell I did with the old one (which is probably scratched now anyway). How the hell you gonna scratch a disc that you've played once? Do you store them loose in your cutlery drawer or something
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Aug 18, 2023 17:35
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Also in like 99% of cases those scratches can be fixed. The bigger concern (over time) is bit rot/disc rot. But at least a disc is easy to preserve digitally.
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Aug 18, 2023 17:49
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GlyphGryph posted:I will literally pay more to stream media than I would to buy a physical copy because I don't want to deal with having to keep track of and find a place for a physical copy of media that, let's be honest, I am only ever going to watch once, and if I do want to watch it again will probably need to buy a new copy because who knows what the hell I did with the old one (which is probably scratched now anyway). That's fair, but the plural of anecdote isn't data, and all that. I like having loads of old teevee and movies around, either to pop on and watch or just have as background noise when I do other stuff. Some people use podcasts or twitch or things like that. The larger point with the conversation around streaming teevee and movie services is that they are unreliable, and some consumers want to access things years down the line, just as you do with your CDs. Shoot, I have my old Baldur's Gate 1 CDs still around, among many others, but I haven't tried installing them in a long time now that they're also on Steam. If someone wants to have access to their favourite shows and movies, the down-grading quality of service from streaming services such as jacking up prices while making shows disappear, means that  and large (in capacity, not physical size) hard-drives will be gaining a "market" share. I'm not going to post the Donald Duck comic about how Donald wanted to make breathing a subscriber service when he was driven mad by an ancient artefact, but it's a fairly salient point that not everyone is comfortable with access being replaced by subscription services they have very little control over.
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Aug 18, 2023 17:59
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reminder that public libaries have physical media that arent books, CDs and DVDs are the big one,s but apparently some even have games(most nintnedo because lol switch carts) so even if its a one and done watch, you let an org whose job is to store and manage physical media do it for you. PhazonLink fucked around with this message at 18:14 on Aug 18, 2023 |
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Aug 18, 2023 18:04
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I do love getting stuff from the library.
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Aug 18, 2023 18:08
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Libraries loving rock, especially ones that have digital checkouts. Unfortunately they are also under attack - the book bans and panic over drag queen story hour are part of it - because the right and capital hates the idea of people getting something for free that they could have paid for*. And like I said, one of the possible solutions to the streaming problem is a bigger push to fund and empower libraries to serve as a public media distribution service. * 
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Aug 18, 2023 18:18
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Beastie posted:I had absolutely no idea about DeSantis, JAG, and his time at Guantanamo Bay until earlier this week. I would love to know what happened. It was apparently enough to give him a Bronze Star, but it's murky enough that I'm not sure he has been able to get much campaign help from the decoration.
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Aug 18, 2023 18:24
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libraries even have their own digital streaming services. (oh and of course digital book and other lite borrows) like yes its probably limited to older stuff. but whatever, its older classic stuff.
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Aug 18, 2023 18:30
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Eric Cantonese posted:I would love to know what happened. It was apparently enough to give him a Bronze Star, but it's murky enough that I'm not sure he has been able to get much campaign help from the decoration. It's Guantanamo Bay, you know it's loving war crimes. Harpers posted:mansoor adayfi: As you know, Guantánamo was created out of the legal zone, out of the legal system. Torture was the mechanism of Guantánamo. Torture, abuse, and experimenting on prisoners. We went on a massive hunger strike in 2005. And there was force-feeding. It was torture. quote:prysner: So Ron DeSantis was actually supervising torture, beatings? He was supervising these force-feedings? Anybody who ever says DeSantis is "awkward" is fooling themselves. the man is psychotic, plain and simple. He, along with anybody who condoned this (and, as I've said before anybody involved with Jan 6,) should be locked up in Camp X-Ray.
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Aug 18, 2023 18:36
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Eric Cantonese posted:I would love to know what happened. It was apparently enough to give him a Bronze Star, but it's murky enough that I'm not sure he has been able to get much campaign help from the decoration. I know, and apparently a doc about the whole thing was cancelled. Also, physical vs streaming: I still need my xbox to connect to the internet to play a BluRay. So that doesn't change much in my mind. I buy a ton of movies on sale from Microsoft though.
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Aug 18, 2023 18:37
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I know this is probably childhood nostalgia but I do miss movie/tv/game rental places because I feel they are so curated so differently than online. You can walk into a store and pick some rando video, read the plot, get sucked in with the cover, whatever. The algorithm feels so cold in comparison, there is no treasure hunting aspect anymore, the corporate people push you to their stuff. I also think physical media is important because I don't like things getting lost to the digital abyss.
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Aug 18, 2023 19:04
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Beastie posted:I know, and apparently a doc about the whole thing was cancelled. Only the first time you install the DVD player app.
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Aug 18, 2023 19:18
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Vivek Ramaswamy is on a roll today. He has proposed banning everyone under 25 from voting. But, you could have your voting rights restored if you are under 25 and undergo a government-mandated civics test. The test would not apply to other generations. He also said that he would allow China to invade Taiwan in 2028 if he is elected President, that he would send the military into Mexico to stop drug cartels, and that the government should issue an apology to all Asians who have been discriminated against by affirmative action programs in colleges. quote:Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Wants to Raise Voting Age to 25 https://www.thedailybeast.com/2024-gop-presidential-candidate-vivek-ramaswamy-wants-to-raise-voting-age-to-25
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Aug 18, 2023 19:36
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Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:Vivek Ramaswamy is on a roll today. Well of course not, no boomer would be able to pass that test.
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Aug 18, 2023 19:38
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Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:Vivek Ramaswamy is on a roll today. I dunno what I’m supposed to feel about Taiwan but I know I don’t care much one way or the other. I do know I’d prefer not to go to war, regardless of what China does. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Aug 18, 2023 19:39
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going by the Musk thread, he's also posted some bullshit about the Hawaii fires and how its DEI/wokeism's fault. hopefully this is him peaking early before the regressive primary marches to its clown king of Donnie.
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Aug 18, 2023 19:55
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selec posted:I dunno what I’m supposed to feel about Taiwan but I know I don’t care much one way or the other. I do know I’d prefer not to go to war, regardless of what China does. Nonsense, a war with China would be quick and easy. Oh hey, radio's playing the Ink Spots, love that band.
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Aug 18, 2023 20:00
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e: n/m
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Aug 18, 2023 20:00
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selec posted:I dunno what I’m supposed to feel about Taiwan but I know I don’t care much one way or the other. I do know I’d prefer not to go to war, regardless of what China does. I think just telling China that they are allowed to invade Taiwan, but only if they wait until 2028, is a weirdly specific policy. The U.S. isn't actually going to war over Taiwan, but Taiwan also probably doesn't appreciate someone just giving the go ahead to invade them.
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Aug 18, 2023 20:06
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Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:Vivek Ramaswamy is on a roll today. So he's looking to disenfranchise like 47 Americans?
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Aug 18, 2023 20:12
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selec posted:I dunno what I’m supposed to feel about Taiwan but I know I don’t care much one way or the other. I do know I’d prefer not to go to war, regardless of what China does. It'd be a wash with invading Mexico to defeat drugs though
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Aug 18, 2023 20:14
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Lumpy posted:So he's looking to disenfranchise like 47 Americans? The youths turn out at a lower percent than usual, but there are still a decent amount of them. In 2020, the 18-29 group had about 50% turnout (still a lot lower than overall turnout, which was around 68%) and its tens of millions of people.
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Aug 18, 2023 20:17
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Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:The youths turn out at a lower percent than usual, but there are still a decent amount of them. I may have been making a joke.
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Aug 18, 2023 20:29
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Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:I think just telling China that they are allowed to invade Taiwan, but only if they wait until 2028, is a weirdly specific policy. I think the intentional ambiguity over how we would react probably does play a little bit into China’s calculations. But I also don’t think they’d invade anyway because it makes little financial sense for them to with the status quo.
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Aug 18, 2023 21:19
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Fork of Unknown Origins posted:I think the intentional ambiguity over how we would react probably does play a little bit into China’s calculations. But I also don’t think they’d invade anyway because it makes little financial sense for them to with the status quo. As has been mentioned before, the challenge with China invading Taiwan is that they would be invading a country that controls (by way of it existing on the island) a globally important strategic resource: modern chip production. Depending on whose numbers you believe, TSMC controls ~50-55% of global semiconductor manufacturing capacity, and Taiwan as a whole manufactures up to 90% of advanced semiconductors. Put simply our modern way of life does not exist without Taiwan existing as it sits today. "OK, so China invades without damaging the semiconductor manufacturers." Nearly impossible - those are incredibly sensitive manufacturing plants that take years to build and make operational. There's very little that China can do to actually take control of the island without some kind of an invasion and/or bombing campaign, either of which is likely to damage or destroy one or more fabs. Even an embargo is unlikely to work, because of the strategic importance. China really wants to take over Taiwan without bombs or bloodshed, but unless they have assurances that the rest of the world won't interfere, it's unlikely they'll try anything unless the status quo changes. Leon Trotsky 2012 posted:I think just telling China that they are allowed to invade Taiwan, but only if they wait until 2028, is a weirdly specific policy. My only thought is that Ramaswamy is trying to get China to back his candidacy, either overtly or covertly, in the hopes that they can push him through to the Oval Office? I can't see any other reason for that promise.
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Aug 18, 2023 21:53
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The most mind-boggling part of his statement to me (out of a lot of dumb poo poo) is that he would let them do it in 2028, which in theory would be as he's running for re-election in this scenario. So as you are trying to get re-elected you potentially start WW3 and/or cause a massive global economic shock. Very smart.
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Aug 18, 2023 22:01
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FlamingLiberal posted:The most mind-boggling part of his statement to me (out of a lot of dumb poo poo) is that he would let them do it in 2028, which in theory would be as he's running for re-election in this scenario. So as you are trying to get re-elected you potentially start WW3 and/or cause a massive global economic shock. Very smart. It's because he says that he will make the U.S. completely self-sufficient in its semi-conductor needs by that point and he won't allow China to invade Taiwan until then. quote:Ramaswamy said, “Do not mess with Taiwan before 2028, before the end of my first term,” when he believes he can achieve semiconductor independence in the U.S. Weirdly, he is also proposing getting dramatically more aggressive with China before allowing them to invade Taiwan. quote:Ramaswamy said he intends to make his stance clear by dramatically upping the firepower around Taiwan during his first term. This includes moving destroyers and guided missile submarines to the Taiwan Strait, attempting to form a military alliance with India, and even “putting a gun in every Taiwanese household.” https://newrepublic.com/post/175020/vivek-ramaswamy-thinks-us-let-china-invade-taiwan
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Aug 18, 2023 22:08
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Fork of Unknown Origins posted:I think the intentional ambiguity over how we would react probably does play a little bit into China’s calculations. But I also don’t think they’d invade anyway because it makes little financial sense for them to with the status quo. That was also the argument a year ago by people who insisted US intelligence agencies were totally manufacturing the claim that Russia was going to try annexing its own lost pieces of empire by force: attempted conquest of Ukraine wasn't good military or economic sense. And it was true: in retrospect Russia was certainly imagining a reality where Kyiv welcomed its liberators, the EU said "Whatever you want as long as the gas keeps flowing", and the US was basically done with NATO anyway. It was a fantasy, but a lot of people in power indulge in fantasy. As long as nationalists can swing "Well, maybe if everything swings our way" into "We're powerful and rising, let's do this!" you can't count on them avoiding something dumb and self-destructive. Certainly happened to America and lots of other powers. A scenario where China invades Taiwan is much different from Russia invading Ukraine, since China's more tied to the world economy as more than just a petrostate and land vs sea invasions are far different as well, but the "what economic hits will we take" and "what assistance will third parties give the target" are still major considerations for any rational analysis, right along with military victory itself. What happened in Ukraine definitely should color China's thinking compared to if the three-day Kyiv victory parade had happened, so it's probably less likely than it was a couple years ago regardless of what the US does. Though changes in US leadership can also change that. This is hardly unique there either. The Bush administration would probably have had different assumptions about Iraq if Afghanistan had been more visibly messy right away or if attacking the Taliban had gotten a more negative international response. Conversely, if Iraq had gone more how the neocons expected instead of being a disaster, Iran definitely would have been on the table next. Edit: clarified I meant international reaction to Afghanistan, not Iraq. Killer robot fucked around with this message at 22:15 on Aug 18, 2023 |
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Aug 18, 2023 22:12
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Shooting Blanks posted:
When he doesn't win, he's hoping to get some sweet deal in China with his various companies. Also how is it that only in the last couple days have I learned his first name?
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Aug 18, 2023 22:14
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SpeedFreek posted:How is improving the customer service of the IRS being framed in a negative way currently? Biden handed the IRS a poo poo ton of money to audit and go after hard working Americans. Since Democrats love taxing people and taking everyone else's money. So look out Sally, the graveyard shift waitress at the Waffle House and Joe The Handyman with his 1099 form. I've even heard it offered that Biden's going to use the IRS as a tool to target his "enemies" but, hell, according to RWM, that's anyone who's not trans, who owns a gun or who goes to church on Sunday. Most people strongly dislike the IRS and paying taxes so the idea of the Big Liberal Democrat giving them money is an easy sell for another "they're coming after us" argument. Nevermind that some out of work West Virginian with a tax problem might not have to wait on the phone for three hours anymore. Angry_Ed posted:Well of course not, no boomer would be able to pass that test. Well, that depends on who writes the test questions. And I have a pretty good idea who might be used to come up with them. US CIvics Voter Test - Brought to you by Prager University and Liberty College BiggerBoat fucked around with this message at 02:58 on Aug 19, 2023 |
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Aug 19, 2023 02:55
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I think the years of the IRS being defanged, taxes being slashed for those who don't need it, and rising economic inequality being obvious has pretty much meant that 'big scary tax man!' rhetoric just doesn't work anymore to anyone who isn't already rusted on R. The rich don't care, they have accountants to deal with that poo poo, and small business owners are insufferable whiners that no one except major newspapers listens to. Most of the libertarians completed their journeys to the far left or far right and the remainders are rightly not taken seriously by anyone at all.
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Aug 19, 2023 03:03
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Ghost Leviathan posted:I think the years of the IRS being defanged, taxes being slashed for those who don't need it, and rising economic inequality being obvious has pretty much meant that 'big scary tax man!' rhetoric just doesn't work anymore to anyone who isn't already rusted on R. The rich don't care, they have accountants to deal with that poo poo, and small business owners are insufferable whiners that no one except major newspapers listens to. Most of the libertarians completed their journeys to the far left or far right and the remainders are rightly not taken seriously by anyone at all. I don't know about that. I know a ton of people who think they paid more in taxes in some years where they got a lower refund because what had actually happened were they were receiving more per paycheck. And there still remain an equal amount of those people who honestly think it's to their detriment to take a pay raise because it'll put them in a higher tax bracket. Most folk's idea of "what they paid in taxes" is the number they see in April and how large or small it is. Or most especially if they owe money. The next Democratic party tax cut for the lower/middle class should just add it to the loving withholding and see if people just take a note of it when their refund goes up by 700 dollars in one year. Because I promise you they will. Some people who earn the exact same amount every paycheck might notice if their pay goes up or down from a tax incentive but most people don't, especially hourly wage earners whose hours fluctuate from 37.8 to 39.7 and poo poo so the amount is never static. A lot of my coworkers thought that Obama raised their taxes for this very reason. The refund check.
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Aug 19, 2023 03:47
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selec posted:I dunno what I’m supposed to feel about Taiwan but I know I don’t care much one way or the other. I do know I’d prefer not to go to war, regardless of what China does. I dunno, "preferring that people not be invaded for the sake of imperialist ambitions" seems like a reasonable starting point.
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Aug 19, 2023 08:47
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selec posted:I dunno what I’m supposed to feel about Taiwan but I know I don’t care much one way or the other. I do know I’d prefer not to go to war, regardless of what China does. Is this just you don't care about imperialism or the human lives that will be lost or because it's China doing it? (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Aug 19, 2023 08:58
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socialsecurity posted:Is this just you don't care about imperialism or the human lives that will be lost or because it's China doing it? It's very simple, He doesn't care about Taiwanese lives. He has no opinion if China invades or not, he does not care if the Taiwanese are murdered or not. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Aug 19, 2023 12:30
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Captain Oblivious posted:I dunno, "preferring that people not be invaded for the sake of imperialist ambitions" seems like a reasonable starting point. Yeah, like Ukraine I don't think Taiwan deserves their rear end in a top hat neighbor saying "mine" and loving everything up. Additionally going into a digital dark age sounds like a bad thing. Can they find one single candidate who isn't a complete piece of poo poo? Its like there is a sign saying you must be this tall to ride, sorry, this terrible to run for president.
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Aug 19, 2023 14:12
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SpeedFreek posted:Yeah, like Ukraine I don't think Taiwan deserves their rear end in a top hat neighbor saying "mine" and loving everything up. Additionally going into a digital dark age sounds like a bad thing. Chris Christie is the closest thing to a respectable candidate for the 2024 cycle currently - largely because he's the only significant candidate that isn't giving Trump his full support. I'm not a fan of a lot of his past policies and statements, but at least he's bucking the trend.
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Aug 19, 2023 14:26
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