Look at it from the other direction: Why do most large software vendors now require “The Cloud” for licensing instead of it being on the Device?

So, if the Local can inevitably be tampered with or bypassed (just like other parental controls which they apparently think aren’t sufficient) what really is the point? Children’s safety isn’t improving. Who’s benefiting?

Not that “The Cloud” is safer or in any way better. Just trading liability, culpability, and making enforcement more difficult to bypass. “Oops, lost your data, we’re really [not] sorry. Here’s $2, get yourself something nice. No, no, you still have to give us your data and pray it doesn’t happen again. We promise it won’t. Maybe.”

“MARK OF THE BEAST! GET YOUR MARK OF THE BEAST! 19.99! CALL NOW AND GET 66.7% OFF!”

“Please come inside.” - Target CEO, reminiscent of “Please clap” Jeb Bush.

One you have a chance in hell at changing their mind on that topic, and the other will tell you to fuck off or perhaps strap you to one of those bombs. But, sure, protest vote away, I guess. “Both sides” and all that.

There’s a tariff for that.

I trust you’ve volunteered for it to replace you then. It being so beneficial to society, and all.

It means less people do more work.

And then those people no longer working… do what, exactly? Fewer well-paying jobs, same number of people, increasing costs. Math not working out here.

The fact that people are being replaced means that AI actually has tremendous value for our society.

Oh, it has value. Just not for society (it could that’s the sad part). For very specific people though, yeah, value. Just got to step on all the little people along the way, like we’ve always done, eh?

Yeah, rather than volunteering its more likely you lack a basic characteristic of humanity some of like to refer to as “empathy” instead. And if – giving you the benefit of the doubt – you’re just a troll… well, my statement stands.

“We didn’t start the fire. It’s always been burning since the world’s been turning…”

God: “No, yeah, that was me. I started it. Flicked over the first domino. Still watching the picture unfold. Quite the sight, wish you could see it.”

and slow rebuilding will start.

And then Democratic voters will get complacent, or get all pissy about how their pet project for change isn’t getting enough attention fast enough, and not vote the next time leading to a Republican getting back in office BECAUSE SURELY THAT WILL HELP THEIR FUCKING PRECIOUS INTERESTS. It worked out so~ well this past Fall, didn’t it? Nothing at all~ to be concerned about, worried about, uncertain about, or terrified about now.

If Democrats elect competent leaders

Pelosi and Schumer, and all their fanbois (people listening to them even when they aren’t in office), would need to go.

Merrick Garland. That AG’s name is Merrick Garland. It should not be forgot. Merrick Garland. He sat on his ass just like Mitch McConnell thinking things would magically work themselves out without needing to do their jobs and lo and behold things did not magically work themselves out.

Dude, 9/11 was “never forget” – it was forgotten by the 15th year. The lessons of World War II? Not a lot of faith left in the ol’ education system these days. (I know that’s America centric, but I bet this trend isn’t unusual for most places)

According to some (now in power):

States have Rights only while the States conform. (See the Governor of Maine’s “I’ll see you in court” to Trump?)

Much like Speech is Free so long as it conforms. (The Washington Post continues to find out.)

Guys (and Gals), hold on now. Sure, it’s a recall for all Cybertrucks, but don’t overreact! I’m sure an over-the-air software patch is incoming to fix this issue!

(That’s a joke.)

“This disaster has rung a big alarm for Sino-Metals Leach and the mining industry,” [says company directly responsible.]

Yeah, no it hasn’t. This isn’t the first mining dam to fail with consequences. It won’t be the last. No one at that company is losing sleep over this.

Both mines have now halted their operations after orders from Zambian authorities, while many Zambians are angry.

Gotta let it die down. Placate the masses. Then back to business as usual.

Money can’t buy you happiness. But it can damn well enable it.

YouTube ProZD

Anime Character: “I’m just a little baby girl.”

ProZD: “Zero [years old]?!”

Anime Character: “I’m a thousand!”

ProZD: “NOPE.”

Well, we don’t usually see a Day in the Life of a Normally Functioning Transporter. It’d make for a pretty boring episode. It’s kind of like “Well, where ARE the bathrooms on the ship? What do they look like? How do they work? Do they also use the three seashells?” I mean, getting an answer might be mildly interesting, but really… do we need to see the space toilet? They only kind of got value out of complaining about a lack of showers on Voyager.

Transporters are perfectly safe, and we just see those ultra rare times when they aren’t.

No, what you should really worry about is whether it’s you that arrives on the other end of that transporter or not. Is there a soul? Does it survive? What is actually transmitted down to the planet? What makes you you, basically? Some people find that line of thought the stuff of nightmares.

2020: “I can’t believe they fell for that. Oh, well, they chose better next time. Let’s give them a chance.”

2024: “…Yeah, they’re just fucking dumb. Countless countries would have loved a chance to get rid of a shitstain like that without needing a violent revolt and the United States just… invited him back into office. Just… so fucking dumb.”

May the Lord Flying Spaghetti Monster keep you and protect you, good sir.

Funny thing was they introduced the “filter out subreddits you don’t like” feature just before all that… and I was against that feature. Echo chambers were already a thing, why introduce a feature that’d only make it worse? Then /r/the_dick came along and they were the only subreddit I tossed into that feature because you know what, a broken clock really is right twice a day.

Here’s the thing… there’s more of us than there are of them. That’s why they’re so desperate to keep our collective attention elsewhere and to cause division or people might recognize just how strong they could be collectively.

Even collectively we might not have billions of dollars, but it doesn’t take billions to crater a company or an industry. Just takes not paying into the system; it’ll collapse on its own.

I get you can’t boycott everything because you need food and water to survive, but people aren’t helpless.