I have family here, I have a house here. I’ve built a life here.

Canada’s great but cold. Europe would require me to rebuild everything in my life. Plus, Europe is dealing with their own problems at the moment - its own rise of the right; the threat of Russia. In Australia, everything wants to kill you or cause you great pain, even the plants. South America seems enticing, but the US affords more opportunity for now, so maybe when I retire.

Everywhere you look, the deeper you look, you realize that everywhere has their own problems. Times change, seasons change. Right now we’re in a conservative phase. We’ve been here before. So instead, I’ll stand my ground and weather it out with the allies I have around me. I’d much prefer to be part of the resistance anyway.

Right? If I had a mom like that I’d be depressed too.

Oh wait, I did, and I was.

Americans got spoiled during the baby boom era. Few people actually need a 1200+ square foot house with lofted ceilings and a large back patio.

Row houses existed for a reason. Starter homes existed for a reason.

If you want a larger house, then go in on it with a bunch of family members. Somewhere along the way, we decided that each and every individual one of us needed our own house. Multi-generational houses used to be a thing. Families all living on the same property used to be a thing. It was probably healthier for us too, to be around people who care about your well-being and will be there in case of emergency.

It’s the same damn thing with university. Why does every Uni need a climbing wall and a lazy river? You want those things, then yea, you should expect to be able to pay through the nose for them, both for the amenities and the support and admin staff to keep them going.

This rant brought to you by Simpler Times beer. “It ain’t nothin fancy, but, hey, at least you can afford it.”

Ok, so I think I’ve actually seen some of this in action. And, I think there is a certain level of convenience here that isn’t properly being conveyed in the short headline.

Imagine you want to pay your utility bill by credit card. Your smart meter tracks your usage and enters it into the utility system. Their AI agent then generates a utility bill based upon your purchase agreement. Another agent performs an audit to verify the numbers. And lastly, another agent sends the invoice to your cc company.

Now on your side. You’ve already authorized the cc company to authorize utility payments up to a certain threshold and frequency. It understands the rules and so it processes the payment for you.

Now, you may ask. “How is this different than autopay.” Well, for one, you no longer would have to configure your autopay with every single company, you just do it with your bank or cc company, making it more centralized and convenient.

Potentially less overhead for both companies too. Less maintenance for all the websites and payment processes your utility company has to keep up now. Less people involved in the invoicing stream too. And I don’t know about you, but personally I feel like an AP clerk would be a fairly dull way to live. Let them do the more complex work of bulk invoice auditing.

On the cc side, an agent can streamline the processes and API handshakes where they have agreements with companies like the utility company. And on your side, you get the convenience of autopay. Much better than the current duct taped together connectors and processes between companies. And moreover, much less of your time to pay than the days of yore when you had to sign and handover your check through the utility company drive through.

I could also see this being used for routine maintenance, groceries, prescriptions. Anything where you have a typical ordering frequency and schedule.

Of course, this could get all wiki sticks quickly. Companies could abuse it and jack up prices since you’re not monitoring it, but they do that now anyway, so we have to remain vigilant.

Hey there. Just in case you needed to hear it. You are more than a jukebox.

Relationships are incredibly important for living a long and fulfilling life.

One of the most common regrets of those nearing the end of their life:

“I wish I had stayed in touch with the people who mattered.”

It also has a protective factor to your health too.

Now, does that mean that you have to force yourself to like those extended relatives? No, of course not. Just like any other people, you must make the assessment whether these people are on the whole a benefit or a deterrent to you.

But being a family member often grants you a quick on-ramp to foster those relationships.

We all often say it’s too hard, we’re too busy. And I’d argue that if you find value in it, then you’re going to do it with intention and make the time.

I agree. I was an early adopter. It’s a compelling idea to have a public ledger, but so far it’s been terrible execution, and what a disaster for the environment.

Sim City taught me that causes something called “congestion “ and the sims get pretty pissed about it.

The three disks thing that symbolizes database, with a down arrow on top.

Or if we’re really going for the abstract, a knight in armor fighting a dragon with a lady behind him.

And they still host performances there!

Be the conspiracy theory you wish to see in the world.

Putin told him to start IVing children’s blood.

It is not going well.

This documentary about the Japanese Holocaust on the Chinese. It got demonetized because of the details and unfortunately TIFO has stepped back somewhat from their long form documentaries partly because of it.

https://youtu.be/18Xe9HqW8Q4

And when you’re done crying to that, here’s something a little more light hearted from Jim McKenzie that went under the radar.

https://youtu.be/CybTtb7S-wI

Yes, please let the US, a country 1000s of kilometers away, interfere with your union affairs. I mean, our Union over here is just going so damn peachy.

And then, after you break apart, give us your tired, your poor huddled mas … oh that’s right, we’re not doing that anymore. So feel free to FAFO once you do.

MFer is so delusional he now thinks he’s Captain Jack Sparrow.

Sure, ok, but more lethal to whom?

Well? What are you doing just standing there? It ain’t gonna shuck itself.

If you had told me this pic was from the USS Alabama that I toured a few years back, I wouldn’t have disagreed with you, even down to the color of the floor.

A lot of these ammunition bays were deep within the hull of the ship. I’m assuming to protect them from all the other chaos that would be going on around them. Makes you realize just how dangerous a sub with one well aimed torpedo could be.

Another remarkable thing I saw was that the Alabama had a massive ice cream freezer on it. Was to improve morale on those long voyages. Anything like that on the North Carolina?

It’s only a select few who are looking for that from the diameter axis.

“She had hips that would put the main gun of a 1940s era battleship to shame. And her name was Helga, because of the hell she bore unto the Germans. I wouldn’t have touched her, but that’s because few men could.”

Baby corn goes up to Pop corn and asks:

Dad, where do babies come from?