Not that we should have the contracts and control a country like that, but I’d like to think there could have been a win/win. Would have been nice to have a friendly and supported Iraq, on its way to healing some, at the end of the day.

Overall, a failure of US leadership on all fronts. Any positive results may have just been a bridge too far in the minds of politicians and rallying the public just not worth it for them. Silly.

Lord. The irony. Could have had a little US in Iraq after us essentially living there forever. Now it’s Chinatown

As I understand it, the $7.5k isn’t any EV, but EVs that were assembled/built primarily in the US. Many weren’t compliant with that legislation. Not out of spite or anything, but because manufacturing wasn’t quite ready to comply. That led to a number of vehicles sitting ineligible for the 7.5k break. As well as consumer confusion over which ones could be discounted. Overall, a transitional growing pain for a crappy industry that relies on monthly sales.

And a follow up nap 😴

I thought that was the joke. Of course the whole planet isn’t cold all at once.

True. Though they have been stuck with 30 years of damage simply reverse too.

Sounds freaking sweet!

I just got one question. What is cruft?

Window dressing distraction from Ukraine anyway. Seems to be working.

I like filen.io pretty good so far

What a manipulation tactic though. Phase in the change at different times for different users.

Maybe one day they’ll have the ability to just roll out the shit internet for plebs and the shitter, but shinny, version for the rich.

What if someone gets left behind in the great ad war? Lol. A lone user who has never seen an ad on the Internet ever.

Grayjay has been really nice! Enjoying it so far.

Along with busting monopolies. Which the Biden admin is actually trying to tackle.

Not sure your age and I sincerely do not want to critique it either or come across as ageist, but I remember a world without YouTube and all this crap. We’re going to be ok if we don’t go to YouTube. Not trying to be flippant - really. I understand the monopolistic conundrum we find ourselves in.

This is where voting and advocating for real legal solutions comes in. Is that easy - no. However there has been progress in the EU and Warren/Cruz are sponsoring a digital rights bill too. If that fails, we keep pushing. It is possible and the encouraging part is that the more they (Google, fb, Amazon, etc.) reveal of their trap the easier it will be for us to pressure politicians.

Younger folks have allies in older non techy people too. Those folks feel bewildered by their phones, computers, etc. Politicians certainly listen to them and if they have their grandchildren agreeing with them that tech companies are crazy. I almost guarantee they’d agree. See Elizabeth Warren and Ted Cruz co-sponsorship as some evidence. Talk to folks y’all!

Also, your library has a lot of content if you are looking for documentaries.

Kind of sounds like you have tried nothing and you’re all out of ideas. Can’t say I blame you. Complacency and feelings of no way out is where they want you.

Spolier monopolies! No one changes until they are under pressure and feel trapped. They’re feeding the fire of their own undoing.

Hell yeah, brother 😎

Eh, don’t need YouTube that badly. I think we’ll collectively figure out video distribution without em just fine.

Worked for a dog and cat boarding facility many moons ago. Of all my interactions with various breeds from private owners to our almost constant stream of rescued pitbulls - we were temporarily hosting/caring for. Only one breed almost took off my finger.

I needed stitches, the lead vet had to flood the wound with iodine and antibiotics.

Another user, in a similar thread, shared this speech on enshittification. Addresses a good bit of what you are talking about and why mass action is hard in the current legal framework. We need better laws.

https://youtu.be/rimtaSgGz_4?si=pdDRwugtHefZACcd

Good movie though. I enjoyed it quite a bit since feminism doesn’t scare me. Grow up people.

With that said, fuck those prices, and fuck fake ownership.

True. I’ve certainly scoped out blu ray players of a particular vintage for those reasons. Just crazy we have to reach back in time to attempt to get around a trap that the vast majority of consumers don’t see.