giardini

jacquesm says

"Whether other countries are stupid or not has no bearing on the discussion, that's just a distraction and the way the USA has been wielding tariffs over the last period is destructive in ways that will affect the country for decades to come."

I said nothing of the kind. You are injecting that statement here yourself.

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Returning to the topic of interest:

Tariffs do work: they protect certain industries and keep them onshore.

For instance the manufacture of nuclear warheads by the USA is an onshore industry and will remain so. I am certain that Japan or North Korea could eventually make a cheaper and probably even a better nuke but b/c I don't want to be forced to do periodic quality control tests and checks. The USA chooses to keep the industry here.

But as far as I am concerned, I'd also like to keep hand tools as a protected onshore industry.

Well, the southeastern USA is going through a Renaissance of explosive growth b/c it is the intent to industrialize that region and recapture the USA lead in manufacturing. Maybe we can get you a job, dgellow, since your country is dwindling and predicted to actually disappear in a matter of decades:

The End of Germany as a Modern Economy - Peter Zeihan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmEhTFjQB1g

I didn't "advocate for tariffs". I merely pointed out that other countries have had tariffs on USA goods for decades.

I apologize: the first bullet of my post above should have been three separated line items instead of two. This has apparently caused great confusion.

As usual, none of you spotted the error and, of course, several misinterpreted my scribbling to best suit their own malicious intents, much to my chagrin (though no surprise).

I offer this rather late correction and apology: I so rarely make a mistake that I do not usually revisit a post but, in this case the piling on was merely too much to ignore. I shall try again:

It is a good thing that the USA no longer intends to pay for:

- NATO - Leaving NATO (STILL not done) would save the USA money! The USA pays approximately 16% of NATO's total budget and the USA is the largest spender on defense within the alliance, accounting for about 60% of NATO's total defense spending.

- Security on the high seas was primarily the task of the US navy. That will no longer be so.

- tariffs imposed by other countries (yes, other countries have been imposing tariffs for decades).

https://wjno.iheart.com/content/2025-03-17-qa-how-many-count...

The USA can use the money saved from the above for its own citizens (possibly even lowering their taxes!).

IMO it is a good thing that the USA is no longer paying for (among others):

- NATO - Maintaining security on the high seas for other than USA shipping,

- tariffs imposed by other countries (yes, other countries have been imposing tariffs for decades):

https://wjno.iheart.com/content/2025-03-17-qa-how-many-count...

The USA can use the money saved for its own citizens (possibly even lowering their taxes!)

"MIC"???

Please don't leave us in suspense: what would "realpolitik" be in this instance?

Well, now we know where AI models get their behaviors - from their creators. Kinda "like father, like son", "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree", etc.

"Now if I could simply find an honest man...." -Diogenes

All I want to know is why are Parisian baguettes so good? From this article I get that they are a low-gluten bread. But can that be all? I've always suspected a secret variety of wheat.

In all my life and travels I've never had bread nearly as good as the French baguette and I've always wondered why.

But see also

"Jacob Coxon resignation appears to be a PR stunt for AI regulation":

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49633440

Civilizations do not go extinct - species go extinct. And even that isn't as bad as it sounds: many genetic traits remain from extinct species and still contribute to the well-being of other species.

So at worse they would be like another North Korea?

It wouldn't be enough to "eliminate most humans": any AI seeking to dominate would have to provide it's own infrastructure and continuation mechanism independent of humanity. OTOH if the goal were to eradicate humans (for whatever reason), that might prove an easier target. But I'd bet on biology and the humans: after all we're a time-tested technology!8-))

Paywall.

Is there no more demand for beaver pelt and/or meat?

I've heard the tail is particularly tasty and easy to skin and cook.

Well, truth is that back in the days before socialism, when human beings "evolved" instead of "becoming socialists", us humans would go out every night with the intent of whupping up and/or killing everyone in sight and sometimes even possibly cooking and eating them! So we've developed inborn mechanisms (some more than others) to attack and fight.

But we're not the only ones: all other animals do the same. Only now, that we've turned into Democrats, is there hope for our kind, now that we know every life is precious and irreplaceable.

Your name fits.

So how much?

Hey there, Otto!

Otto's "I blame Society" speech from the movie Repo Man:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3b5Q7b8YXo

You don't have to engage the burglar, you just need to shoot a gun once (a shotgun is especially effective) b/c the blast will render the perp deaf temporarily.

Sometimes you get some mechanics' tools. But the best part is the laugh, watching someone running away with their pants full of shite.

hackable_sand says "Same value. They're the same value."

How do you come by that? By that logic, Joseph Stalin is as valuable as Mother Theresa!

What causes people to become Democrats?

Who knows?! Companionship?

Yeah, what happened?

Shooting someone inside a car will undoubtedly make a mess! Did he drag the thief out of the car ASAP afterwards, did the guy run off, or what?

My actions would likely depend on how fond I was of the car:

New Tesla - try talking the guy out of the car,

1971 (maybe any year) Volvo wagon - shoot him dead, etc.

Yeah, but who know how many thieves end up dead.

And regardless of state, there's always revenge - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071402/

bryanlarsen says "Texas is the only state that applies stand-your-ground to crimes against property alone."

Not true.

Med school.

A drop of water moving down a surface might act like the belt of a miniature Van de Graaf generator: accumulating or dropping electrons at one end and vice versa at the other end of the drop as it rolls down the surface. This rolling polarized "belt" would be broken into at least 2 pieces each with a net accumulation of opposite charges as they fall and hit the metal surface below. The metal below is struck first with a droplet with net + charge and a moment later one with a net - charge. Lots of very low-level electrical activity!

Van de Graaf generator:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_de_Graaff_generator#Descri...

This means that you could theoretically produce electricity directly from rainfall with no moving parts, other than water. But the low "amperage" and coordination of current renders this an unlikely method. But it would, over time, be very destructive to a surface.

SoftTalker says "as I have a long-standing personal boycott of Shell products."

What's your beef with Shell products?

BTW thanks for the post on Kroger: they've been tempting me with credit card offerings (lower gas prices and food discounts) recently and your post pushed their attempts into focus. Now I have a new quandary: Costco vs Kroger?

Do we know how Costco's "additive package" rates relative to other providers (e.g., Shell's) additive packages?

Currently I buy Shell gas b/c I trust that it's good for my car's engine. Can I trust that Costco's gas is as good as Shell's?

I've been to many of the major cities in China and hubs in-between and I have not seen a single public toilet that is clean. Humid, stinky, wet, stained with shite and urine yes but "clean", no way!8-((