agentsquirrel's recent activity
-
Comment on What ridiculous thing would you spend billions on? in ~talk
-
Comment on Why cassette tapes are coming back in ~music
agentsquirrel Link ParentSure, but I can't say I've ever heard anyone talk about cassette degradation being charming. When someone drops a needle on a record and you hear the little pops from dust and stuff, you know it's...Sure, but I can't say I've ever heard anyone talk about cassette degradation being charming. When someone drops a needle on a record and you hear the little pops from dust and stuff, you know it's a record and there's a sort of nostalgia that comes with it. When someone hits play on a cassette and I hear hiss, I think "lousy audio system".
-
Comment on Why cassette tapes are coming back in ~music
agentsquirrel Link ParentDolby C was pretty darn good. I never had Dolby S, but I read that it approached CD quality. I did have some of my old decks stored in the garage but the rubber belts inside went bad rendering...Dolby C was pretty darn good. I never had Dolby S, but I read that it approached CD quality. I did have some of my old decks stored in the garage but the rubber belts inside went bad rendering them useless. I couldn't possibly see getting back into cassettes today, even as a retro hobby sort of thing. Vinyl is another story.
-
Comment on Why cassette tapes are coming back in ~music
agentsquirrel Link ParentA revival of any legacy digital format is unlikely considering one can put a lossless digital file on a USB stick.A revival of any legacy digital format is unlikely considering one can put a lossless digital file on a USB stick.
-
Comment on Why cassette tapes are coming back in ~music
agentsquirrel Link ParentVinyl and cassettes degrade differently. Records may get dusty, but you can clean them. But even with some dust, scratches, pops, and whatever, the degradation is kind of seen as acceptable and...Vinyl and cassettes degrade differently. Records may get dusty, but you can clean them. But even with some dust, scratches, pops, and whatever, the degradation is kind of seen as acceptable and somewhat charming. Cassettes on the other hand tend to get noisy and hissy, and get drop outs and flutter. Cassettes, back when I used them, seemed to be going bad the day you recorded on them, although commercially recorded tapes less so. Records can wear out, but I don't recall ever doing it. I certainly warped a few in a hot car.
-
Comment on Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted by a federal grand jury, an extraordinary escalation in US President Donald Trump’s effort to prosecute his political enemies in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentAgreed. I'm betting now that Trump has declared "antifa" a terrorist organization (a declaration with no legal framework against an organization that doesn't really exist), he's going to start up...Agreed. I'm betting now that Trump has declared "antifa" a terrorist organization (a declaration with no legal framework against an organization that doesn't really exist), he's going to start up investigations attempting to link Democratic politicians and organizations to antifa.
-
Comment on Jimmy Kimmel pulled “indefinitely” by ABC after Charlie Kirk comments in ~tv
agentsquirrel Link ParentFurthermore, HBO is not transmitted over FCC-licensed TV stations.Furthermore, HBO is not transmitted over FCC-licensed TV stations.
-
Comment on Jimmy Kimmel pulled “indefinitely” by ABC after Charlie Kirk comments in ~tv
agentsquirrel Link ParentThe crazy thing is the network doesn't actually have a broadcasting license, all the individual stations on that network that transmit radio waves are the ones who hold individual FCC licenses....I'm seeing now that the Trump regime was threatening to take their FCC broadcasting license if they didn't fire Kimmel. This is definitely terrifying.
The crazy thing is the network doesn't actually have a broadcasting license, all the individual stations on that network that transmit radio waves are the ones who hold individual FCC licenses. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr is downright evil. He was a contributor to Project 2025 and he's been perfectly happy to leverage the FCC's regulatory power to shakedown companies; ABC, CBS/Paramount, NBC/Comcast, NPR/PBS/CPB, Verizon, and Dish have all gotten screwed over for DEI, programming content, or in the case of Dish, being a competitor to Musk. Like other federal agencies like the DoJ, FBI, and ICE, the FCC has been weaponized as Trump's personal retribution and revenge tool.
-
Comment on Is OpenWRT worthwhile at home? in ~comp
agentsquirrel Link ParentI will second the recommendation for going with MikroTik. They are so reasonably priced and are packed with tons of features, are easy to script, etc. Unless one really wants to nerd-out,...I will second the recommendation for going with MikroTik. They are so reasonably priced and are packed with tons of features, are easy to script, etc. Unless one really wants to nerd-out, repurpose some old hardware, or has a very specific use case, I don't think the effort required to deploy OpenWRT makes sense anymore.
-
Comment on Apparently impatient US President Donald Trump slaps 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentRegarding financial markets, I think you're right; its priced in and they've adapted. I'm thinking more of businesses that have to deal with supply chain uncertainty. They're going through hell.Regarding financial markets, I think you're right; its priced in and they've adapted. I'm thinking more of businesses that have to deal with supply chain uncertainty. They're going through hell.
-
Comment on Apparently impatient US President Donald Trump slaps 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea in ~society
agentsquirrel LinkI'm surprised business leaders aren't saying "enough is enough". If there's one thing businesses hate, it's uncertainty, and Trump is injecting uncertainty into supply chains and the economy on a...I'm surprised business leaders aren't saying "enough is enough". If there's one thing businesses hate, it's uncertainty, and Trump is injecting uncertainty into supply chains and the economy on a daily basis.
-
Comment on US Senate passes Donald Trump’s megabill after pulling all-nighter in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentBecause people need it drilled into their heads until they remember it and can bring it up in conversation without even thinking about it. This is what the conservative ecosystem has been doing...Because people need it drilled into their heads until they remember it and can bring it up in conversation without even thinking about it. This is what the conservative ecosystem has been doing for decades, quite successfully and it's paid off for them, in spades.
-
Comment on US Senate passes Donald Trump’s megabill after pulling all-nighter in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentYou're not wrong, though I think there's some portion of this that is due to ineptness. I'm not sure what the ratio of ineptness to complicity is, though it probably varies by person. For example,...You're not wrong, though I think there's some portion of this that is due to ineptness. I'm not sure what the ratio of ineptness to complicity is, though it probably varies by person. For example, Chuck "strongly worded statement" Schumer is really high up there on the complicity side.
-
Comment on US Senate passes Donald Trump’s megabill after pulling all-nighter in ~society
agentsquirrel LinkIf Democrats were smart they'd be running commercials 7/24 about the $3.3T hit to the deficit this bill carries.If Democrats were smart they'd be running commercials 7/24 about the $3.3T hit to the deficit this bill carries.
-
Comment on US Senate passes Donald Trump’s megabill after pulling all-nighter in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentMe, too. I ended my WaPo subscription.Me, too. I ended my WaPo subscription.
-
Comment on Managers say they are having trouble finding candidates for nearly 400,000 US manufacturing and technical jobs in ~finance
agentsquirrel Link ParentJust curious, how are you getting by, financially and health wise? I get the sense you haven't gone "full homeless" (if that makes sense) as you have a car, and you have some resources.Just curious, how are you getting by, financially and health wise? I get the sense you haven't gone "full homeless" (if that makes sense) as you have a car, and you have some resources.
-
Comment on What's the most feasible way to exit modern society? in ~talk
agentsquirrel LinkDick Proenneke comes to mind. I'm not sure how practical or possible this is today, or if you're into being isolated in the wilderness for long periods of time, but he did it for something like 30...Dick Proenneke comes to mind. I'm not sure how practical or possible this is today, or if you're into being isolated in the wilderness for long periods of time, but he did it for something like 30 years.
-
Comment on Text Formatting in Notepad begin rolling out to Windows Insiders in ~tech
agentsquirrel LinkSo, basically Notepad is becoming Wordpad from 20+ years ago. Windows has officially jumped the shark.So, basically Notepad is becoming Wordpad from 20+ years ago.
Windows has officially jumped the shark.
-
Comment on <deleted topic> in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentDOGE is also about data gathering and surveillance. Anecdotes and actual reports have shown they pull databases at every opportunity they get when they infiltrate an agency. There's been no chain...DOGE is also about data gathering and surveillance. Anecdotes and actual reports have shown they pull databases at every opportunity they get when they infiltrate an agency. There's been no chain of custody and no audit trail of where this data is going, and it's fairly plausible that foreign states have some of this data now due to sloppy security practices, use of personal email, DOGE employee laptops already being rooted, etc.
-
Comment on Donald Trump administration announces plans to shut down the US Energy Star program in ~society
agentsquirrel Link ParentMaybe. He's still trying to think of ways to get another term, or just suspend elections. All that is fraught with legality problems, but he's shown laws are optional for him and the administration.Maybe. He's still trying to think of ways to get another term, or just suspend elections. All that is fraught with legality problems, but he's shown laws are optional for him and the administration.
I'd buy the largest empty warehouse near a metropolitan area I could; we're talking 1/2/3+ million square foot of space. I'd renovate it to look pretty, but keep it empty, and open it to the public as "Trump's Museum of Lifetime Accomplishments".