Wow. I hope, for Chevy’s sake, it’s just software glitches that can be quickly solved with some updates.

I’m hoping by the time I need a new car, this insanity will have passed, allowing me to skip it. It’s like everyone skipped Windows Vista.

Good one, Cora. Next time you see Barrett, try it out on him.

“Wessles.” FTFY

There are real nudes of me floating around the internet, and I’m fine with it.

I’ve been with Windows forever, since version 3. I’m old.

These past few months I’ve been trying Ubuntu, and it’s fine for everyday use, browsing and file management. And, LibreOffice has been my office suite for years, so no problem there–I don’t demand much from that.

But, graphics applications are barely there. Blender is fine. Inkscape is so-so, but I just discovered recently that it doesn’t keep track of object rotation, so there is no simple way to set the rotation back to zero. Corel Draw gave up Linux support years ago, or that would be my go-to. I haven’t tried LibreDraw yet, but I don’t have much hope for it. Gimp is, eh.

I haven’t tried playing FO4 or Starfield yet, though. I’ve just been switching back to Windows for that.

I don’t mind using Terminal, it reminds me of MS-DOS days, but I don’t see myself ever become proficient at it.

I won’t be getting Windows 11, I’ve decided that. But I see that I’ll likely need to give up a lot to make that stand.

Man, y’all a bunch a grumpies.

This technology doesn’t hinge on what we here believe or predict. It will happen or it won’t.

We could speculate on how cool it would be, and how it could be used if it happens, instead of pooh-poohing it.

Thank you. I’m not too proud to say I didn’t know this word. And, you saved me looking it up. When I was a kid, my dad got tired of defining words for me when I was reading a book, so he taught me to use a dictionary. From then on, I’ve read with a dictionary next to me.

Several times, but not recently, Walmart self-checkout machines would reset after I scanned the first item, I dunno why. But I figured I did my part by scanning it, so I didn’t re-scan it, even though I knew it had reset. I could just play dumb, which isn’t hard for me, if anyone asked. No one ever asked, but they upgraded the software, and it stopped doing that.

The employees seem a bit happier as attendants than cashiers, so I guess that’s a good thing. I don’t know how many lost their jobs to the machines, though.

I’ll admit that I’m happier with self-checkout, because I almost never need to wait in line anymore.

The Walmart self-checkout near me doesn’t use the weight sensors, they’re turned off. It makes checking out much easier. Also, they flow better, for instance, at Lowe’s, you need to specifically press the “Pay Now” button to pay, but at Walmart you can just shove your card in when you’re done scanning, and it starts the checkout process. At Lowe’s you must choose between the print or email receipt, but at Walmart you can let the question time-out while you put the groceries back in the cart, and it will print the receipt. The Smith’s self-checkout is even more clunky, and very chatty. I don’t like it.

There are plenty of reasons to hate Walmart, but IMO, their self-checkout works better than the others I’ve tried.

Did none of you watch the video? The article is crap, but the video explains it well.

Go back and watch the video, ya old codgers!

Back when the Alcubierre drive was in the news, and it was revealed that the drive might be used as a very effective planet killer, I had a thought.

Suppose one or more civilizations in our galaxy developed this already eons ago. Suppose they peppered probes throughout the galaxy to report back when any such drive was detected in use. Suppose they were fearful and paranoid. They could send an automated ship to destroy any system where drive use was newly detected. This is why we see no signs of civilization in the rest of the galaxy.

We build the Alcubierre drive (which apparently is not possible because anti-matter falls the wrong way?), and minutes after the first time we fire it up, the entire system is destroyed. If there were anyone left to place blame, we’d blame ourselves.

I’m trying Ubuntu now. I’ve had it installed for about three months. I only switch to Windows 10 to play Starfield. The only problem I’ve had… (delete, it’s a long story I don’t want to write). I had to reinstall, I couldn’t figure out how to reinstall and keep my settings and apps, so I had to redo everything. I’m glad I still had Windows (because I wanted to play Starfield), because I would have been screwed–I had formatted the USB stick I used to install Ubuntu the first time. It’s been probably over 10 years since I needed to use a recovery disc to get Windows running again.

It’s unfortunate that AAA game developers won’t support Linux. But, the money isn’t there, and we live under capitalism. Without reliable, plug-n-play, easy-as-Windows game support, Linux will remain niche. I’m sure the point has been made before, but here it is again, and still.

They don’t delete anything, though. They just deny YOU access to it.

The only reason I haven’t gone full time to Ubuntu, which I just installed for the first time a few weeks ago, is I want to play Starfield and Fallout 4. I think I can get Fallout 4 to run, but from what I’ve read Starfield is not able to, yet. When I get done with Starfield, I think I’m done with Windows forever.

Covering our roofs with it would certainly make a difference. BUT, it works in the winter too, cooling the house when we want it warm. So, that might increase the need for heating in the winter.

Personally, I’m waiting for a commercial product, because my NM house has a large, south-facing stucco wall that is currently white, but not ultra cool white. Given my experience with the house, which is well insulated, I expect I could paint the house with such paint and not need any other cooling, even when it hits 100+F here. That wall is my bedroom wall, and I can feel the heat pushing through it in the late afternoon after a full day of exposure to the sun.

Yeah, it’s good to read the article before commenting.

Here’s a link to the Night Hawk video. Good stuff. https://invidious.fdn.fr/watch?v=KDRnEm-B3AI This guy just gives away a formula he developed for the pigment. OG shit.

Is this irony, or just coincidence?

Instead of “what number of deaths is acceptable?” Ask, “who is responsible?”

When a human driver in control of a car hits a pedestrian, the human is responsible, not the car.

Who is responsible when a computer driven car hits a pedestrian? Also, whose insurance pays the bill?

Is Starfield one of them? I installed Ubuntu next to Windows 10, and like it just fine, but I’ve read that getting Starfield to run on Ubuntu is not possible yet? If not for Starfield, I’d be 100% Ubuntu now.