Fiat currency is just as silly. As is all money, really.

“I trade numbers for food. The numbers are accessible via a magnetic strip on some plastic in my pocket.” or “I trade paper for clothing but the number of papers isn’t as important as the number printed ON the papers.” Both of these realities are absurd. :)

As a store of value representing labor rendered: neither of those are terrible systems and most people don’t understand either of them anyway. Fiat seems “normal” because we grew up with it. That said: I’m no apologist. Popular crypto currencies offer little novelty for the layperson, no true improvement on the concept of currency generally, and cost orders of magnitude more to maintain their required infrastructure. I fail to see the appeal.

There are some projects which focus on the practical utility of decentralized currency (I remember thinking Nano (wikipedia.com) was cool back in the day) but they don’t get the same kind of attention as meme coins because they can’t be abused as easily. I’ve heard stories of these kinds of tools facilitating commerce in places where the local currency collapsed. Neat as that may be it isn’t revolutionary… Still more convenient than bartering via cigarette though.

I’d like to tack on that this point can be used to highlight why this is so. It’s a deep concept that can be explained simply and produces a lasting positive impact.

Everyone has fantasies. Sometimes we want them to be realized. Most often: we don’t. Many people carry internal shame because of their fantasies and some of those people have difficulty with intimacy because of it.

Good sex with other people requires our investment in their comfort and pleasure. This can be emotionally complex and fulfilling to navigate. Masturbation is free of those complications but we often make up the difference via fantasy. This is normal and there’s no need to confuse one space for the other. Masturbation and sex may fulfill similar basic needs on the surface but, in practice, they are very different exercises. It’s normal for one’s preferences to be different for each and for those preferences to shift over time.

Don’t worry about “normal”. Focus on having a healthy, honest, and emotionally aware sex life instead.

Signal.

Wired had an interview with Signal’s President last year that I found enlightening and provided an entry point for me to self educate further. Here’s an archive.org snapshot of it: https://web.archive.org/web/20240828100224/https://www.wired.com/story/meredith-whittaker-signal/

For the click-averse here’s an excerpt I find compelling:

Going back to your sense of Signal’s new phase: What is going to be different at this point in its life? Are you focused on truly bringing it to a billion people, the way that most Silicon Valley firms are?

I mean, I … Yes. But not for the same reasons. For almost opposite reasons.

Yeah. I don’t think anyone else at Signal has ever tried, at least so vocally, to emphasize this definition of Signal as the opposite of everything else in the tech industry, the only major communications platform that is not a for-profit business.

Yeah, I mean, we don’t have a party line at Signal. But I think we should be proud of who we are and let people know that there are clear differences that matter to them. It’s not for nothing that WhatsApp is spending millions of dollars on billboards calling itself private, with the load-bearing privacy infrastructure having been created by the Signal protocol that WhatsApp uses.

Now, we’re happy that WhatsApp integrated that, but let’s be real. It’s not by accident that WhatsApp and Apple are spending billions of dollars defining themselves as private. Because privacy is incredibly valuable. And who’s the gold standard for privacy? It’s Signal.

I think people need to reframe their understanding of the tech industry, understanding how surveillance is so critical to its business model. And then understand how Signal stands apart, and recognize that we need to expand the space for that model to grow. Because having 70 percent of the global market for cloud in the hands of three companies globally is simply not safe. It’s Microsoft and CrowdStrike taking down half of the critical infrastructure in the world, because CrowdStrike cut corners on QA for a fucking kernel update. Are you kidding me? That’s totally insane, if you think about it, in terms of actually stewarding these infrastructures.

Stolen shamelessly from someone else who posted it further up the thread.

You’ve fundamentally misunderstood this. Upholding Constitutional law cannot undermine the democratic process which it establishes.

If I win a game by breaking its rules I am de-facto disqualified from that victory. Yes, all law is written by people, can be unmade by people, and is only in effect so long as we collectively agree to enforce it, however; if the law is not unmade and if we collectively sigh in apathy at its violation then we are no longer playing the game the rules have defined.

This is the immense danger of the current Constitutional crisis. If there is no enforcement of the rules set forth in a government’s founding document then it can no longer be recognized as the body which that document defines.

I do. Thanks. You’re still focused on the wrong thing here.

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment does not require any specific test which defines “insurrection”. The impeachment is a useful anchor for establishing an agreement that an insurrection did occur and that Trump was, at the very least, an active participant in that insurrection.

The Insurrection Bar to Office: Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment (crsreports.congress.gov) provides an well crafted and neutral review of this. Its closing sentence is particularly relevant to our back and forth:

Congress has previously viewed Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment as establishing an enumerated constitutional qualification for holding office and, consequently, a grounds for possible exclusion.

Republican strategy has long revolved around the targeted devolution of norms. They hide in the cracks between definitions which assume good faith participation in the labor of mutually consensual governance and shield themselves in perpetual faux-victimhood. If Congress does not pursue the execution of Section 3 it is nothing less than an abdication of their duty to their Oath of Office.

Your last paragraph is a result of misunderstandings and assumptions on your part.

I take issue with your assertion that the document on which all other US law depends and from which all US public offices are granted their authority does not matter. It must. We ought to insist it does. Especially while it is being violated.

Neither of those facts preclude the application of the 14th. The barrier is whether or not someone holding public office, having taken an oath to uphold the Constitution, breaks that oath via insurrection against the same. It does not matter that Trump was not punished. The acquittal does not erase the reality of the past: it is a dismissal of immediate consequences. Nothing more.

The fact that Congress acknowledged the reality of January 6th is more than enough for the 14th to apply.

Nope. I read it. The language of the 14th doesn’t require an impeachment or other formal conviction to apply. The fact that Trump was successfully impeached for inciting an insurrection is enough. The Senate’s failure to execute its duty does not erase reality.

At this time, on this topic, I am not concerned with what makes for interesting conservation. I am interested in bringing attention to the ongoing Constitutional crisis of Trump’s tentative second term.

It’s not too late. The 14th amendment Section 3 specifically prohibits an insurrectionist from holding public office unless a special Congressional vote is held and passes with a 2/3rds majority.

Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

All US citizens should call their representatives and demand they uphold their sworn Constitutional duty to refuse the certification of Donald Trump’s victory as he is disqualified from holding office.

This is not speculation. Donald Trump was successfully impeached for inciting insurrection. The US is in the middle of a Constitutional crisis which Congress must resolve.

Finding your reps is easy. Go here:

https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

Either let the site use your location or enter your home address. It’ll pull all the info you need in one click.

It’s clear you’re arguing from ignorance as your argument is patently absurd.

The judgement is partisan, inconsistent with established case law, and relies on (at best) specious distinctions between “information service” and “telecommunication service”. Griffin creates a distinction without a difference to manufacture the perception of judicial leverage where none exists.

It’s like arguing the DEA has no purview over cannabis because the Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1973 refers to “marihuana”. It’s clear what the intention of the law is even if the language is imprecise. To argue that ISPs provide some new class of service that’s legally distinct from all other telecom service and therefore immune to regulation is an argument made out of ignorance, stupidity, corruption, or some combination of the three.

Not at all. American Conservatives are just being pragmatic! With American public schools defunded and turned into war zones they weed out the weak kids without having to lift a finger. The ones who survive are already desensitized, comfortable wearing body armor, and conditioned to willingly die for the State like all good children should be.

Whichever species, if any, rise to sapience after the age of mammals comes to its close.

Uh oh. Was someone grumpyyyyy? Poor thing. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such an insightful and well considered contribution to the discussion. Invaluable stuff.

TL;DR: Check out the KeyChron K3 V2 Non-Backlight edition. Decent quality, inexpensive, no lights, and no knowledge required.

ZSA make good stuff, sell it at reasonable prices, provide incredible support, and give a shit about artists/humans/the world. Any time mechanical keyboards are mentioned I feel compelled to inject their name into the conversation. I’ve owned a Moonlander for a while now and I have nothing but good things to say about it. I’d recommend the ZSA Voyager for someone checking out not shitty keyboards for the first time.

With that out of the way: it’s tough to find a lightless mech keyboard these days because backlights make sense and, so long as you’re putting lights behind keycaps, you might as well use full color range LEDs and let the user set a low brightness white color or turn them off if they don’t care for it. Some companies make non-backlight versions (KeyChron’s K series for instance) but they’re a rarity. Why produce and stock inventory that’s not moving?

I recommend doing some research on how mechanical keyboards are built (watch a 10 minute video on the internet) and then using RTINGS’ keyboard table for some comparison shopping. You’re looking for a well rated keyboard with hot swappable PCBs designed to accommodate south-facing LEDs (they point down - less bright). One of the advantages of going mechanical is customization. Don’t want the LEDs at all? Remove them from your build. Even without PCB hot swapping: no one will stop you desoldering LEDs from your keyboard.

Building out something like a Gem80 from NuPhy or a 60HE from Wooting will net you a high quality mechanical keyboard that won’t get in your way but is customizable enough for you to avoid RGB-induced eye sores.

The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor.

Unionizing every industry so there is nowhere for the owning class to practice naked greed sans consequence or feel any pressure to do otherwise is our only answer. It’s not one which matches the aesthetic or level of ease most are looking for. So that’s the current goal. Shift public perception of unions and collective bargaining from “talking about that will get me fired” to “unionization is essential for any working class person”. Shift the current climate from “violence is inevitable” to “striking is necessary”.

Our owners cannot steal our wages if we refuse to produce goods and services for them. Yes this means workers will experience pain. Not being able to pay bills, buy groceries, etc. This is the intention of the current economic reality we find ourselves locked in mortal combat with. Keeping us too scared to bite the hand that feeds for us to realize we can starve out our oppressors by doing nothing and being loud about it. Picketing is a siege on the fortress of oligarchy.

They concentrate wealth like dragons protecting a hoard not for the love of money. It’s not about the money. It’s about insulating themselves so securely from such a siege that we starve before they do. History tells us that’s a winning strategy. It’s how the aristocracy survived and evolved into the modern era. Knowing this we can reason about what is necessary to avoid repeating the past.

One may argue for governing reforms, better voting systems, government-backed protections for workers, more public sector jobs/industries, kai ta hetera, et cetera, and so on… And these things may help voters weed out elitists/sympathizers or insulate an industry for a few decades. They are placations though. Not solutions. These capitulations leave workers in stasis and package today’s injustice up as an inheritance for those next in the human assembly line. That sounds like deja vu to me.

Similarly goes violent direct action. Yes, the civil rights movement was lifted by the pressure or the threat of violence from aligned and allied movements and, yes, such methods may yield short term results in any righteous struggle. No, workers do not require the same assistance for success. Labor is not fighting against any government. Governance is the medium through which the owning class wishes to arbitrate. Refuse this entrapment. No one is coming to save us.

Organize, vocalize, and strike, or lose.

Long time guitar owner here. You could get some wood glue and use a small amount to affix the chip back to the guitar pretty seamlessly so long as you’ve got a steady hand. In my experience it’s harder than it looks.

My direct advice? Keep the missing chunk in a safe place and live with the guitar as-is for a month. There’s no rush and this will give you some time to process.

If the gouge ends up sticking in your mind as something you want gone? Call a local luthier, explain what happened, that you’d like it restored, and ask for an estimate or evaluation if you want to budget for the expense. If you have a preference for a kind of repair you can ask for that too. Mending a wound on an instrument can be an opportunity to add beauty instead of simply removing a blemish. What kind of repair you want is entirely up to you and a temp fix now might make the repair more difficult / expensive.

If none of that sounds appealing and if after a few weeks the idea of a nail polish scar or other punky hack makes you happy then go for it! It’s your instrument and best is conditional so go nuts. 🙂

My only concern with leaving the natural wood exposed would be moisture and cracking/paint flaking over time. Even if you think the chip looks bad ass and you end up wanting to keep it: I would ask a luthier to seal it up to preserve the instrument (battle-scar and all).

I find it more likely because it’s pathetic.

And a one 🎶 and a two 🎶 and a one, two - one two three four!