I think its like any other utility (water or electricity or methane) except that you pay for the generation separately. So imagine that for electricity you pay a service fee to the grid operator to keep your connection capable of a certain amperage, and you separately pay the hydroelectric dam for the power you use.

ISPs are the grid operator saying, yes you pay for 200 amp service but you’ve already bought enough power this month. Don’t run your AC for the rest of the month.

I understand your anger and agree that anti-vaxxers are stupid. I believe public health education should be part of the school system.

I also agree that it’s responsible for a society to impose reasonable restrictions on members that endanger it.

I think people do have an ethical obligation to take reasonable precautions avoid potentially exposing others to pathogens. Vaccination is an example of reasonable precaution. People have the right to bodily autonomy, do not vaccinate them against their wishes.

I do not support the firing of workers for refusing vaccinations if they can do their job remotely. People shouldn’t have to decide between their religious beliefs and employment if their employment doesn’t bring them into contact with others. (Imo anti-vaxx is essentially a religion, this may say more about my beliefs regarding religion than about anti-vaxx sentiment).

By all means exclude the unvaccinated from places where they can be reasonably understood to endanger the public, or others that have a similar right to be there.

Any idiot can build a bridge that stands, but it takes an engineer to build a bridge that barely stands.

Oof.

In the defense of engineers, they are usually trying to optimize around a few more variables than ability to stand. Cost is a big one.

If a car has a warranty of 10 years, it will last 11 years.

…If it’s well engineered.

I’ve had lots of led bulbs die. I think it’s because I bought them at the dollar store.

(…) and would accomplish . . . what exactly?

It would move China’s adversary further from its shores. Just like how America doesn’t like Cuba being right there, with its rival politico- economic system, China doesn’t like Taiwan being right there with its rival politico- economic system.

China wants TSMC

I agree that they want TSMC, but I think Taiwan’s semi conductor disablement plan has more to do with guaranteeing international support for Taiwan than reducing the incentives for Chinese annexation of Taiwan.

What I mean is that Beijing can’t say to the world “this is an internal disagreement that doesn’t concern you” because if TSMC goes up in smoke the global economy is going to bottom out, it concerns everybody’s economy. The fact that Beijing can’t just seamlessly assume control of Taiwan means that the international community will not support that ambition. It’s like Real Politik, but with semiconductors.

Ironically USA initiatives to protect itself from the vulnerability of Taiwan by (re?)patriating chip production will be bad for Taiwan’s security… if they ever actually manage to rival TSMC’s Taiwanese production. I say this because it will demote the conflict from one of global interest to just regional interest.

But that’s all just my arm chair speculation, I don’t actually have any idea what I’m talking about.

I don’t think Google can be blamed too much for presenting an article from a relevant, generally trustworthy site, that has the search query as the article title.

Shifts team to generative AI.

If your car development team can be transferred to AI developement you weren’t building much of a car.

I’m a little surprised we haven’t seen licensed deep fake pornography.

Like from an actor that doesn’t get numbers acting anymore but has (or had) sex appeal (in their prime).

Pam Anderson?

Maybe it’s because of copyright/consent for the other dataset.

reminds me of a great song