AlternatePersonMan

I have a malamute, so similar antics. It's cute- except at 6am for breakfast... and two hours before dinner time...and when it's time for a walk even when it's -10 outside.

Not for everyone. But I wouldn't trade it.

I mean, the rich probably benefit either way... But I've definitely seen times get scarier for the rest of us. So...I care.

Used to work pretty well. Now it's a mess. I don't understand why they would make it so much worse.

Messages went from $.05, to $.10, to $.20 to send and receive. That was in the span of three years. All of the companies said it wasn't collision. They just happened to arrive upon massive increases separately.

If I recall, one of the CEOs said "We're raising the prices to save customers money. This way they'll be an unlimited plan"

The telcos should have been broken up then. Instead we've seen even more mergers.

• Edit: forgot to include the years. This was in the U.S. circa 2005-2008. Telcos have moved onto other sleezy practices now.*

I didn't even know they added new maps. I'll have to revisit this...

I don't think that will be an issue. In the US, most batteries are warrantied for ten years/100,000 miles, which means they confidently go longer. I believe most batteries are also cell based, so failure isn't 100%. Probably just a shorter battery life. Lots of people will be fine driving with a shorter range.

There are also used batteries and battery recycling. Plus in ten years there will be new technology, efficiencies in production, etc.

These vehicles will probably follow the same life cycle that most do. Being passed down from new owners to used, etc.

The argument is that corporations do what they want, often not because we want to buy their stuff, but because:

• we don't have a choice
• they hide what they're doing through propaganda, lies, obfuscation, etc. so we don't know about it
• powerful lobbying

Here's some examples:

• Cigarette companies spent decades convincing people their product was harmless and Even good for you. The oil industry has been covering up climate change the same way.
• Trains are rarely an option in the US, because of subsidies to planes, roads, etc. Car companies pushed hard to actually remove public transportation.
• Don't like your ISP? Too bad, you probably don't have another choice
• Look at the PG&E story and how they contaminated drinking water, then just lied about it while people died. You don't really have a choice about who supplies electricity to your city.

Yes, you could choose to live off of the grid and walk everywhere and grow your own crops, but that's hardly a choice. And it doesn't have to be that way. Shitty people at the top of these companies make ungodly money by screwing everyone else over anyway they can, regardless of the cost to humanity. That is the point.

I didn't count handhelds. Seems like a different-ish market. Interestingly, I thought the game gear was way better than original game boy... Except it absolutely ate batteries.

I've never heard of the N64 DD. The 90's had so many weird consoles.

Saw these guys a few years ago. Made me a little sad. It was a very small venue, like a hundred people. The lead singer just looked defeated.

That said, legit everyone played very well. The singer has talent. Would see them again.

Also, Movies is a fun video.

Seconded.

Dreamcast was solid. Decent games. Sega just had their collective heads up their assess. No one had confidence in their consoles. Genesis was a surprise smash hit...then Sega just spewed out consoles; 32x, Sega CD, mega drive, Saturn... Probably more. In that same time span Nintendo released...N64.

No one wants to buy a console that is outdated in a year or two. That game library is tiny and none of your friends have it.

Build a winner, milk it. Release another winner right as the previous one is winding down. Nintendo has mastered that formula.

(not) > allowing mergers of companies that are already large enough to be publicly traded at all>

That's a great way of putting it. I've said that once you own X market share or produce X revenue, mergers should not be allowed. No innovation or competition comes from letting giant companies devour their rivals. I like your line in the sand better.

That genuinely made me laugh... Then a little sad.