Only an idiot would buy a fridge. I build my own.

It's actually pretty easy to look at rocks and tell what has been worked on by someone and what hasn't. It takes a little practice, but I've gotten pretty good at it and I'm not even an anthropologist. I just like to figure out what is an artifact and what isn't when I wander around my ranch.

My grandpa used to complain about the "college boy" engineers who had never worked in a machine shop. "You can't be a good engineer if you aren't a good mechnic first!" was one of his favorite phrases.

The man held a whole bunch of patents on aircraft engines and electronics, so I'm inclined to agree with him.

Well, if some stupid choads in Dallas would quit carrying long guns everywhere to push for "open carry" of handguns, people might not be as afraid. These idiots are hurting their cause more than anything.

It was named in honor of Brent Spinel, who played a popular ST:TNG character.

One of the researchers was from China.

Propane A/C has been around for a long time.

I had a bad experience with it about 30 years back, but it may be better now.

Amen, brother.

I have a side business renting a cabin on my ranch for weekend visitors. The cabin has no internet access, and it's in a valley so there is no cell signal. Many people complain about this when they first arrive, but after they leave they ALL tell me how it was REALLY nice to be unplugged for a few days. Even the 20-somethings.

People forget how awesome life can be without gadgetry.

Or, you know the anecdote could be not intended to "prove" anything but show that "this is nothing new". "Cyberchondria" is just a new label, crap like this has been around since even before snake oil salesmen.

Read before replying.

This is nothing new. A friend's mother was diagnosed with cancer back in 1980 and she found a book promoting eating various sprouts as a "cure" for cancer. The family spent the next year growing sprouts in huge trays for her until she died. Didn't help a bit.

You are probably not the target market for this since you live in a densely populated area.

I live in an area where the spacing between houses averages over a quarter-mile in any direction. I would love for a drone to deliver my packages instead of the lazy delivery driver just saying "address doesn't exist" or "cannot find address" because they don't want to drive down my road.

It might annoy my donkey, though, but I'll risk coming home to an annoyed donkey in exchange for actually getting my packages.

Mr Pither! It Works!

You know how I know you don't know any Iranians?

You know how I know you're a shill?

Go back to blowing Bibi, baby.

I think a key phrase is "being part of the team helping keep people safe, which is really what people at the agency think they are doing"

So he admits they just think that they are helping keep people safe. Or that they have convinced the lower echelons that public safety is their goal, when higher-ups like him know better.

I live out in the country, so errant electronics are often used as shooting targets. Much more fun than cans.

Funny you should mention Internet access with AirBNB, and how much you enjoyed being unplugged.

I rent a cabin on my property through AirBNB. It's out in the country 30 miles from the nearest city. It has no Internet, and it's in a valley so there is no TV reception, though I supply a DVD player and about a hundred DVDs. About half my guests (generally the younger generations) complain about the lack of internet and TV on the first day. When they leave a couple days later they always tell me how refreshing and nice it was to be truly unplugged and out of contact with the world for a few days. EVERY one of the people who complained at first has told me how much they ended up enjoying being unplugged.

So my advice to you kids who have grown up with cell phones, internet, etc. is to give being unplugged for a while a try. It's amazingly relaxing.