You realize you're ruining how many potential Hollywood movies?

I like the idea that we're all just part of a simulation created by advanced AI. It explains at least as much as most theology.

While I understand your point, in the US at least ERISA laws do protect pensions to a reasonable extent. But what is happening, almost universally, is the discontinuation of defined-benefit pensions as a benefit. If you have one already, you generally get to keep it, although it might get frozen. But if you don't have a defined benefit plan, you're not going to get one. A 401k or equivalent is all you're going to get, maybe with some limited matching or company contribution. These days you're pretty much on your own for retirement planning, and it's very difficult, unless you start early and save a lot, to have a decent retirement account.

You left out the part where no senior executive service (SES) people get fired but middle-level people who actually tried to make it work get the blame. Meanwhile the Beltway Bandits make off with millions and hire the SES people for fat salaries as a reward for sending all the money their way.

"The cheap one passed data, but with a ton of noise. "And listeners still failed to hear any difference."

Well, duh. It's digital, not analog. As long as bits are not irrecoverably lost, how is it going to sound any different?

Audiophile ethernet cable .... there's one born every minute.

Who says it's YOUR computer? Just because you paid for it, you think it's YOUR computer? It's no more YOUR computer than your smartphone is YOUR phone.

It's Microsoft's (or Apple's) computer. It's the cellphone carrier's phone. They are nice enough to allow you to pay for it, and allow you to use it --- but in return for those privileges, you've got to toe the line and follow the rules.

YOUR computer, indeed. The CEOS are laughing at you at this very moment, patting themselves on the back because they've allowed you to believe it's YOUR computer, but they know the truth.

I didn't think it was necessary to spell it out but when clandestine agents and their collaborators are uncovered they can be in mortal danger.

I always remap caps lock to left ctrl, the way it used to be on rather old keyboards. So much more convenient than having to reach down to the left-ctrl key.

The same exact thing has happened in the field of writing and publishing. Now, anyone can write and publish their book because there is effectively a zero barrier to entry.

So what's happened? Amazon etc. are filled with unbelievably bad publications. What little of self-published literature that is good (and some few things are very is often drowned in the sea of flotsam.

So, anyone can write and publish. Anyone can make an app. But something good? That's another matter altogether.

I wonder who dreamed up all this open-plan stuff. I have a suspicion that management cloaked this in the guise of management speak like "synergism" and so on, when actually all it is, is a way to keep the cost of office space down.

Did most managers give up their private offices? I didn't think so.

You know, enforcing funny little rules like "actions have consequences", setting expectations for behavior and performance, the sort of thing that seems out of favor in today's world where no kid can be criticized, no kid can be allowed to lose, and so on.

Not to say that everything is better today--- in an older day abusive corporal punishment was acceptable, for instance--- but it seems there ought to be middle ground.

No, you don't understand. The first goal of education is to produce passive drones who will silently work for the lowest possible wage under the worst possible conditions and who will serve and worship big business, and who will consume to the extent that their low wages plus massive use of credit will allow.

You make a good and valid point, but the people who are buying Apple for comfort will buy a new one every few years because that maintains their comfort level.

I learned, with my visit to the Apple store, that buying Apple for most people is not about

1) Being able to tweak and customize (in general; yes, you can do that if you know how)
2) Worrying about cost[1]

It is much more about

1) Comfort and assurance
2) Style
3) Relative ease of use, and lots of hand-holding.

As technical people we tend to forget how hard things can be for non-technical people. (And no, this is not because we're in any way "better" than they are, we just are good at different things.)

[1] It's true that many Apple buyers have plenty of cash. But I'm active in the local writers' community and it's amazing how many really poor writers (poverty is chronic for most writers) will scrape together every last cent to buy a Macbook.

My opinion of Apple and Apple products has changed. Not that I'd ever buy an Apple product, but I went with a non-technical friend to an Apple store; she wanted me to go along when she bought a new Macbook. I was amazed at the high level of service and the extent of the support structure. She paid twice as much total for her Macbook as I paid for my Asus Zenbook (she bought the training and extended support which added $400 to the total), but she has a level of comfort that is rather high for a non-technical user.

I was pretty impressed, and I can see why people might want to buy the Apple brand. They don't care about the closed design and complete control by Apple. They want to have a place to go to get help and support, of a type and level that they can understand and feel good about. This particular Apple store was packed with people and always is. There's a reason, and I learned what it is that day.