I've created a simple guide for how to get rich with AI:

1. Sell bonds and other "investments" in AI.
2. Profit!
3. Run like mad when China makes a cheaper AI and the market collapses.

cutting the price? I know Apple would never do that, but it is weird they priced it between the iPhone and iPhone Pro, while not having some of the key features of the iPhone. Keep the lineup the same but flip the pricing point so it's iPhone Air ($$), iPhone ($$$), iPhone Pro ($$$$), and you'd be selling them like crazy.

People are listening to more music than ever in human history. Even just 200 years ago, pretty much all music you could access had to be performed live and there was limited cross-pollination between artists or genres. And now, in your hand, access to just about every song ever recorded (commercially, anyway), and tools to create your own music either by recording yourself or through software like Garage Band.

It's a golden age of music with more access to music than ever through human history. How is this a failure? Because some algorithm recommends bland, same-sounding songs over and over again (this is, by definition, pop music)? If that's a problem, then don't use the algorithm! There's plenty of human-generated playlists and amazing music waiting for you out there, and artists creating interesting (sometimes terrible) new pieces...all waiting to be found as long as you are looking to put forth minimal effort.

...to believe that we know enough about DNA and how it functions that we could edit it to lower heart disease and increase IQ. For a small number of genetic disorders the DNA cause is clear and we can correct the DNA to eliminate the disease. But that's an incredibly small number of diseases that fit that profile. For most genetic diseases, we have some guesses about DNA but often the disease state is incredibly complicated and there's no clear path for most genetic diseases to eliminate them by editing DNA. Let alone something even more complex, such as "IQ" (which is not really a thing in my view, but that's another discussion)...the hubris to think we can control that!??

Just because you can make $$ by manipulating people psychologically through a social media site or shopping site doesn't mean you have the expertise to do something difficult, like edit DNA.

I am not opposed to some space exploration and science, but I'm pretty cynical about the prospects that we will discover something really amazing or valuable in our solar system. There's a whole lot of nothing in space and a whole lot of nothing in our solar system. Nothing even remotely habitable or useful for sustaining any kind of organic life - let alone human life - in our solar system except Earth.

And the stuff that is something is way too far away for any kind of meaningful exploration.

I'm all for science and everything, but all signs point to humans being bound to Earth for the rest of our existence.

Shutting the government down is not a tool - it is a huge waste of money, disrupts needed services (such as air travel, benefit applications, disbursement of needed funds, not to mention all of the people on furlough who will get paid who are not doing any work). And, yes, no matter which party controls Congress & the White House, I have argued and believe that it is insane that we can have laws that create programs and services and set forth spending rules and then a SEPARATE decision over whether we will write the check to pay for those things. It's no way to run an effective government. Regardless, elections are the tool and the Democrats should focus their attention on winning the next one.

Well, the Democrats have done little so far to stop the tyrant from getting his way. And, when many Republicans WANT much of the government shut down, how is shutting it down stopping them from getting their way?

Look, bottom line, as a liberal I believe health care is a right and we fail a huge portion of our population with our expensive, ineffective current health care system. But extending Obamacare payments and subsidies for another year will not solve our health care problem. Our health care problem will be solved by winning elections and creating a new system (probably a version of Medicare for all) that works for everyone and keeps costs down. But that won't happen through political stunts and shuffling around the deck chairs by arguing over subsidies and renewal of Obamacare. Yes, the Republican plans to cut the subsidies, cut Medicaid, are horrific and will have terrible consequences. But we have to focus on the bigger picture and how to create a better country that works for everyone, and that's a longer play that requires careful and thoughtful strategy (which the Democrats are terrible at doing).

WTF have the Democrats been for the last 7 months? But all of a sudden, now, in October, when the next Congressional election is still a year away, they decide to not pay our governments' bills, all while enabling the Republicans to yank SNAP benefits (which many conservatives don't want to pay anyway), layoff additional federal workers (especially at the IRS), and disrupt key federal responsibilities (such as reporting the likely horrible job numbers and tanking economy)? "willing to fight..." BS...if that is true, they are "fighting" in the dumbest, stupidest way possible when there's nothing they are likely to win.

I have not trusted the GOP since before GWB, but ask a 'typical' GOP voter, who gets their news from Truth Social and Fox News...and see who they trust? This shutdown stunt has proved nothing, is wasting tons of taxpayer money, and further emboldened Republicans to withhold needed services and programs from the public.

This is the problem. There's no way out but to cave. Their trying to "negotiate" with an untrustworthy foe who is happy that the government is shut down. The Democrats are not going to win anything of value from this stunt.

Sure, winning the governor's office is nice if you live in that state, but has zero impact on federal policy. And this is exactly my point. The goal should be to win like this in November of 2026.

Personally, I believe this shutdown is a strategic error by the Democrats.

The goal of the Democrats should be to win as many seats as possible in the election in fall 2026. If they want to win, the people need to see and experience the true impact of the laws passed by the Republicans. Shutting down the government, in an effort to ease the pain that the Republicans caused by their policies...I'm not sure it gets the Democrats closer to their goal of winning in 2026, especially if the Democrats get the subsidies restored and the health insurance pain is gone. The Democrats are just terrible at strategy. Really, really bad. The majority of voters support the key tenants of the Democratic party, but because they are inept, they keep losing....

Add to that, government shutdowns are just stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. The laws have already been passed, and now we just have to write the check to pay for what was already done. And trying to use it as a tool to force Republicans - many of whom would be happy if the government were shutdown forever - to negotiate? Not going to work.

Keep your eye on the true prize, Democrats!

I generally agree about the bus in my community - it's free, is usually on-time, and is clean and safe. But it only goes once an hour and doesn't have many direct routes to anywhere but a few major stops (e.g., a grocery store, the hospital, and downtown), and doesn't run on Sundays; and getting anywhere outside of my local town requires a transfer, and, ugh, you can spend all day just trying to get around on the bus. I prefer a bicycle as I can burn a few calories and go when and where I want. But most people don't seem to want to bike or take the bus.

How much noise are we expecting Kodak to make about selling a different type of film in an incredibly niche market?

Rear-view cameras and their installation cost manufacturers less than $50 per car. Consumers say that back-up cameras are worth at least $300 in value to them, and historically there have been almost 300 back-up deaths per year, a huge portion of which is parents backing over their own children (many of which could be prevented with cameras), plus additional costs from injuries or other damages from back-up accidents (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-benefit-cost-analysis/article/rear-visibility-and-some-unresolved-problems-for-economic-analysis-with-notes-on-experience-goods/E23D2791A6A365D827A82B0AF468049C).

I'll happily pay $50 toward a car if it means it decreases the chance I, or one of my neighbors, will back over a child.

Why? There's no middle class, and the poor can't afford even an affordable car. So basically it has become either buy a luxury car or take the bus.

I miss Netflix's Blu-ray / DVD by mail. I was a subscriber for 15 years and only had 2-3 discs that wouldn't read. Pretty good for around 200 movies rented through them. They had an incredible back log of movies and great list of new releases, although near the end there was often a long wait for the more popular titles. They made money until the end, from what I recall, although it wasn't "enough" profit, so they shut it down. Maybe there's a market for something like that again? Although you'd have to start by getting people to buy the players, as many of them have broken and people aren't replacing them as much.

With the low rate per stream paid, it seems the electricity, programing, equipment, and other costs ("salaries") would be more than the value of the fraudulent streams. Or is it actually not playing somewhere, just simulated playing?

On a related note: Is Billboard going to retroactively change their "top played songs of the month" to reflect removal of the bots? It's always been a bit shady how the "Top 40" is selected, but now with obvious fraud there's no way the top songs have been accurate.

When was the last time you received a telemarketing call from a real person based in the U.S.?