Damn, Windows has really improved in the last 25 years. Wouldn't know since my last Windows was Win2k and my computers only run macOS or Linux and have crashed less that 10 times combined in the last 20 years or so. A well, whatever. Good for people still using Windows, I guess.

Yup, 'cause there's no money in porn... /s :-)

From Adult Entertainment Market Report 2026:

(That growth rate is close to the average S&P 500 of 10%.)

If there's one thing this Administration really doesn't like, it's public scrutiny - any scrutiny really. /cynical

I saw two robots. :-)

There's no mystery here. The officer alleged to have verified the decision wasn't doing their job. You can frame this any way you like...the officer is overworked and couldn't keep up with the number of applications they're supposed to verify, or the officer is lazy, or the officer is incompetent, or perhaps the scientist's name identified their ancestry and the officer is a racist.

In my opinion (backed by some experience) the most likely explanation is the department relies on the fact that many applicants who are rejected won't have the means to appeal a decision, and the spokesperson is simply lying when they claim AI isn't used to recommend or make a decision.

Two words: Robot packages. :-)

(Not package robots, which Amazon already has.)

... Fantasy worlds out there that would look epic as a AAA fantasy blockbuster triology. Raymond E. Feist comes to mind. Bernard Hennen, Guy Gavrial Kay, Brandon Sanderson and countless other top-shelf fantasy authors and epic worlds. Can't we just leave LOTR be? It's gotten an excellent film adaption, one that will stand the test of time if it doesn't get diluted with trash like it already partially has. Please stop right now.

I think we may be truly witnessing the dawn of western culture and it effing hurts.

I don't mind an optional fob to open the door, though I rarely use mine. I don't like it being required (no door key) and I don't like keyless ignition.

... to all their competitors, grab the deckchairs and some popcorn and watch everybody else tear each other to shreds. Brilliant move if you ask me. 8-)

... in at least one key aspect: The cash going around is almost exclusively from the deep and wide warchests of large megacorps. Which means if a bubble pops it likely will just be a little fart for regular people and we can get rehired for our bullshit desk jobs.

Shouldn't the super-fast rotation of massive black holes counteract at least some of their gravity vertical to it's axis? Could that - at least hypothetically - eventually cause a black hole to break apart into bits of regular non-black-hole matter, if it spins fast enough?

Sorry if I'm sounding silly here, I'm a 5th-grader when it comes to astrophysics but perhaps someone with knowledge could offer some insight?

Agreed, but, unfortunately, that kind of quaint thinking will only really matter (again) in about 2.5 years -- maybe starting in 8 months, if we're lucky. /cynical

Nice and a good father/son activity.

I have always been mechanically inclined and started with a used Kawasaki G5 100, with its engine in pieces, that my mom said I could have because she didn't think I could get it back together. Silly mom didn't know about official service manuals. Then it was my first car, a used '69 VW Beetle - basically one wrench, four 17mm (I think) bolts behind the fan housing (that are almost impossible to reach, designers should be forced to work on their creations), a tug on the exhaust pipes and the engine drops out. Then a Suzuki 380GT, a 3-cylinder, 3-coil, 2-stroke with an oil injector - which was very fast (like 110+ MPH fast, which is "yikes!" on a bike). But I settled down when I met Sue. It's been three Hondas since then: a 1-year used '87 Prelude Si, sold for my '01 Civic Ex (more safety features and better gas mileage), then a '02 CR-V Ex for Sue. I have Honda Service Manuals for the latter two (Civic: printed, CR-V: PDF). That said, I stay away from the heavy work or things that need special tools.

Thanks! Don't know why that guy went off on me.

Also, I've talked with several people who like cars the way they used to be - buttons, knobs, etc and fewer gadgets. I'm also not a fan of keyless ignition, which now seems to be everywhere -- I've rarely even used the keyless entry fobs on my current cars. Don't get me wrong, there have been many safety improvements since my cars were built in 2001 and 2002, but I still like mine the way they are and I like manual shifting. And they've both been paid off since 2003. I just had the CR-V painted and the mechanic said, "60k miles and a manual, ya, I'd keep it too." :-) There are now only about six vehicles you can get with a manual - Honda sells two: Civic Type-R and Civic Si, which are both more car than I need and more than I'd want to spend. The 2001 Civic still gets about 41 on the highway, so not to bad for a 25yo car. The 2002 CR-V still only gets about 28, but it was my wife's, who died in 2006 and it has sentimental value -- plus I can't put a cabinet in the back of my Civic. :-) I don't need my cars to be smart, I need them to be reliable and maintainable (by me *and* mechanics). Also, the Internet says the best auto theft deterrent now is two words: stick shift. :-)

As a final thought, and something I think someone else pointed out, I have intelligence and capability in my phone, which I can take with me, so why would I want a separate one in my car that stays with the car?