[-] Simpsonator@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The possible origins should be discussed. By experts. What kind of discussion are you looking for? I'm not a bioweapons expert. Are you? What possible conclusion can we come to that actual experts might not have considered?

I just see this idea that everyone's viewpoint is equivalently valid everywhere and it drives me crazy. This is a scientific question. Real experts study this stuff their entire lives. The one guy with a Ph.D. in Microbiology has an opinion that's worth more than a million random idiots with a keyboard and internet. Maybe instead of coming to our own conclusions, we listen.

[-] Simpsonator@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Can you give me a source from CNN/MSNBC/NYT where the meat market origin was created to cover up for Fauci? Your entire premise, save the idea that a lab "might" have been the source, is all conspiracy theory and not at all consensus.

[-] Simpsonator@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

My proposal would be to have more tiers of capital gains that would incentivize long term investments. And raise the rate on short term gains. That would also reduce some insider trading if the pay off was lower short term. But I'm just an armchair economist so there's probably some terrible consequence to this plan I can't see.

[-] Simpsonator@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago

I think you're getting down voted for two reasons.

  1. OP's comment didn't state anything factual. It was rude to accuse him of attempting to "propagate incorrect information."

  2. You're lumping together two very different types of spending and it feels like you're making a disingenuous argument. The vast majority of spending you're talking about is Social Security/Medicare which has received near constant increases. Welfare programs on the other hand have been under attack since the 90s. I can say that Social Security, Medicare, and the FAA together make up almost half the budget but it doesn't make a good argument for cutting the FAA.

All that said, I do think you make a good point that there's other programs to look at. Maybe we can cut the military budget while also looking at saving money on Medicare.

[-] Simpsonator@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

I think we can all agree that both companies have terrible management in different ways.

But this dream that MS will just clean house with Act/Blizz management is just that. If MS replaces all of senior management over the next year or two, the studios will grind to a halt. Someone has to make decisions about resource allocations. I'm dubious about the competence of senior management in general but someone has to decide the dev budget, the marketing budget, feature set, etc. And someone has to make decisions midstream when it becomes clear your battle royale game will get lost in a sea of Fortnite clones.

If MS starts firing these guys, they'll see the writing on the wall and go elsewhere on their terms, leaving the company unable to make those decisions. I just can't see MS firing anyone but the top guys.

[-] Simpsonator@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I kinda understand this point of view but I don't see how it punishes anyone at Act/Blizz. Bobby Kotick walks away with a literal fortune and I doubt Microsoft fires the management to hire all new people. I'd like to see Act/Blizz shareholders sue the board and Kotick for corporate malfeasance instead and get that money back.

[-] Simpsonator@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

It's just a hotspot. It's probably no more or less secure than any other hotspot.

[-] Simpsonator@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I have a recent Corolla with this feature and really like it. It may not be useful for you if your cell phone has unlimited data. But I'm on a pay as you go plan run through T-Mobile so it's cheaper to pay for the car wifi than data. For $10 a month, I don't have to worry about running up a big bill with streaming and GPS.

The wifi also runs through Verizon so it's nice to have two different ways to call for help if you're stranded between T-Mobile towers.

I expect these issues are mostly my own and it isn't that useful for most. Honestly, I would bet that AT&T or Verizon is paying Toyota to put these into cars so they can sell data plans.

[-] Simpsonator@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

On point 2, the individual mandate was repealed in 2018. There's no federal penalty for not having insurance.

Simpsonator

joined 1 year ago