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Alright, so I’ve been seeing these videos floating around where people are legitimately surprised by things Donald Trump has done—things he actually promised to do during his campaigns. The common thread in all of these reactions is something like, “Well, he said he’d do it, but I didn’t think he’d actually go through with it!”

And here’s the thing: if someone votes for a politician who doesn’t follow through on their promises, isn’t that kinda bad? Like, wouldn’t you want the person you voted for to keep their word? So why is this a thing now? Is this just people messing around and trolling, or did they genuinely think Trump wasn’t going to do what he said he’d do?

I mean, maybe it’s because of how unpredictable Trump was during his presidency. He had a habit of saying things one way but then doing the opposite, which could’ve made some people doubt whether he’d actually follow through on his big promises. But now that he is following through on some of those things, it seems like people are genuinely caught off guard.

So here’s what I’m wondering: is this something to celebrate? Like, is it a good thing that people didn’t think Trump would keep his word? Or is it just another example of how the political landscape has changed in ways no one expected?

In today's political landscape, it's hard not to notice the growing divide and the erosion of informed discourse. As we navigate these turbulent times, I can't help but wonder: Have we reached a tipping point where ignorance has become the norm? Are we so far down the road that the public is ill-equipped to counter the latest governmental abuses?

It seems like the powers that be have successfully convinced many that losing is winning. The erosion of trust in institutions and the rise of misinformation can leave one questioning if we're collectively stuck in a cycle of intellectual stagnation.

Let's unpack this a bit:

• Media Influence: The media plays a crucial role in shaping public perception. However, with the rise of clickbait and sensationalism, the quality of information available has deteriorated. This makes it harder for individuals to discern credible sources from those pushing agendas.
• Historical Context: Looking back, periods of significant change have often been met with resistance and misinformation. The current era isn't unique in this aspect, but the speed at which information spreads today amplifies these challenges.
• Public Engagement: The shift towards more polarized debates can stifle open dialogue. When discussion becomes a battleground of talking points rather than fact-based exploration, it's harder to foster understanding.
• Intellectual curiosity: Encouraging critical thinking is essential. Without it, individuals risk being swayed by narratives that don't hold up under scrutiny.

So, while the situation seems dire, there's still room for hope. The challenge lies in recognizing our role as participants in shaping the narrative. We can choose to engage thoughtfully, seek out diverse perspectives, and remain curious.

Let's not lose sight of the power we hold in our collective intellect. By fostering critical thinking and a commitment to understanding, we can navigate these challenges and find our way back to a more informed public discourse.

In news that surprises absolutely no one, the makers of the infamous Humane AI Pin—a device that was overpriced, underwhelming, and widely returned—have been acquired by HP.

As expected, this acquisition effectively bricks existing AI Pins. According to the press release, some features will still work, such as checking the battery level. Incredible.

The real kicker? The people behind this spectacular failure are getting a massive payday from HP. Meanwhile, customers who dropped $700+ (plus a monthly fee!) on this glorified paperweight are left in the dust.

HP has a long history of acquiring pointless companies, so this doesn’t redeem the AI Pin in any way. If anything, it just reinforces that the product was as worthless as everyone suspected.

I was hoping this saga would end in Humane going bankrupt—not them cashing out. But here we are.

IT'S OFFICIAL, FOLKS! Trump thinks he can just slap tariffs on our friends abroad and watch us 'compete' again? Newsflash: this only hurts the little guy (and the planet). Just got word from Acer CEO that those tariffs have already led to a 10% price hike for laptops in the US. That's right, we're paying more for the very devices that are supposed to help us succeed in an era of 'American greatness'. Meanwhile, Trump is too busy coddling his corporate pals to care about the real American people. Wake up, sheeple! It's time to stop voting for politicians who only look out for their buddies on Wall Street.

Android devices, embedded systems, Raspberry Pis collecting dust in a drawer, old NAS boxes—anything you can run uname -r on and get an answer counts!

I found an old TP-Link router running OpenWrt I hadn't touched in years. Logged in and ran uname -r—this thing is somehow still on 3.18.45

Linux tplink 3.18.45 #1 Tue Dec 12 21:44:56 UTC 2017 mips GNU/Linux

Not gonna lie, I was expecting something bad, but I wasn’t ready for a 3.x kernel still chugging along. Time to see what other relics are still running in the wild!

So, what’s the oldest kernel at your place? Screenshot or copy/paste your uname -r—let’s see how far back we can go!

I'm baffled by this whole Crisco/shortening candle-in-contraptions meme circulating around. You've got folks shoving these things in everything from copper pots to elaborate sand enclosures, claiming superior heat output and somehow making a case for off-grid energy.

Let's unpack the physics, because frankly, it doesn't add up:

Combustion 101: A candle (or our Crisco-fied iteration) works by burning the fuel source (fat in this case), releasing heat and light through a chemical reaction with oxygen. The material surrounding it doesn't inherently influence this combustion process. Copper, terracotta, or sand won't magically accelerate the burning rate or somehow trap more heat.

Radiation & Conduction: Sure, these materials might hold and radiate a BIT more heat absorbed from the flame compared to open air. But the difference is negligible. Convection (hot air rising) is the primary heat transfer mechanism, and the enclosure doesn't significantly enhance it.

Scaling Up Fallacy: If this contraption truly held the key to efficient off-grid heating, wouldn't we be ditching fuel oil and natural gas entirely? Imagine a skyscraper-sized Crisco candle in a cosmic copper pot - it wouldn't magically solve our energy needs. The heat output wouldn't scale proportionally due to limitations in combustion itself.

In short -- why are people so fascinated with this? A simple test will show that it is not more effective than a simple candle, yet people seem to be continually fascinated by it.

Some people are saying these are either UFOs or a foreign country. I believe that these HAVE to be domestic. Look -- if China/Russia/etc can overfly our most sensitive military bases and our Air Force, etc. doesn't respond, the USA has gotten PUNKED. What is actually happening is you are seeing some sanctioned activity either by a commercial contractor of the Federal government, or you are seeing some secret Air Force tech. The Army, etc will just deny, deny, deny, because they know in a couple of days this will fall out of the news cycle.

I'd be curious to hear people's theories to see if I'm alone in my line of thinking or not.

The recent move by President Biden to pardon his son, Hunter, is raising some eyebrows. While we can't make excuses for past actions, we've heard a lot of criticism that he was making a 'no-pardons' pledge before the fact.

But as we're trying to decide whether or not we agree with this move, let's take a step back and ask ourselves: are we really going to become the same kind of politicians we criticize?

I'm seeing more and more people on here saying 'if they play dirty, we should too!' but that's exactly what we don't want. We shouldn't be lowering our standards or resorting to petty politics just because we're against their side.

Instead of trying to get back at them by being as vindictive and unprinciple-driven as we say they are, let's focus on having a better argument, being more facts-based, and standing up for what's right. We can do this without getting our own feet dirty.

Let's hold ourselves to a higher standard. Let's be the kind of politicians we want our kids to see.

President Biden's hypocrisy on full display: Pardons his own son after making a point about 'independent' justice"

In a move that's being hailed as a "full and unconditional" pardon, President Joe Biden has announced that he's granting his son Hunter Biden a free pass for all federal charges related to his time between 2014-2024. Just 50 days before leaving office, Biden had previously declared that he wouldn't be making the move, stating he'd abide by the jury's decision. But now, it seems he was just playing a different tune.

TL;DR

President Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who was facing up to 25 years in prison for lying on a federal form about his drug addiction. This comes after months of saying he wouldn't make the move, and is being met with criticism from politicians and others who called him out on his earlier stance. A case of "my family is more important than I am" - how about keeping your promises for once?

In today’s fast-paced digital world, we often rely on various online platforms to quench our thirst for knowledge, information, and entertainment. Among these platforms, news websites hold a significant position as they allow us to stay updated about current events across the globe. However, despite their essential role in delivering crucial content, many of these sites have resorted to irritating tactics that negatively impact user experience. One such tactic is the automatic playback of videos accompanied by full audio when one opens their webpage.

This practice has become increasingly common among news sites due to the belief that users prefer a multimedia experience over plain text articles. However, there is no empirical evidence to support this assumption. On the contrary, many have raised concerns over these autoplaying videos. These concerns range from audio intrusion into private spaces, lack of control over sound output, to the consumption of data and battery life on mobile devices. The most prominent criticism against this practice stems from the mismatch between the video’s subject matter and the article itself. In other words, these videos are unrelated to the content of the page and often serve solely as advertisements, disruptive interfaces, or attempts at misleading engagement metrics.

Does ANYONE actually like these videos? I typically scramble to find the close and/or mute button as soon as I can. Infuriating.

**CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA **- Apple today announced iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, featuring a boring old design with a few minor tweaks, the Dynamic Island gimmick, a camera that's only slightly better than last year's model, and USB-C to seem innovative.

The new iPhones offer pathetic upgrades over the iPhone 14 to sucker Apple fans into buying the latest incremental iteration. Key selling points include:

• A "color-infused" back glass, because making the phone pretty colors will distract you from the lack of real innovation
• The Dynamic Island, which takes the universally hated notch and makes it...bigger? Revolutionary!
• A 48MP camera when most people shoot photos at 12MP anyway - perfect for filling up your storage twice as fast!
• Roadside assistance via satellite so you can get help for your BMW when it breaks down, because Apple knows its affluent user base loves their luxury vehicles
• The addition of USB-C, which Apple should have done years ago like every other phone manufacturer

iPhone 15 and 15 Plus represent a mediocre update designed to milk Apple's loyal followers of every last dollar. But don't worry, the company promises slightly better versions called the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max coming soon for just $200 more! Pre-order now to get the iPhone 15 delivered months after its announcement, as Apple faces severe supply chain issues it won't tell consumers about.

Apple urges its fans not to think critically and just mindlessly consume its products every year. The company is confident users will abandon any principles and pay exorbitant prices for minor refreshes simply because they have to have the latest iPhone to flaunt their status. As one Apple executive said, "Our customers are total suckers."

Being a fan of this iconic franchise has definitely made me more emotionally intelligent. Here are my top 5 reasons why Trekkies have an advantage over Star Wars fans when it comes to emotional intelligence:

1. Emotional complexity: One of the most common criticisms leveled at Star Wars is its lack of depth or complexity when it comes to character relationships and emotions. In contrast, Star Trek has always been known for exploring complex emotional themes, from the relationship between Captain Picard and his clone in "The Inner Light," to the heartbreaking journey of Spock's katra in "The Wrath of Khan." By delving into these kinds of complex emotional situations, Trekkies become more attuned to the nuances of human emotion.

2. Empathy: Trekkies tend to be highly empathetic, which is due in part to the show's emphasis on exploring different cultures and perspectives. For example, episodes like "Darmok" and "The Arise of Mankind" feature alien societies with radically different ways of thinking and interacting with each other, forcing our heroes to understand and respect their customs and beliefs. This kind of exposure to diverse perspectives can help cultivate greater empathy and understanding among fans.

3. Self-awareness: Many Star Trek episodes explore the characters' inner journeys, challenging them to confront their own fears, weaknesses, and biases. Through this process of self-reflection, Trekkies develop a deeper understanding of themselves as individuals and are better equipped to handle difficult emotional situations that may arise in real life.

4. Resilience: From dealing with adversity in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds (think of the Borg or the Dominion War), Trekkies learn to persevere through tough times and maintain a positive outlook even when things don't go as planned. This resilience helps them navigate challenging moments in their personal lives with grace and determination.

5. Optimism: Finally, Trekkies tend to be more optimistic about the future, believing in the power of science and exploration to improve the world around us. This sense of hopefulness and possibility is not only inspiring but also contagious, spreading positivity and good vibes wherever we go.

Overall, being a fan of Star Trek has definitely given me a leg up on the road to emotional intelligence. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic - feel free to share your own experiences or opinions below! Let's keep this conversation going and make our fandom even stronger! Live long and prosper!

So there you have it - my take on why being a Trekkie can help us become more emotionally intelligent. I hope this post sparks some interesting conversations and connections within our community!