I'm cautiously optimistic. On one hand, yeah, it seems too good to be true. But on the other, what surveillance state wouldn't want to have independently powered IoT devices?

The only thing gold is good for is suspending liquid latinum.

I just meant I had been away from SN and not entirely up to date on what's been happening on planet orange.

All your other points stand.

This hits the nail on the head. Western society (esp in the US) has evolved in ways that just don't meet many of our emotional and psychological needs as humans.

I have a three year old daughter, and my wife and I don't live close to any family. I can absolutely relate to OP's isolation. I can't imagine having two kids right now. Fortunately, I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. Every few months she becomes slightly more independent or at least more capable of understanding and following directions. I've heard 5 is when you start getting some of your life back.

Anyhow, I need to get my kid dressed...

Alright, good talk, guys.

Sometimes the only way forward is to fall on your face.

The Industrial Revolution and labor movements are what got us down to a 40 hour work week. The current (fiat) power structures are what keep us here. If I had 20 extra hours of leisure in my week, I could learn a craft and become more self sufficient, I could study new subjects, I could exercise more, I could be more involved in my community, I could raise a stink at city hall. Instead we live in a system that gives us just enough leisure time that the most efficient way to use it is to opt into the convenience of consumerism. We've been conditioned to keep up with the Joneses. It's not necessarily innate human nature. It's a rat race that keeps the poor poor, squeezes the middle class dry, and secures power for the upper echelons of society (who don't seem to have much trouble coming to terms with their extra leisure time). As long as they can just keep printing money and never be held accountable, we'll keep getting squeezed to do more for less.

Modular and micro nuclear reactors along with improvements in water desalination. The former means that we could not only decarbonize our power grid rather quickly, but also create more independent, decentralized communities. Imagine how much more possible that would be if we could convert ocean water to potable water fast and cheap.

I'd volunteer, but I've hardly been on SN lately, and I've missed the last 2 flash codes.

Queue all the Portuguese jokes about Brazilians wanting their gold back...

FINA should allow the "Ryan Lochte turn" in the IM event. If a swimmer can dolphin kick faster supine rather than prone or on their side, it should be allowed so long as they're in the correct position once they break the surface.

Value. My house isn't on the market so it has no price at the moment. However, my local appraisal district is all too happy to tell me the "value" of my home.

I bought a house in 2011, and it's tripled in value since. While I have some philosophical issues with how much and how quickly it's appreciated, the fact is I've benefited from it tremendously. I was able to use the equity to remodel it, which then allowed me to rent it out for a decent price while I lived overseas last year. And after a refi, my mortgage is far less than rent for my area.

I had chump change on those, so no skin off my nose. My fuck up was using Vauld.

Of course Stacker News is full of stackers...