we have the money

With the way things are going for the lower and middle classes, that’s a bold statement…

Check out Infuse, it’s a pretty good front end for a home media collection.

Probably safe to assume that the streaming app on your phone is collecting the same data about your viewing habits, whether or not you Chromecast it to another device.

Or literally never, ever connect your TV directly to the Internet (seriously, don’t do it).

My Apple TV does an infinitely better job than the half-assed built-in native apps; more services are supported and for longer, features are properly integrated, and the additional smart phone functionality (AirPlay, AirPods sync etc.) is a godsend in a busy household.

Plus the added bonus of not risking my network getting compromised, and one less company collecting and selling data about me to unscrupulous marketers and shady middle-men.

I honestly think it will not live up to the levels of hype that the community will build itself up to.

Coupled with my suspicion that the single-player game will be as barebones as possible, with the goal of funnelling as many players into the next iteration of GTA:Online as quickly as possible, to sell more Shark Cards.

The good news is that in the end I’ll either be proven right, or pleasantly surprised.

Is it the same muscle that lets you wiggle your ears? Because I can do that, and I get a similar roaring.

Arrested July ‘91, sentenced February ‘92, murdered November ‘94…

So ~21 months.

What you call ‘market distortions’ are at times the only other means of getting additional money into the hands of low income earners.

If someone’s already paying $0 in income tax, either because they are on disability payments, a student, or caring after a loved one - then providing them with supplemental rental and nutritional payments are sometimes the only thing standing between them becoming unhoused and going hungry.

Big sums of one-off money are a great spectacle, but they have negative short-term impacts (likely to cause another spike to inflation) and negligible long-term benefits as once the funds are spent it’s just a return to the status-quo.

A more aggressive tax-cut for the lowest band, as well as a boost to services offered to those same people (rent assistance, dietary stipends to promote healthier foods etc.) funded by the top-end of town are the best long-term solution- but they don’t cause anywhere near the same level of media ‘splash’ as a “free” $1K would.

Only if you buy into the Murdoch press. Similar thoughts tend to be expressed about Australia’s Labor party also, when the actual reality is markedly different.

Currently running Windows 10, but refuse to upgrade to Windows 11. Next rebuild will hopefully be Linux-based, and am getting my head around it slowly through my Steam Deck. It has immensely improved since my uni days in the early 2000s.