The year 2004 was when we completely gave up and embraced stupidity as a value.

Source: How a TV Sitcom Triggered the Downfall of Western Civilization — Medium

Sure, it’s funny in a sardonic sort of way. But we just re-watched Friends and aside from the agonizingly horrible rampant homophobia that the show espoused, the worst part of the show was the constant belittling of intellectualism and geekery. I identify with Ross more than the other characters because he’s smart, romantic, quirky, and people don’t get him. For the writers it was a cheap source of humor. It wasn’t the high-quality, good-natured type of character-driven humor that made up so many of the show’s other punchlines; it was the cheap, make-fun-of-the-nerd humor that debases everyone in the process.

That massive number, which far exceeded optimistic forecasts, upends traditional thinking about how to sell cars and is expected to spur the auto industry to shift more dramatically to market electric technology to consumers, analysts said.

Source: The car industry has never witnessed what Tesla is about to go through - The Washington Post

Sigh. They still don’t get it and they probably never will. It’s not just that the Model 3 is electric. And it’s not just that the car is fast and sleek and high-tech. And it’s not just that the car gets better over time through over-the-air software updates. And it’s not just that they have a vast network of superchargers. And it’s not just Tesla’s direct sales, no-dealership model. It’s all of these things combined. And that is why traditional auto makers will probably never catch up. Chevy may have the 200-ish mile range Bolt but they don’t have the other stuff. Sorry, establishment. You’ve had a good run, but you’re over.

This is an occasion when having reservations is a good thing. ]

Quotations around “affordable.” Well, it depends on your perspective.

Hundreds of people lined up Thursday morning outside the Tesla store in Park Meadows Mall, some prepared to put down $1,000 deposits cars they won’t see b

Source: 400 line up to put deposits on “affordable” Tesla Model 3 at Park Meadows Mall - The Denver Post

At this juncture it has come to pass
That a colleague of mine has no class.
Though he rambles all day,
Even worse, I would say,
Is his perfume is “Essence of ___!”

As I walked into the grocery store today, I was greeted with the usual music piped in over the loudspeakers that permeate the sonic space of the store. Someone long ago decided that people like to hear music when they shop. And not just any music, but a specific brand of upbeat music that apparently makes you want to shop and buy more things. I deduce, mostly through the power of observation, that “selling more stuff” is the only reason every store in the world seems to do this. Wait – that’s not exactly true. Every store that purports to care about the customer experience does this. And the grocery store is no different.

As I type this, both washed and unwashed masses of people crowd around the steps of our state capitol building, eager to catch a glimpse of their transient idols, the players of the Denver Broncos. If you haven’t heard, the Denver Broncos made it all the way to the last American Football game of the year and had more points at the end of the game than the other team, so they now have a parade thrown in their honor and get to shut down the local economy for half a day.