FourPacketsOfPeanuts

Interesting. Is that because it blocks JavaScript, ads etc?

Yup sounds like we're on the same page

Yes I don't disagree. But there is definitely a limit to what people will do voluntarily, especially if they don't feel their effort is respected. Finding volunteers to read to kids is miles easier than volunteers to tidy up someone's littered garden while that person boozily watches telly.

The Tragedy of the Commons is an old concept, very old. It far far far predates modern mega corps ravaging the planet. It is the simple observation that when people have free access to a shared resource they tend to mistreat it compared to their own property.

This is such a fundamental feature of humans that Aristotle was discussing it..

And that's why the best comes from society when people have the freedom to better their lot visa their efforts (despite this causing inequality) so long as people's basic needs are covered in a humane and reasonable way. But there will always be a difference between people. To eradicate that is to destroy the thing that motivates to go beyond merely what we'll do voluntarily. And those (paid) jobs are still very vital to society functioning well. We have more than enough evidence that goodwill and volunteers is not sufficient to run a society at large. People are more nuanced than that.

Constant low level exposure to ads and commerce in general is bad for the soul. These voices aren't your friends, they don't have your best interests at heart.

Buy ad free services. If they don't provide ad free, go elsewhere.

Rediscover the joys of ad free, intelligent radio. Start with BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4. There are many others I'm sure.

Ha, I wasn't aware of that.

I'm optimistic about another use some time next year. I'd thought about planning it, but it all began to feel a bit too contrived and was really draining the joy out of it. So I'm just going to see what happens. If it rolls around to next autumn without another appearance I might get a bit restless, but I've learned you can't rush these things.

Are people not overreacting here just a touch?

The platform where Darth Vader confronts Luke has railings, so they clearly have the parts, tools, and a guy who installs them. Maybe he's just held up on Level B?

While that's obviously gross, I'm not sure some budget public service pleb who wouldn't last 5 mins in a real business wouldn't simply make things worse

So was it the the Russians who blew up their own Nord pipeline, or was it that Ukrainian guy with a yacht? It's hard to keep track

Data cables defo Russia sabotage (if deliberate), doesn't serve anyone else's goals

Thanks

"The first rule in government spending: why build one when you can have two twice the price?"