2026-02-21
2026-02-20
The Incredible Evolution of Computers
I like the video. Unfortunately, it is just the first part of four.
The first microprocessor, the 4-bit Intel 4004, was created for Japanese companies that wanted to make the first electronic calculators. I have seen 4-bit devices used for cheap electronics, like low cost chess playing computers.
In the first half of the 1980s, 8-bit computers were the norm, with the Apple II costing up to $1,300, and the IBM models costing considerably more. The Atari 800 started at $1,000, and the Commodore 64 started at $595, which adjusted for inflation would cost $1900 today.
Sinclair, along with Timex, were offering budget models that created a dedicated fan base.
In the second half of the 1980s, the industry was moving to 16-bit, so the 8-bit models were being heavily discounted. The C64 sold for $100 or less.
The 1990s saw a slow transition to 32-bit computers, and the 2000s saw a slow transition to 64-bit. There is almost no reason to go to a higher number of bits, except for graphics cards that range from 64-bit to 384-bit.
2026-02-19
2026-02-18
Chili
I've been trying various brands of canned chili. The brands without beans are a bit more expensive, but the prices vary a great deal by brand. The cost ranges from 12 to 30 cents per ounce. The Amour brand with beans is the cheapest, but I haven't tried it yet. I am going to try more brands.
I initially tried Wolf Brand Chili with no beans. It is good, but it is so spicy I could barely eat it.
The Great Value (Walmart Brand) Chili with beans is just slightly cheaper, but it has a taste that I think is really good.
The hot dog chili is the cheapest. I only mention it because my mother used to love to make coney dogs, and I enjoyed them too. She would put onions on them. I once bought sauce that had onion in it.
2026-02-17
THIS Is Why Doctors Can’t Make You Healthy
This is an interesting take on health. I hadn't thought of it in this way, but it rings true.
Age related diseases seem inevitable. Genetics are also a factor. Doctors can help us when prevention doesn't work.
2026-02-16
2026-02-15
Why the Economy Hasn't Crashed Yet
P.S. I have recently discovered Windows Reading Mode. You can highlight text and then select reading mode. Then hit play to have the text read aloud.
This is a different take on economics and Trump.
0 seconds ago
This "economist" has written only one book that reportedly blames inflation on everything except the government printing money. Some of the reviewers on Amazon called it "Liberal BS."
The anti-Trump people tend to spin facts in the worst possible way for Trump. I'm sure the same thing was true for Biden and Obama.
This video has ideas that ring true, but might be half truths and don't necessarily see the whole picture.
I understand why people hate Trump. He is a troll, a narcissist, and a bully. But he can also be a kind man that cares passionately about helping the country.. He came along at a time when Americans wanted someone strong to stand for them. Despite his personality flaws, he uses his influence to get things done. The country is going broke and has many problems, so Trump is the strong man that people need to fix things. Despite his flaws, I see Trump as a net positive.
If you privately own a business, you may think that you are your own boss, but you really work for your customers. If you don't provide the customers with what they need for a price that they are willing to pay, you won't have a business. In some businesses, you need to innovate or die. Corporations are no different. You may say that corporations work for the shareholders, but the companies are really working for their customers. The shareholders are just the investors.
Having people employed by the government and government regulations aren't necessarily a good thing unless they are doing positive work and not hindering the free market or just wasting resources, in which case getting rid of those things frees up resources that can be put to more productive use.
The fact the corporations curry favor from the government is a sign of a government that is too powerful with too much control. I don't doubt that there is corruption, since all major companies have lobbyists, but big government is the problem. The countries that are closer to socialism are always more corrupt because their governments have too much power.
Private individuals donate to politicians that they politically agree with. Companies are the same way. Some companies do benefit massively from government spending, but many private individuals are also dependent upon government spending, so they vote and donate accordingly.
Because of political influence, I have long thought that only private citizens should be allowed to donate to campaigns.
An atheist explains the most convincing argument for God
This argument has a physics way of thinking, saying that there must be a fundamental force behind the workings of the universe. However, physics has already identified the four forces that it believes are fundamental. Whether those fundamental forces have a cause might be impossible to determine, but if they did then they wouldn't be fundamental. And there may be no underlying cause because they are fundamental, meaning they are simply are.
One doesn't have to think about physics to believe in a god. Everything we see is created by something else. How far back in time does that go? So the religious argument is that you can't have creation without a creator. My problem with that line of reasoning is who created God and how far back does that go?
Logically, I have a problem with infinities. I assume that you can't have infinite anything, because infinite matter would have an infinite gravitational attraction. However, we assume that every moment in time had a moment that came before it and another that follows. Likewise, for every location in space, we assume that there is something beyond it. Does space go on forever?
What I am trying to say is that the universe makes no sense. It is either infinite or finite, and if it is finite, what lies beyond? Nothing? However, the toughest question to answer is why there is something instead of nothing at all? Either the fundamental cause was physical or something else. If you want to say that God was the fundamental cause, I can't prove you wrong.
I don't know that we will ever be able answer these questions. Religion is a failed science because it provides imperfect and usually false answers to why things are the way they are. Modern science has done a really good job of explaining how things work, but not necessarily why the universe exists.
2026-02-14
BSG
I've tried a couple of times over the last few months to restart watching Battlestar Galactica. I didn't get very far, partly because I felt obligated to watch the streaming services I'm currently paying for. I also hesitated to watch it again because, over the last 22 years, I've watched the entire series three times. I've seen the pilot miniseries and season 1, episode 1 several times, and they are both fantastic. Because of that, I figured I must have the show memorized by now.
Another concern was that the series is more of a soap opera than I remember it being.
However, I watched the first half of the miniseries last night and fell in love with the show all over again. The acting and the drama are outstanding. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell have screen presences that are truly remarkable. The entire supporting cast is excellent as well, especially Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, Aaron Douglas, Michael Hogan, and James Callis.
The special effects are starting to look dated, but they were movie quality at the time of the release.
I'd like to watch one episode per night until I make it all the way through the series.
2026-02-13
2026-02-12
Here’s the official weight of Rufus the bull.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfNRHvFxMog
This guy makes videos about his favorite bull, which he says he loves, but this bull is ornery and sometimes aggressive.
Not many animals can pass the mirror test.
2026-02-11
Sarah Paine: the Risk of Nuclear War, WW3 and NATO
0 seconds ago
I would normally respect Sarah Paine, but Trump has stated that he is not interested in a military takeover of Greenland, so her entire argument is a strong reaction to a non-threat. I didn't realize she was so anti-Trump. She thinks that he is destroying alliances that keep the United States safe, but this seems like an overstatement. Despite his flaws, Trump seems smart enough to act in the best interest in the United States and surrounds himself with good advisors.
2026-02-10
Fwd: Does the truth still matter?
FYI.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: John Coffey
To: Grant
From: John Coffey
To: Grant
Grant,
I do not want to see government overreach. Constitutional limits on federal government power started being ignored about 90 years ago.
There are two related issues here:
We live in a very dangerous world, so we must protect our national security, while not ignoring constitutional rights. BTW, I'm halfway through watching the movie Snowden, and even though Snowden may have had some valid concerns, I can't not forgive someone disclosing classified information. If I had done that in my job, I would be in prison.
People should follow the law when immigrating to this country, and we should enforce those laws. Without a border you don't have a country. You don't want just anybody sneaking in because you can't control whether it is a terrorist, drug dealer, or violent criminal.
I've argued with Steve, who thinks that we should allow anyone to cross the border with no restrictions whatsoever. That's like saying you would just let an invading army cross your border for the sake of freedom. There are a great many more people who want to move here than the other way around. What happens if everyone in the world who wants to come here is able to do so? At some point you have to have a limit, and that limit has no meaning unless you enforce it.
The political left is trying to score political points by turning this into a human rights issue, even if their position makes no sense. National elections are decided by very slim margins, and they only need to persuade 2% to regain power. Once they do so, I presume that they will open the floodgates again. Under current law, illegal aliens count for apportionment in Congress, and subsequently the Electoral College, which should be illegal. That is their real motive.
--
2026-02-09
2026-02-07
RFK Jr. said this diet could 'cure' mental illness. Here's a fact check.
Doctors told HuffPost that Kennedy isn't necessarily all wrong in his claims, but there is way more to the story. Here's what to know:
Kennedy's comments align with the ideology his "Make America Health Again" campaign promotes, "which is 'natural' is better for your health," said Nicole Lippman-Barile, a clinical psychologist.
Kennedy has a history of demonizing medications like antidepressants, making statements claiming that they are more addictive than heroin and that they contribute to violent behavior, which is not proven.
There is ongoing research into the role nutrition plays in mental illness, but any claims that keto is a "cure" are way overstated.
Dr. Brooke Resch, a psychiatrist in Minnesota, said in an Instagram video that there is some evidence that suggests a keto diet may be beneficial in a mental health treatment plan, but there is not "a ton at this point" to support that.
Palmer, whom Kennedy likely referenced in his speech, has explored the potential impact of the keto diet on mental illnesses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, but Lippman-Barile said his research is often made up of very small sample sizes or only covers short periods of time, like a few weeks or months.
"We also have no long-term studies looking at the keto diet and what that does for mental illness," she said.
"Even the most recent research that [Kennedy's] citing in this speech here says these exact same things ― that it's too soon to have this as a clinical recommendation"
Kennedy got his post by supporting Trump, but he has always seemed like an oddball to me.
2026-02-06
Sometimes the Rules Just Don't Make Sense...But That Doesn't Mean You Break the Law
All his videos are about taxes, but his message seemed strangely apropos...
2026-02-05
Spelling
Maybe some people know this already, but spelling tends to confuse me...
The words "dying", "dyeing", and "dieing" are all separate words. The second refers to coloring something with a dye. The third refers to cutting metal with a die.
2026-02-03
Does the truth still matter?
6 minutes ago (edited)
John,
I loved "The Fault in Our Stars" movie.
The "truth" seems like spin to me. Federal law enforcement agents are trying to enforce laws approved by congress and the president. Obama was known as "deporter in chief", but to this the political left was relatively quiet. Immigration enforcement is Donald Trump's most popular issue, so the real agenda is to diminish his most popular policy.
The left is trying to give us the 2020 riots again. However, if they go too far there will be a backlash, and the public will return to wanting law and order.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
2026-02-02
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