SparroHawc

They're a niche product that has a very solid use case (court transcripts). They require far less training than a stenotype, but because they're so niche, the people who do make them can more-or-less charge what they want. If we're being less skeptical, the low demand means the manufacturers can't take advantage of the efficiencies of scale, so the price remains high.

Wow, you really do sound like a bot.

It's a part of gaming history and a conversation piece, as well as a neat piece of kit. It has sentimental value above and beyond its utility. People who are buying from scalpers are doing it for that reason.

I hate to break it to you, but most Americans never have the opportunity to personally interview their representatives.

Of course Americans vote for who they're told to vote for. Every candidate is being built up by someone else. You'd say the same thing if all the candidates that the establishment DNC propped up had won. The trick is finding someone who both shares your values, and has the knowledge to give you an informed opinion. Mamdani is a pretty solid voice to listen to.

From my perspective, it seems like Mamdani has a personal policy of finding things that will make a positive impact, no matter how small, and giving them the push they need to get done rather than letting them get bogged down by committees or fishing for funding.

A lot of politicians in similar positions spend their days wrangling and maneuvering, rather than finding a thing and just doing it.

Hanlon's razor only applies if it CAN be attributed to incompetence.

When a pattern emerges of it only happening when it benefits the company, that stops being attributable to incompetence. It takes effort to make that happen.

If they did that, it would trash the cell reception. Metal blocks signal.

Although you are correct, you miss my point.

In the Roman days, the phrase meant superficial appeasement of the masses by the politicians. It was a tactic to prevent the uprising of the lower class. My point is that these days, the ruling class isn't bothering to give the populace any appeasement. No give, only take. The small artists and performers are fantastic, but they are organized at the small, local level by the very class of people that are being repressed, and so do not fit in the 'bread and circuses' quote.

soooooo the lower class is getting priced out of both the bread AND the circuses?

I have the heart of a child!

In a jar.

It's a skull-and-bones. In modern day it is far more associated with pirates than it is Nazis, and he was in the Marines.

Also making sure there is enough bloodflow to the skin to keep it from just dying off.