It's Not Just Gaming Consoles

I read an article today that said Microsoft is increasing the price of the Xbox console.  I already own the Xbox, and I'm a very casual gamer, so to me this in and of itself isn't a huge deal.  It is, however, a result of a larger supply and demand problem, and the root cause is Artificial Intelligence.  In a nutshell, the AI boom is creating a huge increase in demand for RAM... specifically the RAM needed for video cards.

The thing is, increasing RAM production is not a simple process.  It's wildly expensive to build a new manufacturing plant, and the ongoing costs are expensive as well, because most hardware requires an environment that's for all intents and purposes cleaner than a hospital.

The economic law of supply and demand indicates that if demand increases and supply does not, prices must increase to maintain purchasing equilibrium.  This makes suppliers want to increase supply so they make more money, but as I said, it's not easy in this case.  The end result is that we have higher costs for everything that uses RAM.  This means that gaming consoles and computers cost more.  It's not just gaming consoles.

My big questions are "Is it worth it," and if so "to what extent?"  We as a society are spending billions of dollars to build data centers.  These data centers are consuming vast amounts of natural resources to continually power and cool these data centers.  The payoff is still unproven, and the most widely-seen consequence is a massive disruption in the labor market.

So... big companies are making money hand over fist... real people are losing their jobs... real people are paying higher prices for everything from computers to electricity to water.  I say again... it's not just gaming consoles.  I ask again, is it worth it?  And if so, to what extent? 

Another Personal Best

I bench pressed 160 lbs today.  This may not sound like much, but it's more than I weigh, I'm in late 50s and I've never bench pressed this much in my life.

KISS and Trump

I had a random thought the other day.  Donald Trump is the non-musical version of the band KISS, specifically Gene Simmons.  Think about it... KISS and Trump are both willing to put their name on anything if it will bring them a buck.  KISS toilet seats?  Check.  Trump steaks?  You betcha.  KISS and Trump both think they're the greatest thing since sliced bread.  People that love them, REALLY love them.  People that don't like 'em REALLY don't like 'em.  Simmons and Trump both say they don't drink, smoke or do drugs.  I'm sure there are other similarities.  Feel free to add your own.

I'd love to see a venn diagram of KISS and Trump fans.  I bet there's a lot of overlap.

Tires

I've been driving for well over 40 years.  During that time, I've had too many vehicles to list, and have probably driven over a million miles.  It always kind of amazes me how much of an impact fresh rubber has on how a ride handles.  I got new tires on my Ultra last weekend and man, it almost felt like I had a sport bike.  The handling is so light and responsive!  I'm really looking forward to Tail of the Dragon next month.

My Chair

One of the few things in life I'm finicky about is my spot in the living room.  I have a reclining love seat that's got the perfect view of the TV, great acoustics, and an end table next to me for my beer and snacks.  It's probably the one and only stereotypical behavior I share with TV dads.  Hell, I even defy the stereotype by sharing the remote.

Late last week, the recliner cable broke.  I've developed a habit over the years where I'd kick the recliner into its upright position when standing up, so my redneck repair was to use some creative cable kinking and a little masking tape to hold the cable in an extended position, so the recliner would not stay in the upright position.

The deeper discussion was what to do about the loveseat.  The material is a combination of leather and vinyl.  The vinyl has started to crack and flake away over the years.  The cushioning has collapsed in places, so I sit at kind of a cant.  In the grand scheme of things though, I'm not a "throw it away" guy.  The chair still meets my functional needs.

So, for Father's Day, I ordered a new cable, and it arrived today.  My Father's Day gift to myself was replacing the cable so I can recline again. 

This is a Nice Analogy for the Entire Administration

 For those of you unfamiliar, our illustrious POTUS decided a few months back that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool urgently needed a paint job.  In typical Trump fashion, he started the project without permission and without following proper channels, and bullied dissent into silence.  He then swore up and down that he could get it done for cheap, because he knows a guy, and he vowed that it would be quality workmanship.

The outcome has been... less than promised.  The cost skyrocketed.  The timeline dragged.  The quality sucks.  In less than a month, paint is already peeling off the reflecting pool.  I've grabbed my popcorn, because I don't want to miss how he tries to spin this.

This whole boondoggle is a nice analogy for his entire presidency... er, presidencies. 

Coming Into Her Own

As I mentioned back in January, I sent my dog Gilmour across the rainbow bridge.  When that happened, I was more than a little concerned how that would impact my other dog, Lainie, who followed Gilmour everywhere.  She had a lot of isolation anxiety and I was worried that she'd go a little crazy if left alone, and destroy my house like she did shortly after I brought her home from the Humane Society almost a decade ago.

That hasn't been the case at all.  She's happy, mellow, and perfectly content to lay next to me while I work.  When I walk her, she's off leash, never running too far before turning around and checking in.  She used to be wary around other dogs, and now she's happy and outgoing.  She still gets nervous during thunderstorms, but even that seems less traumatic than it used to be.  It's wild what a mellow, happy, outgoing girl she's become over the last few months.  She's really coming into her own.