On 2/26/2026 at 2:42 PM, MigL said:

Funny how 'open source' systems like ARM microprocessor implementations, (...) and Apple.

Apple has created their own ARM processors..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_M1

On 2/26/2026 at 2:42 PM, MigL said:

and Linux distributions have essentially 'eaten the lunch' of established ( proprietary ) actors like Intel, Microsoft and Apple.

Intel and Apple never played on this play field. Microsoft's Window Server edition has 20% of web server market, and Linux has 80%.

These statistics can be easily falsified, because you can run a VPS with Linux on a Windows server..

Statistics are generated by bots that access websites. A database is built based on the server's response. However, it doesn't have to be a real server, but a VPS, which can be run in Docker on both Linux and Windows (which are the actual host OSes of this dedicated server).

As a result, you receive only information about a VPS and not about a real dedicated server.

Notice difference between enterprise vs customer market.

The latest The Rest Is Politics podcast on the new Iranian war.

Like most podcasts it’s far too long because it hasn’t been edited, but the main points come across in the first half. I was struck by Stewart’s comments that several of the coups, wars and instabilities in Africa in recent years are the consequence of the destabilising of Libya brought about by decapitating the Gaddafi regime without doing anything to control the aftermath.

I was also struck by what he says is the total lack of any idea what happens next, on the part of the American officials he has contacts with. Nobody he has spoken to could comment on any of the possible scenarios he put forward, all of them apparently just hoping someone clever in the Pentagon has thought it all through.

The question is whether there is anyone clever in the Pentagon these days, headed as it is by a Fox TV presenter with no defence or foreign experience, and no tolerance for people with independent ideas.

15 minutes ago, exchemist said:

The latest The Rest Is Politics podcast on the new Iranian war.

Like most podcasts it’s far too long because it hasn’t been edited, but the main points come across in the first half. I was struck by Stewart’s comments that several of the coups, wars and instabilities in Africa in recent years are the consequence of the destabilising of Libya brought about by decapitating the Gaddafi regime without doing anything to control the aftermath.

I was also struck by what he says is the total lack of any idea what happens next, on the part of the American officials he has contacts with. Nobody he has spoken to could comment on any of the possible scenarios he put forward, all of them apparently just hoping someone clever in the Pentagon has thought it all through.

The question is whether there is anyone clever in the Pentagon these days, headed as it is by a Fox TV presenter with no defence or foreign experience, and no tolerance for people with independent ideas.

It seems to be a pattern where Israel and America do these assaults whilst in negotiation. It's as though they are trying to catch their adversaries off-guard defensively. It's an appalling, unethical way to negotiate.

Edited March 1Mar 1 by StringJunky

External regime changes never work.
We, in the Western World are used to internal regime changes, where most countries in Europe and North America shed a lot of blood and lost many young lives, to get rid of their monarchies and establish democracies.
Europe in the last century lost millions of lives and remembers their sacrifices.
The US, 250 years ago, followed by a bloody Civil War 100 years later, gives the impression that they may be starting to forget how many lives were lost to establish their democracy, and are enabling bad actors in destroying it.

If a people is not invested, with sacrifice and blood, in regime change because an external actor has forced it, they will descend right back into despotic, authoritarian governance.
Not that I'm sorry the Ayatollah is gone, but unless the US has a 'plan', I fully expect a military or 'strong man' dictatorship, or the equivalent of the Islamic State, to arise in Iran.
That's the point we're at; Trump, Hegseth, Bondi, Miller, Noem, Patel, Lutnick, Bessent, Gabbard, et al, couldn't come up with a 'plan' if their lives depended on it.
The world has become way more dangerous in 1 year.

On 2/1/2026 at 2:34 AM, TheVat said:

Listening to a lot of solo guitar recently (reviving my own picking a bit, too), and revisiting the Aussie guitar maestro, Tommie Emmanuel. Here he goes insane with (classical) gas, with a whimsical Ventures break in the middle.

And here he is with Stevie's Blues (posted recently by CC, over at sci forums dot com.)...

It rings a bell:

7 minutes ago, joigus said:

It rings a bell:

I see he does Jonny B Goode too....

Just now, geordief said:

I see he does Jonny B Goode too....

Oh, he does many, and always fills them with something of his own. There's a wonderful Rick Beato interview too.

Here it is:

Thought the guitar sounded good here too

Tommie Emmanuel must never ever switch to decaf.

12 hours ago, MigL said:

External regime changes never work.
We, in the Western World are used to internal regime changes, where most countries in Europe and North America shed a lot of blood and lost many young lives, to get rid of their monarchies and establish democracies.
Europe in the last century lost millions of lives and remembers their sacrifices.
The US, 250 years ago, followed by a bloody Civil War 100 years later, gives the impression that they may be starting to forget how many lives were lost to establish their democracy, and are enabling bad actors in destroying it.

If a people is not invested, with sacrifice and blood, in regime change because an external actor has forced it, they will descend right back into despotic, authoritarian governance.
Not that I'm sorry the Ayatollah is gone, but unless the US has a 'plan', I fully expect a military or 'strong man' dictatorship, or the equivalent of the Islamic State, to arise in Iran.
That's the point we're at; Trump, Hegseth, Bondi, Miller, Noem, Patel, Lutnick, Bessent, Gabbard, et al, couldn't come up with a 'plan' if their lives depended on it.
The world has become way more dangerous in 1 year.

I don't believe this is really about regime change at all. All these calls for the people to rise up and overthrow the regime are just smoke. Trump doesn't give a toss about them. This is about further weakening Iran as a regional power, regardless of the consequences for the Iranian people even if they end up with a protracted civil war or dismemberment of the country at vast cost in human lives, to the benefit of Israel. (And Jared Kushner's real estate plans for Gaza, naturally.)

Collapsing Iran into chaos and thereby eliminating the sponsorship of Hamas and Hezbollah will remove the last practical obstacle to the annexation of Gaza. I suspect that is the real agenda here.

Edited March 2Mar 2 by exchemist

4 hours ago, exchemist said:

I don't believe this is really about regime change at all. All these calls for the people to rise up and overthrow the regime are just smoke. Trump doesn't give a toss about them. This is about further weakening Iran as a regional power, regardless of the consequences for the Iranian people even if they end up with a protracted civil war or dismemberment of the country at vast cost in human lives, to the benefit of Israel. (And Jared Kushner's real estate plans for Gaza, naturally.)

Collapsing Iran into chaos and thereby eliminating the sponsorship of Hamas and Hezbollah will remove the last practical obstacle to the annexation of Gaza. I suspect that is the real agenda here.

Netanyahu is either the world's best Trump whisperer or he has a healthy grip on his balls.

The average Iranian that wants a revolution, is no closer to their goal, whatever the outcome of this attack; the authorities will still have the firepower.

Two different Boleros...

19 hours ago, MigL said:

External regime changes never work.
We, in the Western World are used to internal regime changes, where most countries in Europe and North America shed a lot of blood and lost many young lives, to get rid of their monarchies and establish democracies.
Europe in the last century lost millions of lives and remembers their sacrifices.
The US, 250 years ago, followed by a bloody Civil War 100 years later, gives the impression that they may be starting to forget how many lives were lost to establish their democracy, and are enabling bad actors in destroying it.

If a people is not invested, with sacrifice and blood, in regime change because an external actor has forced it, they will descend right back into despotic, authoritarian governance.
Not that I'm sorry the Ayatollah is gone, but unless the US has a 'plan', I fully expect a military or 'strong man' dictatorship, or the equivalent of the Islamic State, to arise in Iran.
That's the point we're at; Trump, Hegseth, Bondi, Miller, Noem, Patel, Lutnick, Bessent, Gabbard, et al, couldn't come up with a 'plan' if their lives depended on it.
The world has become way more dangerous in 1 year.

Power, is the false hope we all (by which I mean 'the elderly') cling too, bc we, the elderly, don't trust our kids, for some inexplicable reason???

Perhaps we fear the retribution...

4 hours ago, dimreepr said:

Netanyahu is either the world's best Trump whisperer or he has a healthy grip on his balls.

Not quite.
V Putin has his balls in the Kremlin.

But it was either attack Iran and alienate his base along with the opposition.
Or alienate everybody with further J Epstein revelations.
( where are the FBI interviews with the 14 year old girl D Trump beat up because she bit his penis when he forced her to perform oral sex ? )

I was trying to choose which one would yield the most comprehensible explanation... 🤨

Can we take political digressions over to the politics forums, please? Good grief, we need spaces where we don't have to focus on that sickening, sordid and depressing business for a few precious moments.

2 hours ago, Externet said:

I was trying to choose which one would yield the most comprehensible explanation... 🤨

Although the 'photon' concept arose From A Einstein's paper on the Photoelectric Effect, my favorite Physics Channel just presented a 'deeper dive'

1 hour ago, TheVat said:

Can we take political digressions over to the politics forums, please?

Does that mean no political videos can be discussed 🙂 ,

3 hours ago, MigL said:

Does that mean no political videos can be discussed

Well, yeah, there has to be some leeway to talk about whatever we're watching on YT recently, for sure. Not sure where the line is there. Stringy posts about a podcast on the war with Iran - does that take over this thread or do we form a separate thread on that? Help me, oh moderators....😀

49 minutes ago, TheVat said:

Help me, oh moderators....😀

Some Flatt trumpets and warblers to soothe your furrowed brow while we wait.

17 hours ago, sethoflagos said:

Some Flatt trumpets and warblers to soothe your furrowed brow while we wait.

I'll see your Purcell and raise you one Nepomuk Hummel.

9 minutes ago, TheVat said:

I'll see your Purcell and raise you one Nepomuk Hummel.

O happy memories! Had to play that one for my Grade VIII exam. Must have been late 1972 or early '73, so I'd be 14.