Quote from: sloopy on September 12, 2015, 11:18:30 PM

Quote from: brush242 on September 12, 2015, 09:35:09 PM

Quote from: sidehack on September 12, 2015, 07:46:49 PM

Quote from: brush242 on September 12, 2015, 07:18:28 PM

Then, just when you need your ice cold Bud most

Come now, nobody needs beer. Complaining about a shortage of luxury items as a comparison to a shortage of utilities seems kinda foolish.

It is not. It's an illustration of the principle involved. The guy that sells you Bud, for profit, has every incentive to sell you more, and to do so everywhere and every time. He has to compete with all the other beer sellers on quality and cost, thus driving quality up and prices down. Pure benefit to consumer, and beer makers slaughter each other to give you the best product.

Everyone needs bread. Should the gov't create a bread monopoly such that the extremely poor would always have some protection against the eeeevil food companies that won't give a little bit of bread away free? I mean, we do that with power. Let's just pass a law creating a Department of Bread, then ban Allinson, Alvarado Street Bakery, Arnold, Ball Park, Beefsteak, Bimbo, Brownberry, EarthGrains, Entenmann's, Eureka! Baking Company, Francisco, Freihofer's, J.J. Nissen, Mrs. Baird's, Old Country, Oroweat, Sara Lee, Stroehmann's, Thomas', Tía Rosa, Weber's, Bost's Bread, Breddy, Dave's Killer Bread, Davidovich Bagels, Flowers Foods, Holsum Bread, King's Hawaiian, Lender's Bagels, Merita Breads, Mother's Pride, Nature's Pride, Pan Desuyo, Pepperidge Farm, Polarbröd, Rudi's Organic Bakery, Schwebel's Bakery, Sunbeam Bread, VitBe and Wonder Bread, and all the tens of thousands of other bakeries out there from selling anyone bread that wasn't provided by Federal Bread and Water Co. Think that's a smart plan? I mean everyone needs bread. It's not a luxury anymore, it's a necessity. Let's make goddamn sure those bread companies won't shut down people's bread supply after six months of not being paid for their bread.

There are any number of entities that are capable of selling you power right now, with no, or minor, changes to the last mile. Most, if not all, are forbidden by law from doing so or are bound by thousands of pages of regulation such that it isn't worth the effort.

Why *anyone* thinks that limiting to one the number of people that can provide you power somehow *helps* anyone or drives costs down and quality up is beyond me. It doesn't happen.

I agree there are not enough options for people when it comes to their power company.
There has just been a rate increase approved here for one power service, but not the other, which was already less expensive, but you must live in a specific geographical area in order for the less expensive company to be able to provide service. There is literally one neighborhood with one company, and the next subdivision over and on is the other company. Like an imaginary line is drawn.

However, like the cable and cell phone companies it is not due to a law these two power companies do this, it is their agreement.
Similar to how AT&T and Time Warner or other companies in the same line make deals not to step on each other so they can both charge more.
This is an obvious weak spot in a capitalistic system. I think many / most want less government interaction, but how else do you stop companies from doing this if you require their service for your own business?
A good argument is to say well someone else could start a new power company. I think we would find just enough regulation and stonewalling from the existing power companies to make sure that is a no win situation. Unless, the right person did it on principal and was extremely wealthy. You aren't going to find a VC to finance a project like such because they are interested in profits. It would be nearly impossible and certainly not profitable for a generation or so.

In the case of power it is not considered a luxury by me, but it is by the government except in specific cases where there is a potential for a loss of life directly relating to the issue of not having power, e.g. a hospital. Which in those cases if you cannot pay your power bill there are government programs to help do so. I know someone who had their power bill paid for at least 6 months. I do not know if that was federal or state. The government also considers the toothbrush a luxury, but I sure as hell do not.

I would consider beer a luxury, and I think most of us could agree what a luxury is.
I do not see how power or a cell phone or beer determines what can or cannot be a monopolized industry. We have laws against it. I remember hearing stories about Ma Bell being broken up by the government because it was such a monopoly. I sincerely believe it happened because the right people made money from it breaking up a specific way. Obviously AT&T are doing great and still tearing new assholes in tons of folks every month right along with the co-conspirators called cable companies and other cell companies.

The thing is, we all complain about our government in one way or another, and we keep electing the same type of people who follow the same status quo. Bush, Obama, it hasn't been such a huge difference in the biggest picture. Our economy is in the crapper because of the system which has been twisted. If we stayed true to our constitution we would be in a much better position. I do believe we have to modernize some things as we go, but we have allowed the supreme court to make decisions which should have never been up for a vote. We are caught up in things which are serious, but not the real issue. The real issue is our system has been perverted and until someone who isn't selfish, understands economics, and is willing to take the heat for a generation of setback to put us back on track as a civilization we are in a death spiral for which there is no stopping. China will have the Yuan added to the basket of approved worldwide fiat next month. The oil dollar is coming to an end. When it is time to make decisions we are distracted by the news telling us about someone smoking a joint in college, or yesterday for that matter. Why do so many people care about that crap, but they don't care about China having a world currency? I can answer that, it is because almost 50% of our country are receiving some form of government provided aid. They don't think they need to care about a real issue. They do not realize the government is not going to be there when things do go south and that check isn't going to turn into currency one day.
I know some folks need help. I know many more who do not but ask and receive anyway.

Why did I ramble on that path from talking about government and our power companies?
It is our fault because we keep putting up with it and once people realize we keep electing the same people and the line isn't between dem versus repub it is dem and repub versus the common man. Then and only then will most people's heads slowly begin to emerge from their anus and with a giant popping sound we may once more be the country we like to envision ourself to be.

Seriously, consider what it would take to turn things in the right direction. We would need to give up some real "luxuries" for a while if we wanted the next few generations to have them. Maybe the baby boomers gave up many lives in world wars, I know my father's generation gave up enough of their life, and lost many lives in Vietnam. Is our sacrifice one of doing whatever it takes or giving up whatever it takes to get our supposed leaders to realize we are tired of hearing the sos?

I'd definitely be on board with giving up things if it meant it made an even bigger difference to future generations but like most I fear, it seems like we are not going to be able to fight the system, so let's have drink, light a smoke, and live for today, right?
MY USB hub showed up. Must get to setting up equipment for a Gekko partyyy!
I'm not changing the world tonight, but I am going to have some fun with my stick miners and a luxurious bottle of something or other Grin

I do not have the money to start a new power company, or change our economic system, but I will damm sure keep voting and carrying on like someone who does

SO, true

once people realize we keep electing the same people and the line isn't between dem versus repub it is dem and repub versus the common man.

or

rich versus the poor .

look on the webb one state locked up two woman for refusing to allow smart meter installed in there home that's suppose be one our rights, that state now has fed law suits against them and those woman were released and found not guilty that was there right to refuse them .

This is an obvious weak spot in a capitalistic system. I think many / most want less government interaction, but how else do you stop companies from doing this if you require their service for your own business?

There is no other way to stop it. Sad

. unless the companies want to be for the people like they were a very long time ago it's only gong to get worse. and bitmain is one example they went form being cool and nice to who gives a shit, if they really cared like they claim now they would do what they did with s3 and s5 etc .

I've only seen one S7 review and that was off site , and dogie said he had one but was under NDA as was that off site review and none were sent out this time due to the cost which i find hard to believe if there was a lot more sent out why don't we see it, there is no NDA now.

owell i need to let it go , it's going to be what it is .!!!

I plan to buy a stick miner in a few days if any are left . !!!

. and OFC you sell me one . !!!