asciilifeform: the gas can item is notable for the sheer ham-handedness of the usgification
asciilifeform: mircea_popescu: this is just so. but i don't think the fella who wrote the linked piece, would agree
asciilifeform: ^ actually 9 out of 10 times that i smash some piece of shit from sheer contempt, it is because of chinafication and 'market' penny-shaving, rather than direct usg mandated suck
asciilifeform: that is squeezing the life out of civilization itself.'
asciilifeform: 'Ask yourself this: If they can wreck such a normal and traditional item like this, and do it largely under the radar screen, what else have they mandatorily malfunctioned? How many other things in our daily lives have been distorted, deformed and destroyed by government regulations? If some product annoys you in surprising ways, there’s a good chance that it is not the invisible hand at work, but rather the regulatory grip
asciilifeform: package. Doing something like that would show profound disrespect for our betters in the bureaucracies. And if I did suggest something like that, there’s no telling the trouble that it would bring down on my head.'
asciilifeform: 'It wouldn’t surprise me to find, for example, a sudden proliferation of heavy-duty “water cans” in 1- and 5-gallon sizes, complete with nice spouts and vents, looking almost exactly like the gas cans you could get anywhere just a few years ago. How very interesting to discover this. Of course, this law-abiding writer would never advocate buying one of these and using it for some purpose other than what is written on the
asciilifeform: mod6: seems like the chinese units can be reflashed via usb; while google's 'chromecast', which is the exact same item but at double cost, has to be diddled via the on-board test points
asciilifeform: ben_vulpes: this one was ~17 usd (with postage)
asciilifeform: <mod6> It drives me nuts, because I can't find a regular old-school (even a plastic one with a normal pour spout) to save my life. Might have to check at garage sales or something. All major stores only carry Soviet Gas can. << this is mega-lulzy because ~actual~ soviet gas cans were 100% metal, on the german pattern
asciilifeform: (we all know why. and i'm gonna guess that he doesn't give a damn, 'nobody needed the library of alexandria for anything')☟︎
asciilifeform: while we're on the subject, am i the only one somewhat dismayed that the one site that probably has no public backup is mircea_popescu's www ?
asciilifeform surprised that anyone needs it for anything
