FYI that article on the Texas blackouts is interesting The 'inside job' is bit of a misleading headline:

Over the past three years, a wave of new data — and lawsuits — have made the case that the outages were, in fact, a result of market manipulation by some of Texas’s biggest fossil fuel companies...

...The charges aired in court on Monday were a far more limited version of CirclesX’s broader, more explosive claims: For decades, Texas’s major pipeline companies have covertly squeezed gas supplies before cold snaps and hurricanes.

In doing this, the plaintiffs argued, they have driven up the price, and then using the ensuing disaster as a cover to break existing contracts, freeing up their gas supplies to be sold for newly-soaring prices on the spot market.

“Winter Storm Uri followed this playbook,” the suit argues, “and indeed represents the most egregious example of Defendants’ manipulation and their greatest heist yet.”

In this alleged “heist,” the suit contends, the gas companies starved their contracted customers of gas, helping ensure the shortages that led to blackouts, hundreds of deaths and costs of hundreds of billions of dollars.

“Simply stated, the ‘failure to winterize’ narrative is misleading,” the CirclesX lawyers wrote.

“Unfortunately, Defendants’ false narrative has served, until now, to insulate them from scrutiny and accountability.”

Ars has some interesting insight o the change in Steam's arbitration clause:

Valve used to prefer arbitration because few consumers brought claims and the process kept the company's legal costs low. But in October 2023, Valve sued a law firm in an attempt to stop it from submitting loads of arbitration claims on behalf of gamers.

Valve's suit complained that "unscrupulous lawyers" at law firm Zaiger, LLC presented a plan to a potential funder "to recruit 75,000 clients and threaten Valve with arbitration on behalf of those clients, thus exposing Valve to potentially millions of dollars of arbitration fees alone: 75,000 potential arbitrations times $3,000 in fees per arbitration is two hundred and twenty-five million dollars."

Valve said that Zaiger's "extortive plan" was to "offer a settlement slightly less than the [arbitration] charge—$2,900 per claim or so—attempting to induce a quick resolution."

"Zaiger targeted Valve and Steam users for its scheme precisely because the arbitration clause in the SSA [Steam Subscriber Agreement] is 'favorable' to Steam users in that Valve agrees to pay the fees and costs associated with arbitration," Valve said.

Zaiger has a "Steam Claims" website that says, "Tens of thousands of Steam users have engaged Zaiger LLC to hold Steam's owner, Valve, accountable for inflated prices of PC games." The website said that through arbitration, "many consumers get compensation offers without doing anything beyond completing the initial form." Another law firm called Mason LLP used a similar strategy to help gamers bring arbitration claims against Steam.

There hadn't previously been many arbitration cases against Steam, Valve's lawsuit against Zaiger said. "In the five years before Zaiger began threatening Valve, 2017 to 2022, there were only two instances where Valve and a Steam user could not resolve that user's issue before proceeding to arbitration. Both of those arbitrations were resolved in Valve's favor, and Valve paid all of the arbitrator fees and costs for both Valve and the impacted Steam user," Valve said.

Ars Link

Prez wrote on Sep 28, 2024, 09:29:
Penny is a Pitbull mix. She is the sweetest, most loyal dog I have ever met.

Then Penny is continuing the fine tradition of every pittie and pittie mix I've ever met. They've all been kiss dispensing love sponges that are complete goobers. In the best way possible, naturally.

Penny is a Pitbull mix. She is the sweetest, most loyal dog I have ever met.

Prez wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 17:23:
Sorry about the lame attempt at humor. My dog Penny is coming to the end of her life and seeing her in pain is tearing my heart out. She is the best friend I have ever had, and I am trying not to lose it while she is still with me. She has been there for the worst times of my life, and she deserves the same from me.

I would donate my own heart to save anyone one of my feral Pitbull's.

Prez wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 17:23:
Sorry about the lame attempt at humor. My dog Penny is coming to the end of her life and seeing her in pain is tearing my heart out. She is the best friend I have ever had, and I am trying not to lose it while she is still with me. She has been there for the worst times of my life, and she deserves the same from me.

I’m sure you’ve given her a wonderful life. Celebrate the privilege of spending the time with her. I’ll throw a frisbee to my dog Sugar in honor of Penny. She never misses a catch when honoring a fellow pup. Good dog Penny!

Prez wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 17:23:
Sorry about the lame attempt at humor. My dog Penny is coming to the end of her life and seeing her in pain is tearing my heart out. She is the best friend I have ever had, and I am trying not to lose it while she is still with me. She has been there for the worst times of my life, and she deserves the same from me.

No need to apologize, amigo. I know that pain and you have my deepest empathy. Take her in your arms and just pet her, speaking quietly to her. Tell her you love her and that she is a very good dog.

Because lawsuits are a metric shit ton more expensive and aggravating than arbitration. Short of class-action suits most people won't have the means and/or constitution to take on Valve in a major civil suit. You're talking about something that will take years, possibly decades and run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars if not millions in cost to you - and that's before any appeals begin. You'd have to have a seriously goddamned good reason to bring a civil suit against them. Even small claims is a pain in the ass, and so small and award - up to 10K in most places- again, doesn't really make it feasible for anyone who isn't local to bother with in the first place. Odds are they'd outspend you there too and you'd lose. It's actually the smart move. I'm just amazed it's never been the standard. There are some advantages to arbitration but its better to prevent any legal action being brought against you in the first place which civil suits take care of most of the time. Shit, to even get a lawyer to represent you in traffic court these days is like 5-10 grand alone. I'd bet dollars to donuts if you called a barrister at random and asked them what the retainer would be to begin proceedings against Steam you'd be looking at 100 thou minimum.

Sorry about the lame attempt at humor. My dog Penny is coming to the end of her life and seeing her in pain is tearing my heart out. She is the best friend I have ever had, and I am trying not to lose it while she is still with me. She has been there for the worst times of my life, and she deserves the same from me.

Prez wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 14:59:
Oh, no reason. That question just sort of popped into my head. Weird huh?

I'm sure that they can't prove anything anyway... 😉

Damn weird.

Everybody knows I have zero problems fucking over corporations. But fucking over people? That's just straight up unethical.

Burrito of Peace wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 13:37:

Prez wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 13:23:

Lawsuits allege deadly 2021 Texas blackouts were an inside job

No reason in particular that I am wondering, but did anyone happen to notice where BoP was at the time?

Keeping my wife, puppy, and myself warm and fed while making some...interesting drives to my parents to check on them. Why do you ask?

Oh, no reason. That question just sort of popped into my head. Weird huh?

I'm sure that they can't prove anything anyway... 😉

Mr. Tact wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 12:59:

El Pit wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 12:40:
Dame Maggie Smith - what a titan of acting! Rest in peace and thanks for all the entertainment. The first movie I saw her in was Clash of the Titans (1981),

Her first IMDB credit is 1955 -- 69 years ago.

I know. But the first time I personally watched her putting some magic on the big screen was back in 1981. I later watched her older movies.

Prez wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 13:23:

Lawsuits allege deadly 2021 Texas blackouts were an inside job

No reason in particular that I am wondering, but did anyone happen to notice where BoP was at the time?

Keeping my wife, puppy, and myself warm and fed while making some...interesting drives to my parents to check on them. Why do you ask?

Lawsuits allege deadly 2021 Texas blackouts were an inside job

No reason in particular that I am wondering, but did anyone happen to notice where BoP was at the time?

Mr. Tact wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 12:59:

El Pit wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 12:40:
Dame Maggie Smith - what a titan of acting! Rest in peace and thanks for all the entertainment. The first movie I saw her in was Clash of the Titans (1981),

Her first IMDB credit is 1955 -- 69 years ago.

She was also a God in the original Clash of the Titans.

Sad to see her gone!

El Pit wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 12:40:
Dame Maggie Smith - what a titan of acting! Rest in peace and thanks for all the entertainment. The first movie I saw her in was Clash of the Titans (1981),

Her first IMDB credit is 1955 -- 69 years ago.

Maggie Smith, beloved ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Harry Potter’ star, dead at 89 - CNN.

100 points to Professor McGonagall.

*raises glowing wand*

Dame Maggie Smith - what a titan of acting! Rest in peace and thanks for all the entertainment. The first movie I saw her in was Clash of the Titans (1981), not a great movie to show off acting chops, but it introduced me to her. From Murder by Death to Gosford Park, Harry Potter, and Downton Abbey - she was always amazing! What a great career and what an even greater lady.

So, I might have missed Blue posting about it, but in case he didn't I was interested to read about the recent discovery of a quasar whose jets are 23 million light years long. Crazy. The previous known longest was 16 million light years.

Jim wrote on Sep 27, 2024, 12:22:
This has to be the stupidest sport. I mean its funny to watch and all that, but these guys hit so hard and many of them get knocked out, which is brain injury

People doing stupid shit? Who woulda thunk it?