Posts posted by CooterBrown
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Edited by CooterBrown
Sounds like music at South By is in its death throes...
SXSW transforms in 2026: Music weekend gone, half-price badges available now
The South by Southwest Conference and Festival is undergoing a dramatic transformation. With dwindling band numbers and a surge in Film interest, the event will present a trimmed-down schedule that eliminates a dedicated music weekend in 2026. SXSW is also offering a lifeline to cash-strapped, would-be attendees with unprecedented early bird discounts slashing badge prices in half for a limited time. Is the Music fest, once the headliner, now more like the opening act that nobody quite remembers? They used to pack in 2,000 bands, in a chaotic symphony of sound. In 2025, that number was 1,012. 35% were international acts, representing their countries with pride, and often sponsored in part by government ministries.The Film and TV Fest, once the awkward sibling shoved into the corner, has suddenly become the cool kid everyone wants to hang out with. Thanks in part to Penske Corp. — 50% owners of SXSW since 2021 and Hollywood heavyweights who own your favorite film industry and music mags — the Film fest now feels like the VIP lounge. Suddenly, everyone's clamoring for screen time, not stage time.
Next year, the festival and conference will run from Thursday March 12 to Wednesday March 18, ditching the second music-centric weekend.
The fest is also offering deep early bird discounts at sxsw.com through March 31. You can snag a Platinum pass for a $1,135. Interactive badges are going for $785, Film and Television for $700. And $475 for a music badge. Walk up prices this year were wallet whopping: Platinum $2,295, Interactive $1,695, Film and Television badges $1,395, Music badges $995).Worth noting: For the last several years, badges for each track granted secondary access to other festival tracks. Next year, the Platinum pass is the only badge that will grant access to all festival tracks. -
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13 hours ago, Blotto said:
All I know is lidar costs are falling fast as volume picks up. I have seen multiple references online speculating Lidar sensors in the $200-300 range in 2025.
The iPad Pro has Lidar sensors in the camera. Granted, the distance is fairly limited, to around 5 meters, but it's really accurate. We have used it for some some projects recently. So, lower grade Lidar sensors are probably $50 or less already.
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16 hours ago, 52-80 said:
39% with median $1k savings doesnt mean $1k is all they have access to.
It is not the balance of their checking and savings (“transactional”) accounts
This is money “earmarked” specifically for emergency. And 39% is the bucket of people who earmark less than 1mo income (not expense) for emergencies.
These people cover the 50th percentile in financial metrics, and their financial accounts and non-financial assets are far greater than $1k.
I don't keep shit in my checking account. I zero it out at the end of the month so we start at zero on the 1st. Any leftover money is an extra investment in our brokerage account. I also never have more than $20K in my savings account. In my 52 years, I've never had a need for emergency money that had to be paid instantly. I can't even think of a non-criminal scenario where I would needs lots of cash immediately.
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9 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:
BREAKING: China Just Canceled All U.S. Beef Contracts—Buying from Canada & Brazil Instead
Trump’s trade war tantrum just cost American farmers billions—China is officially cutting off U.S. beef and shifting its business to Canada and Brazil.
🔥 $21 billion in American agricultural exports? GONE.
🔥 China’s tariffs on U.S. beef? Up to 15%.
🔥 Meanwhile, Canada & Brazil are laughing their way to the bank.
🔴 American ranchers just got screwed.
🔴 Trump’s chest-thumping on tariffs just handed China an easy excuse to ditch the U.S. market.
🔴 MAGA “patriots” who cheered the trade war? Congrats—your beef industry just got bodied.
But hey, tariffs are “winning,” right?
Let’s see how that plays out when U.S. farmers start begging for another bailout.
lolollol
On the bright side, we have $3 steaks to go with our $12 eggs.
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The FBI moves to criminalize Habitat for Humanity for accepting environmental grants.
https://newrepublic.com/post/192660/trump-fbi-charge-climate-organizations -
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The Comptroller is taking over aggy. It'll be interesting to see which mouth breather Abbott appoints as the interim to fuck up one of the few state agencies that is largely apolitical. Putting a MAGA disciple in charge of what is effectively the bank of Texas for a few months can't have any negative effects, right?
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Texas -- a failed state
in Cloak Room
Bill filed to eliminate TPWD. Enjoy your state parks before they are sold to the highest bidder.
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2025/03/17/texas-parks-and-wildlife-department-pat-curry-house-bill-hb-4938-representatives/82490153007/