Topic: Electrical Service

Rising fuel costs are forcing US fire and police departments to limit non-emergency responses. In the UK, new regulations for electric vehicle charging points require data connections that allow the grid to slow or delay charging during peak demand, which the hosts view as a loss of personal freedom.

David Forrest (Sir Sorted Out) from Friendswood, Texas, compares the current COVID-19 social pressure to his experience leaving the Mormon Church in 2009. He notes the similar "don't question, just have faith" mentality. As a contractor facing potential termination from a telecom giant due to mandates, he offers electrical and generator services to the Houston community.

The history of early online services is recalled, specifically the GEnie service launched by General Electric in 1985. Comparisons are made between GEnie, Prodigy (a joint venture involving Sears), and CompuServe before the graphical user interface of AOL eventually dominated the market. The transition from text-based accounts to the modern web and the impact of the dot-com crash are noted.

Adam continues to dismantle Net Neutrality arguments, specifically the comparison to electricity utilities. He notes that electricity is a metered service, which is exactly what ISPs want for the internet. He references Tim Wu, the creator of the term "Net Neutrality," noting that Wu's original thesis acknowledged that metered service is the only way to truly manage finite bandwidth resources.

The "Smart Grid" is described as a system for "demand management" and "curtailment of service," where utility companies can remotely turn off appliances like air conditioners and dishwashers during peak times. This is framed as a form of "energy slavery" that ignores the potential for cheap, constant power from nuclear energy. The hosts also note that the financial viability of the fracking industry is declining, leading to a renewed push for restrictive energy management.

The transition to a new residence in Austin, Texas, nicknamed Camp MoFo, involved logistical challenges including a moving truck unable to navigate a steep 45-degree incline. Despite a successful high-speed internet installation, the move was complicated by a near-disconnection of electricity due to a failure in notifying authorities. The studio setup remains in progress with temporary acoustic treatments.