The Deepest Cuts

It seems that this four week holiday I have before me at the time of writing, the timing of it, is no coincidence. Mortality and suffering is at the heart of it and so I suppose my first responsibility to myself is to be compassionate, since all I can do is resign myself to the truth that it is not seemingly going to be the restful one I expected it to be when I booked it a couple of months ago.

Many of you reading will not be aware that I lost my half brother about three weeks ago under lamentable circumstances which I won't dwell upon here. My father is going into hospital for the day, a relatively minor operation on the morning of writing this, and in spite of recent CT scan results my girlfriend and I have what I believe to be around a 90% chance of facing the return of her cancer, which we have been in combat with since summer 2016. It seems that life is not being fair at the moment and I find myself working hard to remind myself that there is no fair or right and wrong in life without a mind lazy enough to qualify such platitudes. There is no point asking why or how this happens, only the will to see these things through. As you might imagine I am both succeeding and failing in this respect, a pretty normal state I think in life for us all. To have some parts of your life suddenly wrenched away and others taken a piece at a time is mind numbing to say the least. Yet it is remarkable to me that the strength to surf these events exists at all. Being a spectator to it all is a horribly humbling and guilt laden experience. There's no wonder that such things leave people, both spectator and participant feeling victimised and set up. This is perhaps the lesson for us all - to realise that if there is no fate or preordained unfolding, only the cause and effect of life, that there can be no stronger evidence that we should have compassion for one another at all times. Dwelling upon this may serve to make you aware or keep you mindful of the pain which we all experience on a daily basis by avoiding or denying our interconnectedness. Whether you choose to accept and embrace that pain as a means to justifying your personal effort to set aside anger in favour of understanding and compassion is a point of meditation I want to leave with you via this little insight.

It's often said that we know little of other people's battles. I personally cannot find anything to better express this notion than in the sharing of this moment in my life and I'm sure I'm not alone in such a scenario. My wish is not a generic platitude, but a very directed one. Love one another more - not because you never know what is around the corner.. many people pass that meme around. I want you to love and have compassion for one another because it is a choice. You have freedom of choice every day. The only freedom you do not have in life is freedom from the consequences of those choices, which is why I implore you to choose well. So many people rant at some form of fate instead of realising that the choice remains with you as a person to live intentionally, positively irrespective of the unknowable. Don't live well with compassion because you don't know what's coming, live well with compassion because the power rests with you and those around you to make things better in spite of the unknowable, by sheer force of will. This is what makes those who live in ivory towers so despicable and cowardly to me, yet I recognise that they too are not free from suffering, but seem to be in a losing fight to block it out with money and power, ignorant of their self harm as well as harm to others. We can all do better. My simple hope and calling to you out there is to choose what is right. You know what that is, under all the layers of bias, under all the rhetoric. Without compassion and empathy we are nothing. That is the gift inside life itself. Don't squander or deny it.

Games Without Frontiers

One of the most frustrating double-edged swords we have is that of borders - they protect and suffocate all at once. Societal issues which we face as a result will remain entrenched whilst the usual ritual ego of combative rather than cooperative nature is allowed to continue unabated (which can be traced back to our failure to account for the lack of proper ethics and hypocrisy with education, again), and I think it’s high time we looked at those lines in the sand with a lot of truth, en route to their dissolution – a path we should be embracing instead of resisting. Please don't say it's impossible. From our systems to our very selves, we can choose at any time to change our minds and circumstances if we really care to. 

I suspect that dropping borders and relegating notions of countries to matters of mere orientation would send shockwaves of horror through many political parties and corridors of power irrespective of creed were it seriously tabled. One might only imagine the smear throughout our current mainstream media outlets if such a thing were so brazenly proposed. However, as with the truth of emotive judgment so often pointing more to the mind of the attacker than their victim, the stark reality is that such reactions are likely more a telling sign of our manipulative habits and tantrums, the true problems we have earned through social neglect and abuse. It would mean a lot of work for which we are probably quite unprepared - a reordering of how we function, a change in practices of cooperation on multiple levels, what we actually choose to do, shifts in our habits of coexistence, all manner of strife which up to now has mostly been held at bay by obfuscating political presumptions of control. To my mind the burden of guilt in much of this rests upon those, who with the upper hand, choose to wield that political power with a sense of impunity, all the time faced down by the perennial anger and frustrations of those being abused, to say nothing of the compound effect of language difficulties and cultural misunderstandings - you'd think we'd make it easier on ourselves. This is why I tend to believe in a revolution in education principles and practices, and more pertinently our structures of social media as a broader means of exposing and defusing such tensions, even if the latter is caught up in those same selfish and manipulative motivations. Life will not be so pleasant as those threads are dealt with, and yet to ignore them will perpetuate our pain and anxiety. With proper right minded use we can communicate and learn about one another underneath all the noise, and I believe this is happening. We are beginning to see the truth of our shared root problems; fears for family and friends, stability, peace and matters of daily survival. It’s easy to say that these (and the latter in particular) are more of a third world problem - in the grand scheme of things theirs are more urgent, but remove first world privileges for more than a couple of days you'll realise that our problems are really more shared than admitted.

Social media is dizzyingly busy with news and events, which even if not clear in motivation can no longer be as easily hidden or skewed by the mainstream channels as before the advent of the internet. For every act which is an insult to right-mindedness there is someone in the middle of it ready to set the record straight. These little acts should not be taken for granted, nor their momentum squandered. We all have a common responsibility to be mindful against ego, which both in the benign and not so benign members of society is really our common enemy. This is why it's always been important to me to hold sympathy and compassion as much for those who are painted as the political enemy as those who are painted as political friend. In truth there is no such differentiation in context, only perspectives in mutual survival. I take this stance not because of that most insulting and unnecessary of concepts - political correctness (an ironically divisive myth, again concocted by manipulative ego), but because it's an ethical and calming position to take. Lashing out at someone already hurting serves neither side. We would be so much better served if we dropped pretence. To look at the polarising, oversimplified and outright misleading headlines shouted out by the mainstream media you'd think it were a bloody playground argument, rallying for people to take sides. It's lazy to attribute the failings or unfettered, blatant abuse of a single leader (or group of leaders) upon an entire nation. These seem to be the buttons the mainstream like to press, but it really doesn't hold much water if you have friends in those nations. These days I'd argue that the capacity to make and maintain friendships, and explore common ground comes very much into play when trying to decipher truth from exaggeration or lie. At the end of the day it's about building trust. If those with power are determined to try and play games then I say it's up to us all to usurp their efforts and find our own way. That may be the most peaceful beginning we can make - to embrace a way of acting which renders the troublemakers inert and irrelevant - until they come around to the realisation that they stand to gain more from cooperation than conflict.

Possibilities With Responsibility

So here’s an interesting poser.. It was only a morsel of clickbait, yet as with many they often act as a springboard to philosophical thoughts. Today’s was “Should there be a United States of Europe?”. I would say a very hesitant "possibly", but there's a lot to resolve before you get close to being either deserving or qualified.

There’s a meme which floats around the web (and within Buddhism as a truism) which speaks to the idea that a flower is best appreciated as it is, for what it is, and not picked. On an interpersonal level this implies the virtue of sharing in our relationships with a right-minded intent, allowing people in our lives the dignity to be who they are. If you are entering a loving relationship you should do so with the intention of sharing life with the person they really are rather than harbouring designs of change or control, irrespective of any perceived justification. So too I tend to think that such notions should equally inform us on best foot forwards when addressing geopolitical matters and a United States of Europe (or any other locale for that matter). Such an evolution could at present be considered as pointless as redecorating the house whilst it burns, simply because in the current climate something valuable is being distorted.

Looking from our own position in the UK and issues relating this idea with the Brexit movement in mind I have to say that I see a lot of cowardice, dishonour and manipulation from those pushing it, with little value in that which was actually spoken. The actual front presented has been more vocal about what it isn't rather than what it is. Brexit isn’t about taking the country back, except in the minds of the fools scrambling to protect their pots of gold by way of sickening alliances which I predict are yet to be properly forged, and a return to the bad old days of a good hard flogging for a poor day’s pay. I can only presume that those who voted for it suffered a wave of amnesia when marking that X. I suppose the only reason I bring up the whole sorry mess of Brexit at all is because it is relevant to the heart of the matter with the EU itself, which is still immature, and going through growing pains to find its proper direction. This is nevertheless something it will achieve better together than apart, and as we see the threads of Brexit unravel in a manner not dissimilar to those same threads dissolving around Donald Dumpf's presidency, it's relatively easy to see, free of emotion, bound by logic and an awareness of the characters involved, that pulling the UK out of the EU reflects not the actions of a fresh, brave ideology but rather that of an escapee marriage partner with ulterior motives.

So where does this leave the notion of a United States of Europe? This is where those Buddhist principles come into play again. One of the ways in which life manifests turmoil is when people are confronted with change. Fear of change is a fabulously repeatable ignition point for our species, driven as we are by our base emotions. When change happens to us it's often unintentional from our own perspective, unfolding as a random event, surprise and/or inflammation from consequences. As lamentable as it is people need to come to terms with the fact that you can plan for a thousand outcomes and that unforeseen event will probably still happen, hence the practical demonstration that there is no real control - only the next choice. Fans of Star Trek may recall Picard telling Data that in action it’s possible to commit no errors and still fail, the result simply being life. The trick is to mature and adapt your mind into accepting this unfairness, which we curse so much, as naturally as you might accept that water feels wet, and act accordingly in a right-minded fashion in spite of the emotions which arise. In this respect our education does us few favours, which is partly why the focus of my debates so often drift towards it. It’s the most helpful and potentially unifying tool we have, but it's also little surprise that in its current abused form it tends to enable rather than dilute divisions, which is why I tend to tear strips off it. Education should be much more concerned than it is with teaching children and adults alike to truly understand, and help themselves and one another. Whilst knowledge in the conventional sense is an important part of the overall process it's all for nothing if it becomes reduced to a productivity instruction book, which for the majority of scenarios is pretty much where we are. I would say that compassion, reasoning and confidence are more important, since without such capacity an informed or half-informed mind becomes as much a liability as a force for good. Assuming we wish to improve out lot with minimal culture shock (and I can only speak to ours) I would hazard a guess that one possible way forwards would be to encourage a shift in responsibility and influence - empower people via a devolution of power to smaller, more manageable, cooperative and interconnected communities, supported by the logistical services which the corporations have learned and built upon. Such monoliths need to evolve with a better sensibility and not be allowed to simply desecrate those same communities in a vain effort to have it all. Using the strengths of their know-how would simply be the best way for them to continue. That is a digression for another blog though and merely illustrative for the moment. This is about the EU, which was at least to my own limited understanding broadly about rebuilding the aftermath of WWII, with a goodwill which should be nurtured and not squandered. On the broader stage the EU would probably be best served by adopting an inquisitive and malleable mindset, and seeing the value in its self as a stepping stone to finding and amplifying commonalities and responses to issues arising, even well beyond its boundaries, for such concerns are global and not restricted to any one continent. Current political ideals and efforts help little since their base aspirations are extremely narrow and selfish, wrapped up in faux diplomacy which virtually all countries still employ to feed their own interests in as diplomatically expedient a way as possible. If we truly want to better ourselves we need to look more honestly and surgically at where band aids of equity (not equality) can be brought to bear - helping one another as required with a practical sharing in the things which we each have in abundance or need in times of scarcity. Such a virtuous approach and right-minded ambition would promote a foundation of cultural respect, something I would seek to defend for that is where a lot our most valuable and potent qualities as a species are to be found - strength in diversity of thinking, approach and experience. The world, much less the EU itself, can ill afford anything less these days.

Updating The Present

So this is something which I certainly didn't expect to be doing quite yet, though I confess I was on a build up to it.

My initial thoughts on this ranged from "why should I wish to do this?" to "why not?", though it was never going to be something I really wanted to spend a lot of money on. Of course "a lot" is very relative to computer peripherals but it's for certain that I fancied the idea of upgrading on the keyboard at some time, from the more menial rubber membrane type to something a little more, shall we say, professional. To that end I found myself perusing the mechanical keyboard pages of many a website, and had settled on two choices - the Corsair K63 and the Coolermaster Masterkeys Pro S White (Coolermaster always love tangling customers in long winded names..).

Now before anyone says "hang on.. that's not a K63", let me explain the accident I had with my cash card. It's through a sad and lamentable state of affairs that we see Maplin closing their doors, but it's been a well known fact to me that they are purveyors of Corsair hardware. I didn't hold out much hope for their stock levels or availability, but after a few efforts to find a K63 elsewhere I felt it was probably only right that I at least pay my final respects to our local store and see if it might be possible to bestow one final gesture, one last consumer salute to this bastion of high street electronics retail (yes I know they were overpriced, but to mention that is really just peeing on the tragedy isn't it?). Anyway I worked my way around the store and was saddened to see that the computer hardware section had been laid waste.. nothing. Not even shelves. Undeterred by over forty five years of stubbornness in the face of ridiculous odds I did find some keyboards - heartsinkingly they were only budget models, not dissimilar to the unit I was already using. All hope seemed gone until, just as I was about to leave the store, I glanced over to where the routers and hard drives used to be, to find a last batch of mid-range and higher end hardware. My elevated heart sank a little once more when the eye cast a rapid glance over the range and found no sign of a hoped for K63. What it did find however is this little beast as seen below - the K65 LUX.

I still wasn't convinced. The K63, with its "budget" spec of mono backlit cherry MX red keys and (very robust) plastic housing was already looking to tip the scales at a piece of useless change short of £70. This monster before me was an aluminium chassis filled with glorious but ostentatious full RGB cherry MX red keys, and sporting an RRP of £129 on both shelf and internet.

Except not today..

Today was one of those last gasp days for Maplin, and there it sat on the shelf at a noticeably less unreasonable £90. Could I stomach the idea of dropping an extra £20 on this behemoth?

in a word, for reasons of both momentum and potential buggering about, yes.

The construction and simplicity of this thing is wonderful. It has a reassuring weight to it, combined with a visual aesthetic both in body and typeface which is really quite apart from other designs out there. Out are the subtle Helvetica and Trebuchet style keyfaces, in exchange for a Norse warrior looking f**ker of a typeface regaling this splendid monstrosity with a thoroughly positive purpose behind every keystroke. When mind moves finger neither are left doubting your ability to damn well get that letter, number or symbol of choice.

Unpacking the innocuous cardboard innards reveals its glory, along with a detachable wrist rest (one presumes most are), a set of key caps (not really my thing, but nice all the same) and the conventionally useless manual/warranty card. You will notice that it's also fitted with not one but two USB plugs. It seems that if you are cursed with a PC with only USB 2.0 sockets then you will be needing two of these little gateways to get your keyboard up and running, since not only is there the keyboard itself to power in the traditional fashion, but also a matrix of RGB LED's and something of a computer within it to control all the various silly functions which they can perform. Fortunately my dearest little LAIN comes complete with mainly USB 3.1, so just the one plug for me thank you very much (the other left hanging rather unceremoniously).

So what is it like!???

Well here it is in-situ, in all its splendour. I have it set to a rather delicate shade of purple at present, and can at will change this and many other functions far too numerous to list here, via the Corsair CUE utility engine (pop on You Tube if you really want to go that far under the hood). I'm even giving it a good workout in this very blog!

I went for the "tenkeyless" design as it's referred to (no keypad) in order to promote a little space on the desktop. Not that I'm really lacking space but it does make for a more compact and satisfying arrangement for my tastes, particularly when I have the tenancy rights of this and a graphics tablet to balance when working artistically. Would I recommend a mechanical keyboard over a budget creature? Am I happy with it? Yes! Thus far I can say both I and my fingers are in a state of relative ecstasy. One of the more problematic aspects of buying a better keyboard is the matter of those Cherry MX keys, which come in a variety of shades - not LED wise, but grade wise. Black, blue, green, clear, red and brown, all various weights under the finger, with and without click action. It's quite a bewildering array of options for something as simple as text input and PC control. I haven't really played with the full available array, which on first thought might seem like a silly thing to have not done when laying out this many beer tokens on such a peripheral, but I can say that I have experienced this and many other keyboards over the years. Between this catalogue of experiences and the many videos and reviews poured over beforehand I was pretty confident that I knew what I was getting myself into.

Sorry Coolermaster.

Whatever might be next for this lovely little (ahem.. expensive) hobby I've found?

Incandescent Fun

Looking back I have to say I rather enjoyed my PC project. For those curious readers I can tell you that Lain is working very happily. Undoubtedly one of the more inspiring aspects of the whole game was not just the end goal, but also those little sparks of achievement along the road. To that end I found myself almost lamenting her completion. For sure there will be more bits to do along the road - upgrades, peripherals and so forth, but I find myself in need of another 'something' over which to muse.

A couple of months ago I finally made the trip to our new local IKEA here in Sheffield, and far from just being the sum of its reputation it's actually become something of a little wonderland to me. I'm not a bits and bobs kind of bloke, preferring a lack of clutter where places such as IKEA can easily undo such notions in a single trip. Armed with mindfulness however, such visits can become a treasure hunt rather than a credit card savaging basket nightmare, and treasure indeed was discovered, informing my next project - solar lighting.

This all came about as a result of my wish to replace my Chinese lantern light shades, which had both seen better days, and due to a lower than normal ceiling were admittedly somewhat in the way. Happily for me IKEA stock an unusually squat version of the lantern design which could have been made for my apartment. Yet the real basket gem turned out to be an afterthought, my attention turning to some subtle yet intriguing eastern style solar lanterns. I've had a tiny non-replaceable battery powered lantern from Manchester's Chinatown hanging in one of my windows for a while now. In light of its lack of, well.. light these days, I thought that perhaps a solar lantern would be just the thing to replace it. I didn't expect much for my investment as these things go, but why not try it? I had no idea how much solar lighting might have improved over the years, never having owned any, but I thought for £4 a pop it had to be worth a giggle.

I grabbed two.

Much to my surprise they are quite capable. Only a subtle low light to be sure since each is a singular warm kelvin LED, with a similarly singular battery to carry it from one charge to the next. Yet they're happy to recharge hanging in the window under very average UK skies, I've yet to see them expire over an evening's use and the hippy in my blood does enjoy such a candlelight atmosphere as they exhibit. Indeed under a typical evening's activity such as enjoying a good film I've enjoyed their lovely cinema-esque circles of light, each hanging from the underside of the frame of each ceiling light (yes I know that will mean that they are primed to hit me in the face again after all that effort of finding shades which didn't, but it's convenient, and in all fairness you don't normally run around the room when watching a film). Also since they ARE lanterns, unencumbered by power cables, you can move them around at will. For example they sit very nicely in the bedroom, again with one hanging under the light shade and the other from the door handle, or even over the shower rail in the bathroom, complimenting a nice candle. No, this whole purchasing afterthought had created something altogether more interesting, and based upon the fun thus far I've elected to expand the idea to the next level.

You see it isn't so much that I think I use a lot of electric - to be honest I don't think I do, and neither does my bank account. It is however unavoidably logical that if I can formulate an effective, basic atmosphere of solar powered illumination, particularly if it can be creatively done, then I can forego the use of the regular lights excepting those circumstances when you truly need that much presence. It probably doesn't seem like much of a gesture, but should it work then the sums seem to rationalise this into a decent investment. Of course you don't just get the lights.. you have to add a little something. Enter a bamboo plant. IKEA just happen to do a nice artificial one (real plants die on me very easily and I wouldn't inflict such a tangle on a living thing). Combined with a nice base, their 24 LED solar light string and a couple of packs of matching small lantern decorations, the idea might just fit the bill. To look at the basic concept (I'd buy the plant anyway) you have what amounts to a reusable light stand in keeping with the Asian theme of the apartment, and a set of LED's which claim a 25,000 hour life span. On a typical reckoning of six hours use per evening and a mildly conservative estimate on their life expectancy (say down to 20,000 hours) we're still talking a potential lifespan of around nine years. An initial investment of just £12 makes that a running cost of about £0.11 per month, plus a pack of replacement batteries over that same period (£5.00) and maybe a little effort to ensure a reasonably optimal charge every night.

As with the typical style of these blogs I will let you know how it goes, planning as I am to make that purchase this weekend. I may initially restrict my experiment to the set of lights and save the plant for later, depending upon my ambition and how benign the tram conductor is probably feeling on my way out there. Nevertheless I think I may be onto something fun, so wish me luck and let's see if I can help reduce that footprint, my bills and bring a bit of fun to the cave.

Charity Begins

I'm becoming evermore of the opinion that it's time for the culture of systemic charity to (at least temporarily) stop. That may read as a contradictory position for a follower of wholesome, communal Buddhist principles, but I would urge you to think a bit deeper than any first appearance.

I can't speak for the practices outside the UK, but I can tell you that after finding myself in possession of what can only be best described as a surge in begging post of late that I turned my attention to this matter, and concluded that it really isn't in the best interests of those seeking remuneration from the willing public to provoke their emotions in this matter. There are likely many people who do help out, donating a bit here or there to the numerous worthy causes out there, all striving to stave off the pressures placed upon those in society who are doing their best to make it all work. Yet I can't help but feel that in doing so it's (in part) akin to taking pity on the poor guy who can't get out of bed without a pint or a shot, and helping them to acquire their much needed fix in order to help mitigate their suffering. As kind and well meaning as the gesture and intent may be, the result is obviously less beneficial for the real right reasons. For one it would be better for the environment if there wasn't such a quantity of paper used so recklessly, but more importantly I would encourage these organisations to reassess where they are applying their pressure. Most people have already paid taxes. One of the main reasons for the existence of taxes at all is to fund community services to those in need who are either less fortunate, or simply as a common part of the overall operation of the system itself. If those taxes are being redirected/mitigated/abused (and we can say quite definitively that they are, by a mix or all of those criteria) then it would be far more helpful, productive and less wasteful for those same charities to pool their efforts and join the public in chasing those responsible for the excesses of which they are guilty. We should not allow ourselves to lose or forget our capacity for charity, and indeed such matters should be at the heart of all we teach and how we act. It's simple logic that without holding all to account to the ethic which is inherent to such motivations, we simply cause more suffering, and usually to those who are least able to afford it.

Please Mine Responsibly

At the end of last year I built a PC. Those of you who follow my blogs will know this, and for those interested parties you can’t miss them if you look in the recent archives. Today’s topic relates to, and impacted very much upon, that project. I can no more tell you the future of today's topic than the next person, but I can say that if I’d have waited by even as little as a month or so longer there’s a good chance that it would still be a wishlist. At the heart of the enthusiast market which relies so heavily upon the GPU, lies the issue of cryptocurrency mining. I thought I might weigh in on this and even try to avoid using the word 'scourge', however appropriate it may feel because really it’s not the cryptocurrency itself that is predominantly to blame for this disastrous turn of events. As is so often the case with human constructs, it seems to be more to do with the attitudes underlying its usage. I have little interest in mining myself because I don’t tend to be that concerned with the world of money and wealth at large. I’m not everyone though and there seem to be plenty of people jumping on a bandwagon, which for all manner of traditional economics has caused a serious instability in the pricing and availability of GPU’s the world over.

I’ll begin by saying that there are far better qualified people out there who can talk about the minutiae. What I can say is that cryptocurrency’s heart lies in the concept of decentralisation and separation from the traditional controls of the world banking system. Whether that is presently a good thing long term probably can't be called now, but there are clues in the philosophy. I find it ironic that most immediate positive feelings towards it in society appears to be a reflex to the problems which irresponsible bankers brought upon their profession, since it now it seems to be the same virus which is playing out in the computing fraternity. You see on the one hand I can appreciate the miners desire to take advantage of something which is out there, even if I don’t happen to agree with the underlying motivation. The main arguments seem to boil down to “why not?”. In a buyer’s market people are free to do as they please and if the tech and the will is out there, why can they not buy all the cards they want and mine to their heart’s content? People have a right to make money, right? On the other side of the fence are the gaming and productivity enthusiasts who cannot buy a graphics card at a sensible market price, with cards currently running at double (and often more) the RRP and typical market price, or in some cases even buy at all when availability is compromised by the miners snapping them all up. The price I paid for my card was enough to be honest, and currently that same card typically sits about £60 or so over that! It’s easy to understand why the enthusiast community is so pissed right now, being forced to either hold off on their beloved project or face paying way over the odds. One of the louder counterarguments to the enthusiast complaints has been to push back against the market by simply not buying cards at their current prices, and to protest with the wallet - refuse to buy GPU’s at the price they’re at and this will force the GPU manufacturers to respond. Personally I’m not sure what kind of response the GPU manufacturers would or could give. They could make more GPU’s to try and satisfy demand if they can get their hands on the raw materials, but at what point would the market become saturated enough given that the market could swell with newcomers, and/or miners could go on buying until they themselves had no more money left to buy more with? The GPU manufacturers don’t really care who they sell their GPU’s to, miner or enthusiast. In the end it currently falls to whoever can afford to buy, or is willing to pay, to have their needs met and thus the problem curls in upon itself.

To see where the real issue is requires you to rise above both sides. That freedom of choice touted by the mining community is a practical but unwholesome answer, being something of a linguistic cousin to the same people who are sowing discontent and division through society with their belief that more means better. To adopt a stance based upon that is to succumb to the function of greed, which is the real enemy of the situation, and I’m afraid by that measure then it really is mainly a lack of respect for the community on the part of the miners which is funnily enough hurting both parties, in a similar fashion to hysterical buyers we see running to the stores and clearing shops out of comestibles before a storm (except that they believe they’re doing it for reasons of survival and not the acquisition of wealth). Let’s change the analogy from GPU’s to another commodity.. let's say water. If people suddenly started hoarding water you’d end up with a group of people with a lot of water and many more going with precious little, because of market expense or actual availability - how or why would you go to the water service companies to complain? Even if they were inclined, they can’t affect any meaningful action when the damage is already done. The ones hoarding the water would just take more anyway yes? I dont see either miners or water hoarders being spontaneously benign. Water may be a necessity where a GPU isn’t, but the result on a philosophical level is the same. Back to the computer market, and it wouldn’t happen, but if the GPU manufacturers threw their hands up in the air and stopped making cards that would cause a clusterfuck which might eventually see the redistribution of existing stocks after the cards were burned out. A better, more simplistic solution would be for us as consumers and community members to exercise discipline, play fairly and not buy into rank selfishness. That doesn't factor into our educated habits though.. you know, the same habit that lets politicians get away with so much. In fact I might go further and suggest that on the face of it, currencies that can be thrown around in such anarchic ways likely can’t work if the community working with it is no better disciplined than that of a primitive. If the market chaos cannot be demonstrated to be anything more than infantile behaviour, then it’s probably indicative that there’s much more work to be done before society is truly ready for something like cryptocurrency.