I still don't understand why it was such a big deal...
I get that blackface is an issue in bigger productions because yeah, they should really cast a black actor instead of putting makeup on a white one, but this was (as I understand it) a high school play where an actor of the correct race was probably not available (I know it would've been hard to find where I went to school), and even then, it most definitely wasn't a paid gig, so the issue around stealing jobs is completely moot.
Is it insensitive? Oh yes. Is it actually hateful towards black / brown people? I don't think so.
"They should learn the value of hard work" is on a completely different level, IMO. As if they don't work as hard as anyone else.
For baseboard heaters, I have the Sinopé line of ZigBee thermostats, with home-assistant on my home server. Baseboards are kind of particular in that you have one thermostat per room, so at 350+ for a Nest, it'd be cost-prohibitive as I have like 15 thermostats in the house. Also, they're line voltage, meaning that they directly switch the full power of the heaters, so they need to be well made.
I've had my Sinopé thermostats for 2+ years now, and I'm very happy with them. No clouds involved here.