Nollij

Nollij, 4 months ago

They may be interested in shoplifting, but they haven’t actually done it until they leave. I remember reading one of those amateur shoplifting posts (possibly entirely fiction from Reddit, but claimed to have since it with great success for a long time) and something stood out. Even if that’s your entire goal of being there, abort most attempts. If you get to the door and you can see that you’ve been made, or you’re being watched, etc- drop the merch and immediately exit. Don’t come back for a while until they forget you. Which they will, because you didn’t actually take anything.

This has nothing to do with the OP, just about shoplifting in general.

Nollij, 4 months ago

It’s all shades of gray, and lawyers and courts spend a lot of time on it. This one would be a slam dunk ADA violation. A tougher case would be fired for having lower performance, because the elevator is slower than the stairs. But these only catch small, stupid companies. Anyone that’s heard from their lawyers (i.e. any company with more than 50 employees) will know that in nearly all cases, you simply state that they are no longer employed. You don’t need to give a reason unless you are fighting unemployment, which is a fool’s errand from the beginning.

But, you don’t need their statement. A collection of events/documents/etc showing that you were unfairly targeted, possibly as a protected class, can be enough. But it will really depend on how extensive and detailed any notes are.

Nollij, 4 months ago

Fwiw, turning most of these buildings into livable spaces is a lot harder and more expensive than you’d expect. For many of them, it would actually be cheaper to just raze it and create a new residential building, even if it maintains the same outer dimensions.

Nollij, 4 months ago

Yes, that’s one possibility. But if your goal is to create a multi-unit residential housing building, you would probably choose a location that doesn’t already have a giant office building in the way.

Nollij, 4 months ago

The alternative is open ended slots, which no one likes. You should be able to use your x8 cards, they’ll just be limited to whatever spec the slot can handle.

This isn’t new, BTW. It used to be very common to see a full x16, and an x16 (electrically x8). They way you could still connect a second video card, even if you couldn’t use it to its full potential

Nollij, 4 months ago

To anyone else reading this, there’s something you should know:

Memory errors don’t always mean the memory itself (hardware RAM stick) is bad. It can also be a power issue (bad PSU, incorrect voltage set in the UEFI), compatibility, defective memory controller (CPU or motherboard), and more.

OP almost certainly has a bad stick, but it’s worthwhile for anyone building a PC to run a slew of stress tests and diagnostics before using it for anything that matters.

Nollij, 4 months ago

I really doubt that it’s data centers. Those will use the same amount of electricity for their primary function (computing needs) regardless of season. They will then need to either vent the hot air (in winter) or cool it in the summer. IOW, they’ll use more energy in the summer months.

Besides, the biggest part of energy usage has always been heating and cooling. So what’s different now on that front?

Well, here in a northern state, it gets pretty cold in the winter. Even in this very mild winter, I still need to warm my place by 30-40 degrees (vs outside) at any given moment. It used to be very common, and still is pretty common, to run a natural gas line to each home/building. We then burn that for heat (both for hot water and for warm air)

But it’s not the only option- heat pumps are starting to take off. While objectively more efficient, they take the load away from the gas supply and put it on electric.

But I think the real cause here is resistive electric water heaters and furnaces. These are very common in poor-quality apartments, which have been springing up all over the place. They are cheap, easy to install (no gas needed), safer (no risk of a gas leak, even when ignoring maintenance), low maintenance l, and best of all, the high operating costs are the tenants’ problem.

Nollij, 4 months ago

Drywall isn’t load bearing, though. Heavy also implies that it’s stable, although that really depends on if it’s top-heavy or bottom-heavy.

IOW, if my dresser is going to tip over, drywall anchors are not going to be doing much to stop it. Same for the couch, and the bed goes without saying.

Nollij, 4 months ago

There’s a more direct trap regarding Israel. In 2016, 71% of Jewish voters voted Democrat. That’s a large group that Biden can’t risk. Their support for Israel’s actions is complicated, but a non-trivial portion would flip red if Biden were to side with the Palestinians.

Nollij, 4 months ago

That last part sounds like how Disney World deals with lost kids- You’re not lost, you’re right here. It’s your parents that are lost.

Nollij, 4 months ago

Given that many tell you how easy it is to cancel when it’s not, those are scams.

Nollij, 4 months ago

It’s supposed to be, though. A SCOTUS ruling like that is supposed to be, and traditionally has been, a confirmation that the laws (all things considered) already say it. You don’t need a new law, the interpreter/referee says the current laws already cover it.

The problems right now are a corrupt judiciary, and a government that does not represent nor even resemble the populace.

Nollij, 4 months ago

I actually have never heard this before. Do you have more info? All I could find were claims that her songs infringed someone else’s copyright (and thus, shouldn’t be performed unless royalties are paid) or that she didn’t have performance rights (which again, means they shouldn’t be performed)

Nollij, 4 months ago

You’re giving up your sleep, and by extension your health, to make someone else richer.

You should be pushing that you get the entire day off. And when your manager denies it, and they will because this doesn’t sound like a one-off emergency, insist that you need to call them and wake them up each and every time. If it truly is an emergency, they will be glad that you are keeping them in the loop. When it’s not (and it almost never is), they need to champion your need to make it stop.

Everyone involved needs to feel the pain for the harm they are causing.

Nollij, 4 months ago

To prove the charges. There have been enough cases of “she looks too young to be 18” where they were, in fact, 18. This database (which I thought was actually run by the FBI, but whatever) let’s them show that the images were of Jane Roe, born May 5 1996, and the images/material were produced between 2008-2010.

IOW, to provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt that they were underage.

Nollij, 4 months ago

With such low mileage, can I ask why you’re looking to buy a new vehicle at all? That’s low enough that it’s actually significantly cheaper to just take Lyft everywhere. I understand wanting to have a car, but at that point it seems like an enormous waste of money to buy new.

Nollij, 4 months ago

Don’t misunderstand, I certainly understand the desire to have a car. What I’m asking is why you are looking to replace the one you have.

BTW, in my shitty red state (Ohio), those fees are applied when you renew your registration. If you renew for 5 years (the max) right before purchase and then transfer that registration, you can avoid 5 years of those extra fees. May or may not help in your situation.

Nollij, 4 months ago

I expect the landscape for EVs to change significantly in the next few years. With the announcement of NACS and numerous manufacturers getting onboard, that breaks down a barrier for many people. There’s also a lot of growing pains that I expect to start being resolved.

The big one is charger maintenance- right now, Tesla is the only one taking it seriously. The rest subcontract it out with mediocre (at best) results. With the rapid expansion of DC Fast Charging (every Walmart near me has or is getting a bank of Electricity America chargers, truck stops on several major interstates near me are getting them, etc).

As for your concern about apps being required, I’m not sure. Tesla and its fans are the ones really, really pushing for required apps, plug to charge, etc. they call it “a seamless experience”. But with other brands rising, I don’t see the same mentality from people that own Bolts or Mustangs. Charging companies and whatnot would absolutely love to Hoover up your data if they can, so who knows…

Another pain point is starting to be unraveled now, too. Fast Charging hasn’t really been very fast because the batteries can’t handle it. There are a few models, such as the Hyundai Ionic, that have 800v batteries that can fast charge at 350 kW. Combine that with DCFC expansion into truck stops, and it can easily fit into the usual breaks of a standard road trip.

Anyway, all of that rambling aside, I would highly advise keeping an open mind and watching developments in this space. The answer today will probably not be the answer when it comes time to buy.

Nollij, 4 months ago

I’m sure you’ve seen the figures that the average American drives ~40 miles a day. That’s where the ~50 mile range PHEV battery comes from.

The question is what happens when you need to go further than that. On early EVs (like the GM EV-1), the answer was honestly to just find another car. That limited its appeal to just being a commuter/second car.

PHEVs answered that by including a gas drivetrain, although some now are just a gas generator. BEVs answered that by including a giant battery and enabling fast charging (as a concept, not necessarily as a product)

Nollij, 4 months ago

This is going to be a bit long. If you want a better explanation, here is an excellent (albeit a little outdated) video on the subject: youtu.be/Iyp_X3mwE1w

BEVs are a little more complicated, but not that much. There’s 3 main levels of charging to be aware of.

Level 1- 120v AC charging. Connect to a standard (and hopefully isolated) wall outlet. Your charging cable delivers this straight to your car, which then converts it to DC to charge the battery. Also known as trickle charging, it adds about 3 miles of range for every hour spent charging. It is almost never seen outside of home charging.

Level 2- 208/240v AC charging. Similar to the above, except you either have a 240v outlet or the charging cable) station is hardwired directly. Specs vary, but common configs are 5-10 times (7-12 kW) as fast as level 1. Still delivers AC directly to your car. This is also what you see at hotels, parking garages, etc where you are not going to be sitting there waiting on it. The required infrastructure is only some heavy-duty AC electrical cables and a way to bill you. Levels 1 and 2 use the J-1772 connector. Tesla calls theirs Destination Chargers.

Level 3- DC Fast Charging. This is an interesting idea- why limit yourself to the (relatively) puny charger you have onboard the vehicle? Or bypassing the normal limits of how thick a cable must be? These chargers, using the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard have an extra set of very thick pins that connect directly to the battery system. They deliver as much as 350 kW (depending on car model/capabilities) of DC power, straight into the battery system. They also have water-cooled cables to deliver that much power without an unwieldy cable. These are what you see at truck stops and places where people are going to be waiting for the charge to complete. Tesla calls theirs Superchargers.

The Tesla connector was recently opened up to the world as the North American Charging Standard, or NACS. Many other manufacturers have already announced a switch to this. For the J-1772 connector (levels 1 and 2), this is basically the same thing in a different shape. It’s even electrically compatible, so a dumb adapter will work. But what’s different is that the charging pins are much, much bigger. It can handle a level 3 DCFC on the same pins, albeit with some additional circuitry to handle these different modes.

Nollij, 4 months ago

There’s always someone willing to work for free, for ‘exposure’.

There’s also going to be a number of lawyers whose hubris will get the best of them.

Nollij, 4 months ago

It’s still a very real and persistent threat. Recent polls put him dangerously close, and he did alarmingly well in 2020.

Do not get complacent. We can win, but it is certainly not guaranteed. Stay active, and even contribute (time, money, etc) if possible.

Nollij, 4 months ago

It’s certainly looking positive up there. But those Trump voters are still there, and will still go vote for his fascism. You may not see them until then, but they are there. They also tend to not be involved in the rest of the GOP.

All that he needs to do to win Michigan is convince enough people that he can’t/won’t win.

Nollij, 4 months ago

Republicans have already blamed her for costing them an election (Tennessee, maybe?) simply by telling her followers/fans to go vote. Not to vote for any particular race or candidate, just to go vote.

There’s still a lot of eligible non-voters. Trump activated a non-trivial portion, but there’s a lot more available to whomever can harness that power. Taylor Swift might be able to do it.

Nollij, 4 months ago

They kind of already do/are. Disney- the big one, parent company of all the other operations, has a ton of divisions and independent operations. Most of them are in California. There was a plan to invest a billion dollars into an expansion into Florida last year that was canceled quite openly because of Florida politics. The only major piece of Disney that’s in Florida is Disney World, and its associated other offerings.

Now, if we were to consider the possibility of moving that, even ignoring the extraordinary cost to do so, we must first find a place to move it to. Geography is very important here- between Disney Land in California and Disney World in Florida, most Americans are within about a day’s drive. It’s also far enough south that it can operate year-round. This makes it a popular spot for us northerners to go to in the winter.

Georgia might be an option now, but it could only work outside of (but near) Atlanta. This is itself risky, since Georgia has and continues to push many of the same problematic right-wing and proto-fascist laws. But where else? You end up going pretty far north to Virginia before you get any semi-reliable assurances. Could a theme park work in a Virginia winter?

Texas might (very questionable) be safe due to their worship of corporations, but it goes very far west. That makes it a lot more difficult for those lucrative New Englanders, particularly New Yorkers. It also cuts into the audience for Disney Land.

Disney is a greedy corporation. They will operate Disney World however they can make the most profit. They might get creative- for instance, divesting the park and charging exorbitant licensing fees for whoever takes up the operations. This is similar to Hollywood accounting and how every movie loses money on paper. But if it comes down to it, they would stop any LGBTQ+ support if that ends up being more profitable.

You may have heard the stories that Walt himself was an anti-semite. He wasn’t, per se. He just had no problems running his business in a way that he could still sell movies to Nazi Germany.