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shalafi

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shalafi ,

www.lightpollutionmap.info

Meta is bolstering perks like happy hours and company swag as it pushes staff to return to office, despite its 'year of efficiency' (www.businessinsider.com)

Meta is bolstering perks like happy hours and company swag as it pushes staff to return to office, despite its ‘year of efficiency’::The company has revived a number of employee perks, according to Bloomberg, including branded t-shirts, laundry services, and free haircuts.

shalafi ,

Kinda reminds me of a guy I used to hang out with. He had found out that the US shreds old currency, and was utterly appalled. “They could just give that to people!”

“OK, Mike, the government could easily give every American $1,000,000, tomorrow. You want that?”

“Hell ya!”

“OK, you know I mow lawns for a living, $30 a pop? (early 90s!)”

“Yeah.”

“Now pretend you have a lawn you want mowed. Fuck I want $30 for? I have a million! I’m going to need $10,000 to even think about it.”

The whole idea baffled him, never got it.

But yeah, where we’re at now is fucked up. I get that CEO pay is determined by the market. I get that dropping CEO pay won’t make a dent in line worker pay. But still, the wealth disparity is heinous.

And the worse it gets, the more influence the rich can buy and the less the rest of us have.

shalafi ,

I’m surprised they’re still around! That’s my go-to site for torrents, and I almost always find what I’m looking for.

The loss of dark skies is so painful, astronomers coined a new term for it (www.space.com)

Given the harmful effects of light pollution, a pair of astronomers has coined a new term to help focus efforts to combat it. Their term, as reported in a brief paper in the preprint database arXiv and a letter to the journal Science, is “noctalgia.” In general, it means “sky grief,” and it captures the collective pain...

shalafi ,

I haven’t seen the Milky Way for maybe 15-years. Even at my camp in the boondocks, nada. You have to really get out there, can’t imagine where I would go from NW FL.

shalafi ,

Wow! I’m closer than I thought! Thanks so much. This may change where I camp this weekend.

shalafi ,

Be nice if everyone just used infrared and/or motion detection. There’s no reason to have outdoor lights on all night.

shalafi ,

My gf says the same about our hood. I like it dark as it is. We spend a lot of time walking at night, and I don’t feel it’s any less safe.

If you’re on the street in the dark, your eyes adjust so you can also see into the shadows. If it’s lit up, you can only see what’s in the light.

I’m actually a bit nervous under the bright lights! Having said that, I’m a man and don’t have the same concerns as a woman (in the dark).

On top of that, I almost always carry a pistol with tritium sights or a light. So maybe that’s another reason I’m a bit more confident in the dark?

shalafi ,

Meh, a gun is a rock-bottom, last resort thing. It’s not something where a sane person thinks, “I’m armed so I have nothing to fear.”

Hard to explain to someone that doesn’t carry, but it makes one hyper-aware of their situation, because it’s a trump card you don’t want to play. Makes you more likely to avoid risk, if that makes sense.

shalafi ,

I walk in the woods behind the neighborhood at night. Without a flashlight, I can see the sandy trail and be aware. With a light, all I can see is what’s right in front of me.

shalafi ,

They won’t go on the run, they’ll just be scofflaws and ignore the court date. Now they have a warrant out, and I would presume that means incarceration when they’re caught again.

If that’s not a provision, this is a bad idea. Otherwise I’m all for it. Let’s have IL test it out, see where we’re at in 5-years.

A New Low: Just 46% Of U.S. Households Subscribe To Traditional Cable TV (www.techdirt.com)

The “cord cutting” trend cable execs spent a decade claiming was a fad just broke another round of new records. According to Leichtman Research, major cable TV providers lost another 1.7 million subscribers last quarter, as users flock to streaming, over the air TV, TikTok, or, you know, books. Roughly 17,700 customers cut...

shalafi ,

They get around it by saying they’re not a monopoly, and they’re not. You’re perfectly free to get satellite internet and enjoy 900ms ping times.

shalafi ,

LOL, just commented that you’re free to enjoy satellite’s speed-of-light delays.

shalafi ,

Mediacom has steadily increased for me, despite no hint of competition. As an ISP upgrades the gear at the headend (CMTS), it just makes sense to offer more and more. Why risk running customers to the competition, even if it’s sketchy? Besides, offering the upgraded bandwidth costs them nothing, they already had to pay for updated hardware, and they’re constantly working on the cable plant (outdoor infrastructure and last-mile stuff).

Caveat: More often than not you have to call and inquire. Last month I went from 250MB down to 1GB, and $10 off for the next year, just by asking about my bill.

It’s really a good idea to call your ISP and phone company once a year or so. No disconnect threats, simply say, “I have some questions about my bill.” If the rep has a deal they can throw you, they just hang it out there. Keeps 'em from getting bitched at. (Been there, been bitched, got the T-shirt.)

While we’re at it, go buy a modem off eBay for $30 and tell your ISP to drop the rental fee. Make sure it’s DOCSIS 3.1 and you’re good to go. Go for used, people are always buying new modems to solve issues they think are modem related, and they almost never are. Oh, and grab a $5 modem at the thrift for an emergency backup! Again, make sure it’s DOCSIS 3.0 or better (it almost certainly will be). Your ISP may not be able to support 2.0 any longer, not sure about that.

Caveat: Due to requiring “5 nines” reliability for 911 access, ISPs usually (always?) require that you use their gear if you have phone service. That’s more a business thing, I doubt many consumers have ISP phones anymore.

SOURCE: Cable internet guy in a past life, in the field and on the phones, Mediacom, Cox and Wide Open West.

shalafi ,

That’s usually a local issue. After a free update to 1GB, I couldn’t get a quarter of that. Updated my modem from DOCSIS 3.0 to 3.1 and doubled speed, but it was still only half. Tech jacked directly into my modem and got full speed, every test. I saw it with my own eyes, and I used to be a field tech.
It was a legit test.

Almost every issue I went into a home to investigate turned out to be a problem between the telephone pole (or underground pedestal) and the back of the modem. Even something silly, like the barrel in the wall plate, can make or break a connection.

I suspect my pfSense router isn’t keeping up. It’s a nice Netgate rack unit, but it’s fairly old. Haven’t tweaked on it yet. Also, got some squirrel chews on the arial, need that replaced before I bang my head.

shalafi ,

LOL, I’m kinda old (52) and haven’t had cable for 15+ years. If I wanted noise like that, I’d just hook up a cheap HD antenna and get a dozen free stations.

And it’s so stupid easy to stream from your phone/tablet/laptop/whatever to any remotely modern TV, I just can’t get my head around people paying for cable. I guess the sports people still need it?

shalafi ,

I’m stunned internet costs haven’t exploded through the roof. Cable companies are not going to take a loss like this, quarter after quarter, so where is the money coming from?!

shalafi ,

VIC20 too! That was my first, 64 next.

shalafi ,

Uh, Red because Bloods, or what?

shalafi ,

Thought it was a dumb question, but I couldn’t get my head around it. So Crips are all good at this school?! And who the hell wears purple? I’m old and out of touch.

shalafi , (edited )

Care to explain this then?

theonion.com/planned-parenthood-opens-8-billion-a…

“Although we’ve traditionally dedicated 97 percent of our resources to other important services such as contraception distribution, cancer screening, and STD testing, this new complex allows us to devote our full attention to what has always been our true passion: abortion,” said Richards, standing under a banner emblazoned with Planned Parenthood’s new slogan, “No Life Is Sacred.”

EDIT: LOL at y’all calling me stupid. My god, do you really think anyone is dumb enough to fall for a 12-yo Onion article?! That one’s hilariously over-the-top, even for The Onion.

Guess I have to spell out the most obvious joke. Or I could leave it and let you think you’re smarter, feed your self righteousness. Honestly, I’m a bit embarrassed for you guys.

shalafi ,

The joke could not be more obvious.

shalafi ,

Yes, all the foreign policy experts in the linked story are unhinged. So, tell us where you got your foreign relations degree and field experience.

shalafi ,

Do you honestly think America wants WWIII with their #1 trading partner? The partner with, arguably, the 2nd most powerful military on the planet?

This isn’t like the CIA taking over a banana republic in the 50’s.

shalafi ,

LOL, just made a comment about watches and came here.

Mid-80’s and mom was appalled at the notion of a $30 Swatch when a Timex could be had for $10. No Swatch. ☹

Woke up one Saturday morning, decided I was fucking 50-yo and I could buy a damned Swatch if I wanted to! Bought TWO!

Truly realizing you’re an adult is quite freeing. :)

shalafi ,

LOL, just made a comment about watches and came here.

Mid-80’s and mom was appalled at the notion of a $30 Swatch when a Timex could be had for $10. No Swatch. ☹

Woke up one Saturday morning, decided I was fucking 50-yo and I could buy a damned Swatch if I wanted to! Bought TWO!

Truly realizing you’re an adult is quite freeing. :)

shalafi ,

I LIKE that one! I’ve got Army green ('87), white (new) and a gold one with a leather band (new).

Gf got me a G Shock a couple of months ago! Much love. Got a better band for it, but that’s my outdoor activities watch. Tough, waterproof, suitable for whatever, kayaking, camping, beach, anything.

Never tried a Tissot. What do you like?

And yeah, I’m 52. The watches I had as a kid were shit. I remember dad drilling me to take them off to wash my hands. I have that G Shock underwater 3 times a week, and sometimes salt water.

shalafi ,

Of course it’s not wise to talk shit on a company platform, but Slack is hardcore about privacy.

I’m our Slack admin. I cannot see a DM I wasn’t invited to. I cannot even see private channel names that I’m not invited to.

The only way Slack will divulge private posts, or posts in private channels, is if the account owner contacts support and makes a case for why they need to see anything private.

Whole Foods argues it can ban BLM masks because the Supreme Court let a Christian business owner refuse same-sex couples (fortune.com)

Amazon.com’s Whole Foods Market doesn’t want to be forced to let workers wear “Black Lives Matter” masks and is pointing to the recent US Supreme Court ruling permitting a business owner to refuse services to same-sex couples to get federal regulators to back off....

shalafi ,

Jesus y’all. Let me spell this out plainly.

  • BLM is a political organization.
  • Wearing BLM gear is a political statement.
  • Whole Foods doesn’t want employee uniforms to make a political statement.

Bet every single person here would be pleased if this was about banning Trump masks. I’ll give you a crisp $20 bill if those are allowed. Or any other sort of political speech.

shalafi ,

So you deny that BLM is a political org?

They sure seem to be calling for political action.

blacklivesmatter.com

Having a just cause does not make a movement apolitical. Agreeing with that cause does not make the statement apolitical.

You seem to have your emotions mixed up with facts. And here I thought that was a conservative trait.

shalafi ,

If this thing was a fight to wear “Make America Great Again!” masks, these people would sing a different tune. And some ass will be along to explain how that’s totally different…

The whole notion of BLM is political. In the same sense that no one denies making America great is a bad thing, no one denies black lives matter. Yet they are political slogans, end of story. Whole Foods does not want employees wearing controversial political slogans.

I’ve supported the idea of BLM from day 1. Even dumped a right-wing buddy I was slowly turning around. I have zero patience for the haters. Zero. But if I owned a business, employees would not be wearing anything that even smelled of politics.

These children can’t get their emotions untied from facts.

shalafi ,

So Black Lives Matter is not a political slogan, let alone an organization? Saying Black Lives Matter means nothing to anyone except by taking it literally? Nothing to do with politics whatsoever?

shalafi ,

You are really jumping through some hoops to prove that the saying, “Black Lives Matter” has nothing to do with politics. Say it out loud for us. Say it’s not a slogan and has no ties to political views.

Not accepting facts contrary to your position? How very conservative of you.

No matter how far left I am, there’s always assholes like you pushing people back to the right. I’m not going right because a bunch a angry teenagers are… angry. But you’re not doing the liberal cause any justice here. In fact, you’re actively hurting it.

shalafi ,

So it’s political then? Just because one side of the spectrum has heinous beliefs does not make a thing non-political.

shalafi ,

Right with ya, but I’m not seeing any of his fans online. Nada. I’m pretty sure they’re all but gone or deep in hiding.

shalafi ,

I use a fat black Sharpie on my boxes. Even the little L/R sticker they started using is a bit fuzzy.

Question: Do you actually replace your dailies every day? Had some for a short time, got about 5-7 days out of a pair. The very second they felt off/uncomfortable I’d toss 'em. Just doesn’t seem they really needed chunked out every day.

shalafi ,

Also, being a multimillionaire puts a target on your back. I’ll never forget the story about a man who already had a couple of million winning a huge lottery and how lawsuits, among other ever worse things, destroyed his life.

shalafi , (edited )

Came here to say this! With all we’ve heard about the man, I’d say he’s slam-dunk “not innocent”. BUT, he was found not guilty as charged.

People really get up in arms because they don’t know the difference. And it’s not just some legal shenanigans, it’s a real-world thing.

Another example is my sleezebag Congressman, Matt Gaetz. People act like he wasn’t prosecuted due to being in Congress, money, whatever. No, he wasn’t prosecuted due to lack of evidence and witness testimony.

Is he an innocent man? Fuck no. But that’s not enough to lock him up. Given the nature of the case, I wouldn’t have prosecuted either. About zero chance of a jury returning a guilty verdict. Pretty sad about it, I really hoped to see that man in orange.

shalafi ,

Unfortunately, in most cases, there’s no real-world way to punish false accusation. The bar of proof for that sort of thing is, and should be, extraordinarily high. You pretty much have to have a confession.

Also, charging false accusers has a chilling effect on victims. Think how manipulative abusers are. “See what happened to that chick on the news? Go ahead, call the cops. You got nothin’ you dumb bitch, 'cept maybe a future in a concrete and steel cage. Here’s the phone, I’ll dial for you.”

shalafi ,

No chance, he’s tainted goods. Maybe with the right social media spin, after a LONG time, he could come back.

Really sucks, loved his acting. Just watched American Beauty the other night and was able to see the actor and not the sins. But still, tell me Spacey is in a new movie, and guess what’s top of mind?

shalafi ,

The rights argument is trivial to rebut, just like you did. Pick any letter of secession sent to Congress and you’ll likely find the institution of slavery listed as the top concern.

Here go Mississippi:

A Declaration of the Immediate Causes which Induce and Justify the Secession of the State of Mississippi from the Federal Union.

In the momentous step which our State has taken of dissolving its connection with the government of which we so long formed a part, it is but just that we should declare the prominent reasons which have induced our course.

Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery-- the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth. These products are peculiar to the climate verging on the tropical regions, and by an imperious law of nature, none but the black race can bear exposure to the tropical sun. These products have become necessities of the world, and a blow at slavery is a blow at commerce and civilization. That blow has been long aimed at the institution, and was at the point of reaching its consummation. There was no choice left us but submission to the mandates of abolition, or a dissolution of the Union, whose principles had been subverted to work out our ruin.

shalafi ,

Can’t speak to Comcast’s evils, but I call my ISP once a year to ask about my speeds and bill. Just got bumped from 200/20 to 1000/?, with a $10 discount. I’m on the edge of town, not technically rural, but close enough.

Not sure the answer to the monopoly thing, but I used to be an internet cable guy, so I can speak to the complexity of having 2 providers where there was only one. The costs are staggering.

shalafi ,

This is the dumbest story I’ve read in ages, and it’s everywhere. OK, I’ll pay an extra buck a month. If that pisses me off, I drop the service.

shalafi ,

Came here to ask/learn. Looked at the story on CNN today. It’s $1 more. Uh…

shalafi ,

The NeXt brand was a sweet, old school touch!

shalafi ,

Only thing wrong with calorie dense food is that people eat too much. Guess you could add ignorance in there as well. Pretty shocking when you look at the numbers on the menu.

Not that people actually look. They got every excuse in the world for being fat, except the big one, placing calories in their mouth.

shalafi ,

If 11 years on reddit taught me anything, OPs replying to their own posts generally get downvoted to hell. UNLESS, they’re really funny and witty. A healthy dose of self-deprecation works as well!

Example; OP might reply to your comment saying, “Just hanging back a bit to see what people have to say. Don’t want to influence the discussion at the outset.”

Response; “Yeah dude, you just want to see which way the wind blows before saying anything. Pussy.”

Or, “Musk has always been an asshat and you’re just now figuring it out?!”

OP; “Well, that was my point. Sure seems like he changed drastically at some point. I’m asking what happened.”

Response; “How does the boot taste dumbass!”

OP is promptly buried alive on their own post. Interesting game. The only winning move is not to play.

Noticed this dynamic for years, no idea why it should be.

shalafi ,

You don’t really know how Li-on batteries work, do you?

shalafi ,

I use mine to broadcast to BT speakers when I’m out in the woods, on the water, whatever. No use draining my main phone just to listen to tunes.

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