Akir's recent activity
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Comment on What's the oldest piece of clothing you own and still wear? in ~life.style
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Comment on What are the genuinely worst films of all time? in ~movies
Akir Link ParentThat movie will also be forever memorable to me, but not because it was particularly good or bad. It was the first movie I made out to. 😺That movie will also be forever memorable to me, but not because it was particularly good or bad. It was the first movie I made out to. 😺
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Comment on On US Democrats who cave in response to anti-trans attack ads in ~lgbt
Akir Link ParentI kind of want to make commercial media illegal entirely at this point. I'm tired of the well being poisoned. Literally every time I open up YouTube these days, I get an ad for No On 40, the...I kind of want to make commercial media illegal entirely at this point. I'm tired of the well being poisoned. Literally every time I open up YouTube these days, I get an ad for No On 40, the campaign bankrolled by Surgey Brin that is telling me that teachers and firefighers and everyone in the world are desperately warning me to vote against it and that if I vote for it than lawmakers are going to raise taxes on EVERYTHING. But no, it's the billionaires who are spending a lot of money to fight this one time tax bill because they don't agree with it. And that's just one, relatively tame example. We have entire networks owned by evil billionaires trying to spread fascism.
In the meanwhile I have public radio. LAist produces and otherwise airs award-winning programming and local interest content that I can't get anywhere else, including stuff without a partisan bent. There's also KPFK, which is an entirely independantly run public radio station which never had ties to the government and has completely gonzo programming including far left ideologues and astrologers. They also have They also have programming blocks that switch over to the Spanish language and some dedicated to the native people, so they are the single most representative radio station on the planet as far as I'm concerned. Why can't more media be like them?
And with KPFK in particular, they don't really have sponsors like LAist and NPR stations do. So when they have "ad reads" they aren't really telling you about their "underwriters" or "supporters" or whatever they call them to get around the fact that it wasn't really legal to advertise on those stations. They just tell you to try to support them with a donation. And you know what? That's a great thing! For once, the messages aren't telling you to go out and buy something and line someone else's pockets - it's telling you to go out and support something that's making the community and the world around you a better place! That might be what's got me listening even though the programming is honestly not quite the kind of thing I'd normally be interested in.
Ah, Sorry for the tangent.
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Comment on Do you iron your clothes? in ~life
Akir LinkI wear buttoned shirts almost exclusively and I never iron them. The catch is that I wear them casually - untucked - so it doesn't matter if they look a bit disheveled. Beyond that, my body is a...I wear buttoned shirts almost exclusively and I never iron them. The catch is that I wear them casually - untucked - so it doesn't matter if they look a bit disheveled. Beyond that, my body is a natural furnace so the actual wrinkles tend to release themselves after wearing the shirt for about an hour.
I kind of wonder if everyone is starching your shirts and then folding them or leaving them crumpled up or something. If you just hang them up they really shouldn't be wrinkled in the first place, as long as your closet isn't badly packed. Maybe it's bad polyester?
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Comment on Does the dryer shrink your clothes? in ~life
Akir LinkI dryer all the things. The secret is to have a body of indeterminate shape, and therefore it doesn't matter what shape your clothes are! Unsexy blob FTW! That's not entirely true, I have some...I dryer all the things. The secret is to have a body of indeterminate shape, and therefore it doesn't matter what shape your clothes are! Unsexy blob FTW!
That's not entirely true, I have some costume clothing that is made of nylon that the dryer can literally destroy by fusing it together, so that doesn't get put in the dryer.
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Comment on The American religion of self-storage facilities in ~life
Akir Link ParentPeople shop IKEA for investments all the time. IKEA makes products of both high and low quality and even low quality products can be considered an investment. If you need a chair and you buy a...People shop IKEA for investments all the time. IKEA makes products of both high and low quality and even low quality products can be considered an investment. If you need a chair and you buy a chair that is an investment.
Your source leaves much to be desired since it doesn’t cite any sources. I looked up the 1940 sears spring/summer catalog and found them selling a comb back Windsor chair “Hardwood finished Walnut, Maple, or Mahogany” being sold for $2.49. That’s $59.58 in today’s money. You literally can’t buy the raw materials for that money!
Edit: in case I’m asked later; it’s on page 505; I found it on christmas.musetechnical.com where they have it listed as page 564.
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Comment on The American religion of self-storage facilities in ~life
Akir Link ParentOne of the things I deleted in my tirade was that the objects we buy these days just simply don't have value anymore. Furniture, for instance, is no longer handcrafted by experts; they are...One of the things I deleted in my tirade was that the objects we buy these days just simply don't have value anymore. Furniture, for instance, is no longer handcrafted by experts; they are manufactured by machines and assembled by - well, these days, often by you. They don't carry value because they are quick to fall apart and have joints that aren't just difficult to repair, they're critical points of failure. You buy it as an investment, but it very quickly turns into a liability.
Don't even get me started on all the useless crap on the market. Every time I go to the mall I find a new store dedicated to selling nothing but useless "collectables".
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Comment on 'Jaadugar: A Witch's Life in Mongolia' discussion in ~anime
Akir LinkI waited for this show to end before starting it and this thread made me binge it. But it didn't really end! Argh! I very much loved it. It reminded me a lot of Heike Monogatari. It's a show in...I waited for this show to end before starting it and this thread made me binge it. But it didn't really end! Argh!
I very much loved it. It reminded me a lot of Heike Monogatari. It's a show in which the "bad guys" are less bad guys and more people who have their own motivations and reasoning, and aren't really evil insomuch as chasing their own sense of righteousness in a way that maybe isn't entirely as perverted as one might expect it to be.Excellent storytelling. I really liked Tolui for his outgoing, straightforward, and surprisingly kind personality. And it's really incredible that the production is so well balanced that I can say that about a character that is literally leading armies to mow down armies and subjugate nations.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the show though, is the theme of viewpoint. The show seems to be asking us to consider how the world might look from different perspectives. Ogedei is trying to create a world based on trade which his brother Tolui and most of the Mongol people don't see because they are on the warrior nomad perspective. Sitara harbors deep hate for the Mongol empire for destroying her way of life when in reality they have actually given her even more opportunities than she would have had otherwise - she was always a slave, but now she's a servant to royalty in the largest empire in the world. It is perspective itself that allows for the "magic" of the "witches" of this world as well, such as the early wash basin example.
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Comment on The American religion of self-storage facilities in ~life
Akir LinkStorage units, to me, are the epitome of American overconsumption as a sickness. We buy too much crap, so we have to rent out additional land with which we can house our crap. We don't have any...Storage units, to me, are the epitome of American overconsumption as a sickness. We buy too much crap, so we have to rent out additional land with which we can house our crap. We don't have any use for any of this - neither utility nor emotional value - which is why we never really go to visit it.
I'll spare you the five paragraphs of vitriol I wrote and tell you that I'm currently surrounded by the garbage of a roommate's storage crap that we had to take in because he couldn't afford to pay them anymore and my husband couldn't say no and now the roommate is dying and he's not even here but we can't throw his shit away and I'm so tired of living in a garbage patch. 💢
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Comment on What are the genuinely worst films of all time? in ~movies
Akir Link ParentIt sounds like someone is trying to insinuate that Cloud Atlas is a bad movie, but I can’t believe that anyone would consider joking about something like that.It sounds like someone is trying to insinuate that Cloud Atlas is a bad movie, but I can’t believe that anyone would consider joking about something like that.
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Comment on The most important RPG nobody talks about (Ultima) in ~games
Akir Link ParentI actually thought that Ultima VII was very simple and easy to play compared to earlier games in the series. Everything is controlled by the mouse; it’s universal design. The only thing...I actually thought that Ultima VII was very simple and easy to play compared to earlier games in the series. Everything is controlled by the mouse; it’s universal design. The only thing complicated about it was inventory management and the magic system. The former was a limitation of the graphical/mouse driven style and the latter was a leftover from previous Ultima games, from my memory. Though if I’m being completely honest, i hated the reagent concept so much I skipped playing them altogether!
But yes, your problem is absolutely that you didn’t read the manuals. They are required to enjoy the games. Not only do they explain how to play the games, they have a good chunk of the lore and tell you where to go and what to do in some of them. This is why the GOG releases are so great!
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Comment on Help me choose a small electric car in ~transport
Akir Link ParentI actually bought both my last two EVs certified. The first was a first gen Leaf and that was well warranted, and the second was a Bolt EV, which wasn’t really worth it insomuch as it was in such...I actually bought both my last two EVs certified. The first was a first gen Leaf and that was well warranted, and the second was a Bolt EV, which wasn’t really worth it insomuch as it was in such high demand it was basically the only way to get it at the time.
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Comment on Help me choose a small electric car in ~transport
Akir Link ParentI noticed some of the problems that @decekiscool had noticed but I've been busy all day so I had Claude Opus 5 do some research for me. I'm sorry for the lazy response, but I'm sure y'all know I'm...I noticed some of the problems that @decekiscool had noticed but I've been busy all day so I had Claude Opus 5 do some research for me. I'm sorry for the lazy response, but I'm sure y'all know I'm not usually like this!
https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/65b8e979-39c4-4689-8748-358129e438f5
To make a long story short, I think we're all talking past eachother because we're talking about different definitions of reliability. I'm talking about a car that won't break down because of a major mechanical failure. One thing that I thought was potentially elucidating was this statement:
Brand ≠ powertrain. Much of the "hybrids are reliable" signal is really "Toyota is reliable," and much of the "EVs are unreliable" signal is really "new platforms and specific defects (ICCU, Ultium, startups) are unreliable." Controlling for brand and model age shrinks the powertrain effect substantially.
Toyota has finally gotten with the time and now produces EVs so the numbers coming out of this math may end up changing in the coming years.
Asking Claude a number of follow-up questions has honestly made me come to the simple conclusion that getting the best quality is probably more linked to getting the drivetrain best handled by the specific manufacturer. You'd probably want to buy a hybrid from Toyota and an EV model that's been around for a while and has a proven track record.
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Comment on Help me choose a small electric car in ~transport
Akir Link ParentReally? That surprises me. I haven’t seen a 240 dryer in forever. But it’s not like I go around touring peoples dryers in the first place. 😅Really? That surprises me. I haven’t seen a 240 dryer in forever. But it’s not like I go around touring peoples dryers in the first place. 😅
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Comment on Are there any passionate Nissan Leaf owners here? in ~transport
Akir Link ParentThe Leaf came with both a ChaDeMo and J1772 port. ChaDeMo was DC Fast Charge only, and the J1772 did not have the extra pins for CCS DC Fast charging. Like I said, Nissan was dumb. It was a really...The Leaf came with both a ChaDeMo and J1772 port. ChaDeMo was DC Fast Charge only, and the J1772 did not have the extra pins for CCS DC Fast charging.
Like I said, Nissan was dumb. It was a really nice car for pretty much everything else except for that. They really could have given Tesla and the rest of the industry more of a run for their money.
I had the higher trim model. I’m not sure if the lower trim was available without ChaDeMo.
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Comment on Help me choose a small electric car in ~transport
Akir Link ParentThis is true. However it’s also somewhat irrelevant for the purpose of this conversation. You still have the added mechanical complexity of the engine, which has an incredible amount of moving...This is true. However it’s also somewhat irrelevant for the purpose of this conversation. You still have the added mechanical complexity of the engine, which has an incredible amount of moving parts and points of failure. You’ve got spark plugs, fuel pumps, coolant systems, air sensors, timing belts/chains… the list goes on and on. It introduces much more maintenance and expense.
Gas is corrosive so you have to take care of it if you don’t want it to fall apart. Buying a HEV means investing a lot of time and money on maintenance as well as extra money on gasoline, which we know is bad for our health and environment. In contrast, for my EV I need to maintain basically just the minimum things that make it a car; the tires, the brakes, the brake fluid, the windshield wipers, and the windshield wiper fluid. And just in case you are worried about the extra weight of the batteries I am just now replacing the tires at roughly 68k miles on the stock tires, brakes, and brake fluid. The amount of maintenance you will be avoiding by switching to EV is no joke.
There is a reason why people like me are so upset when we see the auto industry step back from EVs. There are so many benefits and actual quality of life improvements you get just from simple electrification that is completely separate from the “smartification” that they keep trying to sell you on. It’s things like never needing to stop for gas because your car gets all the fuel it needs at home or work, or not needing to worry about using gas when using climate control waiting in your car, or the obvious things like how electricity is dramatically cheaper than gasoline and is much less likely to fluctuate because of conflict when our president gets into his latest dick measuring contest.
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Comment on Help me choose a small electric car in ~transport
Akir Link ParentLevel 2 is actually pretty trivial in a lot of homes too. Many homes have a 240v plug for a dryers but modern dryers are 115v. In such a case all you would need to do is purchase the appropriate...Level 2 is actually pretty trivial in a lot of homes too. Many homes have a 240v plug for a dryers but modern dryers are 115v. In such a case all you would need to do is purchase the appropriate cable and/or plug. That’s obviously very situation dependent though!
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Comment on Are there any passionate Nissan Leaf owners here? in ~transport
Akir Link ParentThere is no adapter. ChaDeMo uses different signaling and power, which is a big reason why people were so angry at Nissan for using it for years when it was pretty clear that the entire industry...There is no adapter. ChaDeMo uses different signaling and power, which is a big reason why people were so angry at Nissan for using it for years when it was pretty clear that the entire industry was settling on CCS except them and Tesla - and Tesla accepted CCS with an adapter.
You’re probably thinking NACS -> J1772. That does exist, for 120 or 240V AC power.
Really public charging might end up being kind of a problem for gen 1 leaf models in the future. J1772 chargers are still aplenty but it seems that charging networks are focusing on fast charging and are likely to be all NACS, which may not charge a Leaf even with an adapter. Anecdotally, metered level 2 J1772 chargers are still around in lots of places I go to but level 1 chargers are pretty rare. The Leaf will work with both.
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Comment on McDonald’s built a 515-page dossier on me in ~tech
Akir Link ParentWell at first I thought you were being antagonistic, then I read it again and I thought you were being exasperated with the things in your life. And now I’m just confused too.Well at first I thought you were being antagonistic, then I read it again and I thought you were being exasperated with the things in your life. And now I’m just confused too.
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Comment on McDonald’s built a 515-page dossier on me in ~tech
Akir Link ParentIt's almost as if someone responding to a comment I wrote four weeks ago about my legal rights - something I care about deeply - just to dismiss them, might just make me a little bit upset. I can...It's almost as if someone responding to a comment I wrote four weeks ago about my legal rights - something I care about deeply - just to dismiss them, might just make me a little bit upset. I can appreciate that you have more important things to deal with but yelling out how much you don't care is just insulting.
I'm sorry you're going through so much right now. My sister also lost her benefits a while back and it took quite a while before she was able to get back on her feet. I hope things work out for you.
I have a trench coat I have that is over 20 years old. However it is more or less costume; while it is technically functional I live in Southern California, where it hardly ever rains and barely ever is cold. I’ve also spent more time being unable to wear it than being able to for being fat, though I can now. I’m really upset it’s missing an epaulette.
Everything else is pretty new. Ballooning in size and then shrinking down again has caused me to need to replace my wardrobe continuously. A sense of despondency has caused me to throw away the narrower clothes so I haven’t saved much money. And sadly as we all know the newer clothes are all pretty crap quality made of crap material.