ChingShih's recent activity
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Comment on Klarna’s losses widen after more consumers fail to repay loans in ~finance
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Comment on Klarna’s losses widen after more consumers fail to repay loans in ~finance
ChingShih (edited )LinkCommenting about this separately because this is a whole other can of worms, but I want to point out something that people should really be calling their representatives about constantly: "buy...Commenting about this separately because this is a whole other can of worms, but I want to point out something that people should really be calling their representatives about constantly: "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) services help enable irresponsibly high-value firearms purchases (and in concerning quantity). Not saying everyone does this, but it's almost as in-your-face as gambling ads on TV and the web and it's so, so accessible.
Regardless of one's views on firearm ownership and accessibility, there are many more risks to allowing the purchase of firearms via services like Klarna, Credova, Sezzle, and Paypal that provide opportunities to vastly over-extend one's buying power in addition to traditional credit cards. It's very, very easy to purchase a firearm and, in many states have it delivered and take possession of that firearm well before the first payment is due. That's the opposite of "layaway," where a person pays in installments until they've paid the full amount before being able to go home with the appliance, furniture, etc. that they've bought. Even the credit card companies are getting in on BNPL opportunities with direct emails about how to convert large, recent purchases into payment plans after the transaction.
I see a lot of these services that specifically target individuals at point-of-sale and during checkout with such great offers even I've taken a look. Some of those people literally cannot qualify for traditional, better-regulated credit services. As much as I dislike the predatory nature of high-interest rate credit cards and all of that, so many firearm sites are partnering with BNPL services to enable spending habits without even a "please call 1-800-GAMBLER if you have a gambling addiction..." in the fine print. Some of the biggest firearm retailers have different BNPL companies and their payment plan options listed on every product page load.
While we can't fix every unhealthy mindset, there's a lot more we can do here and I think this is one of several ways we need to tackle bad spending habits. There are a lot of people buying things they can't afford and then are faced with either selling/consigning it (and losing face/taking a hit to their masculinity) or finding other ways to eventually pay off a debt that turns out sometimes has additional fees and interest rates attached. That additional pressure further entrenches people into the mindset that the world is out to get them and leads them further down a toxic road.
Edit: There's a Wiki page about BNPL:
The COVID-19 pandemic era produced a massive increase in BNPL transactions in the United States, going from $2 billion in 2019 to $24.2 billion in 2021.[8]
I'd be curious how this correlates to subprime car loans and, separately, Qanon-related purchases during the pandemic and leading up to the election (like the guy who bought a new truck thinking that Q would pay for it if only the election went his way).
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Comment on Klarna’s losses widen after more consumers fail to repay loans in ~finance
ChingShih LinkOf similar concern in the US, repayments of vehicle subprime loans are also at an elevated rate and have been trending that way for a bit. This, combined with borrowers getting behind on payments...Of similar concern in the US, repayments of vehicle subprime loans are also at an elevated rate and have been trending that way for a bit. This, combined with borrowers getting behind on payments in other spaces and a lack of rising wages across the board, isn't a great sign. Sprinkle on some tax rebates for the wealthy that do not translate into the kind of economic stimulus (and mental health benefits) that giving the same money (and child tax credits) to lower-income families would ... I just hope everyone gets through this.
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Comment on How Counter-Strike took over my life in ~games
ChingShih LinkInteresting video! Thanks for sharing. It brings back a lot of memories from my CS:S days and playing competitively and in ladders. I'd criticize the length of the video, but I can still talk far...Interesting video! Thanks for sharing. It brings back a lot of memories from my CS:S days and playing competitively and in ladders. I'd criticize the length of the video, but I can still talk far too much about crazy CS/BF/CoD games that stuck with me. ;) Condensing my own stories to 83 minutes would be a miracle, haha.
I like that this was more of an emotional documentary than just another video about learning a new game or refuting/confirming biases. I wish this kind of thing was talked about 20 years ago, because competitive games really are team-building exercises and opportunities at emotional growth (and anger management with support from your peers). We all have things we can do to improve and wanting to improve and learning to accept an L and move on is so crucial to avoiding toxic mindsets.
I like that this Youtuber wanted to change and grow emotionally when hitting that toxic low-point. That's an important trait to have in life and it reflects well not just on players but on achievers when there is an attitude shift. Team games rely heavily on that interpersonal connection and maintaining good vibes in the face of adversity. Especially when adrenaline is pumping and maintaining that high and keeping the level of gameplay elevated becomes important for smooth transitions from one round to the next (and keeping your teammate from ragequitting).
I also like that there's a lot of positivity in the top comments -- including towards that one player, who actually commented on the video. Very cool. It's nice to see some positivity around the gameplay aspect.
Now to wait 20 years to watch a similar video on Deadlock. :)
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
ChingShih Link ParentYou're in for a ride with Her Body. ;D I want to know what you think when you finish it!You're in for a ride with Her Body. ;D I want to know what you think when you finish it!
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Comment on EV owners - what advice do you have from experience for a new user? in ~transport
ChingShih Link ParentDon't worry too much about the temperature you're starting the car at unless you keep it outside or in a detached, unheated garage or other situation. Typically attached garages won't get nearly...Don't worry too much about the temperature you're starting the car at unless you keep it outside or in a detached, unheated garage or other situation. Typically attached garages won't get nearly as cold as outside temps anyway (this coming from someone who needs to better insulate their garage doors). Your car should often be within nominal operating range when you start it (or maybe on the low side for a few minutes until it warms up).
Not a Chevy owner, but I would think most if not all EVs, including your Bolt, will tell you if they're unhappy in the cold when you start it. My Volvo tells me how much "power" (whether that's HP or torque) is restricted until the system has literally warmed up. Chevys should be telling the user if the battery needs a bit to warm up, too, but it'll also let you drive at a reasonable speed.
To help with battery efficiency many EVs have fans to blow either warm or cool air over the battery packs -- this is necessary because when using the batteries they generate a good amount of heat in an otherwise confined space. But also because of the cold temperatures that you're concerned about. So don't worry, engineers have already thought of that. Hopefully the accountants and management-as-interior-designers have allowed the engineers to do their jobs.
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Comment on EV owners - what advice do you have from experience for a new user? in ~transport
ChingShih (edited )Link ParentEdit: I should add, I've owned a Volvo EV for 2.5 years now in a semi-rural area. I'm very reluctant to actually use the Plugshare and ElectrifyAmerica apps and all that. There are too many...Edit: I should add, I've owned a Volvo EV for 2.5 years now in a semi-rural area.
I'm very reluctant to actually use the Plugshare and ElectrifyAmerica apps and all that. There are too many brands, payment plans, etc. to keep up with. When I do longer trips (150 miles+) I just pay with credit card at the charging station and skip the "convenience" of the app -- which often offer now monetary savings at the fast charging stations I use anyway. Also, ElectrifyAmerica does that thing where you have to "top up" the credits in the app in like $20 increments. That's some MTX/gambling app shit and I hate it. That along with their annual service fee ... I'd rather just pay at the pump, so to speak.
I agree with Pilot about the philosophical paradigm shift of simply being more conscientious about when to charge and how to plan your stops. If you already eat out a lot, or enjoy going to the mall, then building charging the car into a stop for fast food/shopping really feels more like saving time than taking time out of your day. Do always have a backup plan for charging somewhere else, though. MANY of the chargers in my area listed on Google Maps are not public chargers; a number of them are on dealership lots, hotels offering 1 or 2 Level 1/2 chargers only to guests, and that kind of thing. Know before you go!
For convenience, and also to be sure that I'm hitting fast chargers that actually work, I tend to plan longer trips around changing stops at major conveniences so that I'm more likely to be able to get the service I want in the timeframe I want. Even though it sounds counter-intuitive, charging mid-day at the mall has always been pretty quick (plus the other EV patrons know the rules and etiquette). I might have to wait for someone to finish charging, but even at popular malls I'll get my turn to charge pretty soon. I strongly avoid grocery store chargers. I have also noticed that Walmarts have a partnership with some fast charging providers, so I'm looking at using those more often even though I don't set foot in a Walmart unless I absolutely have to.
It sounds like a lot of that stuff won't be relevant to your particular use-case, but I hope that other EV-adopters will take note of some of the quirks of the charging options outside of cities.
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Comment on Amazon launches its first internet satellites to compete against SpaceX's Starlinks in ~space
ChingShih LinkI'm posting this with the intention of asking Tildesians a couple questions as I'm curious on people's views: Given the current situation, do you view Amazon's Kuiper satellite internet as being...I'm posting this with the intention of asking Tildesians a couple questions as I'm curious on people's views:
- Given the current situation, do you view Amazon's Kuiper satellite internet as being notable more or less evil than SpaceX?
- In 2025 are you more or less interested in satellite internet access in general (whether for home or mobile-living use)? In the US there's a big push for home cellular internet, but is that an alternative for your situation?
- How do you feel about companies putting satellites into low orbit in general? Apparently GPS satellites are in medium Earth orbit (MEO) at an altitude of approximately 20,200 km (12,550 miles); Starlink orbits at roughly 550 kilometers (342 miles) and there are a lot more of them.
(Or is all of this moot because we're never getting off this rock? ;D)
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Amazon launches its first internet satellites to compete against SpaceX's Starlinks
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Comment on The many reasons why Xbox is failing in ~games
ChingShih LinkPersonally, I feel like we're in the Steve Ballmer era of the Xbox division. That means we'll eventually get a better, golden-y era of Xbox, right? Maybe. Eventually. I think the video's point...Personally, I feel like we're in the Steve Ballmer era of the Xbox division. That means we'll eventually get a better, golden-y era of Xbox, right? Maybe. Eventually.
I think the video's point about a focus on XGP, PC gaming (and thus Windows sales), and things like that are valid. They have more issues, though, and some things off the top of my head that I don't think the video touched on:
- The PlayStation controller is straight up better in every way. The special coating on it so you can still game with sweaty hands is actually amazing. Some of the pressure sensitive buttons/triggers improve the experience. Going back and forth between a PS5 and a Series X is night and day.
- The popularity of Nintendo games is outstanding and probably drawing a lot of people away from Xbox and PlayStation both, but when people go for one of the two, they're picking PlayStation for PS4-era and PS5-era exclusives (Bloodborne, Sekiro, all the PSVR games, etc.).
- There's a lot more pop-culture around the PS5. Lots of athletes and music artists have PS5s and talk about playing on it. (My buddy and I have both run into famous people while playing CoD, lmao.)
- PlayStation has some good integration with other services (music, Discord).
- I think initially the PlayStation Plus service for internet was just a lot more clear. Xbox Live and then XGP have always been confusing, tough to manage, and I have documented proof that MS is letting XGP credits run concurrently instead of adding onto the existing time (this is fucking illegal!! Fuck Symantec for doing this as well).
I wonder if, like a number of Microsoft products, the concept of having two tiers of the same console (Series S and Series X) was just too early. Frame generation and related tech might have bridged the gap between tiers in a general way, while offering premium quality on the higher-tier system for people who wanted to buy it. But launching against a PS5 that basically performed the same at either price point just hurt. I guess that's one reason why they had that interesting financing available for some Xbox Series customers.
I also wonder if someone couldn't plot the senior-level enthusiasm of the Xbox division against the ebb and flow of a game-as-a-service like Sea of Thieves. As much as I love the game, it really took a while to take off, then there was a second wind and player activity and content improved, and then it's been a bit back and forth. They even did some cross-branding with Pirates of the Caribbean, which was awesome, but I don't know that they really advertised that well at the time.
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Comment on How can I prevent my work computers turning my home into an oven? in ~comp
ChingShih Link ParentYikes! I didn't know water was that expensive in the EU! And thanks for doing the math! Where I am in the US the cost of water is around 1/2 of that of some (median?) EU cities (although OP is in...Yikes! I didn't know water was that expensive in the EU! And thanks for doing the math!
Where I am in the US the cost of water is around 1/2 of that of some (median?) EU cities (although OP is in the UK). I just wanted to see this in numbers: At 3.5 Euros/m3 of water and converting it to a nominal 1,000 cubic feet of water (a baseline amount in the US), that would be about EUR100 or $108. I'd pay around $50 if I used that much water and I don't use half that much water in a 3-month period.
Apparently even water in San Francisco costs less than it does in Denmark. Yeesh!
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Comment on How can I prevent my work computers turning my home into an oven? in ~comp
ChingShih Link ParentYeah, it really depends. If you're in France and your electricity is mostly nuclear or solar/hydro, then you're already using a lot of water to create that electricity, so maybe it's more...Yeah, it really depends. If you're in France and your electricity is mostly nuclear or solar/hydro, then you're already using a lot of water to create that electricity, so maybe it's more efficient just to use the supply that's created at a national/regional level. If you're in a coal-burning area, then you're using a lot of everything else (not sure how much water coal plants actually use), so using water instead of electricity is the most environmentally-friendly option ... even if we're all running out of fresh water on a human timescale.
I guess if you wanted to get really out-there you could capture grey-water from washing your hands in the sink and use that to fill your open-loop liquid cooling system. Then treat the water with a drip-feed of chlorine to keep the insides of the tubes clean.
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Comment on How can I prevent my work computers turning my home into an oven? in ~comp
ChingShih Link ParentI was going to post this as a top-level musing, but it's not top-level worthy, so I'm saddling you with this response for no particular reason. Congrats xD I've always wanted to do a mineral...I was going to post this as a top-level musing, but it's not top-level worthy, so I'm saddling you with this response for no particular reason. Congrats xD
I've always wanted to do a mineral oil-submerged PC build, but repairing/replacing components is a hassle. It got me thinking about different ways to better utilize liquid cooling setups or heatsinks in general. For instance, why use a copper heatsink-to-air/liquid when you could run pipes directly into your home/apartment foundation? Geothermal on the cheap! (And maybe some building code violations, too! So fun!) I don't know what the thermal capacity of the average concrete foundation is, but I'm sure it's enough for a few hardware geeks to exploit here and there.
Another idea, and one that's more friendly to those of us wanting to recapture heat in the winter, is to expand the liquid cooling reservoir itself (in OP's case between the system and the minisplit AC) and to use a silicone oil or something as the coolant to maximize efficiency. Most consumer liquid cooling systems that I see don't even have a spare reservoir (which makes topping up closed-loop systems that much harder). So running part of the cooling loop into a large fish tank would give additional thermal capacity to the system, but also allow the operator to take off the top of the fish tank and exhaust some of that heat during colder temps -- including optionally at night. I think it would be a fun project to have exhaust fans on a timer to open up either into the home or out of the home at night. Refilling the reservoir would also be easy and maintenance on the PC hardware wouldn't be as troublesome as it would be with a submerged mineral oil system.
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Comment on How can I prevent my work computers turning my home into an oven? in ~comp
ChingShih Link ParentI like that idea, and I hate that I'm going to say this, but I think the cheapest option is simply to run water into the liquid cooling system and then ... dump the hot water down the drain. Water...I like that idea, and I hate that I'm going to say this, but I think the cheapest option is simply to run water into the liquid cooling system and then ... dump the hot water down the drain. Water is incredibly cheap and most nuclear power plants don't waste much time or expense on trying to recapture all the steam from the turbines, they simply dump it back out into their local water source (which is why so many are built on lakes or along rivers or are ocean-adjacent). If OP has to dump a bunch of BTUs somewhere, dumping that down the drain and utilizing the already fairly good thermal capacity of cool water is just a cheap one-size-fits-all solution.
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Comment on How can I prevent my work computers turning my home into an oven? in ~comp
ChingShih Link ParentYeah I think a split AC system is the only thing that's really going to appreciably lower OP's room temperature and use that increase in electricity cost in the most effective way (as apposed to...Yeah I think a split AC system is the only thing that's really going to appreciably lower OP's room temperature and use that increase in electricity cost in the most effective way (as apposed to getting a window AC unit or something like that to cool the existing air). Then, if OP's building allows it (although they mentioned it's a first floor apartment), they could offset some of their energy costs with balcony solar. I'm not really sure that non-HVAC people should be messing with a configuration as potentially risky as all this, but it's always sounded like a fun project to me.
I'm also concerned that any solution that's not what papasquat suggested is just moving inside air to the outside and outside air to the inside of the apartment. Any cool air that's created through a closed-loop HVAC system and exhausted to the outside is turning the entire dwelling into an open-loop system. The air from the apartment that gets warmed in a computer and vented outside has to be replaced with air from somewhere else. Generally that's going to be through the gaps around doors, door frames, windows, etc. You will find out real fast how well sealed and square your dwelling is when trying to vent a lot of heat. The split AC system essentially keeps outside energy outside all the time, which should keep it might nicer inside.
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On 8 March, 1910 Raymonde de Laroche became the world's first licensed female pilot
I don't really have any cool articles about de Laroche besides the Wikipedia page on her, but it is quite good and a shortish read, so very worthwhile. There is also this short article from the...
I don't really have any cool articles about de Laroche besides the Wikipedia page on her, but it is quite good and a shortish read, so very worthwhile. There is also this short article from the University of Houston, complete with a 3-minute audio version.
The week of 8 March is also International Women of Aviation Week, celebrating all the female aviators (people are getting away from using gender-specific words like aviatrix that weren't necessary in English anyway), including Jacqueline Cochran, the wartime head of Women Airforce Service Pilots in the U.S. and who would go on to be the first woman to break the sound barrier; Elizabeth "Bessie" Coleman, the first African-American and Native American woman aviator and presumably the first licensed female pilot of mixed race to participate in air races and barnstorming stunt shows across the U.S. and Europe; Leah Hing, the first Chinese-American female pilot and who started her own flight school after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931; among many other women past and present who are earning their pilot's license.
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Comment on Syrian security forces accused of executing dozens of Alawites in ~society
ChingShih (edited )LinkI was curious about more information regarding this, because the extremely multi-party conflict has so many variables. I haven't really turned up anything else yet, since the renewal of military...I was curious about more information regarding this, because the extremely multi-party conflict has so many variables. I haven't really turned up anything else yet, since the renewal of military clashes is still quite fresh.
On that note, there is now a fledgling Wiki page about March 2025 Western Syria clashes and unfortunately it sounds like things are heating up again. So it may be a while before these killings are linked to specific opposition groups, whether they're reprisals for recent support of remnants of Assad-aligned forces, or if they're the result of tracking down specific people (and invariably families) and associates known to have supported Assad or the Syrian Ba'athists (like the 'Shabiha,' who are primarily Alawite).
Edit: On 8 March, 1963 the Ba'ath Party came into power in Syria and also led to the Alawite minorities gaining control of the military structure, which Assad would later rebuild and unify with the help of the usual suspects. So quite some coincidences leading up to the 8th.
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Comment on Best "complete" anime you'd recommend? in ~anime
ChingShih Link ParentGankutsuou is such a wild show and the art style is REALLY COOL, even if some styles clash with others and I sorta wish they'd stuck to just doing one thing well. I highly recommend anyone with an...Gankutsuou is such a wild show and the art style is REALLY COOL, even if some styles clash with others and I sorta wish they'd stuck to just doing one thing well. I highly recommend anyone with an interest in art check it out. I can't really find a clip that does the art style justice the ending theme showcases all the styles as well as the CG (... and the mobile suits and disco balls...). But damn, that whole thing where people's outfits exist on their own "layer" and they're simply moving across a pattern? So cool.
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Comment on Best "complete" anime you'd recommend? in ~anime
ChingShih Link ParentOne of my favorites. How do you think the show holds up versus the film? It's been a long time since I've watched the show, the film is just a more convenient use of time. Bonus, after watching...X/1999
One of my favorites. How do you think the show holds up versus the film? It's been a long time since I've watched the show, the film is just a more convenient use of time.
Escaflowne
Bonus, after watching this classic people can give the fan parody Nescaflowné a try. xD
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Comment on Best "complete" anime you'd recommend? in ~anime
ChingShih Link ParentOutlaw Star still holds a special place for me. It has an excellent magic system (without being overly complex) and otherwise a very cool world for the eclectic characters to inhabit. But if...Outlaw Star still holds a special place for me. It has an excellent magic system (without being overly complex) and otherwise a very cool world for the eclectic characters to inhabit. But if there's one thing I can do to recommend people watch this cult-favorite sci-fi, it's that it's not just a futuristic Japanese/western setting. There's eastern magic and culture. Even in the far reaches of space there's a sense of cultural otherness that goes beyond cat-girls and princesses in eye-catching getups.
The Japanese dub is great. The English dub is quite good for its time and I think probably holds up reasonably. Better than GTO, imo, but the audio quality isn't perfect. So there's really no reason not to watch.
I think that's good context, I wouldn't call it a nitpick. :)