Merry's recent activity

  1. Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society

    Merry
    Link Parent
    I would claim an election is "suspended" under a few criteria: Elections are cancelled for any reason Elections are held but the results are dismissed because of fraud Elections are held and the...

    I would claim an election is "suspended" under a few criteria:

    • Elections are cancelled for any reason

    • Elections are held but the results are dismissed because of fraud

    • Elections are held and the result is something so clearly rigged that it is beyond belief

    • States no longer run their elections and or the military runs the elections

    Basically if these things happen and they are accepted or upheld by court, it is a bright red warning light to get the fuck out.

    11 votes

  2. Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society

    Merry
    Link
    My disclaimer per @vord I am white male in my 30s with a Ukrainian wife. We have our green card interview in a month. Right now she is in the US on the U4U program. So needless to say the day...

    My disclaimer per @vord

    I am white male in my 30s with a Ukrainian wife. We have our green card interview in a month. Right now she is in the US on the U4U program.

    So needless to say the day after the election I started putting together my European CV. We were planning to buy a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and renovate our kitchen. Those plans are cancelled. We are in full tilt money saving mode from here on out. If she doesn't get a green card, then we are going to try to stay until April for me to get my bonus.

    I think I would have a marginally easier time getting a job in Europe if we were over there anyways.

    But outside of that particular issue, I think there are several trigger points that would cause me to just up and leave.

    1. Door to door immigration mass deportation plan goes through as planned. If this really happens, it is the tipping point on a slippery slope.

    2. Deploying the military against citizens.

    3. Citizens being 'disappeared'.

    4. Politicians being killed.

    5. Suspending elections.

    Depending on the tariff plans, it will make me accelerate my immigration plans. My job is for a retail company and we buy 99% of our stuff from overseas. I work remotely and if I lost this job, I would probably have to sell my house and move somewhere else anyways. I would just move to Ukraine with my wife to Ужгород.

    • If any person here works for a European country and needs someone to administer or implement HRIS, PM me 😅
    10 votes

  3. Vince Collins - Life is Flashing Before Your Eyes (1984)

    ~arts Text 61 words
    An interesting animated musical film that could probably be posted in ~music but I thought the animation was the standout aspect of this short video. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re into...

    An interesting animated musical film that could probably be posted in ~music but I thought the animation was the standout aspect of this short video. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re into experimental or psychedelic animation, this short is a standout from the 80s. Definitely worth a watch if you’re in the mood for something unusual and a little disorienting.

    4 votes

  5. Comment on Ненаписаний лист (The Unwritten Letter) - 1985 in ~arts

    Merry
    Link
    I discovered this animated short recently while studying Ukrainian and was completely taken aback by its beauty, music, and storytelling without any spoken words. The contrast of animation styles...

    I discovered this animated short recently while studying Ukrainian and was completely taken aback by its beauty, music, and storytelling without any spoken words. The contrast of animation styles and transitions of musical tones had me watching this short three times. Even though I didn't live in the era or times depicted in the film, I can't help but feel nostalgic and melancholy. The absence of dialogue made the emotions and imagery resonate even more, making it a timeless exploration of human longing and unspoken feelings.

    What are your thoughts on the film?

    2 votes

  7. Comment on What small questions do you have that aren’t worth a full topic on their own? in ~talk

    Merry
    Link Parent
    Absolutely nothing. Not that I don't want any, it's just that I have no idea how to decorate my home and make it look good. On top of that, my level of art appreciation is pretty low so I less...

    Absolutely nothing. Not that I don't want any, it's just that I have no idea how to decorate my home and make it look good. On top of that, my level of art appreciation is pretty low so I less someone decorates for me, I won't spend the money on art.

    1 vote

  8. Comment on Microsoft Graveyard: a website for tracking dead and soon-to-be-dead Microsoft products in ~tech

    Merry
    Link
    Disheartened to see AltspaceVR on this list. I didn't know Microsoft killed it. During the pandemic that place was legitimately great. I actually participated in an 8 week stand up comedy class...

    Disheartened to see AltspaceVR on this list. I didn't know Microsoft killed it. During the pandemic that place was legitimately great. I actually participated in an 8 week stand up comedy class for VR comedy just for the heck of it. It is so bizarre for a company to buy another company, not make any improvements, and then kill it without giving people the option to host their own servers.

    1 vote

  9. Comment on What can be done about the Supreme Court of the United States? in ~society

    Merry
    Link
    The software running the United States government (the Constitution) needs patch updates. We have this metaphorical operating system that has been corrupted and is out of date. We have to start...

    The software running the United States government (the Constitution) needs patch updates. We have this metaphorical operating system that has been corrupted and is out of date. We have to start pushing for constitutional amendments on all the things that is wrong with the United States. We pretty much need a new 21st century Bill of Rights. It needs to cover

    • Curbing and outline executive power
    • Judicial reform
    • Bribery and money in politics
    • Redefining the concept of "free press"
    • Bodily autonomy
    • Workers rights
    • Digital and data privacy
    • And much more that I can't cover

    The thing is, I just don't think the USA is going to make it. The people who set out on building media empires to enrichen themselves won't be alive to see the consequences of the damage they have made by the time this country starts truly breaking at the seams.

    14 votes

  10. Comment on Questions about DEI standards in ~humanities

    Merry
    Link Parent
    Because people make mistakes and say things that come off the wrong way to the wrong audience. I went to the website for this actual program and I found nothing that would give me pause to think...

    Because people make mistakes and say things that come off the wrong way to the wrong audience. I went to the website for this actual program and I found nothing that would give me pause to think this was some secretly masked racist initiative.

    If a white person did it, yes there would be outrage from a group of people that only read headlines and only look so far into things that validates their narratives. There would also be people out there that do more than a few seconds of research into who said said what and why, and make their conclusion on a more nuanced basis. You get to choose as an individual what you want to do and how you want to react to things.

    I think we should give people the benefit of the doubt and let well-meaning people have a little grace when trying to do good in the world. This is a program trying to undo some systemic problems that they identified with their school system. I don't take this random teacher's comments, in a likely amateur-written and amateur-edited article as coming off as the gateway for black or Latino male supremacy.

    13 votes

  11. Comment on Questions about DEI standards in ~humanities

    Merry
    Link Parent
    The person that said that quote in the link was a teacher, not an administrator of the DEI initiative. People say dumb stuff all the time without realizing how it could come off. In their mind,...

    The person that said that quote in the link was a teacher, not an administrator of the DEI initiative. People say dumb stuff all the time without realizing how it could come off. In their mind, they could have been referring to something like shared experiences and relatability in the classroom with students in their classroom.

    The point of the initiative is to push for a more representative population of educators, not do a 1:1 replacement, segregation style. It seems to me that the school system has an overrepresenation of non-black and non-latino teachers that they are trying to address so they can produce better learning outcomes due to the research they quoted. They are also focusing on males in that 1000 person hiring, but I wouldn't come away with the assumption that they are misogynistic if teaching is dominated by women, right?

    17 votes

  12. Comment on Should I go heat pump only? in ~life.home_improvement

    Merry
    Link Parent
    Yeah, that's in line with what I have been told. I currently have a 2 ton AC unit and the heat pumps being suggested are at 2.5 ton or 3 ton. I am 90% sure I will be going with Carrier/Midea...

    Yeah, that's in line with what I have been told. I currently have a 2 ton AC unit and the heat pumps being suggested are at 2.5 ton or 3 ton. I am 90% sure I will be going with Carrier/Midea 38MURA with the associated air handler. The performance seems good enough to fit my needs and I at least have until January/February next year when a potential cold snap comes in that I can get my fireplace up and running, unless I see some estate sales this summer offloading some other heating sources that I can purchase on the cheap.

    I have one more consult this morning but should be able to make a decision by Monday.

  13. Comment on Your favorite deeply unpopular music in ~music

    Merry
    Link
    When I share Daniel Johnston's music with people, they either really get it, or they don't. Fun fact, the "Hi, How Are You" mental health threads here on tildes actually came from the charity in...

    When I share Daniel Johnston's music with people, they either really get it, or they don't.

    Fun fact, the "Hi, How Are You" mental health threads here on tildes actually came from the charity in inspired by Daniel:

    https://www.hihowareyou.org

    5 votes

  14. Comment on Should I go heat pump only? in ~life.home_improvement

    Merry
    Link Parent
    Hi neighbor! I am just over a mile from the coast so no beautiful views, but I do get a nice cooling during the summer/warming during the winter effect that is readily apparent when going to Grand...

    Hi neighbor!

    I am just over a mile from the coast so no beautiful views, but I do get a nice cooling during the summer/warming during the winter effect that is readily apparent when going to Grand Rapids for the day.

    I was pretty skeptical of the comment about repairability for current furnace, but my understanding was their concern is not really about not repairable, but more will it be worth it to fix when it does break. If I recall the concern correctly, they were concerned about my heat exchanger. They mentioned particulate matter falling onto the heat exchanger due to its age and the specific model I have. Fixing that particular piece of the furnace could run me ~25% of the cost of a new furnace, while not having nearly the same amount of efficiency.

    Thank you or the information about the tax breaks! I don't know if I would qualify for any more than the federal ones I found. Generally, I don't fall in the income tax bracket where I would receive the highest amounts available. Regarding solar, it is definitely not happening this year. Maybe next year, but more likely two years from now. It is unfortunate because solar panels might be more expensive in the coming years due to the tariffs on Chinese solar, but maybe if Biden gets re-elected we will have more tax incentives for the US-produced stuff.

    3 votes

  15. Comment on Should I go heat pump only? in ~life.home_improvement

    Merry
    Link Parent
    There is a decent breeze on-and-off throughout the day, but most noticeably there seems to be a lack of wind overnight unless we have some weather fronts smashing into each other. On top of that,...

    There is a decent breeze on-and-off throughout the day, but most noticeably there seems to be a lack of wind overnight unless we have some weather fronts smashing into each other. On top of that, I am in a fairly suburban area. I have doubts that ground mounted solar would be approved on my home, let alone my own
    personal wind turbine.

    2 votes

  16. Comment on Should I go heat pump only? in ~life.home_improvement

    Merry
    Link Parent
    My hesitation and reservation is the price I was quoted for 17.2 SEER heat pump and 98% efficiency furnace was nearly $19,000. Granted, I can just ride the existing furnace until it goes out and...

    My hesitation and reservation is the price I was quoted for 17.2 SEER heat pump and 98% efficiency furnace was nearly $19,000. Granted, I can just ride the existing furnace until it goes out and be out of pocked ~8k-$9k just for the heat pump install, going for a lower efficiency unit and forgetting about any tax incentives from IRA.

    Are there any downsides that you can think of to just going with a heat pump only, and then fixing/getting a gas fireplace that I could use to supplement during extremely cold weather?

    Also, any specific brands to avoid?

    1 vote

  17. Comment on Should I go heat pump only? in ~life.home_improvement

    Merry
    Link Parent
    So far, out of the two HVAC people that I have talked to, they have been pushing Goodman units and haven't mentioned cold climate as a selling point for them. I will do some research on my side to...

    So far, out of the two HVAC people that I have talked to, they have been pushing Goodman units and haven't mentioned cold climate as a selling point for them. I will do some research on my side to find a contractor who specializes in these units.

    4 votes

  18. Comment on Should I go heat pump only? in ~life.home_improvement

    Merry
    Link Parent
    I'm a bit resistant to having electric only options for now when I don't have solar, and solar may end up being unviable where I am. The rough calculations that I have show that I would barely...

    I'm a bit resistant to having electric only options for now when I don't have solar, and solar may end up being unviable where I am. The rough calculations that I have show that I would barely meet my electric needs in winter if I were still using natural gas as my heating option, so I don't have high hopes that it will work out.

    I also have very limited outlet options in my home unfortunately. I was going to push for a whole home rewire at some point in the next 12 months and maybe then I would feel more comfortable.

    1 vote

  19. Comment on Should I go heat pump only? in ~life.home_improvement

    Merry
    Link Parent
    Hmmm, yeah that's a good idea. I do actually have a random wood burning stove in my garage that came with the house. It isn't hooked up but I could look closer at it tomorrow to check it out. Home...

    Hmmm, yeah that's a good idea.

    I do actually have a random wood burning stove in my garage that came with the house. It isn't hooked up but I could look closer at it tomorrow to check it out. Home insurance probably wouldn't like a wood burning stove though...

    I also coincidentally do have an inoperable gas fireplace. I didn't bother doing anything with it because I didn't care when I moved in but I will do more research into one that can operate as a mini furnace with a blower, if those exist.

    4 votes

  20. Should I go heat pump only?

    ~life.home_improvement Ask (advice)
    Hi all, I am in the middle of taking bids with my local HVAC companies and am looking for someone to nudge me in one direction or the other. For background, I bought my house in western Michigan,...

    Hi all,

    I am in the middle of taking bids with my local HVAC companies and am looking for someone to nudge me in one direction or the other. For background, I bought my house in western Michigan, right off the lake Michigan coast near Grand Rapids, last Fall. My home inspection made it clear the AC would need work and I haven't started to feel the need for it until recently. I called an HVAC company out and when they said the unit was 25+ years old, I just told them to forget about even fixing it because it would be at least 10% of the cost of a new unit and still way less efficient.

    So.

    My natural gas furnace is also ~20 years old and the first HVAC guy said that if it broke down, it likely wouldn't pass a safety inspection. They said something about how the coils being dirty or positioned someway or something, I can't really recall 100% what the issue would be but the gist that I got was that when it breaks down, whether it be 1 year, 2 years, or 5 years, it won't be worth fixing or it will be unfixable. A new AC would be ~$6500 and a new furnace would be ~$7000.

    So I started up the conversation towards installing a heat pump unit in instead of a standard AC unit. My initial thinking is that when the furnace goes, I have the back up ready to go instead. Now a heat pump unit is going to cost me around $2000 more. I don't think my plan will be to ever install a replacement furnace. Depending on what the solar assessment says, evaluating both ground mounted and roof mounted solar, will tell me how worth it is to go that route and have discounted or free heating and cooling.

    Where the calculus gets tricky for me is there is the Inflation Reduction Act which will give me a $2000 tax credit for a heat pump. But that will come with buying a more expensive, and efficient unit, and I believe I will also have to completely get rid of the furnace I currently have since the total home system has to meet the efficiency standard. In addition, last month I replaced my fuse box with a 200 amp panel and if I meet the requirements to get the $2000 tax credit, I would also get $600 tax credit for the panel since I can tie them together.

    All in all, I am looking at getting a more efficient unit for roughly the same price as the less efficient unit but without the natural gas furnace as either main heating, or back up heating. My hesitation is that natural gas is so cheap that it doesn't make sense financially to go heat pump only unless I have renewable energy to pair with it. But maybe I am just overthinking it? And maybe I have gotten something wrong in my calculations?

    Any advice or clarifications would be greatly appreciated. I have one more quote coming this Thursday and I hope to make a decision by Friday to get the work started

    31 votes