Pilot's recent activity

  1. Comment on Need a replacement for my old macbook pro, should I just get another one? in ~comp

    Pilot
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    Many many many years ago. The white and black plastic ones, I think.

    Many many many years ago. The white and black plastic ones, I think.

    2 votes

  2. Comment on Need a replacement for my old macbook pro, should I just get another one? in ~comp

    Pilot
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    I ran a 2012 MacBook Pro well into 2023. In your position I would honestly get an iPhone 17 and a MacBook Air as others have recommended. I'm not sure what happened to your logic board, stuff can...

    I ran a 2012 MacBook Pro well into 2023.

    In your position I would honestly get an iPhone 17 and a MacBook Air as others have recommended. I'm not sure what happened to your logic board, stuff can happen just like with any other piece of hardware. Someone at your job could have misconfigured it, it could have been physically damaged, there could have been some defect that affected a short run, all things that are common with components you'd buy yourself to build a PC.

    The one time Apple did have a longstanding issue with motherboards they replaced a lot of them as part of the limited warranty.

    5 votes

  3. Comment on You are being misled about renewable energy technology in ~enviro

    Pilot
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    I think he focused on solar so much for this reason and also because it's a really simple parallel structure to gas/oil that's easy to follow. Wind, as he mentioned, requires moving parts and...

    which I assume must mean that it's cheaper than wind-powered electric generation if that claim is to be believed

    I think he focused on solar so much for this reason and also because it's a really simple parallel structure to gas/oil that's easy to follow. Wind, as he mentioned, requires moving parts and ongoing maintenance which add to the cost and complexity.

    If I were making a true, full, and good-faith argument for renewables I'd include that off-shore wind generation solves a lot of the downsides of wind power while increasing its output. I just think Alec was mostly focused on reframing people's conception of solar in particular because it has changed dramatically in a short time.

    6 votes

  4. Comment on r/art subreddit under new management after an artist was banned for mentioning their art prints in ~arts

    Pilot
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    I've operated a lot of online spaces and usually include some version of, "Don't be a dick" for exactly that reason, but if the people running the online space are themselves the dicks it can...

    I've operated a lot of online spaces and usually include some version of, "Don't be a dick" for exactly that reason, but if the people running the online space are themselves the dicks it can quickly sour the whole community. Even then there are countless instances where I've spoken to someone who broke that rule who would swear up and down that they had not. Some people just love to argue, others might genuinely not see whatever behavior as dickish.

    Same goes for the self promotion. If I am self-promoting then my threshold for what's too much is likely much lower since I stand to gain much more.

    6 votes

  5. Comment on Shrinking number of free news outlets in ~talk

    Pilot
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    I guess, but the cost of a newspaper was more about covering the physical printing costs. They still sold tons of ads and it has really been an ads business since the start. Not to mention "free"...

    Journalism is a relatively new profession all things considered, and free journalism is an incredibly new thing, and I don't think it's sustainable unfortunately, though I wish it were the case.

    I guess, but the cost of a newspaper was more about covering the physical printing costs. They still sold tons of ads and it has really been an ads business since the start. Not to mention "free" news in the modern way we think of it dates back to radio, which was absolutely free in the same way using a phone or computer to find news is free.

    The core issue is that good journalism is harder to access than it ever way due to the decline in monoculture while the access to terrible journalism is as easy and free as ever.

    What I want and my own ethics aside, there is a fundamental imbalance in "good" versus "bad' news and while the premium may be worth it to avoid all the slop, all it's actually doing is bifurcating those who stay informed and those who get misinformed.

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Pluribus S01E01 - “We is Us” in ~tv

    Pilot
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    Oh man, that episode was so good with how it showed an entirely different perspective informed by human nature, cultural upbringing, and personality.

    Oh man, that episode was so good with how it showed an entirely different perspective informed by human nature, cultural upbringing, and personality.

    4 votes

  7. Comment on US Federal Aviation Administration reducing air traffic by 10% across forty ‘high-volume’ markets during government shutdown in ~transport

    Pilot
    Link Parent
    Expect airlines to start by cutting shorter, "regional" routes, first. Then they'll prioritize cutting the least revenue generating flights. I would, however, build in big delays into your...

    Expect airlines to start by cutting shorter, "regional" routes, first. Then they'll prioritize cutting the least revenue generating flights.

    I would, however, build in big delays into your itinerary. The thing that will be probably affect you most is TSA, not ATC or this reduction in capacity. Houston already saw 3 hour lines last weekend, and you will start seeing that nationwide if this drags on.

    8 votes

  8. Comment on US Federal Aviation Administration reducing air traffic by 10% across forty ‘high-volume’ markets during government shutdown in ~transport

    Pilot
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    As a donation you mean? US Air Traffic Controllers are Federal employees of the US Government. As are, by the way, the airport security employees of TSA. Not to mention airlines (and you, the...

    I assume there are legal reasons why the airlines can't pay the salaries of the air traffic controllers. If they could, I'm sure they would because this will cost them millions.

    As a donation you mean? US Air Traffic Controllers are Federal employees of the US Government. As are, by the way, the airport security employees of TSA. Not to mention airlines (and you, the traveler) already pay fees to use the National Airspace System which helps fund the FAA and pay for controllers. Really none of us are getting what we've paid and continue to pay for.

    Edit: So funny enough not long after commenting I ran across a post from the Denver Airport: https://www.flydenver.com/press-release/denver-international-airport-working-to-support-federal-employees-working-without-pay/

    They are requesting the ability to use airport revenues to pay ATC. A very interesting legal situation that I feel is not limited just to the legal language regarding how airports spend money.

    19 votes

  9. Comment on Studios decry cinemas’ ad-filled preshows as AMC warns of “25-30 extra minutes”: Here are the consequences for movie biz in ~movies

    Pilot
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    I long ago adopted a "no trailers" policy for myself which would have a side benefit here. No filmmaker (or any storyteller, really) envisions a narrative that you already know the plot of, and it...

    When I went to see F1 and Mission Impossible this week, the commercials and trailers were interleaved, basically making that strategy moot, which was frustrating.

    I long ago adopted a "no trailers" policy for myself which would have a side benefit here. No filmmaker (or any storyteller, really) envisions a narrative that you already know the plot of, and it can be distracting to be watching something and anticipating a scene from a trailer. Likewise, most trailers are made by third-party companies engaged by the marketing department, not extensions of the original creative idea, and those companies want to make the most engaging trailer, not one that respects spoilers.

    6 votes

  10. Comment on Zach Braff joins 'Scrubs' reboot in ~tv

    Pilot
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    Pretty much the only way for this to work. Put the OG characters in the mentor roles and bring on a new cast. I remain skeptical, though, since a lot of the magic of the show comes from Lawrence's...

    "We've been talking about a lot, and I think the only real reason to do it is a combo," he said. "A: people wanting to see what the world of medicine was like for the people they love, which is part of any successful reboot. But B: I think that show always worked because you get to see young people dropped into the world of medicine, knowing young people that go there are super idealistic and are doing it because it’s a calling."

    Pretty much the only way for this to work. Put the OG characters in the mentor roles and bring on a new cast.

    I remain skeptical, though, since a lot of the magic of the show comes from Lawrence's comedy, see Ted Lasso.

    7 votes

  11. Comment on Electric vehicle owners - what advice do you have from experience for a new user? in ~transport

    Pilot
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    Lots of great advice in the thread already. Mine is that DC fast charging is great when you need it but should not be your main charging plan. As others have said, even at normal outlet voltages...

    Lots of great advice in the thread already. Mine is that DC fast charging is great when you need it but should not be your main charging plan. As others have said, even at normal outlet voltages you will be just fine charging overnight.

    Really it's an adjustment in your thinking. Instead of planning to "fill up" while out and about, plan to have your car plugged in when it's home. Normal variations in your day will eventually keep it between 50-80% which is the sweet spot.

    If you do need to take longer trips, check out PlugShare on top of whatever Chevy offers itself when it comes to "road trip" planning. You can optimize charging stops if required.

    3 votes

  12. Comment on Doechii - Anxiety (2025) in ~music

    Pilot
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    Oh! More context is that this is a new music video for an OG Doechii video and re-release of the song. The new video references the original one by starting and ending in the original...

    Oh! More context is that this is a new music video for an OG Doechii video and re-release of the song.

    The new video references the original one by starting and ending in the original apartment/dorm room (and in a sense represents her growth as an artist who still struggles with anxieties).

    2 votes

  13. Comment on Apple restricts Pebble from being awesome with iPhones in ~tech

    Pilot
    Link Parent
    Thanks for articulating something I've been struggling to really condense when I get into this discussion. It's not that I want to be defending Apple as some kind of fan or cheerleader, it's that...

    “Apple unfairly privileges Safari so let’s further entrench a world where everything is Chrome/Blink.” Or “Apple’s App Store restrictions are anti-competitive so we need to create a world where Epic is reaping the profits of abusive casino games for kids instead.”

    Thanks for articulating something I've been struggling to really condense when I get into this discussion. It's not that I want to be defending Apple as some kind of fan or cheerleader, it's that "oh well we'll just blindly and artificially support the direct competitor" feels lazy and dangerous as legislation.

    The DMA/EU stuff drives me nuts because normally the EU is intensely privacy focused, but with Apple they seem more angry or jealous of the company than they do supportive of their own citizens' privacy-mindedness.

    4 votes

  14. Comment on Apple stops offering end-to-end encrypted iCloud storage in the UK due to government spying demands in ~tech

    Pilot
    Link Parent
    I'm pretty sure this is exactly what's happening. True appeasement would be creating the backdoor. Openly telling users in the UK they are unable to offer a service is saying, "we refuse to create...

    I'm pretty sure this is exactly what's happening. True appeasement would be creating the backdoor. Openly telling users in the UK they are unable to offer a service is saying, "we refuse to create the back door."

    3 votes

  15. Comment on Why fire hydrants ran dry as wildfires tore through Los Angeles in ~enviro

    Pilot
    Link Parent
    The context is so important. The splashy headlines that imply the system was in disrepair or not planned out are distressing. The real crisis is that we had an incredibly robust system and it was...

    The context is so important. The splashy headlines that imply the system was in disrepair or not planned out are distressing. The real crisis is that we had an incredibly robust system and it was still overwhelmed. Despite that it held out for 15 hours during which time there was zero air support and the strongest winds the area has ever seen.

    This is a climate crisis.

    37 votes

  16. Comment on Mystery drones over New Jersey spark concerns as FBI investigates in ~transport

    Pilot
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    As a pilot, nearly every single image I've been shown that proports to be a drone is emphatically an airplane. Situations described to me about drones are nearly always describing the patterns of...

    Could also just be hysteria over regular planes. The few that aren't are so out of focus to be meaningless or are of things like high visibility markers on transmission lines.

    As a pilot, nearly every single image I've been shown that proports to be a drone is emphatically an airplane. Situations described to me about drones are nearly always describing the patterns of airplanes landing or taking off.

    The responses from people like the FBI are simply to say they're doing something because they know simply denying people's imagined reality will make it worse.

    29 votes

  17. Comment on Great shows with interesting premises? in ~tv

    Pilot
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    You should watch Memento (if you haven't), which they worked on together and is sort of foundational for each brother. They each used the success of that movie to do different things and I think...

    You should watch Memento (if you haven't), which they worked on together and is sort of foundational for each brother. They each used the success of that movie to do different things and I think it's remarkable. Not for nothing, Jonathan wrote for many of Chris's films as well, including the Batmans.

    2 votes

  18. Comment on Great shows with interesting premises? in ~tv

    Pilot
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    I appreciated the high concept of Westworld's later season, I just think it was missing the compelling TV portion whereas the first two seasons maintained enough of the mystery box and cohesive...

    I appreciated the high concept of Westworld's later season, I just think it was missing the compelling TV portion whereas the first two seasons maintained enough of the mystery box and cohesive story to be accessible. Admittedly it's difficult because Season 1 of Westworld is a perfect season of television and it's very difficult to maintain that.

    1 vote

  19. Comment on Great shows with interesting premises? in ~tv

    Pilot
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    Person of Interest is why I maintain that Jonathan Nolan is the better of the brothers. A TV show so far ahead of its time that worked great as a primetime network monster of the week but that was...

    Person of Interest is why I maintain that Jonathan Nolan is the better of the brothers. A TV show so far ahead of its time that worked great as a primetime network monster of the week but that was still able to dive deep into complicated and abstract topics, ask a lot of its audience, and payoff in huge ways. Sadly, the later seasons of Westworld are what happens when you take down all the guard rails.

    9 votes

  20. Comment on Caltrain's electrification project is paying off in ~transport

    Pilot
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    You asked what I thought would hamper the high speed rail project, and the answer is NIMBYism, particularly as the alignment starts to form near Los Angeles. Thus I provided examples of rail...

    I wasn't asking about NIMBY opposition in general.

    You asked what I thought would hamper the high speed rail project, and the answer is NIMBYism, particularly as the alignment starts to form near Los Angeles. Thus I provided examples of rail projects in Los Angeles hampered by NIMBYs. California overall has let its well-intentioned environmental laws become bludgeons that delay projects.