AugustusFerdinand's recent activity

  1. Comment on Pornhub is now blocked in almost all of the US South in ~tech

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    "They're not here to answer your question so they obviously exist." isn't proof of anything any more than it's proof that god exists but can't be bothered to respond to a plea because she is too...

    "They're not here to answer your question so they obviously exist." isn't proof of anything any more than it's proof that god exists but can't be bothered to respond to a plea because she is too busy giving some boy on the banks of a river in Africa a parasite that'll cause him to go blind before he's five years old.

    2 votes

  2. Comment on DCA3 - GTA3 ported to the Dreamcast in ~games

  3. Comment on California will require insurance companies to offer coverage in wildfire zones in ~enviro

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    It's a bit more complicated than the other response/quote from the article, but the answer is Yes. All insurance is a risk pool, your car insurance isn't just paying for your likelihood of needing...

    It's a bit more complicated than the other response/quote from the article, but the answer is Yes.

    All insurance is a risk pool, your car insurance isn't just paying for your likelihood of needing to use it, but also a portion of the triple-DUI driver's likelihood, your health insurance doesn't care if you run a 5k every day, you're still paying for the person that drinks a bottle of cheap gin and smokes a pack of cigarettes a day, and so on and so forth.
    Until this new law kicks in insurers in California aren't allowed to pass on the cost of reinsurance on to consumers in California; reinsurance is insurance for insurance companies that they take out to not have catastrophic loss when the ever increasing massive catastrophes cause them to pay out vast quantities. So they stopped writing policies in California high-risk areas (or altogether) since no business is going to purposefully operate in a high-risk no-reward market.
    I largely blame the controlled-burn NIMBYs and the pull they have with the various agencies to prevent these catastrophic fires from occurring. Paradise, CA, mentioned in the article regarding the 2018 fire that destroyed 90% of the town of 26,000 and still hasn't recovered (2020 population was about 4.5k), was "an island of relative affordability in expensive California", but because no disaster will go unpunished, that is largely gone now. New building regulations, insurance costs, and the price of losing everything, leaving, and trying to come back means it's quickly becoming just another rich people's mountain town.

    The rule will require home insurers to offer coverage in high-risk areas, something the state has never done, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s office said in a statement. Insurers will have to start increasing their coverage by 5% every two years until they hit the equivalent of 85% of their market share. That means if an insurer writes 20 out of every 100 state policies, they’d need to write 17 in a high-risk area, Lara’s office said.

    What I don't quite get is this section of the article. Sure insurers will now be able to pass on the cost of reinsurance to consumers and might re-enter the market because of that, but they're going to have to eventually have an 85% high-risk portfolio? Who the hell would do that? Who the hell in a non-high-risk area could afford to subsidize the 85% of high-risk policies?

    8 votes

  4. Comment on Pornhub is now blocked in almost all of the US South in ~tech

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    I'm sorry, what? Are there any parents here that can chime in and say "I'm happy about these laws because don't have enough time and/or money to keep my kids away from porn?"

    I'm sorry, what?

    Are there any parents here that can chime in and say "I'm happy about these laws because don't have enough time and/or money to keep my kids away from porn?"

    10 votes

  5. Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    Like backyard skating rink or a pond that freezes over or something? Is that a thing Canadians have? There's an ice rink in town, the park across the street has two ponds that freeze over (thin...

    But my BiL and nephew hate it, since they've only been able to use their backyard rink a few times so far.

    Like backyard skating rink or a pond that freezes over or something? Is that a thing Canadians have?
    There's an ice rink in town, the park across the street has two ponds that freeze over (thin ice), but I've never skated and never saw anything more than a puddle freeze over back in Texas. In the next two months there's ice drifting up in the mountains that I'm going to try to go to, first time anywhere near a frozen body of water that can actually support the weight of a person, let alone multiple cars.

    The new place is great too, and within walking distance of a ton of awesome restaurants, amenities, and stuff. Our current place is an awesome house, but there is absolutely nothing within walking distance of it, and I don't drive. So I am really really looking forward to the change of location. It's been far to long since I was within walking distance of a pub with live music. ;)

    Nice! Still in the middle of nowhere middle-Canada then, just actually closer to "civilization" now?

    TBH, that sounds kinda nice to me, LOL. My favorite tea has cloves, cinnamon, and pink pepper corns in it. So that flavor profile is right up my alley. :P

    You monster. It's supposed to be a rye heavy mashbill, which I don't mind at all as I like rye, but this just did not work for me. Doesn't help that I despise the fake cinnamon flavor of Fireball (and everything fake/hot cinnamon) and have bad memories of the first and last time I ever did Fireball.

    1 vote

  6. Comment on How do you decide when to buy a book? in ~books

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link
    95% of my reading is non-fiction. So I buy most of them to have a physical copy on hand as an e-reader and blacksmithing/machining/working on cars is rarely compatible. It helps that a lot of the...

    95% of my reading is non-fiction. So I buy most of them to have a physical copy on hand as an e-reader and blacksmithing/machining/working on cars is rarely compatible. It helps that a lot of the books I get aren't available in a digital format anyway. Those that do will have a digital format downloaded (Yarr! or Anna's Archive) as well so I can read on my computer when I'm not actively elbow deep in some sort of dirt.

    4 votes

  7. Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    Automatic litter box as others have mentioned for the covering. My wife got our cat a "litter mat" which is a silicone double layered mat/rug that has a hollow honeycomb texture on the top and a...

    Automatic litter box as others have mentioned for the covering. My wife got our cat a "litter mat" which is a silicone double layered mat/rug that has a hollow honeycomb texture on the top and a solid layer on the bottom, placed it so the cat has to walk across it when leaving the litter box and the design kinda makes their toes spread as they walk across it and drops the loose litter into the bottom. Has helped with litter tracking quite a bit if using the clay/finer types. Don't know if it'll work with the pellet/newspaper type of litter though.

    1 vote

  8. Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    They say beauty is in the eye of the beerholder so I have to assume that you and @caliper were either drunk, blind, blind-drunk, or liars when you made your comments and I will not stand idly by...

    They say beauty is in the eye of the beerholder so I have to assume that you and @caliper were either drunk, blind, blind-drunk, or liars when you made your comments and I will not stand idly by while you two dare compliment my pup!
    He looks like a turd drying in the sun, but that's fine because he's my turd drying in the sun. [that sounds weird...]

    3 votes

  9. Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    He's balanced out by our cat, who is an idiot. We make jokes that he's an orange cat from a printer that ran out of ink (he's striped gray) with one braincell between him and his tail and the tail...

    Hah, so the exact opposite of my last dog. ;) I loved Quincy, but good God was he ever a dummy. :P He did so much stupid stuff (like eating his own shit, rabbit shit, random mushrooms in the yard, black walnuts which made him have tremors, etc) that I had to remain vigilant whenever we were outside. :/

    He's balanced out by our cat, who is an idiot. We make jokes that he's an orange cat from a printer that ran out of ink (he's striped gray) with one braincell between him and his tail and the tail has it most of the time. Jokes that he can only count to one, we sing to the animals and his songs get dumbed down, etc.

    He thankfully at least loved to cuddle too though, but at 85lbs of pure muscle it wasn't exactly the most comfortable thing for me when he would plop down directly on top of me while I was lying on the couch or in my bed. :P

    All dogs are lap dogs if you're brave enough or can't get out of the way fast enough. My aunt had a beer keg of a Rottweiler that was paired with a 9lb dachshund, the rotty looked as intimidating as can be, but was sweet (and dumb) as any dog can be, got bossed around by the little hot dog. The latter was a lap dog of course, so the former decided she was also a lap dog whether you wanted her to be or not.

    p.s. Speaking of Colorado, how are you enjoying it so far? It's a lot colder than Texas, especially right now, I imagine. :P

    Loving it. It's delightfully magical here in so many ways.
    Definitely colder, but hasn't been too "bad" (I like the cold, much more than heat, so wouldn't call it "bad" pretty much any time here) so far. The biggest change is the temperature swings, back in Dallas a normal day the temp swings 15°F from the high to the low of the day, here it's double that every day and it gets chilly fast when the sun goes down. Since I can put on more/warmer clothes to battle the cold, but could only get so naked to battle the heat in Texas, I don't mind. Did move insulating and heating the garage up my list of projects though. Blacksmithing in the cold ain't so bad, working on cars with frigid fingers isn't all that enjoyable.

    How are things in the Great White NorthTM with you and yours?

    Also: If you see a whiskey called New Riff, skip it. Tastes like nothing but clove, cinnamon, and peppercorns, like someone tried to make a fancy version of Fireball.

    1 vote

  10. Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    He's amazing. Too smart for his own good, loves to cuddle, everything is awesome, and loving Colorado. His ugliness is compounded by the fact that he didn't always have the white spot on his face,...

    He's amazing. Too smart for his own good, loves to cuddle, everything is awesome, and loving Colorado. His ugliness is compounded by the fact that he didn't always have the white spot on his face, that is vitiligo that developed about a decade ago, rare enough that his vet at the time marched a parade of students into look at his ugly mug. He also has "witch's moles" on his face and neck with long black hairs growing out of them, and lumpy fatty deposits that come and go; he's like an oil painting, much better viewed from a distance.
    He's a Chiweenie (Chihuahua/Dachshund) and no signs of slowing down, two walks a day (although in the colder weather up here we keep them under half a mile during the winter), and lots of "killing (plays fetch, but goes in the other room to growl and attack the toy because he doesn't want me to witness the brutality).

    Sorry to hear about that, unfortunately a memory I also share of a childhood pup.

    1 vote

  11. Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link
    My wife made a little gif of my ugly ass dog (turned 13 yesterday) wiggling his dumb little ears; so here you go: One Dobby-ass looking hideous pigbeast of a pup. I love him so damn much.

    My wife made a little gif of my ugly ass dog (turned 13 yesterday) wiggling his dumb little ears; so here you go: One Dobby-ass looking hideous pigbeast of a pup.

    I love him so damn much.

    5 votes

  12. Comment on $1.22 billion Mega Millions jackpot won in California in ~finance

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    Absolute statements tend to ignore the infinite shades of gray between two points. Tis why only a Sith speaks in absolutes. Not that I'm saying billionaires should exist... ABAB (All Billionaires...

    Absolute statements tend to ignore the infinite shades of gray between two points. Tis why only a Sith speaks in absolutes. Not that I'm saying billionaires should exist...
    ABAB (All Billionaires Are Bastards) is directed toward the cough cough "self-made" billionaires and the multitude of people they had to exploit to get there.

    The winner here also isn't getting a billion dollars; if they take the annuity they'll get $768.6M over 30 years (and that number assumes current tax rates remain steady for the entire time), if they take the lump sum it'll be a single payment of $353,986,416.

    Not that I'm saying multi-hundred-millionaires should exist either.

    12 votes

  13. Comment on Honda and Nissan announce plans to merge, creating world's third-largest automaker in ~transport

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    :waves: Hi, I'm the Tildes resident car enthusiast/mechanic (which is really all the explanation needed). Simply put, I like pretty much anything with an engine and cars are cheap if you know how...

    :waves:
    Hi, I'm the Tildes resident car enthusiast/mechanic (which is really all the explanation needed).
    Simply put, I like pretty much anything with an engine and cars are cheap if you know how to fix them. Some in that list (Sentra, Altima, Cube) were merely commuters/appliances, others were fun. Cars I really like I keep (like the Z), others I typically buy, fix, tune, experience, then sell when something else that I want comes along. That list is just the Nissans.

    Maxima was a 3.5L V6, 6 speed manual, sleeper that with a little work (headers, exhaust, supercharger, nitrous) put about 400hp to the ground and embarrassed cars at the drag strip that had a monthly payment more than I bought the car for.
    240SX is a light RWD sporty car for tall people that don't fit in a Miata.
    D21 Pickup is a good small pickup that gets the job done in an age of monstrous trucks used by salespeople to commute from their apartment to their cubicle job and back.
    Stanza is just funky.
    510 is a classic that I intended to keep, but once it was running someone else made me an offer that I couldn't refuse.

    Why Wranglers?

    6 votes

  14. Comment on Honda and Nissan announce plans to merge, creating world's third-largest automaker in ~transport

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    Dodge did the same thing, like Nissan they finance anyone with a pulse. Kia and Hyundai decided they wanted to move upmarket, a market void needed filling. That said, the downmarket cars...

    Dodge did the same thing, like Nissan they finance anyone with a pulse. Kia and Hyundai decided they wanted to move upmarket, a market void needed filling.
    That said, the downmarket cars specifically (Sentra, Altima) I owned long ago before Nissan decided to shift to an underserved segment and I never buy a new car. Most of the vehicles in that list are pre-21st century with only the Maxima and Cube being from this side of 2001.

    Altimas with paper plates are practically a meme in car circles now, I avoid them like the plague if I see them on the road. About to get worse too since Nissan is slated to kill the Altima like they did the Maxima, so their buyers are probably going to be in something larger and more dangerous like a Kicks or Rogue. That is unless Honda pulls Nissan's high-risk financing policies.

    3 votes

  15. Comment on Honda and Nissan announce plans to merge, creating world's third-largest automaker in ~transport

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    What models and issues have you had? They aren't my favored brand by a long shot, but over the years I've had multiple Sentra, Altima, Maxima, Z, 240SX, Pickup, Stanza, Cube, and 510 models. The...

    What models and issues have you had? They aren't my favored brand by a long shot, but over the years I've had multiple Sentra, Altima, Maxima, Z, 240SX, Pickup, Stanza, Cube, and 510 models. The only thing I've been disappointed with as a whole was the Versa as it was a bottom of the barrel econobox that made me want to walk instead of drive. None were perfect, every car has its quirks, but nothing that would flat out turn me away from the brand entirely, except anything they make with the shit JATCO CVTs.

    5 votes

  16. Comment on US Congress' age debate reignites over member living in retirement home in ~society

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    University professors, 'of counsel' lawyers, aged-out consultants, and a couple of retired judges don't make sweeping policy decisions that affect 330Million+ people. A few still sharp aged...

    University professors, 'of counsel' lawyers, aged-out consultants, and a couple of retired judges don't make sweeping policy decisions that affect 330Million+ people. A few still sharp aged individual exceptions to the rule doesn't make for a good case to not have age limits. 47% of senators are well past their prime and aren't accomplishing the great things that Sanders and Warren have. Setting the rules to keep around the 2% that don't suck, but as a result also protects the 45% that do seems a terrible trade.

    We don't allow minors to make the decisions of adults because it's well understood they don't have the full mental faculties to do so, cognitive decline is well established with age. It's not ageism to want to put a stop to the vast majority of well past their prime politicians that cling to power because they have nothing better to do than to force legislation about things they don't understand and write laws to ensure they aren't prosecuted for the many things that are illegal for the rest of us like insider trading.

    Only relying on voting to remove from office requires a system that is fair and balanced, something our very flawed democracy does not feature.

    @boxer_dogs_dance as well so I don't have to type more than one reply

    9 votes

  17. Comment on US Congress' age debate reignites over member living in retirement home in ~society

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    And every single one that votes to do so is out of office the next term, assuming they don't get Luigi'd for having the gall to even attempt such, and it's reversed with all those that replaced them.

    That last requirement is a nasty monkeypaw where Congress just pumps the eligibility up 20 years.

    And every single one that votes to do so is out of office the next term, assuming they don't get Luigi'd for having the gall to even attempt such, and it's reversed with all those that replaced them.

    2 votes

  18. Comment on US Congress' age debate reignites over member living in retirement home in ~society

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    The issue with tests is they're just going to have a cache of doctors that give them a favorable result to remain in power. Age limit gives it a simple and easy to understand line upon which they...

    The issue with tests is they're just going to have a cache of doctors that give them a favorable result to remain in power.

    Age limit gives it a simple and easy to understand line upon which they cannot cross. While not applicable, and we can debate that as well, to federal judges, many states have mandatory retirement ages for many judicial seats. There's no reason there shouldn't be the same for every political position.
    We've got this dementia-raddled rep bogarting a seat she never even uses from a nursing home. We've got crypt-keeper Pelosi pulling strings behind the curtain, from a hospital bed, to get a cancer-laden one-foot-in-the-grave rep pushed into place because she can't stand the idea of a young woman overshadowing her.

    Once you're eligible for Social Security and/or Medicare, you no longer are eligible to run for office. Finish your current term and enjoy retirement, the country needs to move on from you.

    28 votes

  19. Comment on Two US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent ‘friendly fire’ incident, US military says in ~news

    AugustusFerdinand
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    Somebody is going to get a very serious talking to.

    It wasn’t immediately clear how the Gettysburg could mistake an F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, particularly as ships in a battle group remain linked by both radar and radio communication.

    Somebody is going to get a very serious talking to.

    6 votes

  20. Comment on Tenant unions are coming. US landlords aren't ready. in ~life

    AugustusFerdinand
    Link Parent
    There's a lot of comments here that seem to assume evictions have stopped entirely. The renters' incentive is to remain where they are instead of moving, possibly to a place without a tenant's...

    If you're rent striking, you're just not paying rent. It's not like you're moving out. The landlord obviously has an incentive to stop the strike, but what's the renters incentive?

    There's a lot of comments here that seem to assume evictions have stopped entirely. The renters' incentive is to remain where they are instead of moving, possibly to a place without a tenant's union, and all of the costs associated with it plus the black mark of an eviction on their record which greatly limits where they can live next.

    8 votes