davek804's recent activity
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Comment on A planet-wide solar boom has been beating expectations at every turn. And it’s only just the beginning. in ~enviro
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Comment on Honda confirms new Prelude hybrid coupe is coming to the US in late 2025 in ~transport
davek804 LinkGah. I would love a short-range / lighter-weight two seat BEV sport coupe from Honda. I know their net zero target is farther out than I would like to see. It makes me so sad to see that we're...Gah. I would love a short-range / lighter-weight two seat BEV sport coupe from Honda. I know their net zero target is farther out than I would like to see.
It makes me so sad to see that we're still introducing new vehicles to the market with internal combustion engines, even in a hybrid format.
That all aside, I'm glad to see the marque return and I hope it does well. I wish I could morally justify buying one myself, but I cannot.
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Comment on A few questions about replacing our clothes washing machine in ~life
davek804 Link ParentLG put out a new heat pump dryer that's the same 7.8 cu. feet that my current resistive/ducted dryer is. Until that one hit the market, their largest was 4.x cu. feet. For our needs ... the 7.8 is...LG put out a new heat pump dryer that's the same 7.8 cu. feet that my current resistive/ducted dryer is. Until that one hit the market, their largest was 4.x cu. feet. For our needs ... the 7.8 is plenty.
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Comment on A few questions about replacing our clothes washing machine in ~life
davek804 LinkSkip the all in one units. Have you looked into heat pump driers yet? They're shockingly more efficient to run, in exchange for 20% longer drying run times. We're talking using a third of the...Skip the all in one units.
Have you looked into heat pump driers yet? They're shockingly more efficient to run, in exchange for 20% longer drying run times. We're talking using a third of the electricity.
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Comment on IEA Report: The future of geothermal energy in ~enviro
davek804 Link ParentI heat and cool my entire home with a closed loop ground source heat pump. Which is geothermal. Two wells, 425' deep, spaced ten feet apart. Into each well goes two 2.5" HDPE pipes, with a u bend...I heat and cool my entire home with a closed loop ground source heat pump. Which is geothermal. Two wells, 425' deep, spaced ten feet apart. Into each well goes two 2.5" HDPE pipes, with a u bend at the bottom. These come into my basement, and connect to a pump. They're filled with a water/glycol solution. Then, the actual unit is just an air conditioner that can run forwards or in reverse.
I use between 50--150kWh to heat or cool my home in a month. Which, at first, was scary and potentially expensive.
But I also installed 32 solar panels on the roof, generating a maximum of 9.6kW of AC power to the grid, which is net metered. That system has generated a max of about 88kWh on a perfect day. So, with two reasonably good/perfect solar days, I cover the electricity cost of heat or cool my home during one of the peak winter or summer months.
The geothermal system has 6 heating power levels and 8 fan levels. It's shockingly efficient and dramatically quieter to run than my old propane system.
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Comment on What possession(s) do you have that continue to delight you every time? in ~talk
davek804 LinkIt's not a simple consumer gadget ... But my solar array. I bought my house knowing the roof was pretty good for solar, and positioned perfectly south. Nothing beats checking in on the production...It's not a simple consumer gadget ... But my solar array. I bought my house knowing the roof was pretty good for solar, and positioned perfectly south. Nothing beats checking in on the production for a day or a month and seeing you're making more electricity than consuming.
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Comment on Tildes Book Club Spring and Summer schedule 2025 in ~books
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Comment on What long book series is worth its page count? in ~books
davek804 LinkI don't think I saw it mentioned elsewhere, and that seems fine-enough. Since the beginning of November, I've been focusing on further excising political media out of my life. One of the tacts...I don't think I saw it mentioned elsewhere, and that seems fine-enough. Since the beginning of November, I've been focusing on further excising political media out of my life. One of the tacts that I've taken is re-reading the Harry Potter series for the first time in the better part of two decades.
I'm sitting midway through the fifth book. And I've slowed myself down to reading it a bit more slowly and enjoying it.
I still find it a good read. I'm sure I wouldn't care much if I hadn't read it when younger. But I remember when my Nana gave me the first book about 1.5-2 years after it came out and made it's ways to the United States. I didn't read it when given, and only picked it up a few months later and ended up enjoying it.
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Comment on What long book series is worth its page count? in ~books
davek804 Link ParentI'll try to stop by. Thanks for the invite!I'll try to stop by. Thanks for the invite!
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Comment on Tildes Book Club Spring and Summer schedule 2025 in ~books
davek804 LinkWoah. This is a cool idea. I've been toying with the idea of trying to read more in 2025. I've read your first book before, and will pick it up in the library again. I'd love to see if can enjoy...Woah. This is a cool idea. I've been toying with the idea of trying to read more in 2025. I've read your first book before, and will pick it up in the library again. I'd love to see if can enjoy this community a bit in be new year.
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Comment on What long book series is worth its page count? in ~books
davek804 Link ParentI'm stuck on book three. I just haven't gotten through it and it's been on the shelf a year. The first book and the second book blew me away. I'm sure I'll get back into it fully at some point and...I'm stuck on book three. I just haven't gotten through it and it's been on the shelf a year.
The first book and the second book blew me away.
I'm sure I'll get back into it fully at some point and blow through it.
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Comment on What long book series is worth its page count? in ~books
davek804 Link ParentSecond your thoughts. There are so many other enjoyable Kim Stanley Robinson works as well. I think the Science in the Capital series is up there on the slow developing enjoyable story list. Not...Second your thoughts. There are so many other enjoyable Kim Stanley Robinson works as well. I think the Science in the Capital series is up there on the slow developing enjoyable story list. Not as good as the Mars trilogy, but still in his vein and enjoyable.
I really liked Aurora, and believe it or not, desperately enjoyed The Ministry for the Future. That being said, I never finished The Years of Rice and Salt.
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Comment on Reusing plastic water bottles, to-go containers? Scientists say that’s a bad idea. in ~health
davek804 LinkBrought to you by those with financial interests in getting you to buy new single-use plastic! No, I mean, seriously, this plastic stuff is going to be viewed in the future as a massive wtf...Brought to you by those with financial interests in getting you to buy new single-use plastic! No, I mean, seriously, this plastic stuff is going to be viewed in the future as a massive wtf moment. Best case scenario, the first use isn't riddling us with poison. Of course we shouldn't be subjecting these plastics to heat. Of course they're leaching hundreds/thousands of chemicals into the food inside the container depending on environment conditions!
The point I'm trying to make is not that we should be re-using plastics, consequences be damned. Instead, where's the regulation? Single-use plastics are the primary profit center for petroleum companies as direct use of fossil fuels declines. They're desperately interested in increasing single-use plastic consumption as much as possible - why would they want to make them safe for reuse? If there's no consequences for them to push dangerous plastics on us (which I certainly haven't seen any substantial consequences!) - why not simply push the highest volume they can?
We need to find ways to hold businesses accountable for the poisoning. Not only that, but we need to fund, as a public, the research that can unequivocally define exactly what the poisoning is. To understand it. Then we can make more legislation on top of that.
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Comment on European Federation of Journalists to stop posting content on X in ~tech
davek804 Link ParentYeah, I mean. I'm basically finding both to be a bit shit these days - Twitter and Bluesky. I've done maybe 10-20 starter packs on Bluesky, and a number of folks that I specifically wanted to...Yeah, I mean. I'm basically finding both to be a bit shit these days - Twitter and Bluesky. I've done maybe 10-20 starter packs on Bluesky, and a number of folks that I specifically wanted to find.
I'm struck by the difference in the two feeds. Over time, I added more and more organizations to my followed list on Twitter. So, right now, when I look at Twitter, it's a lot of orgs and people that work at orgs. Whereas right now, my Bluesky is a lot of individuals and very few orgs.
Both are fine, I guess. But so little of my identity is tied up in Twitter / social media. It's there, and I really appreciate not looking at it all the time.
I wish a few of the individual journalists, whose opinions I respect, were on Bluesky. But, also, I'm just kind of acknowledging that the internet isn't the same community that it used to be. There's a nostalgia there that's, like most nostalgia, not based fully in the nitty gritty reality. But yeah. Neither of these platforms are inherently good. They're both there to make money off of my use. If it's free, you're the product.
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Comment on What chemicals/substances do you keep at home? And what do you do with them? in ~life.home_improvement
davek804 LinkTreadmill lube for the walking desk. +1 citric acid. Bar Keeper's Friend for abraisive cleaning. Compressed air.Treadmill lube for the walking desk.
+1 citric acid.
Bar Keeper's Friend for abraisive cleaning.
Compressed air.
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Comment on Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix 2024 - Results in ~sports.motorsports
davek804 Link ParentI interpreted this to be a classic FIA throwing a bone to Ferrari move. But yeah, my first instinct was a drama-inducing move to spice up the constructors a tiny bit....I interpreted this to be a classic FIA throwing a bone to Ferrari move. But yeah, my first instinct was a drama-inducing move to spice up the constructors a tiny bit.
One of the more intriguing aspects within the Concorde Agreement has been an extra historic payment that Ferrari receives because of its long-term significance to the series. It is the only team to have competed in every season since the world championship began.
While extra payments to championship-winning teams are based on success, Ferrari’s bonus is irrelevant to its competitive fortunes on track.
Under the terms of the current Concorde Agreement, Ferrari receives a payment that is at least 5% of the entire prize fund.
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Comment on La Salle Causeway lift bridge in ~engineering
davek804 LinkHa. Thanks for sharing. That was an informative and quick little history lesson I would never have gotten without your post. I even decided to watch the video after reading the text, and that was...Ha. Thanks for sharing. That was an informative and quick little history lesson I would never have gotten without your post.
I even decided to watch the video after reading the text, and that was a lovely moment of simple joy, too.
Thank you for sharing.
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Comment on Three Cheers for Tildes: App updates and feedback (November 2024) — Version 1.2 lets you save comment drafts in ~tildes
davek804 LinkHappy Thanksgiving to you as well! Appreciate the continued efforts. Hip hip!Happy Thanksgiving to you as well! Appreciate the continued efforts. Hip hip!
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Comment on Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024 - Results in ~sports.motorsports
davek804 Link ParentTook me a solid twenty seconds to sound out that your "cats" was a typo for "cars" - the silly thing before the podium. Don't change it. The cats thing is a fun typo. 😀Took me a solid twenty seconds to sound out that your "cats" was a typo for "cars" - the silly thing before the podium. Don't change it. The cats thing is a fun typo. 😀
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Comment on Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024 - Results in ~sports.motorsports
davek804 LinkI really couldn't make myself excited about the Las Vegas GP. Late in the calendar, the championship more-or-less a fait-accompli, and zero history and luster. If you want Las Vegas to be an...I really couldn't make myself excited about the Las Vegas GP. Late in the calendar, the championship more-or-less a fait-accompli, and zero history and luster.
If you want Las Vegas to be an important race, I think it needs to be earlier in the calendar of races. The whole gamble-schtick doesn't land when you're talking about the tail end of the race calendar.
F1TV also wouldn't work for me at all on three browsers late night, live, so I ended up watching it on replay without spoilers this morning. I didn't need to care about this race.
Semi- looking forward to the final races now that the driver's championship has been decided. Usually a fun period of the year.
Wow. I really appreciated the style of this page as well as the information it conveyed. Thanks for sharing this!