frostycakes's recent activity
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Comment on The elite college students who can’t read books in ~humanities
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Comment on DirecTV and Dish to merge, creating US pay-TV giant, as AT&T completes exit from entertainment in ~tv
frostycakes LinkHopefully getting this debt offloaded will allow Dish to actually get their act together re: rolling out their mobile network. It's ridiculous that they've built out so many cell sites, yet can't...Hopefully getting this debt offloaded will allow Dish to actually get their act together re: rolling out their mobile network. It's ridiculous that they've built out so many cell sites, yet can't seem to move their customers over to their own network instead of paying through the nose to T-Mobile and AT&T for their MVNO agreements.
Then again, Charlie Ergen is a cheap and honestly pretty incompetent leader, so I'm not too optimistic until he's out of the management picture, or the financial situation continues to deteriorate to the point that they have to sell off to someone else (assuming another company wants a greenfield Open RAN 5G-only network, since companies like Rakuten Mobile aren't having much success in that space either).
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Comment on ‘Paper or plastic?’ will no longer be a choice at California grocery stores in ~enviro
frostycakes LinkI'm shocked that we were ahead of this curve in Colorado, and are stricter about our plastic bag ban-- there's no exceptions based on what is being sold or the size of the store here, afaik. The...I'm shocked that we were ahead of this curve in Colorado, and are stricter about our plastic bag ban-- there's no exceptions based on what is being sold or the size of the store here, afaik. The grocery store I work at has paper bags still (that do cost the $0.10/bag still), but it seems the majority of our customers (in a suburb that leans conservative, in the heart of local oil and gas production country) have adapted to either bringing their own or just carrying out their stuff just fine, despite the grousing when this first started for about a month or so.
The real surprising one is that Walmart ditched single use bags entirely (no paper ones) after this ban, I would have thought they would fight tooth and nail against this.
I wish we'd see some action on food containers, although I have noticed more and more places going to (industrially) compostable containers in the last couple years, at the least.
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Comment on Google Pixel 9 launch event live coverage: all the news in ~tech
frostycakes Link ParentI kind of wish they'd return to what they did with the OG Pixel and have the width taper down along the phone, so the cameras still stay flush with the back. I can't say I hate the camera bump...I kind of wish they'd return to what they did with the OG Pixel and have the width taper down along the phone, so the cameras still stay flush with the back.
I can't say I hate the camera bump though, I do like it more than the camera square that the 4a 5G had (and the ones on the past couple iPhone generations), and I like the rounded take on it of the 9.
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Comment on Any good auto or renters insurance companies? in ~finance
frostycakes LinkI'll throw in for Lemonade for renter's insurance, at least. They've consistently been cheaper than anyone else for the same amount of coverage, and were quick to pay out for some damaged stuff...I'll throw in for Lemonade for renter's insurance, at least. They've consistently been cheaper than anyone else for the same amount of coverage, and were quick to pay out for some damaged stuff after a tree branch broke a window in my apartment during a storm, causing a lot of water damage.
They offer car insurance too, but I haven't tried that yet, so I can't speak to it. I've just been lazy and kept my policy with The General for my cheap old shitbox, as I needed SR22 insurance once upon a time, and just never switched away after I no longer needed it. I wouldn't get a new policy for a new car with them, though. I haven't had much reason to consider going through the effort to switch, plus my rates have dropped consistently with every renewal so far.
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Comment on 'I was misidentified as shoplifter by facial recognition tech' in ~tech
frostycakes Link ParentI work for them currently, and either that was specific to the division you worked in, or changed since then. My division has fired people for simply going and capturing images of the license...I work for them currently, and either that was specific to the division you worked in, or changed since then. My division has fired people for simply going and capturing images of the license plates of shoplifters, and their official policy is do nothing besides alerting store management. Even attempting to ask them to check their receipt is against policy now.
My division also only places security guards at the union stores, nonunion ones (I work at one, sadly) do not have that. We have kids stealing cases of beer constantly, and all corporate did was turn the door that's on the deli/cafe area side into an emergency exit, but months later they still haven't installed any form of alarm on it, so they just walk out that door anyways. And I work at a store that has often been the single busiest store in all of Kroger nationally, not just in my division, no less. They have crap ass cameras that throw alerts all the time for theft if it so much as detects a purse swung off of a shoulder at the wrong time on the SCO registers, but do nothing to enforce things. It's an asinine waste of money.
I'm not complaining about not being required to intervene, but Kroger corporate clearly doesn't care that much about theft that isn't internal. God forbid you sample a produce item for a customer and eat the other portion yourself though, I had someone on my team written up for theft for that one.
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Comment on Amid marijuana legalization, a civic problem lingers: that smell in ~life
frostycakes Link ParentYou'd be surprised at just how many people are hitting carts when they're out and about. That's the main selling point of them, IMO. They're discreet enough that most people cannot tell you're...You'd be surprised at just how many people are hitting carts when they're out and about. That's the main selling point of them, IMO. They're discreet enough that most people cannot tell you're doing anything but vaping unless they're up close or it's a super terpene heavy live rosin cartridge, and even those dissipate quickly.
Back when I was taking transit to work, I'd keep a battery and cart in my backpack that I'd hit while waiting for the train to head home, and I was never the only one doing so IME.
I still use them at home to help me fall asleep, as my partner and I have a roommate who doesn't partake, so I want to minimize the smell for her. I do vape flower in our garage or when I'm out camping/hiking, and for the latter I'll bring some joints too, as the high is undeniably different between all of these consumption methods, and a joint is just something I've always done on camping trips since a friend and I would go on them back in high school.
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Comment on 2024 Ford Ranger first drive review: A capable truck I don’t want to drive in ~transport
frostycakes Link ParentMy partner has an '06 Tacoma, even that one is larger than what I'm looking for. Something the size of the late 90s Taco is about as big as I'd go.My partner has an '06 Tacoma, even that one is larger than what I'm looking for. Something the size of the late 90s Taco is about as big as I'd go.
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Comment on 2024 Ford Ranger first drive review: A capable truck I don’t want to drive in ~transport
frostycakes LinkYet another truck ruined by the endless march to get larger and fancier. My '01 Ranger that I had when younger would be an equivalent of $29k new today after factoring inflation. A $40k+ Ranger is...Yet another truck ruined by the endless march to get larger and fancier. My '01 Ranger that I had when younger would be an equivalent of $29k new today after factoring inflation. A $40k+ Ranger is obscene, and the Maverick, while neat and the size I want, is still FWD if you want the hybrid and built on a car platform, not a true body-on-frame truck one.
Give me a small, RWD/4WD pickup with a manual transmission option, or failing the manual, a true hybrid or EV one that isn't a full-size truck. Screw the giant tablet dash too, while we're at it-- that is one of the worst trends in modern cars, IMO.
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Comment on WiFi 7 is officially here, but routers are pricey. Do you need it yet? in ~tech
frostycakes LinkGiven that I used moving to a new place that had gigabit fiber available to upgrade my routers to two 6E mesh nodes, it's rather pointless. 6E gives me the 6GHz band that's great to have living in...Given that I used moving to a new place that had gigabit fiber available to upgrade my routers to two 6E mesh nodes, it's rather pointless. 6E gives me the 6GHz band that's great to have living in an apartment building, and I paid ~$300 for two mesh nodes that even have 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports, so they're decently futureproofed if/when my ISP starts offering faster than 1Gbps speeds. Mine and my partner's phones are 6E capable, as is our roommate's laptop, so we're getting some use out of it already.
If I was still using my old AC router, I might have gone straight to 7 instead of 6E, but this is good enough for our needs for the forseeable future.
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Comment on ‘No cash accepted’ signs are bad news for millions of unbanked Americans in ~finance
frostycakes Link ParentMoney orders are what are used instead, and basically every grocery store and many convenience stores sell them for a $1-$3 fee. I use them myself since I get 1% cashback on transactions with my...Money orders are what are used instead, and basically every grocery store and many convenience stores sell them for a $1-$3 fee.
I use them myself since I get 1% cashback on transactions with my debit card, and money orders at the grocery store are just processed like any other transaction there-- nets me more than the $1 fee costs me. The grocery store especially will typically offer check cashing as well (naturally for a fee), so it's rather common to see people on the first of the month at the customer service desk cashing their paychecks and getting a money order for their rent at the same time in poorer neighborhoods.
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Comment on What's the deal with the popcorn button? in ~food
frostycakes LinkSadly, all but one of my apartments has had a built-in over the stove microwave, all GE ones, which all have/had the crappy time-based popcorn button without a sensor. I dunno why GE/Haier seems...Sadly, all but one of my apartments has had a built-in over the stove microwave, all GE ones, which all have/had the crappy time-based popcorn button without a sensor. I dunno why GE/Haier seems so resistant to putting a sensor in (even the one in the house my family lived in when I was in high school, a pre-Haier buyout Profile model) did not have a sensor for popcorn.
I'm partial to the Whirley Pop popcorn pot I got as a gift some time back though. Toss some ghee in the pot as the popping oil/flavoring, crank the handle while it's popping, then toss the popcorn in a bowl with Old Bay as the seasoning. Beats crappy theater popcorn by a mile, IMO. I don't know why people are so enamored with the greasy, fake-tasting theater popcorn in the first place. So much better to find seasonings of your own to like.
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Comment on Firefox will support at least 200 new extensions on Android this December in ~tech
frostycakes Link ParentBPC does have a combo blocklist for uBlock Origin and a companion user script install that works on Tampermonkey (and by extension, Firefox on Android) here. It's not quite as good as BPC on...BPC does have a combo blocklist for uBlock Origin and a companion user script install that works on Tampermonkey (and by extension, Firefox on Android) here. It's not quite as good as BPC on desktop, but it does the trick for the vast majority of paywalls I come across on my phone.
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Comment on The US tried permanent daylight saving time in the ’70s. People hated it. in ~life
frostycakes Link ParentAs someone who often has to clock into their job at 4am, neither do I. I never see daylight when I'm heading into work (aside from the earliest bits of twilight for a week or so around the summer...As someone who often has to clock into their job at 4am, neither do I. I never see daylight when I'm heading into work (aside from the earliest bits of twilight for a week or so around the summer solstice), and it really doesn't make a difference. Having it be dark before 5pm in December absolutely decimates my moods, however.
I'd be pushing for my state to move up a time zone if we got stuck with permanent standard time, and I live at the reference longitude for my current time zone, even.
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Comment on Can Windows make the jump to ARM like Apple did? in ~comp
frostycakes Link ParentWIndows NT (the base for all modern Windows, including 10 and 11) was originally developed on the i860 architecture explicitly to avoid making it dependent on x86 specific quirks or features....WIndows NT (the base for all modern Windows, including 10 and 11) was originally developed on the i860 architecture explicitly to avoid making it dependent on x86 specific quirks or features. There's been various versions of release Windows for MIPS, Alpha, Itanium, and PowerPC, in addition to the x86, AMD64, and ARM versions that we see today.
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Comment on Pixel 6 owners who use multiple profiles run into problems with Android 14 in ~tech
frostycakes Link ParentIt's not quite the same, but you can set your phone to drop the status bar by tapping twice on the back of the phone. I have that set to turn the flashlight on on my 7 Pro, for example.It's not quite the same, but you can set your phone to drop the status bar by tapping twice on the back of the phone. I have that set to turn the flashlight on on my 7 Pro, for example.
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Comment on The one-state solution by Edward Saïd (1999) in ~misc
frostycakes Link ParentLinks can and do fail, and many of these archive sites don't work on networks using Cloudflare DNS servers due to weird tiffs between them and CF. You also don't run into the problem that 12ft.io...Links can and do fail, and many of these archive sites don't work on networks using Cloudflare DNS servers due to weird tiffs between them and CF. You also don't run into the problem that 12ft.io did, where there are news sites that they won't bypass for you, either because they've been ordered to or paid off to.
It's a lot harder to completely get rid of a bypassing paywalls browser extension, than to take out a hosted service. What happens when an ISP (maybe not in the US, but I know this happens in Europe) is court ordered to block access to these sites on piracy grounds, for example?
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Comment on The one-state solution by Edward Saïd (1999) in ~misc
frostycakes Link ParentThere are paywall bypassing extensions out there, use them. I really don't like these archive links to bypass, same as 12ft.io. They're far easier to end up blocked by the original source, and as...There are paywall bypassing extensions out there, use them. I really don't like these archive links to bypass, same as 12ft.io. They're far easier to end up blocked by the original source, and as you mentioned, may have a chilling effect on their ability to archive things.
Even on my phone I have Firefox with uBO and Tampermonkey with the userscript for Bypass Paywalls Clean loaded into it. Don't even need to sideload, run Nightly, or enable developer options to do so-- both TM and uBO are officially supported on Firefox for Android. With how techy the Tildes crowd leans, I am baffled at how few people seem to just install paywall bypass extensions on here.
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Comment on Caroline Polachek: Tiny Desk Concert (2023) in ~music
frostycakes Link ParentIf you haven't yet, go check out her prior work as part of Chairlift, it's where I fell in love with her sound. You'll probably recognize Bruises from a late-aughts iPod commercial, or I Belong in...If you haven't yet, go check out her prior work as part of Chairlift, it's where I fell in love with her sound. You'll probably recognize Bruises from a late-aughts iPod commercial, or I Belong in Your Arms from Heartstopper. Amanaemonesia is another earlier track worth checking out. I'm still partial to their last album Moth, especially Polymorphing, Crying in Public, Romeo, and Moth to the Flame.
Polachek is just a fantastic musician all around.
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Comment on How can I get my engineers to accept being on call? in ~tech
frostycakes Link ParentThe problem is, at least here in the US, is that it's rare to have employment contracts at all. Outside of government employees, contractors, and people in the state of Montana, we are all at will...The problem is, at least here in the US, is that it's rare to have employment contracts at all. Outside of government employees, contractors, and people in the state of Montana, we are all at will employees. I've never seen a W2 job outside of those aformentioned scenarios not have verbiage staring that "this is not an employment contract" when receiving a job offer to sign.
I have a friend and former roommate whose job description explicitly included fully open availability (as an IT guy for a middling construction company) explicitly so that if they need to call someone in at 2am due to whatever crisis, anyone who says no can be terminated and be ineligible for unemployment. If these engineers for the OP situation's job descriptions didn't include defined hours of availability, odds are, at least in my US experience, they would be seen as terminating for cause for refusing to go on-call.
I'm no labor lawyer, obviously, and a court fight may well result in the worker winning, but there's also the spectre of binding arbitration agreements that preclude taking these things to court, which thanks to our lovely Supreme Court, are spreading like weeds amongst companies for both their employees and customers.
We have very few rights as workers here, at all levels.
I use Quad9 and have no issue with them.