l_one's recent activity
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Comment on Megathread: April Fools' Day 2025 on the internet in ~talk
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Comment on Planet Money buys a $137 diamond from Alibaba in ~finance
l_one LinkOk, so, 2 points here. The price of diamonds is artificial - they are rather abundant. There is literally a world-wide diamond cartel that acts to enforce artificial scarcity and, through decades...- Exemplary
Ok, so, 2 points here.
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The price of diamonds is artificial - they are rather abundant. There is literally a world-wide diamond cartel that acts to enforce artificial scarcity and, through decades upon decades of marketing, maintain demand. Through this, high prices (and therefore high profit) are (have been until now?) maintained. I do not have difficulty believing that Chinese companies could sell real diamonds for cheap and still profit, so long as they are willing to go against De Beers - and the CCCP has been aggressively protectionist about putting the success of their companies (and China's overall economic buildup) above things like international patent law, so I don't see them having a problem with bucking the diamond cartel.
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Diamonds can be manufactured. We have had the ability to produce diamonds on an industrial scale for quite a while now. I, personally, have the original patent application (currently stored with some of grandpa's other effects at my father's house) my grandfather made for a production method for artificial diamond - he made it sometime after the end of WWII if I remember correctly.
Once in a while I kind of wonder if he came up with the original and was first to patent it, but I've never really bothered to investigate, and it's not like I want to pursue lawsuits and patent litigation and an income method... yuck.
Um, just realized it's about to be April 1st in like an hour. The stuff about my Grandfather isn't an April Fools joke.
Hmm, actually curious now and just did a patent search with his name. Not seeing it. I wonder if he didn't file the application - patent protection vs secrecy? Or maybe he sold it and just kept the original documents. Found some of his other stuff though. Apparently he designed an aerial-release bomb and donated patent use rights to the US Government a few years after WWII. Neat.
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Comment on Hi everyone! Wanted to share my electronics workbench. in ~hobbies
l_one Link ParentAww!! I don't think anyone has ever said that before. I also never really thought of my voice as being anything in particular - kind of more thought I was dry / robotically unemotional in my...Have you considered voice-over work or narration? Your voice is like ear butter.
Aww!! I don't think anyone has ever said that before. I also never really thought of my voice as being anything in particular - kind of more thought I was dry / robotically unemotional in my speech most of the time.
Thank you, that made me internally squee in joy just a bit.
And no, never really considered voice work - see my prior statement on my perceived robotic-voice-ness. I'm glad you get something from it though.
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Comment on Hi everyone! Wanted to share my electronics workbench. in ~hobbies
l_one Link ParentIt's completely reasonable to keep stuff in storage if it's only getting used once in a while. Thanks for sharing, especially the pictures of some of your setups!It's completely reasonable to keep stuff in storage if it's only getting used once in a while. Thanks for sharing, especially the pictures of some of your setups!
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Comment on Hi everyone! Wanted to share my electronics workbench. in ~hobbies
l_one (edited )LinkI know there are a few other electronics / tech nerds here on Tildes as we've spoken before. Wanted to share my workbench with everyone as I just (finally) got a good take after many failed...I know there are a few other electronics / tech nerds here on Tildes as we've spoken before. Wanted to share my workbench with everyone as I just (finally) got a good take after many failed attempts.
Anyone else here have a home electronics lab or bench? I'd love to see.
Edit: I'm uncertain if I should have this here in ~creative, or if I should have posted in ~hobbies.
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Hi everyone! Wanted to share my electronics workbench.
11 votes -
Comment on Could you rearm Europe without US weapons? - Equipping a unified European military (April 1 special) in ~society
l_one LinkDescription copied from Perun's page on YouTube. Links do not copy properly, if you wish to click through to sourcing please use links on the YouTube description page. One of the great challenges...Description copied from Perun's page on YouTube. Links do not copy properly, if you wish to click through to sourcing please use links on the YouTube description page.
One of the great challenges European defence planners face is that defence procurement across the bloc is highly fragmented. There is no single Europe wide force or procurement effort to generate the kind of scales and efficiencies the USA, Russia or the PRC can.
But what if there was?
It's as close to April 1 as we're going to get this year, and so by popular vote, today we're taking a lighthearted look at the question of whether you could equip a pan-European Defence Force without importing any American platforms or major systems.
Is all of Europe agreeing to standardise their equipment realistic? no.
But does it illustrate some interesting points about the capabilities and limits of Europe's Defence Industry? Let's find out...
Patreon:
/ perunauReading and Sourcing:
Sources, in an April 1 style episode?
Caveats & Comments:
Unfortunate these are still required for a joke episode, but here we go:All normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive examination of the topic in question and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other similar decisions.
Any content relating to the conduct, views, activities or any aspect of any person or character in this video is included for entertainment purposes and does not represent an assertion of fact on those matters or any matters in relation to that person or character.
Care has been taken in compiling data, quotes, and other inputs from various sources but errors can occur. Quotes and included data should be considered, at most, indicative.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:01:22 — What Am I Talking About?
00:01:54 — the Brief
00:06:02 — Force Design
00:10:35 — the Navy
00:26:08 — the Air Force
00:30:08 — What About the UK?
00:38:30 — the Ground Forces
00:58:57 — Covering the Last Few Participants
01:00:39 — Conclusions
01:04:29 — Channel Update -
Could you rearm Europe without US weapons? - Equipping a unified European military (April 1 special)
9 votes -
Comment on Global arms exports - the trends, winners and losers in 2024 and the outlook for 2025 in ~misc
l_one LinkDescription copied from Perun's page on YouTube. Links do not copy properly, if you wish to click through to sourcing please use links on the YouTube description page. Between the Russian invasion...Description copied from Perun's page on YouTube. Links do not copy properly, if you wish to click through to sourcing please use links on the YouTube description page.
Between the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a general shift in focus for many militaries towards conventional deterrence and warfighting rather than counterinsurgency operations, recent years have seen strong demand for major platforms and weapon systems.
Now, with help of newly released data on 2024 exports and imports from SIPRI, I want to unpack the trends we observed in 2024 and ask what we might expect to see in 2025 as spending levels rise and trans-Atlantic tensions challenge old buying patterns.
Patreon:
/ perunauReading and Sourcing :
Primary source for arms transfer data is the relevant SIPRI databases:
https://armstransfers.sipri.org/ArmsT...Janes on Algerian purchase of the Su-57
https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/...Craig Kennedy on Russian War Financing
https://navigatingrussia.substack.com...French spy sat launch
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news...Jamestown foundation on Rostec revenues and profit levels
https://jamestown.org/program/rostecs..."Swiss weapons must not be used in wars"
https://www.voanews.com/a/swiss-presi...Reporting on Swiss arms export restrictions
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/...https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/...
Indian order for AL-31FP engines
https://www.defensenews.com/global/as...Reporting on European single defence market
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...EU 2030 time horizon
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/...Reporting on President Trump's F-47 comments
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/u-s-t...Reporting on EU arms purchase focus
https://apnews.com/article/eu-defense...Macron on defence spending targets
https://www.politico.eu/article/macro...Reporting on PRC drone production
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/1...Poland's F-35s
https://www.defensenews.com/global/eu...Mauritanian PRC SAMs
https://armyrecognition.com/news/army...EU Member defence spending
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/po...Rocket motor production
https://www.defenseone.com/business/2...Qatar receives Eurofighters (2022)
https://www.edrmagazine.eu/qatar-rece...Saudi Arabia receives European Corvettes
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/...Caveats & Comments:
Please consider familiarising yourself with SIPRI's methodology on the creation of its arms transfer and other databases:
https://www.sipri.org/databases/armst...All normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive examination of the topic in question and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other similar decisions.
Any content relating to the conduct, views, activities or any aspect of any person or character in this video is included for entertainment purposes and does not represent an assertion of fact on those matters or any matters in relation to that person or character.
Care has been taken in compiling data, quotes, and other inputs from various sources but errors can occur. Quotes and included data should be considered, at most, indicative.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:00:52 — What Am I Talking About?
00:02:49 — Data and Methodology
00:04:35 — 2024
00:12:34 — Russia
00:23:20 — United States
00:29:25 — Europe
00:34:43 — China
00:40:52 — Other Players
00:45:29 — a Boom Not Captured?
00:50:24 — the Path Forward
00:56:37 — Channel Update -
Global arms exports - the trends, winners and losers in 2024 and the outlook for 2025
6 votes -
Comment on Looking for an electronic components store in ~hobbies
l_one (edited )LinkElectronics nerd checking in. Many of the parts-sourcing options I would suggest have already been mentioned: u/Greg mentioned AliExpress - I use Ali to source a ton of stuff (unless/until the De...Electronics nerd checking in.
Many of the parts-sourcing options I would suggest have already been mentioned:
u/Greg mentioned AliExpress - I use Ali to source a ton of stuff (unless/until the De Minimis exemption gets pulled again) - it's great for stuff that doesn't need high precision or stringent safety / quality control. Not that you can't get safe, highly precise, and quality equipment there... you can... but it can also be a wild-west experience with scam sellers and deceptive listings, especially for high-value stuff. Ali is GREAT for connectors, base materials like solder or flux, cheap cables of all sorts, cheap/simple/mass-produced electronics. If it's small, light, and cheap, go to AliExpress.
u/Shevanel mentioned eBay. eBay is AWESOME for all sorts of stuff, especially older / secondhand. You are generally better off going to AliExpress for anything you see on eBay that is shipping out of China though (in terms of price - eBay does have more reliable customer protections though).
u/Akir and u/shinigami have brought up the industrial supply houses. Digikey, Mouser, AutomationDirect - but there are plenty more like Jameco, Newark, LCSC... you can also use OctoPart which is a search engine specifically made for seaching through all (or at least many) such sites.
Now, all that is great discussion, and useful knowledge to have going forward, but might I suggest a pre-made solution to what you want. Go on eBay, buy a super-cheap wall thermostat, a wall adapter that provides 24VAC (most thermostats are powered by 24 volts AC (alternating current)), and then connect the relay output for the AC (air conditioner) side to your fan. The on/off from the thermostat isn't going to power the fan, just supply an on/off relay to turn it on. If the fan we are talking about is small enough (meaning low enough power usage) you can probably put it straight in-line with the relay in the thermostat without worrying about burning out the thermostat relay contact (normally the thermostat relay would only be connected for on/off signal, NOT directly in-line as letting the fan power go straight through it... but for a small 12VDC fan? Probably fine.)
Quick edit: I should probably explain the useful philosophy behind the specific choices I have recommended. Wall thermostats are something that are in darn near every home in the world - that means there are huge economies of scale making them super cheap. There are plenty of companies making wall thermostats, which means there is healthy competition to keep profit margins (and your cost) down, as well as keep quality up. As for the 24VAC wall adapter - wall adapter power supplies of all sorts are in the same category of mass-produced and super cheap. For materials/parts/systems sourcing in general look for manufacturing product environments where a thing, whatever that thing might be, is mass-produced, standardized, and made by a bunch of different companies. That's how you get good and cheap at the same time. Credit where it is due: I got this philosophy from David Malawey on YouTube - he's a former Toyota engineer and very knowledgeable.
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Comment on European rearmament - the rearm Europe plan and the future of US weapon sales in ~society
l_one LinkDescription copied from Perun's page on YouTube. Links do not copy properly, if you wish to click through to sourcing please use links on the YouTube description page. The Russian invasion of...Description copied from Perun's page on YouTube. Links do not copy properly, if you wish to click through to sourcing please use links on the YouTube description page.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine kicked off a significant increase in military spending across NATO with the vast majority of NATO members hitting their spending targets by 2024.
The diplomatic fissures with the United States in 2025 however, have prompted an even more dramatic response and many allies now seem to be prioritising greater independence from the U.S. and U.S. products alongside the goal of greater military readiness.
With the EU introducing the ReArm Europe plan, Germany moving to exempt most defence spending from debt restrictions and many alliance members now planning defence ramp-ups, today we look at some of those plans.
This episode covers a few of the initiatives and efforts we've seen announced so far, what they could achieve, what the dynamics of alliance members attempting to reduce their often long-running reliance on U.S. arms and equipment.
Patreon:
/ perunauReading and Sourcing (to be updated):
UKDJ - on Switzerland & the F-35
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/no-f-...Example "kill switch" article
https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/03...Reporting on Canada 'reconsidering' F-35 purchase
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/f35-...https://apnews.com/article/f35-canada...
Le Penne on French nuclear weapons and European security
https://www.politico.eu/article/franc...Eutelsat shares jump
https://www.reuters.com/technology/sp...NYT article from 2023 on Starlink in Ukrainian service
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/08/wo...Defense News - Trump associate floats idea of transatlantic warplane program
https://www.defensenews.com/global/eu...Featured article on US support for UK Trident missiles
https://www.theguardian.com/world/202...UK Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology - Managing the UK Plutonium Stockpile
https://researchbriefings.files.parli...Reporting on Trump refusing to rule out the use of military force
https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-w...Reporting on German deal
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/...https://www.politico.eu/article/germa...
https://www.euronews.com/2025/03/14/g...
"Germany is back"
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg...Rheinmetall new plants and agreements:
https://www.rheinmetall.com/en/media/...https://www.rheinmetall.com/en/media/...
https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-sto...
Macron pushing for more defence spending
https://www.politico.eu/article/emman...UK to increase defence spending
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pr.... -
European rearmament - the rearm Europe plan and the future of US weapon sales
10 votes -
Comment on What do you like about your job? in ~talk
l_one Link ParentI'm neverendingstudent on YouTube. Thanks for checking out my channel!I'm neverendingstudent on YouTube. Thanks for checking out my channel!
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Comment on What do you like about your job? in ~talk
l_one LinkDarn near total personal freedom and control of my time. Never again do I have to wake up at 5:30AM KNOWING as always that I didn't get enough sleep. Never again am I stuck in the field for 16...Darn near total personal freedom and control of my time.
Never again do I have to wake up at 5:30AM KNOWING as always that I didn't get enough sleep. Never again am I stuck in the field for 16 hours a day, cripplingly unhappy with the utter lack of work-life balance. Goodbye to that years ago.
I work as much or little as I want, when I want for my main income stream (buying at auctions / selling on eBay/FB-Marketplace/Craigslist) and for my secondary income of contract low-voltage work the majority of my jobs are servicing outdoor security tech that require zero customer interaction and have week-long 'do-it-sometime-this-week' time frames.
If I feel like sleeping in past noon? No problem. I feel like starting a contract repair job at 4PM? Not an issue.
On the buying/selling income stream: looking for new inventory to sell is fun, bidding at auctions is fun, and when it comes to testing / repairing electronics - well, that's my hobby and I am managing to make money off it, which is cool. It also sometimes provides something interesting to make a video about for my YouTube channel which is primarily focused on electronics repair.
I get to work from home the majority of the time. I have to go out for auction pickups, but for a lot of the stuff I ship out I can schedule USPS to pick everything up from my front door for free, which is great of them.
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
l_one LinkThis past week / weekend has been a bit more active for me than average. Middle of the week earlier, I had a significant sale go through with a local RF engineering company which both left me with...This past week / weekend has been a bit more active for me than average.
Middle of the week earlier, I had a significant sale go through with a local RF engineering company which both left me with an infusion of ready cash, and a lab tour which was not long after I had decided to expand my electronics knowledge into RF.
I took those funds and rolled them into some eBay purchases for equipment to proceed with the mentioned branch-out into RF. Some GHz-range signal generators (with the intent to keep the best one and test/clean/sell the rest), a very nice 6.5GHz Anritsu Spectrum Analyzer, and also my first 7.5 digit multimeter: a Keithley 2001. Also some miscellaneous RF adapters and more general lab supplies.
Last night I produced a review video for the first piece of gear I've ever been sent for my YouTube channel - a rather nice, lower price-point digital microscope. Yay! I'm a corporate shill now like the cool kids! Made sure to start the video with things like 'CORPORATE SHILL ALERT!'
Tested and took apart my new Keithley 2001 - she has damage captain! On the negative side, this was listed as working properly. On the positive side, I might end up with a broken K2001 for free, and then get to fix it. We'll see. Made another video out of it already showing the teardown so I can share the symptoms and discovered damage with the electronics community, and add to the overall repair database for this meter.
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Comment on The extraordinary home inside a giant greenhouse in Norway – 38ft-tall glass shed features integrated ventilation and cooling systems in ~design
l_one LinkI've seen this house! (on YouTube, not in person). Kirsten Dirksen visited there and produced a half-hour walkthrough of the property. It really is amazing, the concept is very solid for that...I've seen this house! (on YouTube, not in person).
Kirsten Dirksen visited there and produced a half-hour walkthrough of the property. It really is amazing, the concept is very solid for that region and they get to produce their own food and share with their neighbors when it otherwise wouldn't be permissible during the year.
Credit where due: Kirsten is a YouTube content creator that seeks out tons of unique / sustainable / environmentally cooperative/friendly housing setups and produces videos about them. I've watched tons of her stuff, she's great at finding unique housing stories and letting the owners tell them.
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Comment on The changing war in Ukraine - the US aid freeze, momentum and how the war has changed in 2025 in ~society
l_one LinkDescription copied from Perun's page on YouTube. Links do not copy properly, if you wish to click through to sourcing please use links on the YouTube description page. Most of the time, major...Description copied from Perun's page on YouTube. Links do not copy properly, if you wish to click through to sourcing please use links on the YouTube description page.
Most of the time, major international developments and policy changes are slow and incremental. Sometimes, they are dramatic and sudden.
Over the course of the last few months US foreign policy has shifted significantly - and with it, the balance in Ukraine.
This episode I look at the evolution of the war since our last quarterly update to set a baseline for what to expect as negotiations and policy decisions play out - and start to introduce some of the major changes we've already seen, from the US aid freeze to escalating European commitments.
Patreon:
/ perunauReading and Sourcing:
Territorial control maps per https://deepstatemap.live/en#12/48.12...
Territorial change to end Jan per @war_mapper - https://x.com/War_Mapper?ref_src=twsr...
France on intel sharing - https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/...
Additional European aid pledges - https://kyivindependent.com/eu-member...
CSIS - Calculating the cost effectiveness of Russia's strikes
https://www.csis.org/analysis/calcula...RUSI - Russian and allied capabilities in modern strike campaign
https://static.rusi.org/russian-and-a...Glide bomb jamming claims (ref to Russian source within)
https://united24media.com/latest-news...https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe...
Trump on Ukraine being more difficult to deal with than Russia
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk...Gerbera drones
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crk...Hegseth remarks on the need for European and non-European troops in Ukraine
https://www.defense.gov/News/Speeches...Russia "Rules out any options for European peacekeepers in Ukraine"
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/...https://www.theguardian.com/world/202...
Russian MFA comments on potential ceasefire
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/0...Kellogg on intel sharing and hitting a donkey with a 2x4
https://apnews.com/article/trump-zele...Polish minister on Starlink in Ukraine
https://kyivindependent.com/polish-of...https://www.euractiv.com/section/tech...
Reporting on intel sharing freeze
https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-ru...Reporting on Senator Lankford & potential cuts at US munitions plant
https://kfor.com/news/oklahoma-legisl...https://mil.in.ua/en/news/doge-to-cut...
Glide bomb reporting
https://kyivindependent.com/russias-p...Caveats & Comments:
All normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive examination of the topic in question and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other similar decisions.
Any content relating to the conduct, views, activities or any aspect of any person or character in this video is included for entertainment purposes and does not represent an assertion of fact on those matters or any matters in relation to that person or character.
Care has been taken in compiling data, quotes, and other inputs from various sources but errors can occur. Quotes and included data should be considered illustrative, not definitive and their veracity should not be relied on.
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The changing war in Ukraine - the US aid freeze, momentum and how the war has changed in 2025
17 votes -
Comment on Banned from eBay for life with no explanation in ~tech
l_one Link ParentDon't worry about it, I have those moments too. "It was how long ago?" One of the most memorable memory malfunctions was some (many) years back thinking one of the Jurassic Park movies had been...Don't worry about it, I have those moments too.
"It was how long ago?"
One of the most memorable memory malfunctions was some (many) years back thinking one of the Jurassic Park movies had been recent, and then seeing the gas station with gas prices in one scene, with a gallon being around a dollar.
Yeah, I saw that while playing late last night and was confused at first, then realized it was already April 1st in other time zones.