l_one's recent activity
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Comment on Request: resources for learning digital electronics in ~comp
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Comment on Request: resources for learning digital electronics in ~comp
l_one (edited )Link ParentThis does not seem like a confidence-inspiring combination. There's 'challenging' and then there's something that smells halfway like a scam money-farm that doesn't have education as the highest...online-only class with very little external support
while he answered my questions and was incredibly understanding he also didn’t give me any additional resources and said that it was meant to be challenging.
This does not seem like a confidence-inspiring combination. There's 'challenging' and then there's something that smells halfway like a scam money-farm that doesn't have education as the highest priority.
EDIT: just noticed the name of the institution and did some reading on the mission statement and costs. I think this is more a symptom of educators working on, basically, a shoestring budget with very little institutional support. There ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE prerequisites for this if I am AT ALL understanding the scope and depth of what they are trying to cram into 9 weeks.
Maybe this is something a high-performer could do in the time period, if you have no other coursework and no job - literally all your time 12+ hours a day is spent on adjacent study for all the topics brought up in each class.
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Comment on Request: resources for learning digital electronics in ~comp
l_one LinkElectronics nerd here. 'Electronics' is / can be... a collection of a ton of different sub-specialties. It sounds like the class you're describing is looking at operational theory of IC...Electronics nerd here. 'Electronics' is / can be... a collection of a ton of different sub-specialties. It sounds like the class you're describing is looking at operational theory of IC design/function, but that could only be part of it, or I could be misinterpreting.
Does the class have a written synopsis / statement of intended course coverage / some description of what that specific class intends to educate the student on? That information will be IMMENSELY helpful for pointing you at resources that will be of use to you.
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Comment on California's next energy experiment is happening above aqueducts, reducing evaporation and increasing solar panel efficiency in ~enviro
l_one Link ParentAnd solar panels are more efficient / produce more output when they are kept cooler. Definitely a positive, at least in theory.And I'd bet the cool air above the water creates a bit of a breeze and keeps the panels much cooler.
And solar panels are more efficient / produce more output when they are kept cooler. Definitely a positive, at least in theory.
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Comment on California's next energy experiment is happening above aqueducts, reducing evaporation and increasing solar panel efficiency in ~enviro
l_one Link ParentGood ol' EEVBLog Dave! Yeah, solar roadways are idiotic as you have the harshest possible conditions applied. Solar canal covers do have some questionable aspects, but are orders of magnitude less...(anyone else remember "SOLAR FRICKIN ROADWAYS!")?
Good ol' EEVBLog Dave! Yeah, solar roadways are idiotic as you have the harshest possible conditions applied. Solar canal covers do have some questionable aspects, but are orders of magnitude less problematic than trying to gather solar on a road. Still, it will remain to be seen if California would end up better served by just installing some form of sun-blocking roof / drape / any other heat-reducing covering over their canal system and separately making more traditional use of solar installations.
I can see four broad categories of result:
- The system works and is at least minimally commercially viable in terms of costs vs resource gains when compared to a separated system of non-solar canal covers and traditional solar fields.
- The system works (in that it reduces water loss and generates electricity) but is clearly not commercially viable in that setting up System A and System B (non-solar covers and traditional solar fields) would achieve the same result better for less money - BUT in running the combined system we get the benefit of implementation R&D and advances that result from working through unique challenges, resulting in tangential benefits and gains.
- The system works (in that it reduces water loss and generates electricity) but is BOTH clearly not commercially viable in that setting up System A and System B would achieve the same result better for less money - AND no beneficial developments are gained.
- The system fails to achieve one (or both) goal(s) and provides no value on either axis compared to separate implementations.
Solar roadways don't pass the sniff test.
Solar canal covers don't fail the sanity check for me at first glance. -
Comment on California's next energy experiment is happening above aqueducts, reducing evaporation and increasing solar panel efficiency in ~enviro
l_one LinkWhile there are certain practical and maintenance-related challenges in this approach (construction and ongoing maintenance of solar at elevation above ground level (we've done this part with roof...While there are certain practical and maintenance-related challenges in this approach (construction and ongoing maintenance of solar at elevation above ground level (we've done this part with roof solar) and above a moving waterway (this part is somewhat new - drop a panel / parts / tool? may not get it back)) this makes logical sense to me and definitely has the feel of a natural, elegant improvement to resource management. I will be curious how much total energy is blocked from getting to the water as the solar panels will be hot and radiate a fair bit of IR/thermal - I'm certain it will reduce total energy absorption by the water though.
While most of the rest of the US is headed to crappy cypberpunk dystopia, it's nice to see California implement some utopian elements.
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Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
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Comment on China's new military equipment revealed - the PLA parade and its modernisation speed run in ~engineering
l_one LinkSorry, no proper links in the description yet, too much on my to-do list. Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links. ... The modernisation of the...Sorry, no proper links in the description yet, too much on my to-do list. Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links.
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The modernisation of the People's Liberation Army has been dramatic, rapid, and occasionally secretive.
Earlier this month, we got a bit of a window into the equipment side of that transformation process, with Beijing opting to show of dozens of weapon systems (many for the first time publicly) as part of their commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Japan's 1945 defeat.
From the start of the 21st Century the PRC has transitioned from being overwhelmingly reliant on derivatives of Soviet and Russian platforms to a country capable of pushing forward with its own designs supported by the world's largest manufacturing base.
Today, I look at a selection of those designs and ask what they can tell us about where the PLA is in its modernisation journey, and where it might be going in the future.
Patreon:
/ perunauReading and Sourcing (in progress):
Federation of American Scientists - Nuclear weapons at China's 2025 Parade
https://fas.org/publication/nuclear-w...
PRC nuclear weapon estimates 2021 and 2025
https://thebulletin.org/premium/2021-...https://thebulletin.org/premium/2025-...
Reporting on China warhead build up
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/12...GAO & Minuteman III extension
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2025/...Janes - China sets sights on modernisation targets
https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/...J-15D (2024)
https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/...Global Times reporting on the Parade:
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/20250...https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/20250...
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/20250...
TWZ - J-35 set for naval service
https://www.twz.com/air/chinas-j-35-n...Reporting on Chinese HELs being used in Russia
https://www.twz.com/news-features/chi...Included reporting on NATO HPM & HEL systems
https://www.twz.com/heres-our-first-l...https://www.twz.com/news-features/bri...
https://www.dote.osd.mil/Portals/97/p...
CSIS- ChinaPower tracker
https://chinapower.csis.org/tracker/c...Ian Easton - China's Deceptively Weak (and Dangerous) military (2014)
https://thediplomat.com/2014/01/china...SCMP on DF-5C
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/scien...Reporting on GL-6 test (Feb 2025)
https://www.twz.com/land/chinese-tank...Caveats & Comments:
All normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I note that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete examination of the topic and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other any other views and/or 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.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:00:43 — What Am I Talking About?
00:01:19 — Background & Caveats
00:07:15 — Towards a Triad
00:18:37 — Next-gen Armour
00:29:05 — CUAS
00:37:22 — Carrier Aviation
00:45:49 — the Defence Economics Lens
00:52:30 — Channel Update -
China's new military equipment revealed - the PLA parade and its modernisation speed run
12 votes -
Comment on The US school shooting industry is worth billions — and it keeps growing in ~society
l_one LinkOh, yay. Another industry is born built on a horrifying conflict of interest. Lobbyist: we can't have legislature pass that might reduce school shootings! Won't someone think of the shareholders!?!Oh, yay. Another industry is born built on a horrifying conflict of interest.
Lobbyist: we can't have legislature pass that might reduce school shootings! Won't someone think of the shareholders!?!
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Comment on Conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed at Utah college event in ~society
l_one LinkFrom this event, and from the maga reaction to it calling for all the things they are calling for, treating Kirk as a Martyr, I think I've had a realization about the state and trajectory of...From this event, and from the maga reaction to it calling for all the things they are calling for, treating Kirk as a Martyr, I think I've had a realization about the state and trajectory of political violence, unrest, and worse in the US.
Hollywood has lent itself towards giving us certain... preconceptions about the meaning of things like 'apocalypse' and 'war'. There tends to be more dramatic and profitable storytelling about sudden, sharp changes of states - sudden all-out nuclear war, or a world-ending asteroid strike, or aliens invading and dealing a massively crippling blow, etc...
This makes for good entertainment, but this quality of 'sudden, dramatic change' is seldom reflective of reality. It also, I think, pervades our collective, cultural consciousness with preconceptions of what terms like 'war' or 'civil war' or 'climate disaster' mean, and introduces a tendency to dismiss things as being not as bad as they are because they aren't hollywood-level sudden disasters.
My father, a retired history and humanities professor, quite seriously believes we are approaching the extinction of the human race and the end of the world as we know it. I find myself somewhat agreeing, and somewhat disagreeing - mostly in terms of nuance and scope.
My view is that there is not likely to be any actual "end of the human race" - but at the same time I also feel that this is such an extreme endpoint, or extreme floor level to sink to, as to be completely irrelevant. If a single greenhouse farming enclave with a few thousand humans survived in the future warm and habitable arctic, with all other humans gone, this would still not be 'the end of the human race' - but at that point, to look at that situation and say 'see, the human race didn't go extinct!' seems like an irrelevant point of view. To further extend the viewpoint into something a tad less extreme, if the world population was reduced from the current ~8 billion to, say, ~800 million, our race would certainly be in no danger of going extinct... but that would still be the utter collapse of human civilization, society, and technological / developmental progress that we currently enjoy.
That line of thought is what has led me to understand and believe that, due to multiple factors (Climate Change being a primary factor, but also the continuing creep towards world war involving multiple nuclear-armed states and the increase in unrest and political violence among many others) we are heading towards the end of human civilization as we currently enjoy it. Not the end of the human race, but a significant degradation of the quality of our civilization as measured by factors such as life expectancy, wealth equality, probability of injury or death from violence, food and housing insecurity, etc...
I see the end of our current level of human civilization as something that isn't likely to have some hollywood-themed sudden, recognizable 'there, right there, that was the end of us' but rather as a slope, a gradual (though accelerating) degradation of our civilization, quality of life, life-expectancy, etc... We are seeing all those things right now. We are watching these metrics get worse on average year-on-year. I do not see this trend reversing, or slowing. I can, and do, hope - but I do not expect.
Now, with that perspective laid out - I've come to have the same realization about the phrase 'civil war' specifically in the US. I do not anticipate any one moment in upcoming history as being a clear and obvious 'there, it happened right then and there'. Rather I see that we are trending upwards (or downwards, however you wish to describe the slope) on a scale of the combination of many different factors and pressures, in this case looking primarily at politically motivated violence, state-actor level violence executed domestically, and civil unrest of all types. Powerful forces (primarily trump/maga, but also wealthy financial interests profiting from the current political climate) are either intent on, or incentivised to, push as hard as possible in this direction of increasing tension, political violence, unrest etc... as a means of increasing their own wealth and power.
So far, it is working for them.
Whether or not this particular incident is held up by the right as a martyrdom with success or not, the trend seems pretty clear to me. We have already shifted far, it feels like almost unthinkably far, over the recent years.
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I'm getting ready to house-sit for my father while he takes a much needed vacation, hopefully getting to enjoy some nature. I'm taking not only my carry pistol with me, but also my combat rifle, specifically chosen for something chambered in a round that can defeat soft (under level IV) body armor... just to house sit and take care of his cats for the weekend - just in case someone chooses that weekend to target his home out of politically motivated violence - and it doesn't even feel strange to me anymore. It feels like nothing more than a "normal" safety precaution, like buckling my seat belt. I don't like that.
Now, I will admit there are factors with my family history that make this concern... less unlikely of a concern than for the random Joe or Jane. My father spent decades working against the Klan, Neo-Nazis, against David Duke and others like him, etc. We have had death threats in the past, swastikas spray-painted outside our home. We have had bodyguards live with us back during some of my time in high school. I once answered the phone as a child and was told to tell my father about how one day soon, perhaps I would be taken and parts of me mailed to him. So perhaps my experiences have not exactly been representative of the average.
My unusual family history aside, I see the motivations that are present, I see the pressures that are building. It feels like the probability of things getting much worse than they are now, likely before the mid-term elections (for fairly obvious reasons - holding onto political power), is high.
It feels like this. Like the edge we are pushed up against is getting more and more narrow.
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Comment on Linux noob question regarding full / partition in ~comp
l_one LinkMain Menu ('start button' menu) > Disks > click on your disk > click on the 'Gears' icon > click 'Resize'. For safety sake, please backup anything you care about off that disk as an insurance...Main Menu ('start button' menu) > Disks > click on your disk > click on the 'Gears' icon > click 'Resize'.
For safety sake, please backup anything you care about off that disk as an insurance policy if somehow you bork your install and have to wipe/reinstall. Unlikely, but good to take precautions.
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Comment on Has anyone else run up against higher costs due to the US tariffs? in ~society
l_one (edited )LinkAbsolutely. My primary income is repair / refurbishment of lab electronics for resale on my eBay store / FB marketplace / Craigslist. This means I need to source parts. Sometimes it's from...Absolutely.
My primary income is repair / refurbishment of lab electronics for resale on my eBay store / FB marketplace / Craigslist. This means I need to source parts. Sometimes it's from DigiKey, sometimes Mouser or RS, sometimes AliExpress or eBay. All costs associated with buying parts (and nearly ALL of these parts are made outside the US, most often China, unless they're vintage parts from the 1980's Hewlett Packard era) have gone up anywhere from 20% to sometimes double, with I think an average somewhere around the 35% mark in terms of stuff I've personally needed to source.
Materials too. Nickel strip for battery welding, wire crimp kits, metric bolt kits, heatsink pads and compound, solder mask and flux, copper wick, etc...
Back when the first round of Tariffs were looming I stocked up as much as I could afford, but I could only cover the common stuff I knew I would need, there was no way to anticipate what SMD components I'd need in the future for individual repairs and refurbs.
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Comment on Ground launched cruise missiles and Ukraine's "Flamingo" - the new missile and global return of GLCMs in ~engineering
l_one LinkSorry, no proper links in the description yet, too much on my to-do list. Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links. ... Last week we talked oil...Sorry, no proper links in the description yet, too much on my to-do list. Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links.
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Last week we talked oil refineries and the value of being able to strike sensitive economic targets. Today, we talk about the means to try and do that - and Ukraine's efforts to develop hard hitting long range weapons that might let it reach deeper into the Russian interior.
The most recent system in that category to get media attention is the so called "Flamingo" cruise missile and today, by popular vote, I want to talk about it for three main reasons:
To look at the missile, why Ukraine wants it and what it could mean for the war if produced in quantity
To ask why a number of nations around the world are now pursuing or expanding their Ground Launched Cruise Missile Arsenals, in some cases despite previously banning or never possessing them
To discuss an example of what it takes to design and produce a system under austere wartime conditions, and what the Flamingo experience might signal for other nations watching the Ukrainian experience that might be concerned about increasing their own military preparedness.Patreon:
/ perunauReading and Sourcing (These will be populated over the next 24 hours):
Milianion Group "FP-5" Product brochure
https://milaniongroup.com/wp-content/...AP reporting on Flamingo
https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-dr...IISS - Ukraine's Flamingos take to the skies
https://www.iiss.org/online-analysis/...IISS - Europe's missile renaissance
https://www.iiss.org/online-analysis/...German interest in Typhon
https://theaviationist.com/2025/07/16...PRC media on CJ-100 and CJ-1000
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/20250...Reporting on Russian strikes on Baykar drone factory
https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/08/2...https://tass.com/world/2008535
CRS - US Army Multi Domain Task Forces
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/...Reporting on Flamingo
https://www.twz.com/news-features/ukr...
https://www.politico.eu/article/flami...
Caveats & Comments:
All normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I note that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete examination of the topic and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other any other views and/or 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.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:01:30 — What Am I Talking About?
00:01:52 — Ukraine's Requirements
00:10:13 — Enter Flamingo
00:27:06 — Usage and Value
00:33:59 — is the GLCM Making a Comeback?
00:41:09 — Nato Programs
00:48:46 — Risk and Competition
00:55:18 — Channel Update -
Ground launched cruise missiles and Ukraine's "Flamingo" - the new missile and global return of GLCMs
15 votes -
Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets
l_one LinkThis is Floof, AKA Labcat - he is disgustingly handsome and ruthlessly abuses it to get away with whatever he can.This is Floof, AKA Labcat - he is disgustingly handsome and ruthlessly abuses it to get away with whatever he can.
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
l_one Link ParentDarn you dad-joke! Take my backhanded, grudgingly amused vote.Wow, that is nothing to take for granite!
Darn you dad-joke! Take my backhanded, grudgingly amused vote.
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Comment on What did you do this week (and weekend)? in ~talk
l_one LinkI randomly found out about a military contractor research and development facility auctioning off assets. In my city. Promptly spent over $2K. General Dynamics Land Systems R&D. UGV / land-based...I randomly found out about a military contractor research and development facility auctioning off assets. In my city. Promptly spent over $2K.
General Dynamics Land Systems R&D. UGV / land-based drone stuff. I got a mix of lab Test & Measure gear and what are some probably one-of-a-kind drone prototype parts and optical systems.
Then, after picking up my winnings early the next day I go out to take care of a contract job - maintenance on a security trailer. When I call in to close out my job one of my friends picks up - a fellow electronics nerd that works for the security company as his day job. We talk about our day, I mention the auction and my winnings, and he mentions that, hey, he's in the market for an Oscilloscope. We arrange for him to purchase one of them that night for just under $600, and a couple days later out the door it goes on the way to him. He has his own company that he is building up and is working on developing a product - a scope was the next bit of gear he needed. Just crazy timing and coincidence that he was the one that picked up the phone.
I actually just put up a video on servicing and upgrading a frequency counter from that equipment lot and briefly show a bunch of the stuff I got in the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBzwU5SJzSU - the look around the other stuff I got is between 1 minute 40 seconds and 2 minutes 20 seconds.
Fun week!
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Comment on Ukraine strikes Russia's oil refineries - the effects, politics and what next? in ~society
l_one LinkSorry, no proper links in the description yet, too much on my to-do list. Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links. ... By popular vote, let's...Sorry, no proper links in the description yet, too much on my to-do list. Description from Perun below, view page on YouTube to be able to click on the source links.
...
By popular vote, let's talk Russian oil refineries, what makes the strikes this August different to past Ukrainian efforts, and also what might still be missing from Ukraine's ability to maximise the impact on Russia's economy and willingness to negotiate.
Patreon:
/ perunauReading and Sourcing (WIP):
US Strategic Bombing Survey Oil Division final report (1947)
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?i...RAND - Air power as a coercive instrument (1999)
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand...Russian oil firm net incomes from:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...Reuters 17% figure:
https://www.reuters.com/business/ener...idle capacity figure:
https://www.reuters.com/business/ener...Sample of attack reporting
https://www.reuters.com/business/ener...https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/23/eu...
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/20...
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/drones...
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump...
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/ukrain...
https://www.reuters.com/business/ener...
https://www.politico.eu/article/donal...
Ust-Luga
https://www.reuters.com/business/ener...Zelensky's "friendship" comments
• Заява Володимира Зеленського після зустріч...Reporting on the Druzhba attacks & fallout
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/58968https://www.intellinews.com/russian-o...
Sergey Vakulenko - What is the Real Cost and Benefit of Ukrainian Attacks on Russian Refining? (2024)
https://carnegieendowment.org/russia-...Reporting Russian refining (2024)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...Alabuga
https://www.reuters.com/business/medi...https://t.me/istories_media/9999
Albright & Fargasso on Alabuga
https://isis-online.org/isis-reports/...U.S. approves ERAM sale
https://www.reuters.com/business/aero...Post-Alaska negotiations/comments:
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/r...https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2...
Reuters on MOL head statements
https://www.reuters.com/business/ener...Caveats & Comments:
All normal caveats and comments apply. In particular – I note that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete examination of the topic and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other any other views and/or 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.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening Words
00:00:48 — What Am I Talking About?
00:03:07 — Ukraine's Strategic Imperative
00:08:06 — Why Oil and Gas?
00:17:30 — Strikes So Far
00:31:41 — Estimating Impacts
00:39:55 — 2024
00:44:27 — the WW2 Precedent
00:50:44 — Missing Pieces
00:55:09 — Defender Lessons
00:59:17 — Conclusion
01:01:13 — Channel Update
Ok. I had not considered this possibility, and it does fit quite neatly as a possible explanation. Good call, you're right, this could indeed be what's going on.