The Off Topic Topic

[celedhring]

That dude whose BBQ stopped working because of a software update remains my favorite "we need to rethink IoT" moment, though.

But it didn't stop working. Instead, it proved that a lot of people read a headline or a tweet and concluded what was going on with zero investigation.

I know that the guy said the update took little time, but it was still funny.

[katmai]

Congrats to gray wolf for winning LFFL 21

[celedhring]

Infuriating journalism of the day. Just read an article about "how the pandemic has changed film stories" and half the examples are movies that were made before Covid, they just happened to be released later 

[Grey Fox]

Congrats to gray wolf for winning LFFL 21

Woo! 2 times champion 2008;2021. I'd like to thank J. Chase for being a monster. A big fuck you to AB.

[Sheilbh]

Amazing archive digitisation project:
https://archive.org/details/sim_microfilm

Now I can finally fulfill my ambition of unlocking a mystery through the medium of microfiche!

[Jacob]

Amazing archive digitisation project:
https://archive.org/details/sim_microfilm

Now I can finally fulfill my ambition of unlocking a mystery through the medium of microfiche!

Nice!

They have both Playboy and Canadian Entomologist

[Sheilbh]

They have both Playboy and Canadian Entomologist

The two genders

[Razgovory]

Amazing archive digitisation project:
https://archive.org/details/sim_microfilm

Now I can finally fulfill my ambition of unlocking a mystery through the medium of microfiche!

Nice!

They have both Playboy and Canadian Entomologist

It's like going to college with Malthus' dad.

[Zanza]

General Motors has lost market leadership in the United States to Toyota in 2021. Before, they had the highest number of sold vehicles every year since 1931.

Reason is the semiconductor shortage, so this is likely to reverse again in 2022.

[Oexmelin]

Amazing archive digitisation project:
https://archive.org/details/sim_microfilm

Now I can finally fulfill my ambition of unlocking a mystery through the medium of microfiche!

Surprisingly enough, it's a lot more tedious in real life than the movies make it to be.

[Tamas]

Annual MOT test on my car... There is a completely redundant decorative indicator led light on the outside rear view mirrors. The passenger one hasn't worked in like 3 years IIRC but who cares I have the regular front one working just fine. Testers didn't care either.


Except now they have failed the car over it. And it's a bloody LED unit which is going to cost me a bit north of £100 That's, like... 1.5 board games for something completely unnecessary

Also I am pissed because the other failure was unbalanced front brakes which I didn't notice. But I know why they are unbalanced: some months ago I asked the next door garage (who do not do MOTs) to check why one of the front ones were squealing despite being new. They did fix the squealing but apparently messed up the alignment in the process. Which now I am waiting for the MOT-ing garage to tell me when they can take a look at it.

So I am looking at a minimum of two days being car-less because that's how long it takes for the new LED to arrive.

One thing Tyr and Sheilbh don't consider in their car-ridden utopia is the enormous economic impact of authorities and car mechanics no longer being able to syphon large amounts of money off car owners.

[mongers]

Annual MOT test on my car... There is a completely redundant decorative indicator led light on the outside rear view mirrors. The passenger one hasn't worked in like 3 years IIRC but who cares I have the regular front one working just fine. Testers didn't care either.


Except now they have failed the car over it. And it's a bloody LED unit which is going to cost me a bit north of £100 That's, like... 1.5 board games for something completely unnecessary

Also I am pissed because the other failure was unbalanced front brakes which I didn't notice. But I know why they are unbalanced: some months ago I asked the next door garage (who do not do MOTs) to check why one of the front ones were squealing despite being new. They did fix the squealing but apparently messed up the alignment in the process. Which now I am waiting for the MOT-ing garage to tell me when they can take a look at it.

So I am looking at a minimum of two days being car-less because that's how long it takes for the new LED to arrive.

One thing Tyr and Sheilbh don't consider in their car-ridden utopia is the enormous economic impact of authorities and car mechanics no longer being able to syphon large amounts of money off car owners.

Yesterday my rear safety light stopped working, so I took the spare front light stuck on the red reflector cover from the defective light and put it on the rear of the bike. So I had a reddish-pink safety light to get me home, total cost 2 minutes. 

[Tamas]

Yeah I replace my rear lights myself, for the front ones I have the poor sods at Halfords do it because they are an absolute nightmare to get to.

But this one I just ignored as a redundant thing. I haven't checked if it's something I could have managed to replace myself. I am sure it would have been cheaper for me to get the part then pay the price the garage is quoting me but hey. At this stage the least hassle is to have them do it. It is just rather infuriating.

[Josquius]

Even if we keep pretending it's 1960 and try to swap our petrol for electric cars one for one that's going to crush government income from motorists which is heavily reliant on fuel tax.

I was thinking on this the other day and my conclusion is we need a solid car ownership tax which is based on your post code and for which exemptions can be claimed for key reasons.
Make the city dwellers with their toy range rovers pay without screwing over the wheelchair user in the Highlands.

[DGuller]

The argument about gas tax is the weakest argument I can think of.  Tax policy is not a law of nature imposed upon the government, the government can choose to tax something else.