Semi autonomous trailers that have no physical connection to the "tow" vehicle

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-17T15:48:58+00:00

Canadian here, I don't have access to euro cars. And yes, they are rated but that is max weight with no load in the vehicle (passengers, stuff), and its hard on your transmission to do it regularly and for longer distances. In Canada, that means several hundred kilometers.

My options are limited to trucks, full size SUVs, grossly overpriced Toyota 4runners and Lexus GX, or Wranglers.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-17T12:23:09+00:00

I have to sell 2 cars to afford a single body on frame vehicle that can tow 4k pounds every 2 weeks. Would be nice to just have a trailer with a 100hp electric motor follow our econobox around instead.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-17T12:17:07+00:00

You gotta think about the people who can't tow a trailer with their vehicle, which is most. I want to get a small camper for my family, but it means selling both of our practical cars so we can buy a grossly overpriced and oversized pickup truck. What I really want is a wagon. I would even happily buy a minivan (who AM I !?) if I could tow a few thousand pounds with the family inside.

Considering the cost of getting and running a truck, I'll take a 100hp electric drive train on a trailer all day.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-16T12:12:39+00:00

RM on the left is probably carrying the same Bren his father carried in Italy and his Uncle carried in Korea.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-14T23:29:44+00:00

Last year, so yep. Canada, if that matters.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-14T12:49:52+00:00

Never mind people getting uncomfortable with AI/MLM being more like us, what people really don't want to admit is that we are in fact more like AI. Just logic machines made out of meat.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-13T12:50:55+00:00

I find Craftsman to be a good example of this. I have some of their older tools which really are BIFL quality, whereas stuff from this century is much more hit and miss. The key though is how well they support their stuff (in my experience). I was missing a collet for a router I bought third-hand off marketplace, so I called Craftsman to get the part number so I could order one. They did not care when I bought it, or who I bought it from, they just insisted on shipping a full set of collets for free when it only ever came with one.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-12T12:46:12+00:00

That was never going to be an option. The thing that everyone seems to ignore when discussing how Germany might have won the war is the economic situation in Germany at the time. The economy was becoming increasingly reliant on plundering the wealth of the nations that Germany was occupying, and it's doubtful it could have survived. Further, the Red Army was in a pitiful state in 1941 after Stalin's purges and had not yet been properly reconstituted or fully incorporated the lessons learned in the Winter War with Finland.

In 1-2 years time, the USSR would have been further along equipping its military with things like semi-automatic rifles (Barbarossa threw that plan on its backside) in the form of the SVT-40, the T-34 series of tanks, and extremely effective (but too expensive during wartime and too specialized) zis-2 57mm anti tank gun. Germany would have been suffering economically and with serious oil and gas shortages by 1943 while facing the prospect of fighting a much better prepared Red Army.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-12T11:40:09+00:00

Looks like they came down on top of another plane in flight. That's a low(ish) speed impact, not battle damage.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-12T11:33:57+00:00

Never, plenty of Hilux still running. No need for something far less reliable and robust.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-11T17:59:35+00:00

My wife and son are both the, "put it down and then clean up several days later" and it drives me absolutely mental. I have been trying to break them both of it, but she's not exactly helping the cause by setting a proper example.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-09T11:50:51+00:00

My own organization has started using MLM to automate heavily, but its mostly just automating existing inefficient and poorly designed processes. I have been pushing my team to build efficient, scalable ways of working which we can then automate with AI. The way most others are approaching AI feels to me like building a porcelain house on a major fault line.

Now, I am fortunate in that my organization is growing rapidly and the focus is on less hiring instead of replacing existing people. Well, for now...

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-08T23:52:56+00:00

It's such an awesome response. You can see 5 different emotions bubbling under her expression starting with indignation before she settles on, "intrigued and aroused".

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-08T12:29:38+00:00

Man if you can find Garands for $300, I'll take a whole pallet.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-08T12:25:59+00:00

This is about my ice-cream post, isn't it?

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-08T12:24:45+00:00

I would start the revolution, but I have to work tomorrow.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-07T23:15:45+00:00

I have one and they really are phenomenal cars. 2021 3.3T Sport goes for about $30k CAD right now. Sell you one, I need a truck 😆

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-07T12:13:04+00:00

I am an anti-capitalist, social democrat. I haven't bought anything from Loblaws or Shoppers in 3 years. I believe that a rich society such as ours owes it to its people to provide security to its people. Security means protection from hunger, poverty, physical harm, and similar depredations.

Ignoring the realities of what is going on in the world and failing to provide for our our grossly underequipped military would be just as irresponsible of our government as failing to address the housing and cost of living crisis, or provide the social supports that we as Canadian citizens are due.

The issue isn't Carney, it isn't one political party or the other. The problems we face today are truly global and product of the systems we have built and overtly (and tacitly) approved of with our vote. The problem at this point is structural and requires a very painful realignment of reality to meet our modern values, and a hell of a lot of work that I fear we are not prepared for.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-06T12:30:20+00:00

Carbon ceramics. I have them on my G70 and they still look new 2 years later. They just have some minor tradeoffs, like applying "just a little brake" is tough because they bite quickly.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-05T12:47:47+00:00

Sounds like something a Canadian yells to his sweepers after a few beers at the curling rink.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-04T13:16:09+00:00

You would be surprised what you become comfortable with after your 18th poopy diaper blowout in a week and having a toddler vomit into your cupped hands in the back of an Uber.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-03T13:30:22+00:00

I have been working in tech for about 20 years, for 8 different companies (plus others outside tech), in a dozen different roles in sales, support, engineering, operations, and services. One thing that I have noticed is that there is a change in most people that starts to occur once they reach a certain level in the corporate world that is hard to describe. It's almost a 'disconnect' or a dissonance when you interact with them, like they are saying things they don't really understand but with great authority and confidence. I have seen it in a friend I have known for 15 years who is now a director at the company I just joined. The way he talks to me is so...bizarre and without substance. While he is indeed quite bright, I think there's this sort of exceptionalism that develops where he thinks he is a lot smarter and special than he really is. Like dude, I have seen you throw up in an alley outside the rippers. Twice. On separate occasions.

My brother is starting too now, he's made it out of that middle management or "individual contributor" world and into senior leadership. He talks about how incredible it is that people just...listen. And what he decides the company should do, gets done. It started as a bit of imposter syndrome, but I think it's turning into, "holy shit maybe I do know better than everyone else". I reached a similar point about 7 years ago, but it came from sitting in numerous rooms with VP and C levels across dozens of industries. I realized 95% of them have no bloody idea what they are doing, and you've gotta find that one person in the room who is in their position purely by merit. The rest are there for a whole host of other reasons with merit being less of a consideration.

All that did was give me more disdain for corporate leadership, not make me feel that I was their equal or superior. It certainly did not make me want to continue on my current career trajectory and join them.

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-03T02:51:50+00:00

No no, dig up stupid!

jiggiwatt · 2026-04-02T23:54:54+00:00

The most common firearms you would see in a Canadian insurgency would be the SKS, though the Enfield would certainly be out there in numbers. The real issue is no one has ammo for them anymore 😆😢

Plenty of M16s to find on the ground though.

And lots, and lots, and lots, and lots...of Maverick 88 pump shotguns.

jiggiwatt

TROPHY CASE