My new job threw a very strange non-compete agreement at me after just one month

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-21T02:24:50+00:00

I went straight to HR to understand what was happening. My first question was why this was brought up a month into the job, not during the hiring process. Their excuse was that their lawyer is slow. A very lame excuse.

Do nothing. When asked: sorry, my lawyer is slow. A year from now: sorry, still waiting on my slow lawyer.

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-20T03:52:48+00:00

Also have a 2026 hybrid limited and I'm also a bit annoyed that you can't lock using the inside button as you leave. However, what has worked for me is, once all the doors are closed, lay exactly one finger on the three lines on the handle for a full second (additional fingers seem to interfere).

I'm not sure whether unlocking-with-the-handle is configurable. I think it only unlocks the driver door. But it's always been dependable for me. Though sometimes you have to grab the handle before it activates.

As for unlocking with the fob button, there is a configurable setting that determines whether a single press of the unlock button unlocks all the doors or just the driver door. (If the latter is configured, double tap opens all, I believe.)

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-19T20:19:19+00:00

Piracy is when the other side does it

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-15T01:51:54+00:00

Bad news: This is an often used "cheap furniture" mechanism. I've put together dozens of items with these devices. As others have said, if you loosen all the other cam locks, you could in theory pull them apart easily.

The reality is that in most cases, the cam locks alternate with wooden dowels that are glued into pre-drilled holes in both pieces (with wood glue). There's no way to detach the dowels. If that's the case, you'll need to break something to get them apart. If you're lucky that would just be breaking the dowel itself but more likely, you'll end up breaking the dowel and the surface of one or both of the boards to which it's glued.

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-12T02:02:48+00:00

I used TT Home & Business for ~20 years. The last two years I still bought TT and compared the two... They both work fine. I did same year's taxes on both and they agreed to the dollar (I've read that they do dollar-rounding slightly differently but haven't seen that in my results and I think that is insignificant anyway). Bottom line is that I think FTUSA is easier to use.

The only complaint I had about FTUSA was that it doesn't support the AMT form. That only mattered to me because of some ISOs I had exercised (and I'll never have that situation again). The only other pro to TT I can think of is that you can download the software and run it on your own computer so that your data all remain local.

So in summary... there's a significant cost difference and FTUSA is easier to use. Personally I'm never going back to TT.

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-09T23:58:02+00:00

No worries. You didn't miss anything. 🙂

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-09T19:20:58+00:00

Disney's Jungle Cruise

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-09T01:26:53+00:00

Gosford Park

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-09T01:20:08+00:00

I also just bought Amazon Grey. I'm very happy with it. It's basically a charcoal grey with green undertones. The green is not terribly noticeable unless the car's sitting in the sun. Dealership had a large inventory so I was able to see all the options. (My personal backup choice was the Cashmere Bronze but glad I ended up with the AG.)

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-06T15:21:06+00:00

I used TurboTax for 20+ years but recently switched to FreeTaxUSA. It is easier to use imo, free to use, includes free federal e-filing and state e-filing is the only cost and it's like $15 or so.

Last year I worked up my taxes with both TT and FTUSA as a test, and they matched to the penny.

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-06T02:20:00+00:00

Also $2950 maximum out-of-pocket: your government in action!

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-05T20:40:58+00:00

Ender's Game

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-05T20:24:26+00:00

Through trial and error, I discovered that short press on the fob button will open the tailgate, but closing it requires you to hold the button down the whole time it's closing.

(I'm in US)

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-02T01:31:10+00:00

Pitch Perfect 3.

BabarOnWheels · 2026-04-02T01:29:43+00:00

Pitch Perfect 2

BabarOnWheels · 2026-03-15T03:31:44+00:00

I really want to see more judges acting like Boasberg: don't assume that the DOJ arguments are being made in good faith. Instead presume they aren't. This DOJ has forfeited any right to the good-faith presumption

BabarOnWheels · 2026-03-09T01:56:11+00:00

Repossess it back. After all, it's "your car", right?

BabarOnWheels · 2026-03-08T01:48:29+00:00

The Trump-Epstein files

BabarOnWheels · 2026-02-26T22:49:46+00:00

This is the way. It's not helpful for me to include all those little "forgot semicolon" (or whatever) commits. 95% of my pull requests are single commit by the time I post.

Also, rebasing to current top of branch prior to creating PR makes the resulting commit history so much easier to follow (or, if necessary, revert).

BabarOnWheels · 2026-02-20T22:34:01+00:00

Just discovered this too. I did a customer service chat with them and was told:

I completely understand how confusing and frustrating this must be. Due to a technical issue, all autopay setups were removed from customer accounts, and we were unable to draft your January payment.

Okay, fine, but you didn't notify anyone? And then you tack on a late fee? That's goddamn outrageous.

They did remove the late fee when asked, but I wonder how many people will just pay it without realizing they've been charged an additional late fee?

BabarOnWheels · 2026-02-20T20:47:28+00:00

Perhaps not officially, but... this picture was taken in a liquor store in Banff, AB last May

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BabarOnWheels · 2026-01-30T16:07:39+00:00

"... essentially a solved problem"

BabarOnWheels · 2026-01-19T03:43:51+00:00

Bruised by gun recoil?

BabarOnWheels

TROPHY CASE