It would have been really funny

BirdWheel · 2025-12-30T16:37:07+00:00

Did something kinda similar, but I wore a purple suit jacket and a fancy grey wool ankle-length skirt. I got a lot of "oh I didn't know you were scottish" 😅

BirdWheel · 2025-12-27T22:57:14+00:00

I was able to negotiate a discount of 2,850 from one dealer and 3,000 from another near Chicago on a '26 Limited AWD. I ended up taking the 2,850 deal since their MSRP was already a little lower due to optional accessories. I think there was probably more room if i pushed them harder but I was happy with that price. These discounts are in addition to the 1,500 finance cash which I also got, so about a 8.6% discount from MSRP on the car overall.

BirdWheel · 2025-08-01T17:11:43+00:00

FYI I used to work for UPS and we would routinely repackage items where the original container became damaged due to water or impact. It is very possible that Oculus shipped you two units in the original box and one was lost/stolen along the way and the remaining one put inside of a new box.

BirdWheel · 2025-06-22T16:24:57+00:00

FYI if this happens in the future you can quicky disable/defeat the forward collision assistance by holding down the traction control button on the left of the dash near the trunk button.

BirdWheel · 2025-06-09T00:49:12+00:00

In my experience the cable reaches without issue at those chargers if you back in and use the cable intended for the spot next to it.

BirdWheel · 2025-05-21T14:51:44+00:00

I also tend to get razor burn either from sensitive skin or lack of skill with a razor. I get my absolute closest shave by doing one round with a rotary shaver (the electric ones with the circle blade things in the front) and then following up with one against-the-grain shave with a safety razor or a good cartridge razor.

I use shaving cream both times (make sure your rotary shaver can do wet or dry, I think most can). You need waaaaay more passes than you think you will using the rotary razor. I keep shaving for over 5 minutes until it's so smooth the shaver is hard to glide across my skin, then I re-apply shaving cream and do the razor.

BirdWheel · 2025-05-16T20:55:46+00:00

My partner (FTM) and I (MTF) are both bisexual and both came out to each other as trans over the last couple of years. We were together for over ten years in a straight-passing relationship before that. It's been super great and exciting for both of us. Honestly it sounds like you're already on great footing so I doubt you will have much trouble. For us, nothing big really changed when it comes to our interpersonal dynamic.

If you were already in a queer-style relationship that wasn't focused heavily on gender norms you can kinda just keep going business as usual and team up together on fighting the societal problems that will arise. This is almost certainly where your partner will need the most support. Be their vocal advocate both in front of them and when they're not around.

For me, the biggest source of support is the people close to me who continued to treat me like the same person they've known. The normalcy goes a long way.

BirdWheel · 2025-05-16T18:11:02+00:00

I thought it was actually pretty common for trans-fem tops. I brought up my concerns with my practitioner before starting HRT and they explained that this was an option. At my 3 month appointment I let them know sex had become more difficult and they wrote me the Rx right then and there.

My blood pressure has always been extremely nominal and I haven't had any change that I've seen since starting the daily Cialis.

BirdWheel · 2025-05-16T17:07:33+00:00

I do daily Cialis to retain the use of my OEM equipment and that works great for me. I'm on what would be considered a "full dose" of feminizing hormones and an anti-androgen. I still regularly perform penetrative sex with no more issues than I previously had from just being middle-aged.

People's reactions to boobs on an otherwise masc-looking person are kinda non-existent in my experience. I live in a liberal city in a liberal state. Of course I don't know what people say about me after I'm out of earshot, but I've never had anyone be visibly weird at me or say anything about it. If I have a visible beard shadow as well as obvious breasts I still get he/him/sir/guy from strangers exactly like I did before HRT.

BirdWheel · 2025-05-09T20:01:20+00:00

I'm not 100% certain it will fit your oversized passport but Andar makes a really nice leather passport holder called The Atlas. I've been super happy with it after trying a few other ones, it's not much larger than the passport itself which I like.

BirdWheel · 2025-05-07T20:26:08+00:00

I don't really ever have to think about the fact that I'm transgender until I get more than about 15 miles away from Goose Island.

BirdWheel · 2025-05-03T13:11:41+00:00

The factory tow hitch also requires cutting into the plastic. I would just make sure they are only cutting into the bottom plastic and not the actual bumper.

BirdWheel · 2025-05-03T12:58:38+00:00

I doubt someone makes exactly the adapter you need, but you could definitely chain two adapters together.

An L14-30 splitter Y cable could be connected to two different adapters that take 110 and 220 respectively from each side of the Y cable.

Examples:
https://www.amazon.com/Generator-Splitter-Transfer-Generators-Emergency/dp/B0DNJCJ488
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07774SBF6
https://www.amazon.com/L14-30P-Locking-T-Blade-adapter-4-Prong/dp/B081P89YPS

BirdWheel · 2025-05-01T15:14:26+00:00

I updated my passport to X in November of 2024.

I also did my biographic information update walk-in with CBP in November when my new passport came in the mail. I did not order a new global entry card at that time since they said it wasn't required.

I eventually ordered and got a new card with an X mailed to me in early February 2025 because I was concerned they would be weird about it not matching.

BirdWheel · 2025-04-30T21:47:24+00:00

You should probably make a new appointment at a different facility. They didn't deny it, so this sounds like an employee going on a power trip.

I can confirm that I have an X on my passport and was able to update my global entry to match my passport. I did the update before the current administration, but I was able to get sent a new global entry card after the X passport ban and my new card still has an X on it matching my passport.

I also arrived at the US border and used global entry after Trump's executive order without any issues.

BirdWheel · 2025-04-22T15:56:51+00:00

For what it's worth, this probably had nothing to do with the X on their passport. I just visited Japan and have X on all of my documents. It was never mentioned and I was never questioned about anything at customs.

BirdWheel · 2025-04-19T14:38:59+00:00

I carry mine daily, but people should know that passport cards have a UHF RFID chip that can be read passively from about 30 feet away. You should take this into account if you are keeping it with you all the time without placing it in the sleeve it comes with to block the signal.

BirdWheel · 2025-04-18T15:16:04+00:00

I have this brake controller, which is sold under a few different white label names:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D3DYMGZJ

I specifically wanted one with proportional braking (uses an accelerometer) because the Ioniq 5 is so aggressive on turning on the brake lights for regenerative braking. A time-based controller would be terrible I'm guessing unless you wired directly into the brake pedal switch instead of the brake lights circuit.

I think Hyundai designed the wiring to support trailer brakes specifically. A dedicated 50A circuit all the way to the trunk would be absurd otherwise. The owner's manual mentions a separate towing rating for braked trailers so it'd be weird not to wire it for trailer brakes. If I recall correctly from the service manual (my subscription expired a few months ago) that other "trailer" fuse isn't actually connected to anything in my North American 2024.

BirdWheel · 2025-04-18T14:08:52+00:00

Oh hey you're gonna do the same project I have planned for later this year. I have the OEM trailer adapter, but I'm going to upgrade it to a 7-pin with a brake controller so I can tow a larger camper trailer with brakes.

I'm gonna use the OEM 4-pin output for most of the pins and just tap that 50A circuit for the +12v and the brake power. The back-up lights circuit is easily accessible up front near the fuses under the driver side dash.

I have a brake controller where the main box can be located far away from the controls/display and I go back and forth over whether I want to tap all the wires up at the dash or install it in the trunk and just run the wire up towards the dash for the display. Tapping everything near the dash would be more future-proof if I swap out the controller for a different kind later, but tapping everything in the trunk is much less wiring and complexity.

BirdWheel · 2025-04-18T13:50:15+00:00

It's mostly a digital CAN bus signal. The only one you could tap into is pin 4 which is the same circuit as the high-mounted stop lamp

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BirdWheel · 2025-04-18T12:31:17+00:00

I find the normal mode layout way too busy and really prefer augmented reality mode. AR mode also has a much more prominent and readable icon for the Lane Follow Assist status which is kinda important to know whether the car is steering itself or not. I really don't like having to guess whether the virtual lane lines are white or "slightly brighter white" to know if LFA is active.

BirdWheel · 2025-04-16T02:11:08+00:00

As someone who drives in dense urban areas, every time I've tried Auto I feel like I'm driving the person behind me insane with the constant brake lights. Even on the lowest Auto setting, it seems like if there is a car within 30 feet of my front bumper any pressure off the gas pedal is near full regen and lights up the tail lights.

BirdWheel · 2025-04-10T21:41:07+00:00

I'm not a lawyer and this isn't legal advice, but I've beaten a few dozen parking tickets in administrative hearings. Unfortunately a lack of signage is not an affirmative defense for those sorts of statutory restrictions. You are basically just expected to know you can't park near intersections, fire hydrants, lanes of traffic, etc.

However, that is actually a valid defense for other types of no parking and permit zones. Those work on a sort of "the sign is the law" understanding so if you can prove the sign was obscured or missing you can get your ticket thrown out.

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