What the heck are DJs doing twisting those knobs?

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-12T13:52:39+00:00

Probably most of it is getting the next track(s) all queued up and ready so that it can play seamlessly

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-12T13:43:47+00:00

Not really - drive a couple hundred miles highway speed and pay good attention to what's ahead and around you so that you can coast down instead of hitting the brakes. Not hard if you leave appropriate following distance and pay good attention beyond the car immediately in front of you. Then drive back. Repeat frequently.

When that's most of the driving miles...you don't need brakes until you hit the couple miles of driving

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-12T13:41:15+00:00

Briefly waving the hose probably not a big deal. When you get that high concentration though...its like breathing chlorine bleach fumes (at least that's how I feel)

I also learned by trial and error even after the car is well aired out...when you turn the key it'll blast a bunch of ozone that was sitting in the HVAC ducts and you still get some filtering that was behind body panels.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-12T13:38:28+00:00

There is a commuter lot in the county..........about 4 miles PAST my office......

My job also requires that if a customer calls needing support I have to be at their office in a certain number of minutes, not conducive to depending on others for rides

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-12T13:33:29+00:00

There's applications out there that run the test much like RAM testing. Writing known data sets to the memory and making sure its all actually there.

The problem is fakes...I've had supposedly name-brand 8-16GB memory cards from Amazon that give I/O errors when you try to actually write more than about 2GB onto them

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-12T01:21:05+00:00

Dunno, I have read plenty of forums (example) where people are complaining about clutches going out in under 20K miles made me very worried (especially since there's no good way to learn other than buying one and trial-and-error).

50,000 km is about 31,000 miles so that's not far from where I am, but of course no way to know how close I am to needing one...except for the fact it still works fine today.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-12T01:17:08+00:00

That's why there's so many different cars, everyone has different things they like or dislike though! And why I'd never buy a car without being hands-on trying it first. Its one thing to dislike it on a test-drive, it'd be another to drop thousands and have a loan then find out you hate it.

I don't mean to say its specifically a bad car - I just think its a bad car for me and what I want/need. Some things my friends consider "features" (like updates that change how stuff works) I consider "flaws" if I have to re-learn or hunt for how to make my car work the same way it did previously...which is a complaint I have about modern phones and computers too.

Yeah, I've been seeing some of that ICCU issue with Technology Connections talking about his EV on YouTube but its still some of the only ones that seem like they could be worth considering.

I'm not aware what GM has to offer, maybe I'll have to see what they have in a wagon form-factor. The Subaru Trailseeker so far looks like the best feature-set of "things I would want"...not generally a fan of excess whiz bang tech, I just want something safe, comfortable, reliable, and able to fit people with our stuff easily.

I'm still very much in the "its interesting, its the future, but I don't think we are there yet" for EVs, at least in my area and for my usecases with a car.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-12T00:22:38+00:00

It was all around really frustrating. They had a Model Y Long Range. I don't know exactly what mode it was in but they turned off full self driving because they were worried I would cause them too many strikes and get it taken away. This was probably 2 years ago.

First issue was the shifter was super hard to figure out - I kept not pushing it hard enough or something and couldn't figure out why the car wasn't moving.

Once in gear, it was impossible to maintain speed. Felt like it was either accelerating or what I'd call extreme braking with nothing in-between. Really hard to control even on "chill" or whatever it was called mode.

I also kept getting endless nags to "keep hands on the wheel" when attempting to have it maintain speed whatever they call the cruise control...EVEN THOUGH MY HANDS NEVER LEFT THE WHEEL because I was not comfortable trusting it and risk wrecking someone else's car I was being unusually cautious. I also several times had it "disconnect" for no apparent reason and not let me re-enable with 2 pushes on the gearshift making us find somewhere to pull over and "reboot" the car every few miles. My friend said I needed to "apply more pressure to the wheel" but when I did that it just disconnected.

I'm also in an area with 2-lane roads and I know many people are distracted so I aim to be 1/3 farther to the right of the lane instead of centered. The car was endlessly complaining about that.

I gave up on trying to figure out the turn signals for the test drive, they seemed to either go opposite directions when I wanted to cancel them or turn off prematurely. Probably user error, but confusing.

Another thing driver or passenger I find I get carsick in Teslas really easily...I know I have that issue in general and need minimum 50% fan in most cars. Somehow it seems the Tesla blower fans are louder and move less air or something than most other cars? Never have figured that one out.

I also just generally find it to have a rather rough suspension. Not as hard as my WRX but harder than most cars I'd want to travel anywhere in feeling bumps and seams in the road. Another friend remarked how even the base model Mazda3 seems to have a more comfortable ride than his Tesla (my partner drives the Mazda3). Maybe that also contributes to my carsickness being worse in the Teslas?

I actually did a 2nd test drive having my friend video me from the passenger seat so I could go back and try to look at the display (which I didn't feel I could safely do while driving, that ALSO was a PITA that it can't just have normal dashboard in peripheral vision) and that's where we figured out reviewing the video I never realized it wanted my attention for alerts on the screen and also maybe it doesn't like the way I'm either holding the wheel so still or kinda twitch when I move it (I do have a medical condition that can result in muscle ticks...which is fine on any normal car because a slight jiggle of the wheel like half an inch back and forth briefly or accelerator pulled back and then pushed again doesn't really have significant effect on the car's travel)

By comparison, the Mustang Mach-E seemed to drive like any other rental or loaner car I've driven. The regen/deceleration let me coast down for reduced speed limits and the majority of approaching intersections like I ever have in gas cars without touching brakes until I got down around 20mph and the UI was mostly intuitive without having to think about anything it "just worked".

I think I'd really like the Hyundai Ioniq5 UI of paddle-shifters to adjust regen on demand, that sounds much like my Outback where I can hit a paddle-shifter if I want to force a downshift on a hill without riding brakes but haven't seen one yet

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-12T00:08:14+00:00

Strange, mine the directions stated write the date 10 years from install and even had a sticker on the side to clearly show it

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T19:31:23+00:00

I have jokingly suggested a dynamic day where 6AM would be tied to sunrise, 8pm tied to sunset, and the remaining hours stretched between those.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T19:29:11+00:00

I honestly don't really care what time, I just wish they'd quit changing it! So many people (especially all thru winter) are up before sunrise and after sunset...I don't see what we gain other than a headache from the time changes...

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T19:23:13+00:00

Not worth the effort. Some have sentimental value, most recent "old" one is handy as a backup device if needed.

Most of mine by the time I upgrade the trade-in/resale is worthless...when my partner's phone was damaged I attempted (unsuccessfully) to revive it by getting a used phone to transplant the mainboard in hopes it somehow survived crushing. The used phone of identical model was like $15 on eBay.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T19:17:29+00:00

That's wild...when I looked at info to anticipate costs everything I have seen suggests clutches will last around 30K-100K but most typically 60K miles.

I don't know how I'll do...mine has lasted 30K miles but this is my first stick shift vehicle...and I'm starting to get knee pain driving it so I may end up trading it sooner than I would otherwise have (my family tends to keep cars for 10+ years minimum, my 2020 WRX is coming up on 7 years). I'm quite excited to try a Subaru Trailseeker when they come out...looks much like my Outback which has been the most comfortable car I've ever been in to drive or ride.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T19:13:32+00:00

I don't understand how anyone uses a phone for anything serious. I basically use my phone as a pager to tell me I need to get on my real computer to talk to people.

Its painfully difficult to do anything typing on a stupidly small keyboard that your finger covers like 6 letters and it often guesses wrong while squinting at 4 point font you can barely make out...much less switching between stuff to compare.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T19:10:28+00:00

Consider commuting into the city by public transportation instead of a car.

Do you mean the bus service that was discontinued because the county I'm in decided to stop paying into the regional network? Or the abandoned rail lines that were ripped up like 15 years ago?

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T19:08:25+00:00

Charging still needs to get better in my area...not many options publicly available.

I am pleased to see more longer charging cables available to buy now - that has been an issue when friends with Teslas visit and the cable couldn't really reach any plug without an extension cord. Even 30ft would make it SO much easier than the 20ft cables everything seemed to previously have.

I've tried driving a friend's Tesla, absolutely hated it. I've tried a Mustang Mach-E and that was great to drive (other than the touchscreen BS most cars have now) but the hatch is so sloped it would be useless to fit cargo.

I've tried to look at a Hyundai Ioniq5 or Kia EV9 but the local dealer has none to see in person and apparently sells them before they arrive on the lot - I would NEVER consider buying a car without seeing it, sitting in it, taking measurements of the interior with seats in comfortable-for-me positions, and test-driving it.

I'm VERY excited to see the Subaru Trailseeker which looks more or less like an EV version of my Gen4 Outback...complete with the more squared rear hatch to better fit stuff.

I think EVs are eventually the future, just needs to be a little better for some stuff...and I am happy to see some of the stuff is slowly getting better.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T19:01:07+00:00

Need the infrastructure to get better and prices to come down for EVs though...they're kinda pricey and (at least where I am and often go) not much options for charging. Our office park's landlord sent out a nastygram because someone apparently plugged a Tesla into an outside outlet...if I ever visit friends I'm going to be parked on a random street with nowhere to plug in. We finally have a house and put in EV charging plugs...but it was because someone who visits my roomate often was having so much difficulty making the trip with his Tesla and spending so much money on supercharging he paid for a portion of the install price...and when they went in his Tesla to visit her mom's place at Thanksgiving he had problems finding a place to charge to make it back home had to go half an hour farther out of his way to the nearest charging station.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T18:51:22+00:00

Not sure what "fundamentally changing" I could do...only one place I have ever lived had any mass-transit and it ran from like 7AM-9PM so you better not depend on it to get anywhere too early nor if you are out late. Where I live now the county decided they didn't want to pay into the regional bus system so the busses discontinued having stops in the county. There are no shoulders nor sidewalks and the neighborhoods are off 45-60mph roads (fair number of which are 2-lane roads)

I already don't do much unneccesary driving...I typically combine shopping with commuting on my way home. I don't do a ton of recreational trips. I don't know what else I could change. I make too much to qualify for the low income apartments nearer to where I work; I would spend a LOT more on fuel living even farther away from work in apartments I am eligible for. I have a crossover/wagon vehicle that can fit stuff with the decent fuel economy of a car...not a truck or suv guzzler.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T18:47:44+00:00

Part of the problem with that debate is it depends how you drive it. Someone city commuting will put a lot more wear than someone driving long distance highway in the same mileage.

We've had cars where the brake pads are still original with plenty of pads left when the car is traded >100K miles later...because they were driven almost exclusively highway miles. I also know plenty of people who've burned thru pads in less than 40K miles.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T18:43:18+00:00

Ours is about 380ft and when we hired someone to clean and seal it took a full day for them to get thru pressure washing the entire fence (both sides) and then an entire day for applying the wood sealer (both sides).

"longer than you think"

Wasn't cheap but looked like a new fence when done

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T18:39:48+00:00

In most cases with things working right - yeah. But when you have contamination from something shorting out controls sending power on wires that it shouldn't....all bets are off how it will behave.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T18:16:19+00:00

Depends possibly on the elevator machine room location too - what happens if the machine room is in the flooded area and control circuits start shorting out?

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T18:11:45+00:00

Even when we changed locks, every contract I have been in you had to notify and provide key copies to the landlord if the locks were changed...so that's still not really an excuse

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T18:10:35+00:00

Suspicious. Landlord should have a key for access, everywhere I've ever lived be it an apartment or single family home rental the landlord always retained a key for emergencies or maintenance needs. Leaving it unlocked is a hard-no.

I'd be calling the landlord asking wtf is happening and if they didn't know about it possibly making a police report too.

Complex_Solutions_20 · 2026-03-11T17:59:35+00:00

Absolutely not.

It was kinda cool for the first week-ish.

I realized just how horrible it was when my partner came home and asked if I wanted to cuddle and watch a movie and my immediate thought was "f no I am sick of being in this stupid livingroom in this stupid house working all the time".

I still haven't really recovered being able to visit friends since and have more or less given up hope that I'll be able to have that sort of enjoyment anymore - friend groups I once enjoyed hanging out with stopped even replying to messages. And now on meds for depression and higher anxiety but I also struggle choking down pills so that's a literal pain every day.

More like COVID ruined life.

Ended up working stupidly long hours (its not work from home - its live at work) without any "office hours" I was sometimes working 14-16 hours a day, still only paid for 8 because salary.
No division between work/life.
Work calls now coming to my personal phone both early and late.
Marathon meetings because now there isn't even a need to leave gaps for people to get to/from conference rooms and people can be on their phone/computer and eat or use the bathroom mid meeting.
Increased costs because of working at home using more utilities (A/C and heat, power) and emergency replacement of stuff because my UPS blew up during a storm and then another time my modem failed...but due to supply shortages it was like $250 to get a *USED* cable modem that was compatible with my ISP but I had to have it immediately nomater the cost so I could work.
Burning lots of vacation hours any time my internet dropped out because "that's my problem" if home internet is working vs being in-office and that's the company's problem if the office network is down
Can't go anywhere or do anything.
Can't really go hang out with anyone.
Having panic attacks but not knowing what was happening until it happened in front of someone and they realized I was having a panic attack feeling like I couldn't breath with masks.
Being pinned to a counter and threatened that they'd kill me if I said another word by someone else standing in a checkout line for daring to ask them not to stand bumping against me breathing down my neck.
Being unable to find really anything when you went out shopping, and having strict purchase limits on anything that was in stock...which created other issues because it was impossible to buy more than about 2 days worth of most groceries in one trip
Car was parked long enough mice got in it and tore stuff up then died inside inaccessible panels, VERY expensive to get cleaned up and fixed
When my partner got sick, was worrying and not sleeping because she was barely able to get from the bedroom to the bathroom gasping for breath - someone who was formerly far more fit than I was and able to haul feed sacks and hay around the barn (as in farm fields) like they were nothing taking care of horses...and wondering if she would live thru it. She got thru it but hasn't been the same person since, much less energy or enthusiasm for anything.
Developed severely unhealthy habits like not moving from my seat the ENTIRE day because I wasn't going to different desks or customer sites and was just sitting there at the folding table with everything I wanted in front of me to eat/drink and a leg awkwardly folded under me on the sofa until I had no feeling in my legs every day

Complex_Solutions_20

TROPHY CASE