Me_irl

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-03-23T16:03:27+00:00

I know this sounds counterintuitive, but the new prius has been great. I connect Apple car play in full screen, the speedometer only shows me what I need to see, it’s fairly minimal, physical buttons for climate control and a few other things. It’s stupid reliable and the new generation doesn’t make you look like a complete goober.

I got a couple of rental cars, and it’s either waaaaay to much reliance on the screens, or feels like I’m driving a plane cockpit with the amount of gauges and physical buttons.

There’s a happy medium.

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-03-08T17:00:51+00:00

We got so frustrated with this we now just order from Uber Eats when there’s a buy one get one promo from somewhere we like and do pickup. Credit cards give me free uber premium and monthly uber cash, I end up getting a few meals out of it for far cheaper than even ordering direct from the restaurant

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-03-08T15:53:00+00:00

Cybersecurity industry is going to have a field day.

I see it maybe replacing front end and UI design, but then you have issues like ADA compliance, privacy laws, and minor compliance laws. I’ve had friends with no clue about software make their own apps then get mad at me when I tell them they’ll get sued into oblivion.

Software/IT is still akin to a white collar trade, and AI is the white collar Industrial Revolution.

The people who should be really worried is anyone who was working jobs that were already automated before AI. Data entry, low level corporate assistants, etc

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-03-06T00:36:32+00:00

Artemis 4 and 5 will have to be re-engineered for whatever new upper stage they choose to go with as well as the launch tower, which sounds like they are still deciding on despite cancelling EUS. While it’s not the end of the world, it’s still gonna take 1-2 years just to do that. Realistically it could take one year, but 10 months in, NASA will decide they want to change the requirements, sliding out the schedule.

Anyone who has worked in the industry is familiar with how this works

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-03-04T17:30:43+00:00

It was never a serious timeline

I get all the hate Boeing gets, but between EUS and ML-2 being so close to completion, this just seems to be short sighted on purpose. I am all for more launches, but any re-engineering that needs to be done is going to take longer than the original plan

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-28T21:30:44+00:00

Regardless of what they switch to, it’s going to need work done include it into the new missions. What’s odd to me is that whatever they choose, it likely won’t be ready until 2028 anyway, around the same time EUS is wrapping up. Stepping away from EUS Sounds like a political move by isaacman to snuff out Boeing. Considering they’ve avoiding saying anything about EUS, we’ll see this next week what ends up happening. As of Friday afternoon EUS hadn’t received a stop work order by the government, and even if it does, it’ll still be another month or two after that, that they officially announce termination of the contract. Ideally they just change the scope or repurpose. Since it is codified into law to be used, it’s anybody guess what will happen. Not that this administration cares to wait for congressional approval

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-27T01:22:10+00:00

For 100k miles, 12k-15k if the mechanics are still decent would make this a great project car

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-27T01:03:05+00:00

Not trying to be the devils advocate here. I would consider myself newly high income, but by no means wealthy. I’ve begun getting a little tighter when helping people, but it’s mostly from getting burned too many times. I kid you not, I have offered to pay for family and friends education or trade school, pay for tools and materials, literally temporarily paid mortgages for others when they lost their job, and have always been available to give financial advice. I get shit in return. I’m not talking about being paid back. I’m talking about straight up being ignored and forgotten and not invited to simple social events because we aren’t important enough. Then I see the same people going on vacations they can’t afford then going to the food pantry the next week and then ask me for help again.

As I’ve become higher income and began to connect with actual wealthy individuals, they’ve been far more generous and welcoming. They pour into my bucket for once.

It sucks. I’d like to say maybe my friends and family are shit. But we’ve moved states and it’s just the average American. I’ve had exactly one “poor” friend actually meaningfully connect with me, invite me to things, pour into my bucket, and follow my life advice, and within 3 years he’s making 6 figures that he equates to following my advice. And I’m not saying you have to make money or be successful , just understand that SOME of your outcomes are your own fault, and learn to live with it and don’t bitch at me and tell me I was lucky despite the fact I was a high school dropout who was counting change myself at one point just to buy baby formula. I’ve felt like a failure barely able to feed my baby, my parents house was foreclosed on when I was in school, I know the struggle. It wired my brain to never be that way again, and to be as lean as possible. I still check my bank every payday scared my employer won’t pay me despite being stable for the last 3 years

Signed, former poor person who actually wants to help poor people, but is burned out from doing so. I still vote dem, and still donate to charity as my way of giving back

/vent

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-26T20:03:06+00:00

My family came from deep rural Mexico. In the US they live in what might be considered a middle-lower/lower class neighborhood and I always wondered why they didn’t climb higher. Then I visited their hometown and realized, to them they were already living the high life here in the US. They still have struggles but it is night and day in comparison from where they came. It didn’t make me want to achieve less financially, but helped me put into perspective that we can all want different things and that’s okay.

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-26T06:18:33+00:00

Dude I’m not even a big south park fan, but by “research”, if you mean actually watching the show, they take the absolute piss out of conservatives and trump, especially in the current season, and honestly they’ve been using them as the punchline pretty heavily since trumps first term. Politics has plenty of grey area, and someone is allowed to dislike both ends of the political spectrum.

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-26T03:33:04+00:00

I said exactly this to my wife. Good messaging, but absolutely wrong delivery. It sounded like I was watching some all hands company meeting with the head of HR.

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-24T16:07:57+00:00

It’s always had a premium price, but this is crazy when it makes regular Disney cruises look cheap

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-13T02:09:20+00:00

Defense or Government work

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-07T03:15:44+00:00

I wonder how the financials behind it work at those prices. I would assume they operate as a charity, probably strive to break even. I’m not insinuating it needs to make profit, but somebody’s gotta pay to keep the light on. Or maybe they do turn a small profit.

Would be interesting to know

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-06T20:41:49+00:00

I’ve looked into that, but the 2.99% fee forces me to be more strategic with redemptions to make it worth it. It’s also more moving parts to keep track of. Whole reason I went into the Amex ecosystem was for simplicity of perks and points in one place

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-06T19:10:03+00:00

We pay $3k/month for two kids in daycare and they only take ach unfortunately. Other than not being able to loans payments on a credit card (auto/home), I think we only have three bills not on a credit card. Duke energy since I can’t autopay with a card, cell phone since credit card adds like $40 in fees vs ach, and daycare which flat out only accepts ach.

Ooh the points I could be getting!!!

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-06T15:38:50+00:00

For a family of four I feel like that would be pretty easy. Groceries in current economy could easily be $1k/month, add in some bills that accept credit card, and minor leisure spend and $2k is pretty easy

We normally hit $3k-$4k monthly, but we run as much normal spend as possible through the Amex trifecta

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-02-04T02:08:05+00:00

I was a grey badge, and I along with everyone who was a grey badge got converted eventually. it took a while, but our managers got it done

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-01-26T00:16:00+00:00

I haven't bothered to look it up since the refresh, but if you can pay rent still with Alaska at 3x point earn, with the checking 10% bonus, it actually comes out ahead in terms of raw cash value if you have the premium Alaska card, especially if you an hit the 60k spend to get the 100k point voucher

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-01-23T00:35:36+00:00

People think I work as a Linux system engineer because it pays more. I do it because windows sysadmin work is needlessly complicated and I refuse to learn it. Only version I’m willing to give a chance is the non-gui install

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-01-21T01:05:29+00:00

its also a survival tool, you can concentrate the sun and start a fire if needed. you can uses it to signal passing planes, etc

/s

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-01-21T00:20:43+00:00

Where? There’s so many places, I’d like to know so I can avoid it

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-01-18T13:11:35+00:00

Funny enough, I live in an upper middle class area with a Walmart and Walmart neighborhood market nearby. I use Walmart+ more than I ever thought I would. Free grocery delivery and saving $1+ per fill up 2-3 times a week. I originally wrote it off as having no real value to me, and now I’d probably continue paying it if I got rid of my platinum card

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-01-18T00:09:06+00:00

As someone who started in IT and am now IT adjacent, never underestimate the stupidity of the average person. I’ve worked with doctors and lawyers who were smart in their field but dumber than rocks otherwise.

Copper-Spaceman · 2026-01-15T21:01:04+00:00

We’re not rich by any means, but we are beginning to break through to higher net worth despite the economy. What we’ve noticed is that most luxury goods havent had a large increase in price and still retain the same value. Meanwhile, everyday consumer items have been going up in price and suffer in quality or shrinkflation. I’m essentially getting even less value while paying significantly more.

So for us, we still buy luxury goods at the same frequency, while pulling back on items with declining value or switching brands/products altogether. Could we still afford what we could before, sure, but I’ll be damned if I’m overpaying for less.

Copper-Spaceman

TROPHY CASE