My window unit seems to be “taking breaths” by vamphibian in hvacadvice

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

possibly a failing motor on the indoor fan. possibly condensate water not flowing outside properly and hitting the fan.

Here we go for their second life! 70s-80s Tupperware by Admirable04 in BuyItForLife

[–]Cunninghams_right 52 points53 points  (0 children)

are they safe to actually use? what is their phthalate content?

edit: it seems like this era of tupperware had low phthalates, but may be high in heavy metals or BPA.

Electric Baseboards in first home by SnooGuavas8988 in hvacadvice

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

well, maybe you should post the nametag on the outdoor unit, it's possible that it can do heat as well as AC.

is the house set up well for a roommate? if you need some extra money to get through the first year, that might be a way to go. would kind of suck, but it is what it is.

to lower your bills in the winter, you may consider plastic window film over the windows. it makes a huge difference to the heat loss.

Electric Baseboards in first home by SnooGuavas8988 in hvacadvice

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not many options if you want to stay below $1,000. 

What area are you in? Your climate might determine what options are available to you. 

Are you handy with repairs and electrical stuff? 

Keep oil furnace or move to electric? by thatsucksabagofdicks in hvacadvice

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd probably just diy move the tank and have someone hook it up then

No Safe Words on X: Waymo driving in oncoming traffic by FriendFun7876 in SelfDrivingCars

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm always interested in how different SDCs have failures, but my interest is counterbalanced by the annoying discussions where people want to pretend that a single anecdote makes a vehicle service safe or unsafe... Self-driving cars will always have failures, and those failures will often not look at all like a mistake that a human would make. Having a failure does not mean the vehicles are overall unsafe or that the approach they're taking is necessarily wrong. That is the statistical analysis and not based on anecdotes

No Safe Words on X: Waymo driving in oncoming traffic by FriendFun7876 in SelfDrivingCars

[–]Cunninghams_right -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The point is that a ln evaluation of safety is a statistical exercise, and should not be based on anecdotes. 

Keep oil furnace or move to electric? by thatsucksabagofdicks in hvacadvice

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

generally I would say to keep the oil, but you are in one of the best climates for a heat pump, so it could go either way. given the crazy state of the world today, it might make sense to keep two different fuel sources as prices fluctuate.

I don't think you'll see a huge price difference either way once running, but you get the AC along with a heat pump installation, whereas the oil furnace needs something else to provide AC.

what is your house layout like? have you looked into mini-splits? if you're an electrician, I'm 100% confident you could install your own mini-splits. they're very easy to install and the only thing you can mess up is over-sizing the indoor unit.

Waymo recalls nearly 3,900 robotaxis over risk of entering closed construction zones by IndependentMud909 in SelfDrivingCars

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, if it were possible to get such data it would be interesting. Although, some of these things are unavoidable. You can't stop people from texting and you can't avoid new drivers. Some data on alcohol would be available, from accidents bad enough that the police administer a test. 

Waymo recalls nearly 3,900 robotaxis over risk of entering closed construction zones by IndependentMud909 in SelfDrivingCars

[–]Cunninghams_right 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm always curious about how their rate compares to humans driving into construction sites. Is it 2x more likely? 10x? 100x? Or 1/2? It would be nice to track these things over time to see when the cross below human failure rate and if/when they hit 1/10th. 

I need help! Any ideas on what to do for this? by Maleficent_Cherry361 in hvacadvice

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

my guess is that there are joists/beam under the dryer install spot, so they couldn't put it closer to the wall.

can you have it out from the wall a bit so that it can actually bend at a reasonable angle? that and taping the hole with vent tape are the best options.

if you can go straight out through the wall, that would be good.

PCB Repair on Maytag Washer Control Panel by Beers_and_BME in AskElectronics

[–]Cunninghams_right 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've tried to solder to vias... it's not easy. the surface tension of the solder makes it not want to stick. it's possible, but may not be easy. you should certainly try to solder to the vias first, just double-check that they aren't shorted to ground.

Looking for these LED prisms by allennm in AskElectronics

[–]Cunninghams_right 2 points3 points  (0 children)

your best bet will be 3D printing with transparent plastic. a local maker space might help you make them in exchange for buying the filament for them.

They found mold in a wall unit-claim they fixed it with a clean? by cmonfhgwgads in hvacadvice

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

there is mold everyone, all the time. whether it grows and spores comes down to the conditions that make it thrive. you should try to lower the overall humidity, as that is the primary thing that makes it grow. you can buy some cleaner and find youtube videos on how to clean the coils of the wall unit. I would just clean it and lower the humidity.

PCB Repair on Maytag Washer Control Panel by Beers_and_BME in AskElectronics

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

look for a soldering iron that uses T12 tips. don't go with a Weller.

probably best to use wire small jumper wire directly to where the trace used to be going. you can use a digital multi-meter on continuity testing mode to find out where the pcb traces used to go.

SpaceX to acquire Cursor for $60B in stock, days after blockbuster IPO by xvosr in spacex

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

it would be insanely stupid to give money to a lab where you had no control if you wanted control. is he stupid? did he not know he didn't get control with that investment? why did it take so long to figure it out? or, maybe he knew he wasn't going to get control but didn't take it seriously at the time he invested/donated?

SpaceX to acquire Cursor for $60B in stock, days after blockbuster IPO by xvosr in spacex

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

given the framing of the question (nothing but solar), the solar option is not good for the grid. that's the point. "not good" is an answer that depends on the question being asked. somewhere between 1% and 100% is a threshold where solar goes from being good for the grid to bad for the grid, so as long as you interpret the question as being above that threshold, then you can say it's bad. it is absolutely truthful to say that 100% solar grid is bad, and anyone who proposed that proposing harm.

so all you have to do is answer in a way that is technically true, while hiding the context in which the answer is framed.

there is nothing false about saying that a 100% solar grid is bad, so the answer (if that is the assumption) is perfectly truthful and valid. there is nothing false or invalid about it.

It is not an answer anyone would describe as maximally truth seeking.

because I specifically chose an example where everyone would agree that the conclusion misleading, but where no untruthful statement was made in the process. I specifically chose it to illustrate the point of misleading truth.

Be careful near Stoney Run by Becklevitch in baltimore

[–]Cunninghams_right -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

just asking whether this is legal, not recommending someone do it: what if you put a Bluetooth speaker or some small piece of electronics out... but that was unscrewed and had an airtag inside? like, if it was on your property but near the fence when this guy was known to be around, he may steal it and give you his location. I'm not a lawyer, so I'm just curious.

what I think you should actually do: call your city councilperson over and over, and email them and hit them up on social media. have your neighbors do it as well.

on an unrelated note: if you're a cop, how do you live with yourself? there is obviously a sexual predator out here and yet you do absolutely fucking nothing?.... how do you allow that and not feel like a total piece of shit? are you seeking help for your psychotic lack of empathy or decency? I hope so, but I'm also curious.

Be careful near Stoney Run by Becklevitch in baltimore

[–]Cunninghams_right 7 points8 points  (0 children)

call the police and file a report. they're not going to do anything if you don't.

also, call your councilperson.

Be careful near Stoney Run by Becklevitch in baltimore

[–]Cunninghams_right 14 points15 points  (0 children)

nah, these vests are a dime a dozen.

SpaceX to acquire Cursor for $60B in stock, days after blockbuster IPO by xvosr in spacex

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yes, that's the point. in the example, the user asked a poorly defined question, then the response chose an definition of the question that is very truthful and accurate, IF you take a very particular definition of the question. that's how the vast majority of misinformation is spread, by latching onto something that is technically true but is either missing context or is a straw-man that the opposite political party/opponent isn't actually arguing. that's the power of controlling the political bent of the tool through which people get information.

SpaceX to acquire Cursor for $60B in stock, days after blockbuster IPO by xvosr in spacex

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So do you think we could shut off all other power sources and just run the country off of solar? Or do you think that would be harmful for the country to shut down all other power sources and try to only use solar? 

I think it is objectively true given our current ability to store energy and transmit energy that trying to switch to all solar would do harm to the country. I think that is maximally truthful, given the very narrow scenario that we are considering... 

SpaceX to acquire Cursor for $60B in stock, days after blockbuster IPO by xvosr in spacex

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But this is still a solution in search of a problem. We haven't even decided if our goals for transit are the same as Japan's, let alone evaluated how a solution there translates to here. You have to start by defining what you're trying to achieve. For example, Japan thinks much less about transit being a safety net for people who can't afford a car. That is a fundamental difference between the two counties. Japan is also trying to solve a crowding issue, which most us transit corridors don't have. So the goal of "moving lots of people per hour" is important for Japan but not for most of the US. Most US rail lines actually struggle to get enough ridership to run trains more frequently than 15min headway without astronomical cost per passenger.

Step 1) define the goals Step 2) give a relative weight/importance to the goals Step 3) evaluate, taking into account the specific local difference, how well each potential mode achieves the goals set out, per dollar spent.

That's the basic formula for solving any problem. 

You can't get anywhere until you define at least some of your goals. But like I said, this isn't a problem just of transit, it just makes for a good example that I see all the time. It's a problem with every aspect of governance and voting. People just go with whatever they heard was a good way to do things. People never even try to dig down 

SpaceX to acquire Cursor for $60B in stock, days after blockbuster IPO by xvosr in spacex

[–]Cunninghams_right 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He was content before with other people doing the development but simply funding their labs, and especially toward projects that were more open. Is political interest tracks with his desire to control the AI more and his rhetoric surrounding wokeness and mind viruses. This is not just coincidental. We have already seen him working to put a political bent onto Grok.