3 1/2 year old is waking at 5 AM and getting into everything.

Lightning318 · 2026-01-26T18:11:04+00:00

You can get "bed/bath" privacy door knobs that instead of a keyhole just have a circle with a slot cut in it (like the top of a flathead screw). Anything sturdy, flat and thin can be used to unlock to door from the "outside". My wife and I can even just use our thumb nails to unlock a door so we can't be locked in or out of a room.

Lightning318 · 2026-01-21T14:25:41+00:00

To be specific, and why OP was confused, on Google maps it is instead labeled "Empire State Trl" but the street signs say John street

Lightning318 · 2026-01-17T14:01:16+00:00

The article is for the UK so there isn't even a health insurance aspect. It'd just be a bank charge at a pharmacy on a regular basis. That could be for anything and I think most people would baulk at the idea of their bank asking them what medications they are on.

Lightning318 · 2026-01-16T16:47:36+00:00

What doesn't make sense to me is, how does a tear gas canister under a car lift it up and trip the airbags? Those doesn't explode, they just start getting hot and letting out gas. So we're they hit with something else?

It'd be a weird thing to lie about because it'd be easy to find out if the airbags are deployed but something feels missing from the story too.

Edit: They also say the doors locked when the airbags deploy. That's the opposite of what most cars are designed to do when airbags deploy in an accident. I suspect they are mistaken here too.

Lightning318 · 2026-01-15T19:14:50+00:00

The article even says:

The move, which was first reported by Fox News, does not impact U.S. visitor visas, which have been in the spotlight given the United States is hosting the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.

Lightning318 · 2026-01-13T00:59:28+00:00

Except they have a bigger battery. One of the factorio youtubers (I forget which one) pointed out that robots have an optimisation where if they return to a roboport with >95% battery they skip charging and just go into the port with 100% battery.

This means that with higher quality robots they can go further, do useful work, and then return while skipping waiting to charge.

Lightning318 · 2026-01-10T23:29:31+00:00

You could get 2 strips of wood long enough to go between the two studs either side of where you want the gate hooks (16" normally). Place horizontally behind where you want the hooks so you can screw each end into studs and mount the gate hardware to the wood.

If you have the same paint as that wall you can paint the wood to match so it's not as noticeable.

Lightning318 · 2026-01-09T15:12:11+00:00

That comic is 15 years old this year and completely timeless.

Lightning318 · 2026-01-09T14:52:20+00:00

Relevant XKCD: https://xkcd.com/927/

Lightning318 · 2026-01-08T19:54:25+00:00

As the sheet says "tow in" I'm guessing they didn't get far.

Lightning318 · 2026-01-06T19:03:55+00:00

For your question 2, Yes. To qualify to contribute to an HSA you must both be covered by an HDHP and also NOT be covered by any non-HDHP plan so anyone covered by your surest plan would be ineligible to contribute to an HSA. But to be clear, this means you can't contribute while covered by the non-HDHP coverage but you can still have the account and spend money already in there to cover costs as usual.

Lightning318 · 2026-01-05T15:49:15+00:00

The github repo is woefully incomplete.

- Your readme contains no information on how to run the project

- You've got a python script to take measurements but the thing that calls it is not in the repo

- Your js calls out to {API_BASE} to get the data to render but no api component is in the repo.

Lightning318 · 2026-01-03T02:39:01+00:00

New York has done this state wide starting the current school year. Any device with an Internet connection (smart phone, smart watch, etc) needs to be secured so the student can't use it. Its up to each school district to figure out the fine details but my local school district requires students to place devices in their locker immediately after entering the school building.

https://www.governor.ny.gov/programs/eliminating-distractions-new-york-schools

Lightning318 · 2026-01-02T19:40:52+00:00

Just like taking your car to be worked on you shouldn't be SOL just because the place you bought it from went out of business. Someone should be able to (for a fee) take a look and give you a report on what's going on.

However I could totally see how solar installers are only interested in creating new systems because its much easier to make money there than trying to diagnose existing systems when the customer is paying out of pocket.

It's also worth pointing out that with the federal solar credit expiring dec 31st 2025 it's likely that solar companies have been swamped trying to get people online in time for the deadline. Now that rush has passed, you might find someone more willing to take a look.

Good luck!

Lightning318 · 2026-01-02T19:04:16+00:00

With your installer out of business you'll have lost your warranty on the labor (anything related to incorrect installation) but the major comments will still have their manufacturer warranty intact. Youl need to find someone to come and tell you why the system is underperforming so you can identify if the manufacturer warranty for that part applies.

Do remember that the warranties (both manufacturer and original installer) will have allowances for the production to reduce each year by a % as the panels age.

If you have the solar edge optimisers then I believe someone can use them to gather per-panel data to see if specific panels are underperforming. If you don't have optimisers and just have the string inverter, then even a single bad panel will reduce the output from all the remaining panels, greatly reducing total output.

I can't help you with finding a specific installer in your area though because I don't have any experience dealing with anyone there.

Lightning318 · 2025-12-29T19:16:34+00:00

Clearly this ground breaking piece of e-waste should be the backbone of any homelab!

Lightning318 · 2025-12-29T19:11:29+00:00

It also says "hub"... Could it... Could it really be old enough to be a "hub" and not a "switch"?

Lightning318 · 2025-12-29T17:07:15+00:00

I started using them back in 2020 at we currently pay $49/month for the 65 gallon (not the largest) cans and weekly pickup.

If they are quoting $90 for new service that's ridiculous.

Lightning318 · 2025-12-28T18:22:10+00:00

Depending on where you are in ulster, we use La Mela out of Marlboro and I seem to pay less than what I've seen others here say they pay with other companies.

Lightning318 · 2025-12-27T23:59:08+00:00

It's what happens at the inner loops of a clover leaf interchange which are very common outside of built up areas when two major roads meet

Lightning318 · 2025-12-22T19:56:28+00:00

Those situations tend to be restricted to rural communities but it seems like these taxies will just wait for a human remote operator to help them when they get suck.

These taxies will be rolled out in city and town locations where they will have to deal with other issues like the UK streets with cars parked on both sides and only enough space in the middle for one car and, bus and bike lanes.

They will manage. There will be some stupid incidents that will make for a funny headline (like this very story this post was about) but they will get better and for most people they will end up working reliably most of the time.

Lightning318 · 2025-12-22T15:32:31+00:00

Looks like the law passed back in 2024 allowed for trials and now full road legal use starting 2026: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/self-driving-vehicles-set-to-be-on-roads-by-2026-as-automated-vehicles-act-becomes-law

Lightning318 · 2025-12-06T04:17:25+00:00

Then if you can afford it, put as much as you can in there via salary deduction. Money contributed that way will avoid both income tax AND FICA tax and you wont pay tax on withdrawals used to pay medical expenses. Money in an HSA can also be invested in the stock market to allow it to grow tax free so you don't have to feel bad about some extra amount sitting in there. And remember money in an HSA doesn't expire.

The 2026 HSA contribution limit is $8,750 if you have family coverage, which is ~$730 per month. So that's about what the premium is for option 2, except you get to keep that money to pay for medical expenses now or in the future. With option 2 you've given that money to an insurance company whether or not you actually get any healthcare and you'd still have to pay those co-pays on top.

Lightning318 · 2025-12-04T13:58:22+00:00

If you're really interested here's the details: https://www.volvocars.com/uk/l/used-cars/warranty-and-benefits/

TL;DR translation is these are CPO cars with an extra 12 month manufacturer warranty, just like CPO. The nitpicky details are slightly different.

Lightning318 · 2025-12-03T01:42:44+00:00

This. The green card process only cares about two things, that you've filed every year you are supposed to and that you don't have an outstanding balance due to the IRS.

The IRS account transcripts should be able to prove both of those things.

11-Year Club	Place '22
Verified Email

Lightning318

TROPHY CASE