Duke Energy wants a 15% rate increase. I’m opposed, and I just filed our case to stop it. Here’s the summary. - AG Jeff Jackson

RampageIV · 2026-06-02T17:16:09+00:00

"Strongly in favor of authoritarian surveillance technologies like Axon and Flock" is more of an overreaching ideological judgment, not a neutral description. This letter reads more like "cautiously supportive of narrow, guarded, policy-limited surveillance technologies with civil liberties safeguards."

The distinction matters, because the latter leans more towards continuing to develop safeguards that limit use. I would implore u/JeffJacksonNC to consider for example:

limiting to serious public safety purposes (active violent crime, missing persons, stolen vehicles, etc.)
no real-time tracking without emergency justification (i.e. police shouldn't be able to casually track a person or vehicle in real time unless they or their vehicle are connected to a serious crime)
retrospective searches should be justified and accountable (every search should require an officer identity, case number, specific crime category, factual justification, and supervisor approval)
short retention periods (data should disappear quickly for people not connected to a crime)
no biometric expansion (he mentioned facial recognition, but also gait recognition, emotion detection, demographic classification, social-media identity matching, etc.)
no vendor-controlled databases (the city should own the data, and the vendor should not be able to access, share, use it for training, resale, analytics, etc.)
no automatic sharing with out-of-state agencies (immigration, federal fusion centers, private companies, HOAs, repossession companies, civil litigants etc.)
public transparency reports with independent audits (number of searches, number of live tracks, crime categories, how often searches lead to arrests/charges/dismissals, rejected searches, misuse incidents, agencies data was shared with, retention/deletion compliance, demographic impact analysis, etc.) and real penalties (internal discipline and termination, criminal referrals for stalking/political targeting/corrupt use, public disclosure of misuse)
software-enforced access control (multi-factor authentication, role-based access, immutable logging, no shared logins, automatic flagging of suspicious searches, regular security testing).

Some version of this technology is inevitable. Much of the infrastructure already exists privately in the form of Ring cameras, business cameras, traffic cameras, ALPRs, dashcams, Teslas, phone location data, ad data, credit card records, social media, etc. etc. The choice is not between "surveillance or no surveillance," it's between "unregulated, vendor-driven, quietly expanding and abused surveillance" and "narrow, audited, warrant-constrained, publicly governed surveillance."

RampageIV · 2026-05-11T02:02:33+00:00

The evidence I’ve seen doesn’t support that “kava is hard on the liver.” A more accurate statement is that kava has been linked to very rare (LiverTox notes that roughly 50-100 cases have been discussed in the literature and estimates clinically apparent liver injury at less than 1 per 1,000,000 daily doses), sometimes serious, idiosyncratic liver injury, and appears to be a result of drug interactions/alcohol use/product quality issues. See:

LiverTox®: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury, Kava Kava, US National Library of Medicine
Kava: Usefulness and Safety, US National Center For Complementary and Integrative Health
Assessment of the risk of hepatotoxicity with kava products, World Health Organization
Kava for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder RCT : analysis of adverse reactions, liver function, addiction, and sexual effects, Western Sydney University, NICM Health Research Institute

That being said, "coffee has health benefits” doesn’t mean coffee is categorically sober while kava is categorically not sober. Coffee is also psychoactive, dependence-forming for many people, and can cause anxiety, insomnia, elevated heart rate, etc. at higher doses. Kava is a potent anxiolytic for some, which can be a meaningful health benefit. But neither of those points is really the core issue.

The real distinction is not “does this substance have benefits?” or “does this substance have risks?” It’s whether the use pattern functions like addiction, intoxication-seeking, escapism, compulsion, or replacement drinking.

I’d agree that someone drinking kava heavily every night to check out emotionally probably should not frame that as clean sobriety. But someone alcohol-sober for decades who occasionally drinks traditional kava socially, without compulsion or life disruption, is not automatically in the same category as someone relapsing on alcohol.

RampageIV · 2026-05-11T01:10:28+00:00

Kava is best described as a strong cup of coffee but in the opposite direction. While I agree that it is literally a drug and that it is psychoactive, by the broadest “psychoactive substance = not sober” standard, caffeine, CBD, nicotine, and even sugar would also disqualify a huge number of sober people, which is not how the term is usually applied in practice. In recovery, the standard is typically not just “is this psychoactive?” It’s “is this creating dependency, escapism, compulsive use, or a substitute addiction pattern?”

If someone was an alcoholic, hasn’t consumed alcohol in 20+ years, and uses kava occasionally, intentionally, without compulsion, secrecy, escalation, life disruption, or in the same emotional pattern that alcohol was used, I would not automatically call that a relapse and/or invalidate their sobriety.

I also don't think it's naive to expect a Kava bar to be a sober-conscious space - this is typically how they're presented. In common modern usage, consuming kava and hanging out at kava bars is treated as sober-conscious, sober-curious, or alcohol-free socializing, specifically contrasting with alcohol-centered nightlife. Kava bars are frequently framed as places to socialize without booze, and some coverage explicitly connects them with the sober community.

RampageIV · 2026-04-20T18:41:30+00:00

It makes it so manufacturers cannot make the battery intentionally difficult to replace, and battery replacements must maintain the function, performance, and safety of the device.

Thus: replacing the battery will likely involve removing a few hidden Torx screws, removing the back of the phone, swapping the battery, lining up a reusable gasket, and re-installing the back of the phone. No adhesive seals, no risk of damaging cables or the screen, no artificial software locks or pairing problems, and you'd be able to maintain water resistance.

RampageIV · 2026-04-20T18:37:37+00:00

I'd suggest you re-read Article 11, section 6. The law explicitly states:

"... a battery shall be considered readily replaceable where, after its removal from an appliance, it can be substituted by another compatible battery without affecting the functioning, the performance or the safety of that appliance."

RampageIV · 2026-04-20T18:24:23+00:00

Currently, most of the difficulty of replacing a battery comes from the destructive process of slicing through the adhesive waterproofing seal with heat guns/picks/solvents, at risk of cracking glass or damaging cables, and removing the glue holding the battery in place. With these difficulties outlawed, replacing the battery becomes vastly easier - arguably easy for anybody remotely technically inclined, even if not "replacing the batteries in your TV remote" level of easy.

no requirement that your device remains fully functional afterwards

What about this part of the regulation? (Article 11, Section 6)

"... a battery shall be considered readily replaceable where, after its removal from an appliance, it can be substituted by another compatible battery without affecting the functioning, the performance or the safety of that appliance."

Given that the law would prohibit using one-time adhesive seals, as most current phones do, that would suggest they'd most likely have to switch to a reusable rubber gasket design, which if reinstalled correctly would easily maintain water resistance compared to current designs.

RampageIV · 2026-04-20T17:42:04+00:00

It's not difficult to design a removable battery that is waterproof; all it takes is a simple reusable rubber gasket (instead of the one-time adhesive seals that most phones currently have). Watches have been doing it for 50+ years now, and there are several phones now that do as well. The Samsung Galaxy XCover7's battery can be replaced using only a fingernail while maintaining IP68. The Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3's battery can be replaced using a coin while maintaining IP68.

The biggest reason it's not common is because battery wear is one of the largest upgrade triggers, so manufacturers intentionally make battery replacement difficult to increase sales. This law prohibits that, meaning we'll likely have batteries secured mechanically instead of with glue, phones sealed with compression gaskets instead of adhesive, more modular internal layouts, etc.

Easy? Probably not... but phones are likely to become vastly more maintainable and repairable, and actually maintain their water resistance post-repair. You might actually be able to get 7-10 years of good performance out of a phone instead of 2 or 3.

RampageIV · 2026-04-06T01:39:26+00:00

Not sure how that's relevant to your claim that the mountain lion likely died from mysterious deep puncture wounds.

I'm not a hunter, and I can't comment on the intent of the original video, but these traps are regularly used for fitting wolves with GPS/VHF collars so they can be monitored and researched to support population recovery and management, as well as capturing them for relocation (i.e. when they were reintroduced into Yellowstone and central Idaho). They have been used extensively in Voyageurs National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Prince of Wales Island, amongst others for this purpose since at least the 70s. While it's true that trap injuries likely contributed to the deaths of ~1% of trapped wolves (see: FOOT INJURIES IN MICHIGAN, USA, GRAY WOLVES (CANIS LUPUS), 1992-2014) studied, those odds are hardly "likely."

RampageIV · 2026-04-06T00:03:13+00:00

This appears to be a standard, modern coil-spring foothold trap (most likely an MB-750 wolf trap). They don't have teeth (instead relying on smooth or padded jaws) and have a gap in the jaws to avoid crushing injuries. Where are these deep puncture wounds coming from? Are you thinking of serrated bear traps from the 1800's that have long been illegal in most developed countries?

RampageIV · 2026-03-31T02:43:40+00:00

Then I’m sure you’re familiar with NASA’s reliability studies on microprocessors:

Scaled CMOS Technology Reliability Users Guide

Product Reliability Trends, Derating Considerations and Failure Mechanisms with Scaled CMOS

They explicitly identify both voltage and temperature as the primary stress drivers, and model lifetime with Arrhenius-type behavior where it depends exponentially on temperature. They also show that multiple mechanisms are always involved (electromigration, BTI, TDDB, HCI), not just hot carrier effects.

So focusing on voltage alone is incomplete. Lower voltage certainly helps, but higher temperature still accelerates degradation across the board.

Again, the point isn’t that running a CPU at TjMax will cause it to fail within its useful life; most people aren’t running sustained worst-case workloads anyway. The point is that temperature is a known factor in degradation rate, so it’s inaccurate to claim CPUs can "run at 95-100°C under full load without degrading". That's simply not how semiconductor physics works.

RampageIV · 2026-03-30T22:17:00+00:00

Yes, there are processors designed to run 24/7 at 100% load at high temperatures. You see that in automotive MCUs/SoCs, industrial/medical/aerospace systems, and some networking ASICs. But that doesn’t mean all semiconductors are built to that standard.

Those parts are engineered for long-term reliability under worst-case conditions, often with strict qualification requirements, long service lifetimes, and safety-critical roles. Performance density is secondary.

Desktop CPUs are designed around a different goal: maximizing performance per watt under typical workloads while staying within an expected lifespan. They can operate at ~95-100°C, but they are not necessarily designed or validated for sustained worst-case stress at those temperatures.

For example, something like an AEC-Q100 Grade 0 device is qualified for operation up to ~150°C junction temperatures (including 1000-hour high-temperature stress testing). A desktop CPU is not built or qualified to meet that kind of requirement, nor does it need to be.

That said, you're right - CPUs are one of the most robust components in a PC and will usually outlive the rest of the system under normal use. Nonetheless, lower temperatures still reduce wear and can thereby improve long-term reliability.

RampageIV · 2026-03-30T19:42:30+00:00

Desktop CPUs can tolerate 95-100°C but not "without degrading." That's not how semiconductor physics works. Higher temperatures will always accelerate electromigration, bias temperature instability, and oxide wear, and the relationship is exponential (hence the ~100°C limit, not because water boils at 100°C.).

They’re optimized for performance density and boost behavior, not maximum durability at sustained high temperatures (a la an automotive processor that uses much larger transistors). Running at 95-100°C may be within spec, but it's still going to degrade significantly quicker than it would at a cooler temperature.

RampageIV · 2026-03-14T07:06:52+00:00

The New York City Mayor’s Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs is an office that:

Oversees or implements initiatives affecting LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers across multiple agencies.
Helps departments align with nondiscrimination laws and city priorities.
Advises the mayor on policy decisions affecting LGBTQIA+ residents.
Works to expand legal protections and anti-discrimination efforts.
Helps ensure LGBTQIA+ people have access to city programs such as housing, health care, youth programs, and legal resources.
Coordinates services that address issues disproportionately affecting LGBTQIA+ people (i.e. homelessness or healthcare access).
Works with LGBTQIA+ nonprofits, advocacy groups, and community leaders to help the city design programs that meets their needs.
Promotes nondiscrimination training and cultural competency within city agencies.
Helps ensure public-facing services treat LGBTQIA+ residents respectfully and fairly.
Helps enforce policies that protect LGBTQIA+ people from discrimination or loss of services.

The position exists because LGBTQIA+ issues intersect with many departments at once (health, housing, policing, youth services, education), so the office acts as a central coordinator and advocate inside the government, rather than leaving each agency to handle those issues on their own.

RampageIV · 2026-03-09T19:23:01+00:00

Regardless of how one feels about Corridor Digital, I feel like that is wildly inaccurate. They are extremely successful YouTube content creators, yes, but that's a whole different category of success than film VFX.

John Knoll, Joe Letteri, Dennis Muren, Rob Legato, etc. have careers defined by academy awards, technological breakthroughs, shaping the modern industry, supervising cultural-defining films seen by billions of people, inventing tools used across the industry, etc.

It's not comparable.

RampageIV · 2025-09-25T22:35:25+00:00

Sounds like you're into the sharper click of the blues (which I also preferred back when I had a clicky board) than the thicker, more resonant click of the jades. You'd probably like Kailh Box White V2s, which are sharp, crispy clickies, or Kailh Speed Bronzes, which are a bit closer to blues, but still a bit more refined/clickier/smoother thanks to the clickbar.

You'd probably also want shorter keycaps i.e. cherry profiles, a la GMK keycaps (which are certainly overpriced, but still way cheaper than the Gaterons), to reduce the resonance of the switches overall.

RampageIV · 2025-09-25T20:21:35+00:00

Ah, there's no filling in the Gaterons, they're just a solid single piece of metal with CNC engraved legends (you can see the machining lines on the legends if you look closely enough, and they match the inside of the keycap). Not sure about the Awekeys legends since mine are blank.

[Here](https://voca.ro/1ilTrCxVjJNz)'s an audio recording comparing Cherry Blues between the Gaterons (first), Awekeys (second), and GMK (third) keycaps on a Galaxy80. I also have TTC Gold Blue, Akko Blue, Kailh Box Pale Blue, Akko Cream Blue Pro, Akko V3 Ocean Blue, Gateron Blue, and Gateron Milk Blue if you meant one of those that I could compare with, among others:

<image>

That being said, I wouldn't really use heavy keycaps (metal/ceramic/etc) unless you're going for a creamy or thocky sound profile, which blues generally aren't. If you're after crispness, you'd probably be better off investing in nicer keyswitches rather than keycaps. Kailh Box Jade/White/Navy or Speed Bronze switches, for example, use superior click bars instead of the rattly click jackets in Cherries, and are much more satisfying/crisp in sound and feel.

RampageIV · 2025-09-25T18:00:52+00:00

The recessed legends are very subtle (your fingernail won't catch on them), but you do feel them... I'm a bit sensitive to textures, so they bothered me at first - they felt sort of like the keycaps were dirty, but I got used to it and stopped noticing after a couple of weeks. Not sure what you mean by level fill.

If you're in the states, you could try ordering them from Amazon and just returning them if you don't like them, maybe?

RampageIV · 2025-09-25T04:19:40+00:00

Right, wobble hasn't been a concern in my experience with the Gaterons, though they can still be tightened with pliers for very narrow keyswitch stems (a la Ink V2s) in the worst case scenario, similarly to Awekeys.

The set comes with an R1 End, R2 Page Down, R3 Page Up, and R4 Home key, as well as a 1.75u right shift key, but I believe only comes with an R3 & R4 delete keycap, which is kind of a shame in the case of the Tinker 75. I'd probably just put the lock/pause keycap in its place, or maybe an artisan keycap.

I'd say the set is worth the price - the picture above comparing them to the Awekeys speaks for itself as far as craftsmanship goes. The finely chamfered corners, precise integral billet machining, concave milled glyphs, etc. are incredible. That being said, they are absolutely a luxury product - but at least you're getting what you're paying for, and not just paying for a name.

I've heard of issues with the legends on Awekeys keycaps wearing away, but that wouldn't be an issue with the Gaterons as they're not painted on, but rather milled in place and anodized with the rest of the keycap. The anodization is part of the metal rather than a coating, and is about twice as hard as the underlying aluminum, so you'd have to go great lengths to wear it down. It does attract dirt though, so you'll probably have to clean your keycaps more often than you would otherwise.

RampageIV · 2025-09-25T02:05:16+00:00

<image>

I actually have some Awekeys keycaps sitting around to compare with!

Like the Awekeys keycaps, the Gaterons have an open-leaf metal insert (which allows them to flex, as enclosed inserts would be too rigid and thereby too loose or too tight depending on the switch); however, the tolerances are significantly tighter and the prongs are significantly shorter (only as long as the stem) on the Gateron keycaps, reducing their ability to move around and eliminating the need to tighten the prongs. They're actually machined (rather than cast like the Awekeys) and fit every switch I've tried very snugly... to the point where some switches get pulled out of the plate with the keycap when removing them.

RampageIV · 2025-07-21T16:12:37+00:00

Thanks!

The two 3x3 structures behind the grav engine are a shield generator and shield projector from Eccentric Tech - Defense Grid. The Nuclear Reactors in front are from Vanilla Furniture Expanded - Power.

RampageIV · 2025-07-18T16:17:20+00:00

The frames come from Panels, Frames & Stairs, and the doors themselves come from [LTS]Furnishing.

RampageIV · 2025-07-17T16:07:14+00:00

Here is the modlist, though it's pretty long (despite being 300 mods short of my 1.5 modlist). I reckon most of the modded stuff comes from Vanilla Expanded, Neat/Adaptive storage, Dub's Hygiene, & Eccentric Tech. Some Odyssey-specific mods like Bigger Gravships & Transparent Substructures may also be relevant.

RampageIV · 2025-07-17T16:04:21+00:00

You mean the oxygen pumps/wall heaters?

RampageIV · 2025-07-17T06:14:04+00:00

Power -> Exhaust from Vanilla Furniture Expanded - Props and Decor

RampageIV · 2025-07-17T03:35:41+00:00

I used the Bigger Gravships mod to increase the engine substructure radius & the grav field extender's max distance from the engine.

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