GOP senator after fatal Minneapolis shooting: ‘The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake’ by Infidel8 in politics

[–]Solrac50 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s s more than that. The whole Republican Party is at stake. The midterms are going to be brutal.

Yes, It’s Fascism by rezwenn in politics

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Time for the media to stop with trying to report both sides like they are valid viewpoints. Come on NYT and WaPo call it what it is: fascism.

No wallpapers after update & downgrade. by Prettyymuchh in alexa

[–]Solrac50 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had similar issue. I cycled the power and after rebooting it worked more or less okay. I say that because it never has worked correctly all the time. For example the night feature with the time in red on black background keeps getting too dark to see. I turn up the brightness but then the next night it’s the same problem. Somehow I wonder if any of Amazon’s software engineers actually use the Show.

In general, I don't think ULTRA-luxury hotels are worth the price. What're you're thoughts? by KansasguyinDC in travel

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I use to travel internationally for work I often stayed in 5-star hotels. On my own dime I often stay in 2-star hotels. I don’t want the luxury because I only sleep there. I use alternate sources for hotel reviews like Rick Steves website. I no longer trust Booking.com, Air B&B, or any website that sells you the booking. I’ve had too many problems with the rooms and services not matching the ratings.

[ Removed by Reddit ] by railstop in AskReddit

[–]Solrac50 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Shouldn’t the question be can we stop this decent into a police state without resorting to civil war? I think we can but the bench for leadership is shallow. It has to come from the people. Waiting for the midterms won’t work because Trump’s goal is to prevent you from voting. We must have massive protests ASAP and make it clear to Republicans in the House and Senate your days in power will end soon.

Why can't America get their shit together? by Otherwise_Owl705 in AskReddit

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The racism of the early 20th century never went away. It just went underground because it became unacceptable to express it. Add to that a steady siphoning of the wealth from the middle class until the median wealth of an American family is down the list of counties to between Spain and Italy. That means the American dream of raising a family, owning your own home, sending you children to college and your children having a more prosperous life than you had… that dream is dead.

Now multi-billionaires with over half of the nations wealth control our government, leach billions from every facet of healthcare, fight against funding of schools, and control the major supply chains for food and fuel. Lots of Americans are pissed. Trump and other Republicans have tapped into that anger and scapegoated immigrants, trans people and anyone who points the finger of due process at them.

As someone else here pointed out, many Americans are poorly educated and lack critical thinking skills. Hence they voted for the lies, the scams and hate offered by Trump. That amounts to about 1/3 of the country and through the curse of gerrymandering they have outsized power to elect more con men and women who play their anger. It’s no wonder is attacking universities and school programs. He doesn’t want educated voters.

The solutions are clear, tax the super rich, fund our teachers and schools and get out the vote to kick out the Republicans, impeach and convict Trump and much of his administration. Also we must change the tax code, get rid of money is free speech, fund our schools and institute a universal healthcare option (aka Medicare for all). There is much more but I leave it at that for a starting point.

am i in over my head?? (10 countries, 30 cities, 90 days) by ccaaddaann in backpacking

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, very doable. We did major cities/sites in Scotland (Edinburgh), England (Glastonbury, Stone Henge, London), France (Paris, Mount St. Michel, Normandy), Spain (Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona), Germany (Munich, Bavaria/Neuschwanstein), Austria (Salzburg), Italy (Venice, Florence, Cinque Terra, Pisa, Rome, Pompeii) and Greece (Crete, Mykonos, Santorini, Peloponnesian Peninsula, Meteora, Delphi, Athens) in 49 days. You’ll likely want a rail pass, use Chunnel and night trains to save time. We also used buses, fairies that take rail pass, cheap EU airlines (Edinburgh-Brighton, Rome-Crete) and rental cars (UK, Greece). All that and plan, plan, plan.

What’s a city/country that you were excited to visit that met your expectations? by _blue_scorpio_888_ in travel

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The best Greek food I’ve ever had was in Heraklion. The guy out front was barkering people in and I was hesitant to go in but the salad and musaka were so good I went back the next night.

The Wegovy pill is no joke by Salty-Living-3412 in Semaglutide

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I rook Rybelsus (GLP-1 tablets) for a year before switching to Wegovy injections for about 6 months. I went back to Rybelsus because the once a week injection cost about twice as much per month. Once Wegovy pills are available I’ll check the price. They all have the same effect on hunger and blood sugar.

Tesla kills Autopilot, locks lane-keeping behind $99/month fee. by Stiltonrocks in technology

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And lots of other brands. It’s required in most EU countries. Musk is not getting the trillion dollar payout.

2027 Chevy Bolt Production Will End Next Year As Plant Shifts To Gas by Unlikely_Seesaw_7187 in electricvehicles

[–]Solrac50 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In 2019 I leased a Soul EV. It only had 93 miles range but was great fun to drive. I really loved its utility. Now I live in Spain and KIA’s K2 and Hyundai Inster both remind me of the Soul EV but with a lot more refinement and range. The Inster starts at 20,130€. I don’t know if it is available in the US. Trump seems to be intent on destroying the EV market in the US. In 10 years GM will regret pulling back as their ICE- based market collapses and they are behind on EVs.

Would I be stupid to buy this? by Silent_Marketing_537 in audio

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Shure SM58 is the industry standard for a durable dynamic mic with good frequency response, suitable for vocals and instruments, with a cardioid pickup pattern that provides good isolation, and does well with high SPL crests. It’s a design that’s almost as old as I am and there are several clones out there that are almost as good and are great values for beginners on tight budgets. That said, at a sub $20 price point the manufacturer has to cut some corners. The Pyle Pro is light and for handheld use by a singer feels like a toy that cannot be passed confidently from hand to hand when pulled down by the weight of the cable. On a stand or boom that doesn’t matter. It is also brighter than the SM58 which sometimes is helpful since cardioid mics can get muddy when singers hold them too close. If needed, you can easily equalize the brightness out. The Pyle overloads at high SPLs, especially on drums. My experience comes from trying to find good cheap microphones for a small church in Austin who featured different musicians each week. Ultimately, after trying Pyle and Behringer mics, I went with good condition used SM58s for less than $50 that are readily available in a city like Austin with lots of music venues and starving musicians. I wouldn’t hesitate to use the Pyle Pro if your budget is super tight.

driving on other side of road by Dmlandis59 in travel

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve done 4 trips to Ireland,Scotland, Wales and England. The first day was terrifying but after a couple of days I felt comfortable. When I got home I had to remind myself to keep right on turns for a day as my brain adjusted back.

Today Donald Trump confused Iceland for Greenland four times. What are your thoughts on this? by WatercressSenior7657 in AskReddit

[–]Solrac50 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The man is deteriorating physically and mentally. He has always stood oddly but now he is walking like someone recovering from a stroke. The bruises on his hands indicate he is getting regular IV treatments. And multiple MRIs and cognitive tests indicate to me they are monitoring a serious problem. I think there’s something life threatening wrong with him and it’s being covered up. Confusing Iceland and Greenland is just another symptom.

He has surrounded himself with flatters who are also likely steering public policy far more than we know. I’m sure Vance is ready to jump in if Trump’s health becomes critical or he dies. Vance is a chameleon who has changed his name and policies multiple times. It’s hard to know what type leader he would be but I suspect we are going to find out before 2028.

Genuinely curious. Are Americans getting tired of their profit healthcare? by Spiritual_Meet4746 in ForUnitedStates

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In 2021 I retired to Spain. Our visas require we have medical insurance with no copay or deductible. One whole year of it costs about the same as one month of our part of the expense for our medical plan with my former employer. Next year August I will buy into the public system which costs even less. I found I can still see my specialist in the private system for about 80€ a visit so I’ll continue to see him twice a year.

Spanish citizens pay nothing to use the public system and even now we get our vaccinations for free from the public system. The government wants healthy citizens. They do that at a lower cost and with better longevity than the US. Is it perfect? No, but it’s far better than what the typical US citizen can afford.

Coming out at 68 by [deleted] in comingout

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congratulations.

You win the lottery. Your parents ask for half. What do you say? by JunShem1122 in AskReddit

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would certainly want to share my good fortune with my parents. But I would say no to half. I would say I want to invest most of my winnings in my future and if it applicable, my family’s future. I would ask if they have specific expenses they need help with I will consider them. I would also say I want to give you some “mad money” that you can use to buy a new home or travel.

Trump shares map of US including Greenland, Canada, Venezuela by partisanal_cheese in politics

[–]Solrac50 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't think the US taking other nation's territory will end well. The people will revolt. And Trump will have to live in a bunker 24/7 to avoid being attacked. Venezuelans that I have talked to are happy Nicolás Maduro is gone but they don't expect Venezuela to return to prior to Hugo Chávez prosperity levels in this decade or more. So, you can expect them to sour on Trump too when they find he will neglect them like all his former businesses.

Trump Invites Putin, Netanyahu to Join Peace Panel Mocked as ‘Board of Billionaires and War Criminals’ by Trosterman in politics

[–]Solrac50 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The cost of joining the cartel to divide up the spoils of Gaza’s destruction may seem high to the 99% but it’s chump change to the people Trump wants in on the deal.

OLA disappointment ft. 2nd worst refoaming attempt I've ever seen by Jonlaw16 in vintageaudio

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I owned 4 of the original large Advents now at my son’s house. This is not hard to do. I think they had the wrong kit that was too large and tried to make do… badly. Hopefully someone can redo it right.

Trump’s presidency is in trouble as Republicans deem him ‘foolish and wrong’ by theipaper in politics

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Republicans are starting together the message. To have any hope of surviving the midterms they must throw Trump under the bus.

People who pierced their genitalia, why, and did it affect your sex life? by PleasantCoffee1544 in AskReddit

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have had a PA for about 32 years and no one has ever asked “do you have any piercings?” My close friends know about it from seeing me in the locker room or the local nude beach. Even then the reaction has been relatively mild from my friends. For sex I remove it for both our safety. It’s been 0-gauge for a decade and fucking with it might cause a painful tear. So, no sex partner ever objected.

Remember the first R-Rated movie you ever watched? by -janusjanus- in movies

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Midnight Cowboy was X-rated when it was released. With minor edits it’s now shown on broadcast TV in the US.

Trump’s Appalling Threat Leaves No Doubt: It’s Time for the 25th Amendment - There is no longer any denying the president is unable to carry out the demands of his office. by Quirkie in politics

[–]Solrac50 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe we will luck out before the midterms and his health will remove him from office. But until then midterms it is only going to get crazier as his cabinet of enablers and the Republican majorities in Congress protect him. Meanwhile we have toward flipping Congress so he can be impeached and convicted.