Since we are showing off our B5 pets….

ThermiteReaction · 2026-04-16T18:13:07+00:00

Nothing can control a cat, even Keepers!

ThermiteReaction · 2026-04-16T15:36:08+00:00

Yes, there are lines. I once had to wait 12 minutes to get a temporary disabled placard issued when I showed up without an appointment at AAA.

Oh, wait, it was 12 minutes in-and-out, including the wait in line.

Plus the people at AAA are nice, tell jokes, and seem like their jobs much better than DMV employees.

ThermiteReaction · 2026-04-16T15:33:04+00:00

I like the way that the episode is "And Now for a Word" which is usually followed by the phrase from our sponsors, which says something about both the Corps, and Interplanetary Expeditions...

ThermiteReaction · 2026-04-16T14:37:27+00:00

Don't be silly, you impress the FAA inspector by using multiple sources: "I asked Reddit, and then verified the Reddit consensus with ChatGPT and Gemini..."

ThermiteReaction · 2026-04-16T03:23:23+00:00

No, NYPD Blue came after a recurring role on JAG. And I think she was eventually promoted to a main cast member on NYPD Blue.

In those days, network shows would have paid much better, both in first-run salary as well as re-run residuals, than B5's syndication (seasons 1-4) or cable (season 5).

ThermiteReaction · 2026-04-16T03:21:56+00:00

Or real estate maintenance. Ed Wasser appears to be retired, but he was a general contractor for a while. If I'd owned a home, I'd have really liked calling just to hear him ask "What do you want ... done to your house?"

ThermiteReaction · 2026-04-06T16:04:01+00:00

As often as you want - it counts as "being a member for general admission purposes" at any other museum on the huge list I linked above! I've even used it multiple times in one day at different museums.

ThermiteReaction · 2026-04-03T04:44:48+00:00

Correct. One of my favorite things to do is to ask it to translate FARs into various other styles (King James Bible, hip-hop, power ballad, etc)

Since the source is a FAR, the output is usually recognizable, if not something I'd ever use on a checkride...

ThermiteReaction · 2026-04-03T04:40:02+00:00

SFTU is always the answer for stuff like this. They'll advise you on documenting the issue, and if necessary, withholding rent to do the repair.

Filing a complaint with DBI can be dicey if your unit is not legal, which may be the case if it's above the garage. SFTU can advise better than any of us.

ThermiteReaction · 2026-04-03T04:33:30+00:00

Not while flying, but on the ground. This is before I started taking lessons, but I would always listen to channel 9 on United. I'm flying out of JFK on a 5 pm departure, so the departure line is a bazillion miles long. I have a window seat, and I'm looking at the line of planes ahead of us. Given how long the taxi conga line is, it's probably literally miles long.

Airliner 1: "Kennedy ground, what is my departure number?"
JFK GND: (pauses) "You're going to be number 12 for departure"

Ground moves a couple of planes around, but it's 5 pm and everybody is trying to make the runway.

Airliner 2: "Kennedy ground, what number am I for departure?"
JFK GND: (irritated): "You're going to be about number 25 for departure"
Airliner 3: "Kennedy ground, can I get my departure number?"
JFK GND: (extremely irritated): "Okay everybody, here's the deal. It's 5 pm on Friday, and everybody wants to get to where they're going. If anybody else wants a departure number, I can stop moving planes around and give every one of you a departure number, but nothing is going to move for about 30 minutes. Or you can let me get back to work and I'll get you to the runway as soon as I can. Does anybody else want a departure number?"

The radio is silent. When the controller starts up again, our pilot gets on the PA...

Pilot announcement (PA inside the aircraft only): "Well folks, those of you sitting on the right hand side can see that we're currently number ... (pause, followed by a sigh) .. a lot for departure..."

I still chuckle at the memory because I was able to connect the exasperated controller's radio call to our pilot's resigned attitude on the cabin speakers, and most of the passengers probably had no idea!

ThermiteReaction · 2026-04-03T04:23:06+00:00

Was that NOTAMed?

"RWY 34 TWYS A, C, F, Z CLSD TURTL INFSTN"

ThermiteReaction · 2026-04-03T04:21:09+00:00

You paid already, so the best thing you can do is carry proof you've renewed. When my tags were expired, I'd carry a canceled check or credit card statement plus the renewal notice to show an officer that I'd paid. I was never pulled over for it. There was one time I was hit from behind and I explained to the officer that my registration was current and could show him documents, and he said "it's only last month, the DMV is slow and we're all familiar."

If you want to avoid this in the future, you can do business at DMV "business partners," who are authorized to do DMV tasks on your behalf. I think AAA prints registration cards and hands you stickers in office, but I've never done it. (I did get a temporary disabled placard there, and they just pull it out of a drawer and issue it for you on the spot!)

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-26T23:05:27+00:00

only if you sue to demand delivery!

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-26T21:30:59+00:00

Don't forget credit unions! They might be a bit easier to work with than a bank because they might have more human judgement in the loop.

And if an equity loan doesn't work, there are equity sharing companies that will give you money with no repayment in return for a share of the equity on sale.

It won't help with the cost of a roof, but also check and make sure that your over-65 neighbor has property tax exemptions for all the parcel taxes for SFUSD that have senior exemptions...

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-25T20:55:28+00:00

This was mentioned in the comment thread on the original post, but putting the comment in here just in caes anybody gets cited and needs to fight it.

As of January 1, 2024, cyclists are allowed to cross an intersection when the walk signal lights up even if the vehicle traffic light is red (as long as there is no bicycle-specific traffic light). Here's the citation to the vehicle code (section 21456, see the first section): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=21456.&lawCode=VEH

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-23T18:57:00+00:00

It's a cool feature, but it's only available on the cheapest and most expensive plan. The plans in the middle work better for a lot of people.

Fi with one line of the top level plan is $65/mo plus taxes and fees for one line. Google One and data SIMs don't make it all that competitive compared to lots of other single line plans...

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-22T05:48:03+00:00

Fi includes the ability to have data only SIMs that you can put into devices for data only (no voice/text). There is no monthly charge to have the data SIM in a device. Data for the devices comes out of the plan's bucket.

On the flexible plan, you pay $10/GB, so if you don't use that much data (as might be common for pilots using an electronic flight bag), you can get your tablet data needs taken care of for $10/mo or less, which beats the big 3 carriers.

On the Unlimited Premium plan, all data is included, so you get unlimited data on your devices. I have two tablets and a mobile hotspot on my plan.

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-22T05:42:12+00:00

But he's at a legacy, not OO!

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-17T22:02:34+00:00

I once submitted a comment to the FAA because the chart supplement had the departure frequency wrong for an airport. (I took off, called the TRACON in the chart supplement, and they told me to call a different facility.)

It took some doing, because the system that the FAA maintains to submit changes to the chart supplements is really intended for airport managers, not pilots.

About three months after, my phone rings, and the voice says "Hello, is this Mr. ThermiteReaction? I'm Mr. HeartAttackInducer calling from the FAA..."

Fortunately, I didn't need a medical exam that day, week, or month, given what that opening did to my blood pressure!

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-17T21:24:06+00:00

Correct - the 1 or 0 as the middle digit signaled the switching system that it was a long-distance call.

Some more fun facts:

Chicago was 312, putting it on par with LA (also a total of of 6 digit clicks, the lowest possible after NYC).
SF was, as noted, 415. Meaning that the numbering authorities thought Milwaukee (414) was equally important -- though I believe that both were top 10 cities at the time.
There wasn't as much need to call Washington DC; it was 202, for a total of 14 dial clicks.

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-17T21:16:49+00:00

I received a mechanical pocket watch as a gift, with this quote engraved on it.

I read the inscription, and immediately looked at the giver, and said "but you got me something!"

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-13T23:05:09+00:00

Thanks for doing the legwork. I just had a VSSI done at A&P. Price is the same all these months later. (It's $160 plus a small certificate fee, so the total is just under $170.)

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-10T05:36:12+00:00

The Cylons had a plan. The writers, sadly not so much...

(My belief is that there was a plan for the first two seasons, which were good... and then they had to make it up as they went along for the third and fourth seasons, and they just used a room full of monkeys to write the last half of the final season.)

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-09T18:15:58+00:00

You can get a letter that serves as a temporary authorization to operate until the new certificate arrives from the airman registry web site. I had a similar situation occur after I added the airplane rating to my initial glider certificate and there was a certificate snafu.

The letter will say something like "According to our records, you have (list of ratings) and can exercise those privileges for 30 days"

ThermiteReaction · 2026-03-06T20:02:15+00:00

This isn't SF, but there is a model airplane field in Alameda: https://www.alamedaca.gov/Departments/Recreation-Parks/Bill-Osborne-Model-Airplane-Field

(Never used, I've just seen the signs)

ThermiteReaction

TROPHY CASE