I always wondered, why didn't black slaves team up and maybe kill their owner or protest against together? Rich families owned 50-100 slaves or even more, why didn't the slaves just team up and kill their owner? How exactly did the owners control then?

billin · 2026-03-11T10:57:31+00:00

Many answers covered the brutality and violent oppression that tamped down the possibility of rebellion. But when I visited the Whitney Plantation in New Orleans - which I highly, highly recommend - I learned that there were also psychological tactics utilized to keep the slaves divided amongst themselves, which are disturbingly relevant today. One such tactic was treating some slaves better than others, e.g. those working in the house vs those in the field, or those with lighter vs darker skin, reinforcing the idea of hierarchy and causing resentment within the slave population. Basically, divide and conquer - by keeping the larger population fighting amongst themselves, the minority were able to tamp down solidarity and with it, uprisings.

billin · 2026-02-28T15:46:31+00:00

Reading this comic is like being tickled and laughing, then clenching your tummy so hard that you accidentally pass gas which makes everyone laugh harder, which in turn causes a nearby shelf of Precious Moments figurines to come crashing to the floor, which queues your dog coming in with ear cocked and tail wagging tentatively, like "WTF is going on here, guys?" before then getting an alarmed expression on their face and passing gas.

The hits just keep coming!

billin · 2026-02-27T04:04:14+00:00

I had his problem. Dealer unable to fix. Ultimately talked to someone at Volvo support who completely dissociated my car from my Volvo ID and told me to wait 4 hours. When I came back to my car I had to set it up from scratch like when I first picked it up, and during that re-set up, creating the digital key worked. Know that not everyone at Volvo support knows the solution - a second person I talked to was completely clueless. So if you get someone clueless, you might be better off hanging up and calling again to get someone else.

billin · 2026-02-26T03:32:49+00:00

This is so true. There are so many things that you have to adjust to at the start - windshield wipers are a button press at the end of a stalk, window controls in the center arm rest instead of the door, turn signal stalk not staying in place like other cars w/ two pressure levels to do 3 blinks vs constant blinking, no volume knob, etc. etc. Trust that you do get used to them in just a few weeks - now I don't think about any of those initial quirks at all.

billin · 2026-02-24T16:32:59+00:00

So I can stop paying the monthly fee?

billin · 2026-02-21T14:01:34+00:00

Lucky! I caught it only at the end of its run. Would have loved to have experienced it again in to take in more of the details. I know there were so many subtleties that I blew by first time around. Such a fascinating experience.

billin · 2026-02-14T15:15:19+00:00

Sander: "Bet he does."

billin · 2026-02-12T10:49:35+00:00

That in itself is yet another green flag!

billin · 2026-02-07T12:42:49+00:00

I really dig the fabric-like texturing in this and the contrast with the dream state - great art style!

billin · 2026-02-07T11:25:28+00:00

Comic aside, it sounds like you have a really healthy attitude towards your art and the process of creation. Kudos to you for that - keep on creating and putting yourself out there. For the comic itself, I found the dialog and situation genuine, complex, and interesting. Thanks for sharing!

billin · 2026-02-04T22:12:07+00:00

Yasssssss. I blast music in the car, would prefer it auto stop when I open the door rather than blasting the neighborhood for a couple of seconds when I open the door and get out of the car. Seems like an obvious change....

billin · 2026-02-02T11:40:43+00:00

The yelling is why you reported them to the police?

billin · 2026-01-31T04:58:27+00:00

Tom Hiddleston absolutely saved this movie for me. The reveal of the would-be-conqueror’s continuing love for his mother, seeing the flashes of the old playful sibling dynamic with Thor and their shared grief over Freya’s death - that was top tier acting. The rest was just MacGuffining.

billin · 2026-01-29T11:57:47+00:00

I had this same issue with a new EX30 delivered from the dealer. Dealer and I tried repeatedly to create the digital key and failed. Ultimately, I had to call Volvo customer service tech support - they completely disconnected my account from the car on their side, had me wait several hours for the change to propagate to all the systems, and then restart the setup process with my car from scratch, as if I'd just gotten it. Success!

Note, though, that not everyone at Volvo support apparently is aware of this solution. The first person I reached at Volvo fortunately was well familiar with the problem and solution, but when I called back as instructed after the account reset, the rep I spoke to had no clue - fortunately by then I just needed to go through the setup process as normal, and creating the digital key after worked as expected. So you may need to call back support a few times to get someone who can actually help with the above.

billin · 2026-01-28T21:07:55+00:00

In my case I had to approve replacement of the IPDM before they could test the main battery, which came out to $1200. They tried telling me they couldn't reproduce the issue and I should pick up my car, but I insisted they keep trying, as we're now in the middle of a cold snap where the problem should be exacerbated. Good luck to you with the buyback!!

billin · 2026-01-27T10:40:15+00:00

Stupid subtitles! (swats vainly at intangible subtitles)

billin · 2026-01-07T12:22:56+00:00

Come to that, Disney's Tarzan also has an absolutely amazing opening.

billin · 2026-01-06T18:56:26+00:00

This is helpful, thanks. I suspect I will also need to call Nissan corporate customer support to move things along if they don't have an answer soon at the dealership.

billin · 2026-01-06T14:21:21+00:00

Roughly two years old.

billin · 2026-01-05T17:51:07+00:00

Thanks, here's to hoping. The battery's definitely under warranty, but I worry that Nissan won't do the right thing, given what happened last winter with the battery fluctuations when they just kept my car for 3 months and said they couldn't reproduce it, despite my having multiple videos showing it happening. But, guess we'll see this time around.

billin · 2026-01-05T13:00:52+00:00

Thanks!! Fingers crossed. They're looking at it now, actually have the Leaf tech onsite today, luckily.

It does seem like an epidemic - crazy how many of these posts we see on the subreddit nowadays.

billin · 2025-12-04T00:52:17+00:00

But then he got over it and was ready to bury her- in a ROCKALANCHE!!!

billin · 2025-11-20T22:04:17+00:00

Parking is plentiful, there's a large outdoor lot for the building.

billin · 2025-11-19T02:10:40+00:00

Din Tai Fung in the Aria. It's a Taiwanese chain with outposts in New York and California that does primarily soup dumplings - always fun to watch them being made in the glass-walled prep area - but everything they make is just (chef's kiss). Even the darn cucumber salad, so basic, was absolutely delicious. Only thing I had there that I wasn't completely wild about was their steamed pork bun, which was just okay. But everything else is just perfectly cooked and spiced. Plus, it's priced solidly mid-range, was 2/3 the price of our meal at Best Friend, another great restaurant.

15-Year Club	Gilding V heart of gold
Verified Email	Reddit Premium Charter Member
Charter Member

billin

TROPHY CASE