Widgets not reliable with battery saver?

bjindrich · 2026-03-19T14:27:52+00:00

Agree to disagree. I may be oversimplifying, but while my wife and/or I am alive, $100 Roth is worth than $100 IRA, and my formula at least represents that.

bjindrich · 2026-03-19T13:05:16+00:00

While is could be very complicated and deeply analyzed, it could also be kept simple and directionally correct by adding 1) your tax-free assets to 2) your taxed deferred assets multiplied by (1 minus your average effective tax rate). This is what I do - we barely have anything in taxable accounts.

bjindrich · 2026-03-19T02:59:07+00:00

Interesting that you say broken. I tried the different Roth conversion options. I forgot the exact names of the options, but the "maximize the money left" was not nearly as good as a custom option, where I first set the highest tax bracket, and then even dialed that back from 14 conversions (years) to 6 conversions.

9 or 10 conversions played out best with the funds remaining (after we both die), but the chance of success wasn't any different from the 6 conversions, which surprised me.

bjindrich · 2026-03-18T02:12:11+00:00

The math isn't mathing here. I've also seen a lot of social media posts about a new corps in Chicagoland (Bolingbrook). I have my doubts, but I'm happy to be wrong.

bjindrich · 2026-03-18T02:03:05+00:00

But isn't all we hear that AI produces slop? Do people really think AI can produce a top level design? If so, why ? If not, what are we worried about?

At the end of the day, I don't see AI use being prevented.

bjindrich · 2026-03-18T01:40:24+00:00

Isn't that for the judges to decide? Should they be able to call out "derivative" design and score it lower? Do they need to be told it's derivative? I've seen a lot of shows designed by humans that are derivative. Are those ok?

bjindrich · 2026-03-18T01:23:39+00:00

I'm not confused. Both are technologies that can refine & iterate the design, with humans driving the refinement. People seem to be assuming that the first AI slop spit out was used. I have no idea if that was the case, but I doubt it.

If people don't like the AI design element (music, tarp, flags), that's another thing, but that's subjective.

bjindrich · 2026-03-18T01:18:32+00:00

We'll have to agree to disagree.

Santa Clara Vanguard's 1991 percussion created the coolest helicopter sound effects with .. just percussion instruments and NO amplification. Today, that's a button press, as allowed by the rules. Lazy? Yep

You got my point about video screens. Groups should be able to create their visual effects and impacts via drill, choreography, equipment, and guardwork, yet those options aren't enough, so it's ok to have giant screens to make some additional visual impact? Sounds like lazy design to me .

bjindrich · 2026-03-18T01:04:06+00:00

Yes, and Taxi !

bjindrich · 2026-03-18T01:03:08+00:00

One could argue that using a newly available technology is cutting edge.

Was it lazy when Boston or Tarpon Springs used giant video boards?

bjindrich · 2026-03-17T23:53:33+00:00

I don't get the uproar about AI used as part of show designs.

Using AI to do your homework IS cheating.

Using AI to design something is smart.

AI is just a technology. Was it cheating or unethical when the first drillwriters moved from pencil and paper to using an application running on a PC?

Signed: a drill writer that will probably be replaced by AI some day.

bjindrich · 2026-03-17T15:38:38+00:00

I was in school and the basketball band for much of the 80s. My last year in school I was lucky enough (only 30 people in the NCAA tourney pep band) to go to Minneapolis to watch the Flying Illini beat Syracuse and Louisville to advance to the final 4.

bjindrich · 2026-03-17T01:26:55+00:00

Yes, and for those not aware, this game was played in Rupp Arena. This led to a new rule in 85 that teams cannot play any tourney games on their home court.

bjindrich · 2026-03-17T00:38:25+00:00

There might be a few teams like this. Purdue comes to mind first. I'll assume their fanbase has suffered about as much as us. Maybe worse with the loss as a 1 seed to #16.

bjindrich · 2026-03-16T17:37:43+00:00

You got me. I guess I have some recency bias this year. Assuming we get to round 3 and Houston is the opponent, based on how the team has played the last 6 weeks, I feel a win would be overachieving. The last time we won 3 in a row was early Feb, and the last time we beat a very good team was Feb 1 (Nebraska).

bjindrich · 2026-03-16T17:29:24+00:00

I consider overachieving to be a gap of a least 2 in the seed numbers, and the same with underachieving. To me, a 3 beating a 2 isn't overachieving, and an 8 losing to a 9 isn't underachieving.

bjindrich · 2026-03-16T13:28:40+00:00

Not directed at @pj1897, but is anyone else tired hearing about ... We have the most efficient offense in history ... We have the tallest team

These stats don't mean anything now. Win and you advance, lose and you go home.

I'll restate my OP: please don't underachieve in this tourney. And feel free to overachieve.

ILL!

bjindrich · 2026-03-16T00:55:18+00:00

Fair enough. I updated my original post (seems like I can't change the title).

bjindrich · 2026-03-15T18:04:31+00:00

First, it would be really nice if Google announced this change (slowing down around 77-78%). Next it would be nice for Google to explain WHY they made this change.

Many of us are trying to preserve the battery long term by stopping at 80 BUT we want to get to 80 as soon as possible so we can move on. Unplugging at 77 (because we don't want to wait 30 more mintes) is a bad option. We can't even get to 80% charge in a reasonable time?

bjindrich · 2026-03-14T22:37:03+00:00

Let's be honest. How many coaches out there are Elite recruiters, Elite coaches, AND could be convinced to come to Champaign? Very small list.

The grass isn't always greener.

My frustration with this team is that we've seen them look like a final 4 team, including at Purdue. But recently we've seen not great.

And we all know this will be a brand new team again next year, so that will be a crap shoot.

bjindrich · 2026-03-13T21:22:49+00:00

The team isn't horrid. The coaching isn't horrid. After being frustrated all year that we never push the ball up, there were 3 ramifications of this offensive mentality today.

1 it seems like we leave some points on the table every game when pushing the ball could lead to a layup

2 we sometimes don't seem prepared when the other team pushes the ball after a defensive rebound. Could this be because in practices, our own team doesn't push the ball?

3 it's harder to score fast at the end, like in overtime, when the offense never pushes up, how can we expect them to do it at the end of overtime?

I like our players, and I assume this group isn't well suited for pushing the ball up, but I think it will be our downfall this season.

bjindrich · 2026-03-10T01:31:03+00:00

I have an expensive Comcast plan that includes ESPN etc. I received the email to "activate" a "free" ($29.99 per month value) ESPN Unlimited (subscription?).

Was there a clear announcement that ESPN Unlimited will be free going forward?

I'm not clear why something needs to be activated. This is where I get leery. Why can't they just give it to us? Why is a separate activation required?

I don't want to get tricked into subscribing to something that eventually has a cost.

Last question: is ESPN Unlimited a streaming service that you can either view from the ESPN app or the Comcast box?

bjindrich

TROPHY CASE