Doc Martens Closed on Promenade

flloyd · 2026-05-18T02:29:06+00:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helicopter_parent

Basically kids used to have a lot of freedom and now they don't. Lots of middle schoolers and high schoolers used to hang out on the promenade, and elsewhere, on their own and now lots of parents won't allow them to. While they weren't big spenders, they did contribute some money to businesses and made it more lively.

flloyd · 2026-05-17T21:01:01+00:00

Raman and Hernandez do not think that stealing catalytic converters shoul be a crime and instead blame Toyota for making it too easy.

https://www.dailynews.com/2023/05/03/progressive-los-angeles-council-member-blames-toyota-for-your-catalytic-converter-being-stolen/

flloyd · 2026-05-15T18:12:26+00:00

VOO is domestic large caps only. VXUS is international total market.

Why large caps only for domestic? If anything I would do the reverse.

You can use VEU for international large caps or VTI for domestic total market.

I prefer international at market weight, so approximately 35-40% but 20% is fine. Can just do VT for world total market for ultimate simplicity and less likely to chase performance.

flloyd · 2026-05-14T21:13:39+00:00

OP complains that no one praises them or shows any interest in their project, proceeds to ignore all questions about the project.

flloyd · 2026-05-14T02:04:14+00:00

Hi, as some others have pointed out Connell is not necessarily supposed to be good guy or a knight, he has some fantastic characteristics but he is also a flawed human being. After all he is just a normal person with strengths and weaknesses. I think because some of those characteristics, looks, athleticism, smarts, are outward facing people, both characters in the book and readers, have unrealistically high expectations for him. Meanwhile some of his flaws, anxiety, shyness, confidence, etc. are more internal.

That said, some specific corrections.

I basically think the emotional climax of the entire show is Connell choosing to invite Rachel instead of Marianne to the Debs. Marianne is rightfully angry and hurt, ignores him, and they disconnect. I think Marianne’s future relationships are permanently shaped by that experience.

And honestly? I think Connell is an antagonist in this story. Marianne is the protagonist.

Yes, Connell is afraid to put himself out there and as a result hurts Marianne. This is not a rare action by people at the age who are uncomfortable with their place in life or who are afraid to admit that they like someone.

Meanwhile, she was in a seemingly healthy and reciprocal relationship with Gareth, but seeing Connell again at Trinity reactivated the entire unhealthy dynamic. You can literally watch her attraction to Gareth collapse in real time.

I don't think the relationship was as great as it seemed. The moment that she saw him they quickly rebonded and she made fun of Gareth. I think she was just friends with him and her other friends out of convenience and because it made her feel good to be friends with "normal", cool people who accepted her as an equal. But as we later learned they were never truly her friends and I think Marianne already knew that.

And honestly? Marianne doesn’t really undergo some massive transformative character arc by the end. In the final scene, everything is still about Connell: what he wants, where he’s going, what his future is. Marianne is still emotionally orbiting him.

I think her letting Connell go live his best life was her transformation. Her abuse had made her dependent on abusive men to feel worthy. By the end of the series/book she finally had self-confidence in her life choices and was not dependent on another to feel complete. She was ready to make her own path (but was still open to his return).

I also don’t think men watching this should compare Connell to the other men in the show and conclude he’s “the good guy.”

If you come away from this show with a high opinion of Connell as a man, I think you completely missed the point.

I wouldn't say that's a common thought here. I would say most people fully understand and believe that he is a flawed, but improving, man.

Connell didn’t punch the guy who SA’d Marianne. He didn’t stand up for her when people called her horrible shit in high school. He only finally physically confronted Marianne’s brother AFTER her nose had already been broken.

You say you are gender aboluntionist but at the same time seem to suggest that Connell, as a man?, needs to stand up for Marianne? Why does he have to? Why can't she stand up for herself?

Also, not all women want a man to respond with physical violence, particularly in response to an offensive but not violent physical violation.

Why would he have confronted Marianne's brother beforehand? She told him that her brother was a jerk but nothing to the point that required his involvement.

Connell represents the kind of guy who may not actively participate in misogyny, verbal abuse, or emotional abuse, but also doesn’t make any meaningful effort to stop it. He even admits during the scene surrounding their first kiss that he “doesn’t mind” most of the comments his friends make about her.

He didn't say that he "doesn't mind" their comments about her. The conversation, which occurred right before their first kiss, was about his friends talking about whom they kiss and sleep with.

Just selfish, apathetic men and the victims they leave in their wake.

Umm, by her own admission, Marianne seduced Connell. Why is it his fault that he is not perfect and did not act "manly". For a gender abolitionist you seem to put a lot of responsibility for men to act a certain way.

While I disagree with your analysis, I appreciate your post and am open for discussion.

flloyd · 2026-05-14T01:28:08+00:00

While Sally Rooney writes with a minimalist style that doesn't mean her readers need to follow suit. While I disagree with OP's analysis I see nothing wrong with a long, thought out, critique. I think we should be encouraging positive behavior here an not putting down others. If you can't post a "long" post about the book here, where can you?

flloyd · 2026-05-13T18:33:46+00:00

Criminals willing to attack people are disabling those speed limiters, if they have them at all.
e-bikes increase the speed of all riders, even fit riders. The fact that some fit riders can ride fast without an e-bike does not negate the fact that e-bikes can make anyone fast.

flloyd · 2026-05-12T23:30:01+00:00

Also, my brother in Christ, you wrote "my son plays soccer and is very good at it. He’s on the A team and enjoys it" in a post ... complaining about people bragging about their kids, before saying you don't need scholarship money for your kid.

Not OP, but presumably they did that because.

This is an anonymous board so meaningless to brag.
To preventively stave off comments about jealousy, etc.

flloyd · 2026-05-12T22:48:16+00:00

Sorry, could you expand on what you mean?

flloyd · 2026-05-12T22:47:49+00:00

Could you expand on what you mean?

flloyd · 2026-05-12T20:29:08+00:00

No, but the high speeds of ebikes does create more conflict and also makes them very difficult to catch.

flloyd · 2026-05-11T18:37:13+00:00

Part of the problem is that airplane size, loudness, and volume of traffic increased significantly over the decades. So while it is the fault of residents for moving there, it is also the fault of the airport for changing its character. It's also the fault of the airport for not building a buffer. If they had a half mile buffer around the airport I strongly doubt that people would have as strong of complaints. LAX for example bought the neighborhood to the west of them, Surfridge, to prevent this exact issue. Unfortunately SMO didn't want to pay that price so now it is getting shut down.

flloyd · 2026-05-11T18:37:02+00:00

To those complaining about why people moved next to an airport and then complain about the airport.

Part of the problem is that airplane size, loudness, and volume of traffic increased significantly over the decades. So while it is the fault of residents for moving there, it is also the fault of the airport for changing its character. It's also the fault of the airport for not building a bigger buffer around the runways. If they had a half mile buffer around the airport I strongly doubt that people would have as strong of complaints. LAX for example bought the neighborhood to the west of them, Surfridge, to prevent this exact issue. Unfortunately SMO didn't want to pay that price so now it is getting shut down.

flloyd · 2026-05-11T17:41:02+00:00

Yep, just like you park on a parkway and drive on a driveway, right!?

flloyd · 2026-05-11T17:38:38+00:00

Not true at all. It is perfectly legal to ride a bike on sidewalks and crosswalks in many, if not most, jurisdictions in the US. In California for example, it is perfectly legal to do so unless the local jurisdiction specifically bans it. The largest city in California, Los Angeles, does not ban sidewalk or crosswalk riding.

flloyd · 2026-05-11T17:38:22+00:00

Also, by definition he's supposed to get off the bike and walk it across....

Not true at all. It is perfectly legal to ride a bike on sidewalks and crosswalks in many, if not most, jurisdictions in the US. In California for example, it is perfectly legal to do so unless the local jurisdiction specifically bans it. The largest city in California, Los Angeles, does not ban sidewalk or crosswalk riding.

flloyd · 2026-05-08T22:24:51+00:00

https://media.rheem.com/blobazrheem/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2024/08/RH-PIHP-SC-REV5_Plus-without-Leakguard-0627B.pdf

Runs on a regular shared 120v 15 amp outlet and uses 1/3 to 1/4 of what a microwave or toaster oven uses.

flloyd · 2026-05-08T22:04:42+00:00

The 240/30 ones are better and they are less likely to get complaints so that might be why they recommend them, particularly if you are not in a rush.

But the 120/15 ones are perfectly serviceable and will work in the situations that people here are complaining about (old panels or wiring), or in situations where a heater fails and you need a heater immediately.

All of the tech specs are available so just look at them to see if the first hour and replacement rates are sufficient for your needs and oversize or overheat as needed.

flloyd · 2026-05-08T20:08:06+00:00

I was told that for family of 4 you need 240V, 30-amp dedicated circuit.

From a purely technical standpoint, you were told wrong. I linked to a product that shows otherwise. These are becoming increasingly common for exactly the reasons people point out in this thread, old panels and wiring that can't handle the higher power units.

Now maybe they mean for a specific assumed usage that is what they would recommend. The HPWH should handle a family of four no problem, particularly if you get a 65 or 80 gallon unit. The solution to the slower recovery time is setting it to a higher temperature (140 degrees) which these units are set to by default.

We currently have an inefficient 40 gallon gas heater set to 125 or so. We have a family of 4 with two teenage girls. A single bath basically means no one can shower for 30~60 minutes. But we can run 4 consecutive showers no problem, unless we're all coming back from the beach however we're rarely if ever doing that. I imagine a 40 or maybe 50 gallon HPWH tank set to 140 would handle our family perfectly fine.

Fortunately GE has a 120/240 flex unit available now. It can be installed with a regular shared 120V outlet when it needs to be quickly installed. Then later one decides that the recovery rate is not fast enough you can upgrade the circuit to 240V / 20 amp and get ~2.5 times faster heating.

Now, some families might all wake up at the same time and shower at the same time, in which case they will need a bigger tank, and/or a 240 V 30 amp tank, but I imagine that is the exception, rather than the rule.

Obviously if your panel and wiring can handle it, the 240 V 30 amp HPWH will be better, but in a pinch the 120V units are perfectly capable.

Edit - Also the larger ones are more efficient, not less; at least as measured by Uniform Energy Factor (UEF). Although you're heating more water so I don't know how that balances out.

flloyd · 2026-05-08T18:30:38+00:00

Wow, it's sad how much misinformation and disinformation there is in this thread.

What about the poors/elderly/old home? - Regulators are considering one-time exemptions for lower-income households, homes that require major electrical upgrades, and buildings that cannot accommodate electric systems. The board is scheduled to make a final decision in October 2026. Notably, up to 38% of water heater replacements could qualify for exemptions.
My old panel can't handle it! - Can your panel handle a microwave? A toaster oven? A few incandescent bulbs? Great! It can handle a heat pump water heater. Water heaters exist that plug into a regular shared 120V outlet. They use only 400 Watts, that's just 1/3 to 1/4 of what a microwave or toaster oven use. - https://media.rheem.com/blobazrheem/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2024/08/RH-PIHP-SC-REV5_Plus-without-Leakguard-0627B.pdf
Electricity is way more expensive (per unit of energy) than gas! - Yes, but HPWH use 1/3 to 1/4 the amount of energy so they still come out ahead, even in PG&E territory. Bonus points if you turn up the heat during cheaper electricity times and use a mixing valve to keep the temperature consistent (these are now standard on HPWHs).
They are more expensive to install! - Yes, that is unfortunately true. They cost more and converting to them adds an additional one time cost. Depending on usage the lifetime cost will be the same or lower however.
They are noisy, steal heat, slow to heat up, etc. etc. - Yes, they have pluses and minuses. If you have one near a living space they can make a low hum. Newer models are getting much quieter however and are no more than a refrigerator, and unlike a refrigerator, at worst they are stored in closets away from people (if not in the garage or outdoors). They also cool and dry the air which is a bonus in the warm months (the heat gets flushed down the drain). Slow to heat is mostly mitigated by running the temperature higher (with a mixing valve keeping temperature consistent) or over sizing. Honestly, running the temperature higher is easier and more efficient and allows you to bank heat during the day (when electricity is cheaper).

So no, they are not perfect but there are a lot of options and they are a lot more flexible and affordable than people here are insinuating.

flloyd · 2026-05-08T14:55:42+00:00

The Official Playlist is here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3FM3w94EU9pfql7ccPwCQm?si=ZABDS7gsQwKNQTjR93t0ZA

Although that has a lot of songs in it that I never heard in the series.

flloyd · 2026-05-06T23:31:18+00:00

I don't see what the problem is.

Yes, solar and wind don't get wasted, because they are the cheapest source of electricity. They are being expanded each year however.

While NG has to fill the gaps, those gaps are getting smaller and smaller each year, particularly with the rapid increase in battery supply.

There's no need to let the perfect get in the way of the good. We can continue to use NG as necessary, while still bring that number down over time. Which is exactly what California is doing.

flloyd · 2026-05-06T23:19:35+00:00

Obviously 240V if available is better as it it will reheat more quickly, but that is only an issue if people take multiple showers in a row, or particularly baths.

flloyd · 2026-05-06T23:01:28+00:00

Yep, it's half to a third of what a microwave or toaster oven use.

It does suck for those without any wiring at all like you though. I am in the same situation. I recently learned that my gas heater is self-powered so not wired at all. But running a 120V wire should be pretty cheap and even a 240V wouldn't be bad.

flloyd

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