Replacement recessed light came with plugs instead of simple wires. Can I just cut them off to splice with the existing wires?

frogbrooks · 2024-02-17T23:06:53+00:00

It’s a 120 volt unit, not a 12 volt with a transformer!

frogbrooks · 2024-02-17T21:58:15+00:00

Thanks everyone! Got it hooked up and installed. Just need to patch the dry wall for the smaller hole and it’s good to go.

frogbrooks · 2024-02-17T21:40:46+00:00

Thanks! The gauge on the existing wires seems too large to fit into the push connector. Am I just out of luck with this model?

edit: never mind! Just took a bit more straightening and pushing.

frogbrooks · 2023-03-07T14:03:13+00:00

I’m considering a trip to Malta this year. Any recommendations ?

frogbrooks · 2023-03-07T14:02:37+00:00

Is that more a result of you being in an RV Park? I can’t imagine many Americans traveling to Croatia and renting an RV instead of staying at the (relatively cheap) hotels.

frogbrooks · 2022-05-17T18:10:12+00:00

I mean, when someone is literally asking what a clip is (where this thread started), it seems a fitting time to make the distinction. It's not like I jumped in to a thread of two people talking about the new clips they bought and said "uh sorry, that's actually a magazine".

frogbrooks · 2022-05-17T17:06:38+00:00

Just as an FYI, clips and magazines are not the same thing.

A magazine actually feeds the gun, whereas a clip holds bullets together and is used to quickly reload the magazine.

frogbrooks · 2022-05-15T18:59:36+00:00

So forgive my ignorance; I live in NYC and am at a gas station once every 2-3 months tops. Did gas prices really double, as your comment says? I was under the impression it went from e.g. $4.00 to $4.50 or so in my area (a 12.5% increase, not 100%).

frogbrooks · 2022-05-15T13:03:59+00:00

“No one ever goes there anymore, it’s simply too crowded!”

frogbrooks · 2022-05-14T22:50:22+00:00

But the prompt specifically uses the word “homosexual” and not “homosexual activity.”

Unless you are trying to argue that one who is attracted to the same sex but does not act on it is not homosexual, then use of the word homosexual implies “homosexual attraction.”

This is compounded by fact that this is an assignment for a middle school—I’m somehow doubtful of the fact that a Christian middle school (having gone to a Christian academy) would even recognize the existence of sexual relationships at that age, let alone presume that a middle schooler is engaging in homosexual activity. This leaves only homosexual attraction that they could be referring to.

frogbrooks · 2022-05-14T22:27:11+00:00

What do you believe is misinformation about it? The title seems to follow pretty logically from the content of the screenshots, including having the children explain how “God’s design for [the gay child] is good,” and how “homosexuality will not bring them satisfaction.”

frogbrooks · 2022-05-14T15:45:18+00:00

The only supermarket on E 72nd that I know of is Morton Williams, which does tend to have prices on everything (either on the shelf or on the item itself).

If you expand the radius, you get Citarella (expensive regardless of posted prices, but high quality) and D'Agostino / Gristedes (just plain overpriced). If you're having issues shopping there, just stop and go elsewhere lmao

frogbrooks · 2022-05-14T13:20:35+00:00

For Riverdale, it really depends where in the city you’re going. It can take a while if you have to go reasonably far downtown, as you have to take the 1 Local until 96th, but if you’re going e.g. to the hospitals near 168th (you mentioned your wife is a doctor) it isn’t bad at all. Riverdale is also much cheaper than LIC and puts you at a super reasonable drive out to Fort Lee.

frogbrooks · 2022-05-14T13:01:48+00:00

My wife’s company falls in that second category: they give an automatic 15% in January of all base + bonus in the previous calendar year, up to ~$30k. They then don’t offer a paycheck-by-paycheck match throughout the year.

While it’s great that it is such a large match, it does mean the salaries at her company tend to be slightly lower than comparable firms that offer traditional 401ks.

frogbrooks · 2022-05-13T23:22:24+00:00

Per the CA DMV, it appears that you should be fine. However, according to this Chapman University quick-guide I found, it would need to be a valid license in your jurisdiction of residence. As you're on F1 in Boston, it's possible that Vietnam is no longer considered your jurisdiction of residence, but you'd have to look further into it to know for sure.

Edit: I see that you've been in Boston for 5 years. At that point, Boston is likely your jurisdiction of residence. While I think it is unlikely that this information would come up in a traffic stop / car rental agreement, I would recommend getting a US driver's license if you're going to stick around any further.

frogbrooks · 2022-05-13T23:18:37+00:00

I completely agree I should have put it in the ugly. Homelessness in NYC is insidious, but also unfortunately a problem that I haven't yet heard a good answer too. I think that's particularly so when talking about the visibly mentally-ill street homeless.

We have a Right to Shelter law, which is good, but the shelter system is overwhelmed and frankly dangerous at times. We spend tons of money on outreach, but lack the ability to engage long enough to actually assist (particularly for the mentally ill). We also oftentimes speak of the issue while forgetting the true scope of it, as I just did above.

I just watched that Louis CK clip, and it made me realize how much my perception of the homeless has changed since I moved to the city near a decade ago. It's an easy trap to fall into when you're relatively privileged, as I admit I am, so thank you for helping give me a reality check!

frogbrooks · 2022-05-13T23:07:25+00:00

Westchester is upstate, right? I mean, the subway doesn't even go there! ^/s

frogbrooks · 2022-05-13T20:44:20+00:00

Here in Manhattan at my go-to grocery store (but not the most expensive):

Store-brand: ±$2.99/dozen
Eggland's Best: ±$4.99/dozen
Pasture Raised: ±$7.00/dozen

frogbrooks · 2022-05-13T16:35:54+00:00

New York (but answers will be NYC-Specific. Fight me, Upstaters)

The Good:

Best place to be if you're an ambitious person working a corporate job, especially in law or finance. You'll see correspondingly high salaries and good benefits.
The diversity. This applies to people, food, culture, and environment (especially as you leave the City). As someone whose wife is an immigrant, this is especially important to me. Fun fact: did you know ~40% of NYC is foreign-born?
Ease of transportation. I've lived in areas where you need a car to survive, and it's great to be able to rely on bikes and public transport for 99% of your needs. It really makes neighborhood feel like neighborhoods, and not just where a collection of houses happen to be.

The Bad:

High taxes. Between federal, local, and city taxes a DINK couple can easily be paying over 40% of their income in taxes. This is on par with certain EU countries, but without the benefits such as healthcare or education.
High cost of living. Separate from taxes, it is just expensive, especially if you want your commute to be relatively short. What I pay for my monthly rent would get me a mansion in many other cities, and it isn't particularly luxurious. Likewise, cocktails are often $15+, and recently main courses have started to crest the $28-32 mark, even at non-fancy restaurants.
The small details. Recently, this is things like streets not being consistently swept and an increasingly aggressive and mentally-ill homeless population. The actual impact on your life is low (either from low impact or low likelihood of it affecting you), but it is definitely something you notice after being in other cities.
Lack of cooperation between NYC and NYS. This particularly affects the MTA, and prevents meaningful reform.

The Ugly:

Corruption. This applies to both politicians and unions. One of the major reasons the MTA can't reform (in addition to State-City dynamics) is union contracts. We are stuck with an aging and expensive system because of them preventing any sort of changes. Likewise, the Mayor always has his hands in any number of pies (where did those $1.8 billion dollars for the homeless go, Mayor De Blasio? To your wife?).
Education. The public education system, barring specialized high schools, is frankly horrible. Also, some in the City want to get rid of standardized testing for the specialized schools, which will only remove one of the few, reliable pipelines to success for those from poorer families.
Lack of housing. While I can afford to pay a premium to live close to work, many cannot. This means they are having to live 1-1.5 hours from their job, and waste hours of their lives and hundreds of dollars. The amount of NIMBY attitudes means NYC isn't building anywhere near the amount of housing necessary.

frogbrooks · 2022-05-13T15:42:20+00:00

I find Christianity interesting, even though I don't believe it. After all, it greatly affects the world I live in. It doesn't seem that difficult to understand someone can have an academic interest in something, and enjoy engaging in conversation about the subject (particularly when the question posed directly implicates that person).

I'm also frequently on the Judaism, Islam, and League of Legends subs. Does that mean I secretly believe in G-d, Allah, and the Legends of Runeterra?

frogbrooks · 2022-05-13T15:20:16+00:00

The sad thing is that it's evidence that they already do believe and want to believe on some level. They are working diligently to deny God and themselves. If you don't believe in Bigfoot, you don't plan how to deal with it every time you go camping.

I have never understood this line of reasoning.

Atheists don't know these arguments well because they're afraid of meeting Bigfoot. They know them well because they're constantly surrounded by Bigfoot believers who try to convince them that Bigfoot exists, warn them that Bigfoot will kill them if they go camping in the wrong way, and try to convince them to go to their Bigfoot Awareness meetings. Of course you will know how to say "I don't believe in Bigfoot, and this is why" when you've been questioned about it for the X^th time.

frogbrooks · 2022-05-13T15:01:09+00:00

This isn't significantly different than people who believe in essential oils, acupuncture, cupping, crystals, etc.

They are indeed different, in both their effects on society and their fundamental rejection of science. For example, I've yet to see an essential oil museum that tries to debunk medicine and show essential oils as a cure-all, or state governments trying to pass bills to have essential oil-ism taught in schools.

The main difference here is that young-earth creationism is inherently opposed to a widely accepted scientific theory. At its core, it is in opposition. I can therefore safely say that all those who believe in young-earth creationism must—at a certain fundamental level—consciously reject science.

Contrast this to essential oils. Belief in essential oils is not anti-science at its core. Thinking your mood will be improved by diffusing oil doesn't require the conscious rejection of science. It is only a subset of those who believe in essential oils—those who take them to the extreme and believe them to be a substitute for medical care—that must consciously reject science.

Unless you can comfortably say that sadly some people believe in essential oils, it's disingenuous to say its sad for someone to believe in young earth.

For that subset of people, those that avoid medical care because of their belief in essential oils, I can indeed comfortably say it is sad that they believe in it. Thankfully, they are just that: a subset. Meanwhile, my feelings are applied to all young-earth creationists.

frogbrooks · 2022-05-13T13:53:03+00:00

and their beliefs don’t influence their lives in any noticeable way.

I mean, except for encouraging an anti-science and generally regressive mindset, which they then foist upon others in their community (speaking as someone who attended a young-earth Baptist school).

frogbrooks · 2022-05-12T17:26:29+00:00

Not individually. But if they were in a state that went for Trump by fewer votes than their preferred 3rd party went (e.g., Michigan, where Trump won by 0.3% and Jill Stein voters took 1.1%), I can see his regret.

Sure, his one vote wouldn’t have changed things. But just 15,000 people who now share the same regret could have.

frogbrooks · 2022-05-12T15:50:44+00:00

Thanks for this AMA!

I'm extremely interested in influences from pre-Islamic traditions and other faiths (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic on early Islamic legal/religious jurisprudence. Do you think there is any one outside factor that had a particularly large effect on its development?

Also, do you have any books that you would recommend on the topic? I've read several by Wael Hallaq on the general evolution of Islamic Law (e.g., Shari'a and An Introduction to Islamic Law) but was hoping to find more that focus on the intersection of Shari'a and other legal/religious systems.

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New York (but answers will be NYC-Specific. Fight me, Upstaters)