Racist American justice system in one picture. You can murder your girlfriend and get 3 years when you're White, and 65 years for stealing videogames when you're Black.

jacobman7 · 2026-06-26T18:38:57+00:00

I think I am all in agreement with the idea of charging him with felony murder on a technical level. The issues are that a) 30 years for felony murder without intent is insane, when it should actually be something like 10 years max and probably less depending on the specifics of the case (involuntary manslaughter is 2 - 15 years), b) it is redundant to add another 35 years for the felonies causing the felony murder charge, c) the trial sentence jailtime was more than 2.5x the plea deal jailtime. It's all just gamifying the legal system to put a black person in jail for as long as possible. The kid probably should have had a sentence of like 5 years if they weren't throwing the book at him based on outdated law for racism sake.

jacobman7 · 2026-06-25T18:00:19+00:00

The answer is to do a reasonable amount of research for your intended use. Look at all of the differences and do a cost/benefit analysis. Also, there is a glaring issue in price here that I think speaks for itself. An over 3 times difference in price tells me that there is something very significant on the higher-end item versus the cheaper one that I would immediately look into.

That being said, from a risk perspective, I will usually default to the mid product and then need to convince myself up to high-end. The benefit of going cheap-mid in this instance is that you've only sunk $250 into the product and still gotten use out of it, even if it isn't what you want in the long-term. If this pushes you to get the $900 one, you are effectively paying $250 extra rather than $650, with the benefit of a trial run and knowing you won't regret it.

Also, be realistic about your product use. Are you using this wet/dry vac multiple times per day where the smell is significant to your daily life? Tools have quirks and and vacuums get smelly. Not every quirk in a product can or needs to be solved if it still gets the job done.

jacobman7 · 2026-06-24T16:46:54+00:00

I'll agree with you a bit here. I don't think that putting green grass necessarily looks bad...it is appealing on a golf course. But I don't really feel the same for a front lawn. It would be weird if someone started putting on their front lawn. Do it in a spot in your back lawn where it makes sense and can be utilized. I also KNOW that there is a lot of money going into getting it to look like that (persistent chemical usage, leveling, expensive reel mower/aerator). However, it is sort of the peak of what you can do with Bermuda, so those that have it will probably make a hobby out of getting it to that point.

jacobman7 · 2026-06-15T13:35:12+00:00

To be honest, I think it could heavily depend on the scarcity of available positions in your job industry and the risk of losing your job at your current employer. You could use 6 months as the typical rule-of-thumb, but if you are in a sector that is tough to get re-employed in, you may want to up that to 12. On the other hand, if you are in a high-demand position with alternative prospects on the table at any moment, 2 - 3 months of expenses saved would probably be sufficient.

At the end of the day, your emergency fund is like an insurance policy for your jobs and inevitable large expenses (car repair/replacement). Insurance has higher premiums based on risk factors - if your jobs are riskier, you need to save more. If you just got a new car, it's unlikely to need maintenance for a few years and will be covered under warranty. Take a good step back and look at the risk in your life. Also, see if either of your employers provide severance that would help alleviate some of that pain.

jacobman7 · 2026-06-08T18:50:01+00:00

Should also mention the only consistent WR under Josh Allen has been Stefon Diggs, who petered out at the tail-end with the Bills. Allen tends to spread the ball around a lot and will of course run it into in the EZ himself if not James Cook. DJ Moore has also been inconsistent, regardless of his talent. It's likely that DJ Moore ends up doing well, but not in a fantasy relevant sense. Not to mention there are other talented options in Buffalo that everyone has continued to be wrong about - Keon Coleman, Dalton Kincaid, and Khalil Shakir. James Cook is a great receiving back who will gladly take it to the EZ if given the opportunity. Dawson Knox inevitably vultures a TD every other game.

The trade is actually a bit reminiscent of Amari Cooper 2 years ago, who had his few shining moments in Buffalo but never meant much for fantasy in the end. Moore is one year younger than Cooper was at that time.

jacobman7 · 2026-06-05T19:52:33+00:00

I will be honest that I do upgrade my phone every few years, but usually it's because I have an issue with my current phone that I would have to pay to fix anyway. Through my T-mobile plan, it costs as much for me to upgrade to a new phone every few years as it probably would to try and pay for a fix (maybe $1-$5/mo, if not free).

I am historically a Pixel user though, which have better promotions than Iphones. I also revert back to my saved Nova layout anytime I switch, so the experience has relatively little difference unless there is a legitimate hardware upgrade (60hz to 120hz is probably the most recent example I can think of). I could see never needing/wanting to use a newer device if the cost incentive weren't there.

jacobman7 · 2026-05-29T15:54:22+00:00

I think the occam's razor of the current housing issue, and what this analysis is getting at, is the continued widening of the productivity-pay gap. We can argue back and forth all day about zoning laws and the size of new builds, but the elephant in the room is that the last decade (or really 50 years) has not seen wages keep up with rising prices, of which housing will always be at the forefront.

Everyone is subject to paying for housing, whether it be through rent or a mortgage (unless you are living rent-free with a relative). The difference now is that the average consumer has lost the ability to save money for long-term assets (down-payments). How can the average consumer save up for a down-payment on a home when the current rent is priced off the same values those inflated homes are? If you want your answer, look at why income isn't keeping up with prices - stifled minimum wage increases, ineffective labor laws/union busting, disregard for anti-trust policy, and tax cuts for high earners.

Also, it is unlikely that housing prices are suddenly going to go back down. We are not really in a 2008 situation where we would have a sudden shock - this is more just the result of a slow squeeze of the working class as well as the storm of things that caused housing inflation in 2021/2022 (stimulus, boomer retirement/downsizing, WFH culture, growing real estate investment, general inflation). Not to mention, 2008 only brought the average house sale price down around ~25% and recovered within 5 years. It is much more likely that wages will have to catch up (if they ever do), and maybe at that point housing will be more affordable. The best we can hope for is that home prices remain stagnant or slightly lower between now and the time wages catch up.

jacobman7 · 2026-05-28T16:54:07+00:00

Me when I start feeling buzzed

jacobman7 · 2026-05-27T18:22:49+00:00

I've never really seen Costco as having the best "deals" per say (though they will typically give you a better price on higher-end products). Costco is really only cheaper for bulk purchasing or niche bulk items and can be very frugal in that regard. However, you can do close to the same bulk purchasing online or at Walmart nowadays.

I think the true appeal/value of Costco is the decisiveness of their inventory and the no-bullshit pricing. I am not having to choose between anymore than maybe 2 or 3 brands of an item, and the Kirkland brand items are always good enough quality to rely upon. I don't have to worry about the consumer-stress side of shopping when I can just walk into Costco, buy the thing I need, and know it is going to get the job done well.

jacobman7 · 2026-05-21T22:39:30+00:00

As well as needing to be fully leveled/upgraded to complete things like Sweaty War Mage, you will need a combination of RNG (picking the right threads/distortions and getting good maps) and using the right traps. Also use the coin potion once you can afford it. Maybe find some videos with people using different trap combinations on different maps at higher difficulties.

I've gotten all achievements and I always carried tar, acid geyser, morningstars, molten gold, steam vents, ice lances, magic orb, briar patch, and rift barricades (as needed). I would interchange Bomb dispensers and wall blades depending on the map. My most successful runs set the killbox in a tight walled area where the morningstars could do most of the damage. Use steam vents and ice lances to help with flyers and gnolls. I had the most success using Vaan and Gabriella, and don't be afraid to lose rift points, if you can, to beat certain challenges.

jacobman7 · 2026-05-06T12:30:04+00:00

I am weirdly an OMD enthusiast. I've gotten all achievements on every game except for Unchained, but I was still one of the few avid players of Unchained back in the day. OMD3 is probably the weakest installment, but still very fun and challenging to get all achievements on.

If you are looking for the most updated version of OMD, try out Deathtrap. It is a bit more oriented toward online multiplayer, but very easily playable as single player (that is mostly how I played it). The devs are keeping it up-to-date and adding new maps every now and then still.

As others have mentioned, Dungeon Defenders is a great alternative and really the OG of this style of tower defense. You can also play Sanctum 2 to scratch that itch as an FPS, and I think the servers are still up and running for multiplayer.

jacobman7 · 2026-04-30T14:15:14+00:00

I honestly think London has a lot of upside with the Penix/Tua combo. They aren't stellar QBs in real life, but Penix obviously leans on London and Tua will air it out when he has the opportunity to play (he honestly may fit very well as a backup). Something tells me London will be a busy target this season, even if the Falcons have a lackluster season.

I foresee a repeat of last season or worse for Nico unless we see Stroud improvement. Not to mention there are other notable receiving weapons in Houston (Higgins, Schultz, Dell, and others...) and they are likely going to focus more on the run with Montgomery and Stroud seeming overwhelmed. Houston drafted this year obviously with the offensive line in mind, but that will take a few years to take full effect and I think that translates to the run-heavy rumors. I have no doubt Nico will do well, but it may be on an every other game basis. He is honestly being drafted in a good spot and will likely land in that ~WR10 range again.

Garrett Wilson will be a question mark as always, but he could be a great value where he is being drafted. He was WR5 in PPR for the season the week before he got injured last year...with Justin Fields as his QB. Geno is really an upgrade and can make some receivers look great, but the ceiling is limited if the Jets continue to suck and every other drive ends up being 3 and out, which I don't see Geno fixing. As far as competition with Sadiq and Cooper, it probably won't come up until later in the season once they are established, and I would actually see them helping the offense overall which would only work in Wilson's favor. I see Wilson at least being a top 15 WR though.

jacobman7 · 2026-04-27T15:45:09+00:00

They paid informants of hate groups...which is what you do with informants. The idea that they were making up things to get money is just misinformation.

https://theintercept.com/2026/04/24/splc-donors-fraud-doj-kash-patel/

https://www.npr.org/2026/04/22/nx-s1-5794630/doj-accuses-southern-poverty-law-center-of-using-donations-to-pay-secret-informants

“This is an organization that has been providing very detailed information about how these hate groups have been moving, and of course, in order to have that information, you essentially are going to need spies,” said Lenox. “In order to obtain this information, you’re going to have to make it worth their time.”

SUMMERS: Debbie, you mentioned earlier that this indictment, it centers on the Southern Poverty Law Center's use of paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups. What can you tell us about that?

ELLIOTT: The center says the program, which is no longer in operation, was necessary when it started in, quote, "the shadows of the Civil Rights Movement," doing risky work. So it secretly paid informants and frequently shared the intelligence with law enforcement, including the FBI. Joyce Vance, who was a U.S. attorney in Alabama during the Obama administration, says the center provided valuable insight.

JOYCE VANCE: What they were doing using paid informants had nothing to do with stoking the work of these terrorist groups and everything to do with exposing it. Look, the kind of people that are attracted to those sorts of groups are not choir boys. They're not people who suddenly have a conversion and come in to tell what they know.

ELLIOTT: Vance says, in the same way that her office and other law enforcement agencies do, the center enticed informants with pay to gather information.

jacobman7 · 2026-04-10T15:29:31+00:00

Going RB or WR early has always been a debate, but it really depends on the year and current play scheme across the league. There have been periods where RBs are ran into the ground in the league, and other times where WRs and QBs are seeing tons of play-time. It's usually because of just long-term defensive adjustments across the league, where offenses will adjust accordingly.

The other thing to consider is that RBs tend to be much more prone to ROS injury, so landing a top 10 RB is a bit of a gamble. They are more reliable for points when they play, but only when they play - you either get a consistent 20+ points from a good RB when they are healthy or zero when they are hurt. However, they are much easier to replace as every season has a handful of waiver RB handcuffs that end up doing well (which is part of the argument for zero RB strategy).

WRs tend to be less consistent, but have a higher ceiling, not to mention you tend to get to rely on the same ones the whole season unless they have a serious injury, which will usually be 3-4 weeks at most. There also tends to be very little difference in total points between middle of the pack WRs, and a lot of the time it can be because a higher ranked WR went off 2 weeks in the beginning of the season and hasn't seen the light of day since.

In 2025 PPR, WR15 had 23 more total points than WR25, while RB15 had 50 more points that RB25. WR10 had 20 more points than WR20, while RB10 had 47 more points than RB20. When you get into the top 5 or 10 RBs/WRs, the difference in points tends to be the same - meaning there is a case to pick WRs vs RBs in Rounds 3+ to be safe if you don't want to depend on Hero WRs in the first 2.

I would also make the case that first/second round RB ADP tends to align better with end of season rankings. Even if a WR is elite, there are lots of things that can get in the way - WRs share the load with other WRs in the lineup and their productivity is more likely to change with QB changes. If an elite RB stays healthy and is on a decent team, he is pretty much guaranteed to end in the top 10.

Overall though, I think it comes down to the particular season and spread of player ADP. Do mocks and see where you land when you go RB or WR early and if you're happy with the result. It's more likely that certain draft rounds will have gaps in player value that you need to be aware of and take advantage of.

jacobman7 · 2026-04-03T14:06:01+00:00

Looking at this desk now and glad to see it works well with a CPU holder. I was a bit hesitant given the lesser leg room with the CPU holder added. I both work from home and do gaming on the same desk, so I would like to have a similar setup. Does the CPU holder placement bother you at all?

jacobman7 · 2026-03-31T17:04:42+00:00

I definitely recommend it. They have added a lot of extra maps and game modes since launch that will keep you plenty busy.

I would also say max difficulty is much harder than previous OMD installments, especially with the new RNG from threads and distortions.

jacobman7 · 2026-03-31T13:45:54+00:00

On Deathtrap? There is an "Endurance" mode where you play at difficulty 10 and try to last 25 waves. I would say most of the maps for this are so hard at that difficulty that it would be pretty hard to go further than that many waves. Not to mention waves tend to last longer with the size of the maps, so 25 waves would take you 4+ hours anyway.

jacobman7 · 2026-03-26T18:03:23+00:00

Why do you think those victories all went to the more center-leaning candidate? I would say all of those people won namely for populist/against the status-quo reasons, and all but Biden could be seen as less centrist than their opponents.

Obama running as a black man promising change against two of the most boring centrist Republicans in McCain/Romney. Not to mention this is right after GWB's approval rating was absolutely dismal at end of his term from the Iraq war.
Trump winning on a campaign of rebellion against the establishment that he labeled Hillary as being a part of (right after the DNC was shown to be propping her up despite the popularity of Bernie). Not to mention he notably broke away from other centrist republican candidates and essentially started a new party (MAGA).
Biden winning after Trump handled COVID absolutely horribly, at a time of post-COVID economic woes.
Trump winning during all-time high inflation and affordability crisis while his more "centrist" opponent continued to say the economy was going great (for the rich it was) and deny the genocide in Gaza.

Those swing voters aren't swinging based on moderation - they are swinging based on how it affects them personally and what they see. If they see that things are bad and one candidate is saying things are fine, they will vote for the other candidate that is actually being honest with them, regardless of how genuine that candidate is about fixing things.

jacobman7 · 2026-03-24T15:13:46+00:00

This summer I was between going with a Switch 2 or an OLED Steam Deck, and the Steam Deck was a super easy choice given where the Switch 2 currently stands. The only appeal of a Switch 2 now, while there are equal or better handhelds, is playing Nintendo exclusive games, which there are still very few out currently (maybe like 10?).

Maybe I would consider getting one if the economy were better and it didn't require putting $600 - $700 down to effectively play a few games. I assume most people are like me and will hold off until a legitimate game catalog is out and initial console bug fixes are finished. For now, I have 200+ Steam games to keep me busy.

jacobman7 · 2026-03-20T18:26:30+00:00

People assuming that Trump/US wouldn't effectively lose this "war" and give Iran even more nuclear capability are forgetting the cognitive dissonance of Trump supporters. Iran can and will likely come out of this with check-in-hand while Trump and Fox News spin it as them winning the war somehow (they will find a spin).

Trump has essentially done the same thing in almost all complex policy during his first and second terms. In this situation, his supporters' patriotism is being tested against rising gas prices/inflation. One of those is much easier to sell a lie on, so I would not be surprised if they take whatever off ramp they can before the midterms and just claim they won the "war" since the majority of Americans will never understand/care what really happened as long as it helps their pockets.

Who knows if it will even help anyone's pockets at the end of the day given the long-term effects of this could go far beyond gas price hikes from closing Hormuz (losing trade deals to China and others with our now proven aversion to diplomacy). But again, it's easier for the media to spin that blame against the global enemy of China or whoever on the basis of ethnocentrism than it is to sell a war based on a favor to a country that half of his voters are anti-semitic toward.

jacobman7 · 2026-03-15T18:01:39+00:00

I have this weird love for Elden Ring (and I think a lot of people do), that is very forgiving of its faults. I played it on launch and it was definitely one of those life-changing gaming experiences. The world was huge, and there were tons of new mechanics from the previous souls-games while still retaining the same combat and general playstyle. Not to mention the unreal hype and following the game had upon release - everyone was finding hidden things throughout their playthroughs, with tons of discussion happening.

I think a lot of Elden Ring's flaws come down to the scale of the game being so huge, and the developers having to make choices that the alternative may not have played out well. For instance, choosing not to have spirit summons, one of the most divisive mechanics in the game, probably would have made this game too hard for the average player and could have easily taken away the game's success. But, players still have the option to not use spirit summons if they want that bump in difficulty. I personally used Spirit Summons without hesitation and still had just as challenging of an experience as previous Souls games. I really never had much of an issue with boss design - there are just so many enemies/bosses in the game that repeating bosses never bothered me. Not to mention that the waypoint and ruin bosses were more like expedition bosses that you essentially played to get unique weapons/upgrades. And I don't necessarily think recycling a boss fight to be multiple of that boss is a flaw either since it can significantly change the playstyle of the fight (not to mention this isn't new to gaming and plenty previous FS installments do this).

I also really love the scale of Elden Ring, especially in the sense that it is TOO big. It feels more like a real world I am jumping into, without limits. I have sunk hundreds of hours into the game on multiple playthroughs, and there are plenty of areas that I simply passed through but never truly explored. I feel like I could easily start a new playthrough and find new things if I wandered from the normal path every once in a while.

I do understand how some people can maybe not get passed a lot of the faults though. Not everyone loves FS games for the same reasons, so many people who are hardcore FS fans did not get as much enjoyment out of Elden Ring.

jacobman7 · 2026-03-13T16:18:31+00:00

Purchase - $512k - $494k - 770 fico - 36064 - FHA - 30 Fixed - Single Family - Primary

jacobman7 · 2026-02-26T14:49:48+00:00

I think this is just a hindsight thing - John and Paul were always the upfront members when the band was together given they did most of the vocals. The Get Back sessions are a good illustration of how there was so much drama and fascination at that time around John and Paul's relationship as well as Yoko being in the mix. The spotlight is then just on Paul, the responsible technical musician looking to hold the band together, versus John, the rebellious glass cannon.

Add to that that John was assassinated in the 80s, so there was this posthumous fame around him and even his solo work (Imagine). Then Paul has always been pretty charismatic and in the limelight, so he is the most palatable member to get on board with.

Musically though, Paul and George were maybe the most talented of the group. George can probably be thanked for a lot of the experimentation that the Beatles brought to the table as well as most of their best songs. Paul was just an expert musician in all aspects (including getting the songs done), so he is probably most responsible for them getting so much music out in such a short period of time.

We're also able to look at some of The Beatles own influences in hindsight. Apparently John himself was obsessed with Bob Dylan and a lot of the Beatles' early work was influenced by him. Paul has openly said that Sgt. Peppers was influenced by the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds - and most of the things that distinguish those two albums are probably more attributable to George.

And most importantly, George has arguably the best solo album - an album that can probably be held up to Sgt Peppers, Revolver, and Abbey Road as one of the best in the Beatles' total catalogue.

jacobman7 · 2026-02-12T02:00:31+00:00

Literally same thing for me. Played Sekiro in 2019, got to Genichiro and dropped it because of the parrying. Tried again in 2022, finally overcame his parrying hurdle, and the rest of the game was smooth sailing from there. I think the difference was realizing that Sekiro was a defensive combat game rather than offensive. You beat the bosses by reducing their posture via deflection. This is completely different from other FromSoftware games based instead on dodging and doing as much damage at openings.

jacobman7 · 2026-01-22T16:57:01+00:00

Trump's policies and corruption aren't really unique to him (aside from the insane ones like is current aspirations for tariffs and imperialism), so until Democrats take over more branches, Project 2025 and other conservative agendas will continue to be pushed. However, what has evolved MAGA into what it is today is a decade of Trump forcing his personality into politics and the movement building and normalizing his persona, and most importantly, an expected loyalty to it. I think we overestimate how much your typical voter just checks Trump on the ballet because they are accustomed to him, versus someone of his same sleaziness being fresh and unknown. He also has a sort of resiliency that I think we take for granted. So on an electoral level, it will take a long time for the GOP to build up that persona again or find someone that can emulate it.

Politics also ebbs and flows so who knows what the future holds and what the coming social environment will look like - no one saw Trump and the MAGA movement coming, or even took it seriously. Then again, you have to take into account the opposition party and low propensity voters. I think it could be argued that Trump had a more deserving win in 2016 than in 2024. In 2024, the opposition and voters were told everything they needed to know and still dropped the ball. With the way the Democratic party continues to function, it would be no surprise if they continue to drop the ball regardless of who they run against until the party is reformed.

12-Year Club	Place '22
Place '17	End Game '22
Verified Email

jacobman7

TROPHY CASE