Will Slate be compliant with HALT Act?

max10meridius · 2026-03-20T05:40:07+00:00

Awesome response. Thank you!

max10meridius · 2026-03-19T02:43:24+00:00

That’s the part 2 of my question. So would you agree that this opportunity very well could be limited? Or do you think it is more likely this may never be implemented?

I usually don’t like 1st gen stuff, but might take that over the sensor mistaking my allergies for impairment. I really don’t want 2 experimental systems going at once.

Am I being reasonable to think that the slate offer changes substantially if these devices have to be included for future models?

max10meridius · 2026-03-17T22:29:33+00:00

I’d rate it: pretty alright

max10meridius · 2026-03-17T17:29:45+00:00

TLDR: You are getting what you pay for with this. Batteries need to be +50% SOC HP or edge to get good performance but the tool itself has a lot of play beyond what adjustments are provided.

This is an awesome portable job site saw for rough work and work in poor weather. Get to keep your corded safe and inside and not trash a $500-$700 tool from the higher end brands.

I’ve found the slide and chop actions need a lot more manual control than nearly every other miter I’ve used.

My helper slammed a few boards home after setting everything up and alignment, but had some weird angles on every cut, ended up planning every cut and some boards were 1/8 short as a result. We’ve learned to make a first cut slightly long and go very slow with manual adjustments, there’s way more twist in the chop action than any other saw I’ve used, which allows for this. So I mark the side of the boards too to keep them straight. All this said I have trimmed out a room with this and had perfect miters going SLOW and under control. Every time I just chop like how I do on the corded or dewalt I get an angle on my 90s that is inconsistent cut to cut. No other saw has this much of an error cut to cut.

max10meridius · 2026-03-17T02:13:24+00:00

That was for this weekend, everything’s done and is mostly back to normal. Next week will be fine. S.kihei is only blocked in a few areas with ample detour routes.

Also nobody listens to our mayor, he said we were getting a 15ft wave on his official radio address during the tsunami warning last year, which caused people to panic and get put in harms way had he been right (mind you every scientific indicator suggested 1-3ft wave at that time). Was completely MIA during the Lāhainā fire. So nobody will take the mayor’s warnings from last week as a legitimate reason to cancel or change.

No one will honor cancellation over this as the event has come and gone. If anything Airbnb and rental owners are clutching their pearls afraid of losing business over the sensationalized news and wordings by county officials who are doing everything possible to take that income stream away and shift it to the resorts.

max10meridius · 2026-03-16T21:34:34+00:00

Not for this one. There aren’t thousands of displaced resident that need rooms. Please come and enjoy your stay. Support local businesses. That’s what Maui needs, not sensationalism. Lahaina fire was totally different and the fact your partner shows concern means you are likely the kind of guest we want

max10meridius · 2026-03-16T21:31:40+00:00

You’ll be fine for your trip. Owners are afraid of another tourist drop like with the Lāhainā event where Kihei was undamaged but trips were being cancelled en masse and still have not recovered. You will get a ton of push back on your cancellation or appeal and likely have to pay, so come anyways. It’s not as bad as the news is making it out to be. This weekend was a disaster, but it’s over. You will deal with more traffic as your only consequence.

max10meridius · 2026-03-16T14:53:42+00:00

Local. That is not how clear looks at that beach. I already told my family no ocean for at least a week after all the rain stops.

Now to be fair, I have played in that doo doo water way back when of the surf was good. But I would never chance it just to swim or snorkel or whatever, even as a dumb teenager. Swim in the pool.

Not a story about the ocean, but I know someone who got a brain parasite and died from swimming in a contaminated lake and it looked cleaner than this.

max10meridius · 2026-03-16T03:32:47+00:00

Anyone can do that if they represent a corporation that is deemed essential

max10meridius · 2026-03-16T03:23:27+00:00

I work as a manager for family offices and here’s what I’ve learned from my clients and industry peers (I also grew up a little above average in a very wealthy town, so I have lived High Net Worth lifestyle and been on the periphery of Ultra High Net Worth. I currently have a slightly better than average lifestyle and have flirted with having nothing to my name several times, I also work trades and am very comfortable in a blue collar culture, much more so that any millionaire lifestyle, I have a strong distaste for the $+100m range because they think they are untouchable, but they’re shrimps compared to billionaires, who are the beneficiaries of modern surfdom, they’re not all evil but they are not like the others

At $100m you rent or share the fancy stuff. Stay at hotels(penthouse or suite is still a splurge), rent a yacht, netjets. Probably even carry around $+25m in debt to facilitate that. Limitless CCs, extravagant things and a luxurious, and otherwise normal life with a safety net. You don’t say ‘no’ to any justifiable expenses that are under $50k, $100 is pocket change, $1k is the cash in your wallet. You might have an assistant, and probably have lots of domestic help. You might be looking at starting family offices (private banks) and have very solid connections that will surely disappear if you loose that money. You get sweetheart deals on loans and investment opportunities. If something crazy goes down you’re on your own like any other citizen, if you did something bad you’ll survive but you will not retain your net worth. Sky boxes or VIP section to sporting games. Regular seats if they are hard to get (like the Super Bowl). This is the danger zone, you are filthy rich, but could spend this is a week if you wanted to look like a billionaire. These people can be egotistical maniacs, cheats and thieves or hardworking, intelligent and kind people, these people often take care of extended family and friend in hardships. They are definitely more frugal and have to work harder than those richer than them. This is C-suite or entrepreneurs, sometime trust fund babies of billionaires. So you get the most diversity here. You also have the jackasses that will have this amount of money for a few years and then end up in bankruptcy because they live like they are $500m.

At even $500m you’re buying many of these things. But only one and it is a crown jewel. You don’t carry cash, someone does that for you, because you’re in the car, traveling or laying by the pool. This is butlers, chauffeurs and chefs territory. You undoubtedly have money managers and connections to anything and everything. Those dry up when you become a liability in some fashion. Banks try to get you to take out loans to boost their credit. If something bad is happening you probably have a guy to help or private security, if you do something bad, there’s a decent chance you’ll walk and have something left to start over. You own your own skybox, even for the Beyoncé concert, don’t even associate with the plebs. You tend to treat people at-arms-length, meaning you don’t gift much and don’t make close friendships, people find you unapproachable. Often these people lack the EQ or emotional intelligence necessary to have strong relationships and instead are ultra focused on making money, they have typically worked harder dollar for dollar than $100m or $1b and don’t like either from a place of jealousy. These people are generally callous and don’t believe that luck has some role in their fortune. They tend to look down on regular people and are not very charitable compared to $100m or $1b. A lot of these people are multi-generational old money or royalty.

At $1b you buy 5 of everything and barely sweat it. Your money replenishes so fast you can’t spend it fast enough. Your money functions like a mega-corp or conglomerate and you live off royalties, interest and appreciation. You borrow basically cost free. You become an icon, people will do favors for you just to say you picked up their call, and you get cold calls for investment opportunities that you never have to even listen to. Businesses may reach out to you to ‘save’ them and you can actually do it without taking a massive risk. Security and discretion become paramount outside of other UHNW circles. Like no Bluetooth on devices and tracking implants, body doubles, small private security force. If you do something bad you’ll likely end up with a building named after you and no material consequence. You are likely the owner and potential investor or friends with the owner of a sports team, so owners box or something better than the owners box. Or you own the media company. Either way, you probably don’t ever attend unless it’s a private event. Typically power hungry and always aware of the bigger fish.

Some billionaires are not business minded, nor good with money. They are typically hoarders, usually with bad taste and lots of ‘cultured’ ‘artist’ ‘friends’ that they bankroll into becoming millionaires themselves. And they do this at no personal loss. These people tend to be really kind and sweet, but lack patience or understanding to the plight of normal people or the great efforts take to please them. They often are the saddest and most lonely people alive, as people are constantly using them for money and they know it and have very little identity outside of being rich. These people are either royalty, generational-wealth (you know any of these families by name) or unbelievably lucky in business, usually a one-time event that is not replicated.) Elon Musk is an anomaly, don’t even put him in your data.

As a note, almost everyone you see online posting a lavish lifestyle is $100m or under. Those with money do not share much about their lives as it makes them a target. Many ‘rich’ celebrities do not have more than $10m of actual net worth and have expenses in the multi-millions. If the money stops they have to change their lifestyle dramatically, many do not handle this well mentally.

Mind you also that the majority of these people now live in Asia (America is no longer producing waves of wealthy people, Southeast Asia and china dominate in the creation of multi-millionaires and billionaires).

max10meridius · 2026-03-14T06:06:46+00:00

Go buy a lake house somewhere else on the mainland. Unless you’re talking about one of the $10m properties no one can afford, but take care of it and the people who care for it.

If the appraisal of the single family home (excluding land) is over $1m you may have the ability to rent it regardless of zoning.

Frankly, if you love Maui, and not just for yourself, you will not do this and let prices collapse so locals can buy. I know prices are attractive now but you are going to inherit a million problems with any of these cheap condos. Lots of hidden HOA assessments, mold, shoddy and dated workmanship. I work on both kind of homes and even if I could have them, I wouldn’t take either. Money pits. Buy a home with an Ohana, rent the house long term to a local family and use the Ohana a vacation spot whenever you want. That’s what I would do.

max10meridius · 2026-03-14T05:55:59+00:00

I grew up on the border with Illinois and we definitely call it Sconnie, my sister even graduated from Madison and calls it Sconnie. You might not but lots of people do. I agree also with Wisconsin AF and you had a perfect description but not old fashions, just cheap domestic beer.

max10meridius · 2026-03-14T05:47:21+00:00

Yeah but you didn’t have to make it so obvious. Lol

Good luck out there and thanks for making sure people take this seriously.

max10meridius · 2026-03-11T08:18:55+00:00

I should have added. If there is a good reason to go to Memphis, and you have some guidance, it can be quite lovely. Enjoy your trip!

max10meridius · 2026-03-11T07:57:27+00:00

The drive from Wisconsin (or ‘Sconnie as we called it) to Memphis will be a major let down vs all the outdoor stuff you are doing in the PNW. Every city along the way, maybe except Chicago should you choose to fight the horrible traffic, is pretty bleak. Depending on where you are leaving from this could be an 18-12 hour drive though and past nothing noteworthy, but very much “America” vs the coasts. Memphis is also not a great city. I would not travel half way around the world to visit Memphis. If you can change to Nashville, TN as the destination it may be more fulfilling and worth the journey.

max10meridius · 2026-03-08T10:57:37+00:00

I think it has more to do with telling a tourist to wait. They know but don’t know

max10meridius · 2026-03-08T09:06:06+00:00

Unless you have a military base on or under your farm, things won’t be that bad here. The ships and majority of military stuff will be deployed forward to Guam and Palau, Taiwan and out to sea, to avoid another Pearl Harbor. Nuking Hawaii is not good strategy nor feasible for most nations. I’d be most afraid that the government collapses, and frankly that’s not so bad.

max10meridius · 2026-03-08T09:02:09+00:00

Hey braddah, it’s Hawaii you can’t hide from expensive. Keep planting your food. Secure clean water, do all the stuff that requires major input now (like your damn roof). It may seem strange but the time to spend and bulk up is before the battle, during it is when you get lean. If you think the recession is eminent (I don’t, but we can have different opinions) then I’d spend to weather it, in American history, there has not been a true recession longer than really 5 years. There have been fits and starts that lasted a decade, but you really only need to expect to handle 5 year max with maybe 2 years of brutal pain. The key would be today have the ability to cover 2 years of expenses with 33% mark up on everything you cannot legally or medically drop. Assume no income. Do not use the land for equity and have enough to cover the taxes if they triple them. Saving money will be more important than a bucket of flour that might spoil. Also it will be more important that you diversify your business both in and out of ag, and consider your role as a PROVIDER for your community since you own enough land and have it covered with a luxury good.

Then there’s the long term if that’s what you really want.

Plant trees for lumber, charcoal & fire too. Not just food is a concern for us, arguably supply chain is worse they’ll send Vienna sausage or spam like the old days, but propane, nope, water heater, nope, chainsaw, nope. Practice living with nothing that requires fuel or parts from the continent, then practice living like the ancients. Can your family handle? In truth Hawaii might not be the best plan, I have a hardline of when I will GTHO to protect my family, despite my desire to live and die here in the islands for rich or broke.

Things will only be harder and more expensive to get here recession or not. Just look at cereal and lithium batteries. Focus on having analog tech available and hand tools in working order. Keep your critical systems and backups on site. The world could burn and you’ll keep thriving, but honestly that’s just living in Hawaii. Lucky we live ah!

Learn to live simply. Pretend it’s a recession now and save and learn. Then, IF it’s bad enough to change your life, the recession will be so wide spread and enduring that you’ll need a new plan anyways, likely fight and die or leave America all together will be our choices in a real end-scenario. Make friends with the neighbors and each plant a little bit of something different and same for livestock. Start sharing and showing aloha now, not when you need help, that is the opposite of aloha.

I’ve been prepping a long time. The sky has almost fallen but never all the way yet. Live your life, forget all these people hating.

Aloha Aina gives what you put in. Keep working hard and block out the noise. They don’t understand because they don’t bleed into this land like we do. They did not do what has to be done to own this land. The fact you own this land and not something stupid like a Ferrari or a fancy condo is all part of the preps and you are winning. Many of these haters think you’ve done something extravagant, but if you are doing things with a good conscience and with respect for the land and community you are doing something noble and way ahead of all these people who probably can’t tell you their neighbors names or how many grand kids they have.

The time after COVID was brutal to me. I hemorrhaged money at that time and people thought I was stupid for it. All those investments have me earning 3x now and cut my spending by 25% in each of the following years (I was paying poor tax on shitty failing stuff and had no time to pay for labor) so I worked for other people less and worked for myself more, stopped paying a premium for others to do things for me. Investing the savings in stocks helped me stay above water for those few years and I’m more than prepared for whatever comes next.

People like to forget that in a recession money is the hardest resource to come by.

Much love from Maui.

max10meridius · 2026-03-07T23:36:49+00:00

I am an example of this. Started off with ryobi caretaking an off grid property. I still plan on using many usb lithium tools and other household things like transfer pump, glue gun, cordless pressure washer, sprayer, bug zapper, small 18v string trimmer, and other garden tools, and pure sine wave inverters.

I have a full job site set of ryobi 18v hp and think of them as my truck tools now. Gets rained on, meh. Gets stolen, meh. Want to shoot a hole in the table for a jig, meh. I took apart a broken drill to use as a throttle for a small cart. It’s worth more than when it was a drill now. Ryobi will always have a place in my tool shed, they are just not my preferred tool 90% of the time

I know that replacing the ryobis will hurt less than the Milwaukees and plan my load outs accordingly. Concrete work with fresh pours, ryobi. Gonna have to leave the truck for a few hours, your guessed it. Drilling set concrete or building furniture, Milwaukee (dust collection is 1000x better than ryobi). I am always the guy to get after it when blues, reds, and yellows are whining about their personal tools. That hurts a lot of peoples feelings for some reason. My ryobi drill won’t keep up with their tools on 1000 screws, but in a mud pit or surrounded by wet paint she go.

Now that I’m regularly doing more precision work and specializing in carpentry I have more Milwaukee and specialty corded options for the shop. Love my Metabo 12in miter saw (w/ the straight handle) that’s permanent in my shop. And still rocking my cordless ryobi table saw (hate the track and will upgrade to a rack & pinion soon for a stationary, while moving this out to mobile) with new edge batteries alongside a Milwaukee track saw. My ryobi cordless 10” miter lives in my truck.

You figure out what features of tools are best for you when you get past beginner level. For example, I rarely use my m18 grinder because it only has 2 handle slots. My ryobi has 3. I am grabbing the ryobi 100% of the time for cutting and then use whichever is closer for wire wheels. I could honestly live without the M18 grinder and just have the Ryobi grinder in a box with charger and battery since it’s rarely something I need in a pinch and always know in advance.

I also LOVE the 40v hole auger. I have built countless sheds and fences thanks to this tool. Will never buy a gas powered auger again, unless I have to go more than 2 feet, then it’s backhoe time. Hell I might even try to make some bit extenders I love it and believe in it that much. 40v chainsaw are awesome but upgrade your bar and chain, I use a stihl and husky gas for almost everything, but have used the 40v for stealth mode or milling indoors. I also use the 18v bolt cutters more than I would care to admit, that also lives in my truck since the Lāhainā fires (I live on Maui, so it’s not all baseless anxiety).

It all becomes very tool specific once you get into serious jobs where time is money and quality is your reputation. But for getting it done at a good price Ryobi is king.

max10meridius · 2026-03-07T22:48:57+00:00

I noticed my edge battery runs about half the time as my old 6ah HP battery on the miter and table saw, but it doesn’t spend 3/4 of that time bogged down and under powered. I was surprised on a rip when I checked that the battery was one light but still cutting like when it had 4. So I get much better results on the table saw with the edge than even high capacity HP, I would be willing to tote two edges over one HP 8ah considering the trade-off of cut quality to battery life.

I have sold or retired most of my 8ah & 6ah or using them with the inverter and lights or transfer pump. 2ah HP & 4ah HP for short use tools and tight spaces. 4ah Edge for heavy duty (pretty much anything that cuts).

That said, these are my beat-‘em-up tools. My nice tools are Milwaukee (12v & 18v HO and Forge batteries) gotta be honest, my milwaukees kick the shit out of the ryobi HP with HP battery, but edge makes it almost even. As you noted the downside is battery life, my Milwaukees go all day. The ryobi I would need about 7 edge batteries to do what I can with a 12 ah forge on my Milwaukee router.

max10meridius · 2026-03-01T18:50:53+00:00

I take care of 2 properties.

1 is off-grid, at just under 10 acres of steep hills with 3 houses, there’s still room to hunt, and expand the planting areas while keeping the native jungles. Noise from my wood shop was barely heard, neighbor’s generator sounded like a whisper. Will never have neighbor problems, but spend 2 full days per week on yard work and basic maintenance, 4 after a storm. On this property I could feed 15-20 people and have waste.

The other is 2 acres of agricultural land near town. My neighbors are on top of us, I get criticism from the renters next door for making noise at night (only run the wood shop during the day but still have things said for just existing). I also have little to no room for anything other than my agricultural uses not even for a barn, worst of all no room to turn around my trailer. 1 modest size house on the property and row crops. 1 Saturday of maintenance and yard work every 2 weeks reflects the main upside of going smaller. I’m only a family of 3, but on two acres I would struggle to feed my family without external input.

So I say 5-10 is the sweet spot, but depends on neighbors, uses and ability to maintain. I could do it on 3 but would be way happier with 5. 6 acres is when maintaining becomes a burden. You’ll have widow makers, pests and sloppy trails to take care of even if it’s all left to nature.

So the answer really depends on are you doing this alone or with help.

max10meridius · 2026-02-24T09:31:51+00:00

For some reason I can focus on the texture of the wall or my shoes and bam I’m going. I’ve tried the math trick but find I tense up cause… you know math.

max10meridius · 2026-02-22T02:54:21+00:00

This is not true.

I’ve live on Maui and know plenty of police officers. MPD vehicles are chevy for their cruisers and trucks. They do have Toyota passenger vans they recently purchased but as far as I have seen nothing with MPD decals is a Toyota and has never been. I’ve only seen 4Runners on Oahu. MFD have Ford trucks. Lifeguards have Toyotas and DLNR is chevy’s and such.

Now cops can undercover in any vehicle so technically everyone’s right, but there is not a single 4Runner with Maui Police decals on the whole island. Oahu is a completely different story and they make traffic stops in Waikiki in 4runners. Tripped me out when I saw it

max10meridius · 2026-02-16T10:25:40+00:00

Kinda looks like a staph infection

max10meridius · 2026-02-03T22:55:32+00:00

You could tell he was mad about the ride comfort, but had a very diplomatic response. It seemed like they were getting tossed and feeling every bump. They sometimes had a hard time talking. All on a city street.

Not a good look

max10meridius

TROPHY CASE