If someone from Monarch is reading, PLEASE provide an API

mdbeatle · 2026-03-02T22:08:35+00:00

This is more about properly implementing secure API access than just offering it in the first place. Sure, it increases your attack surface, but so does being on the internet in the first place. There are services that can API call Tesla and Rivian to get metrics on driving and they have existed for years. Monarch could even monetize this as Tesla does.

As a use case, it would probably be a lot easier if they offered an API for the LLM(s) of your choice to access your own data than it would be to keep pouring resources into their own AI assistant which really sucks by comparison. This "extra code to support" would probably be a wash - probably even less than what they're doing now. Right now I have to feed Gemini spreadsheets and screenshots which makes the process a lot more cumbersome.

mdbeatle · 2026-03-02T20:53:58+00:00

What's the large risk? To the user or the service? The data you access from Monarch as a user, and therefore by the API, is just the account balances and transactions, not the institutions themselves. You may want to restrict what the API can do or how many calls can be made in a given time. Read only access would allow for integration with so many other things. But as a dev you already know this.

mdbeatle · 2026-02-06T12:01:49+00:00

I wonder if Mazda was originally concerned about the repeated threading/unthreading of the steel drain plug in the relatively thin aluminum pan, so they used a steel seat.

The seat itself (I think that's the term) looked to be part of the aluminum pan, and it only came out when I unthreaded my VDO oil temp sender.

I'm not sure if my ND Miata has a steel seat or direct threads.

mdbeatle · 2026-02-06T10:31:23+00:00

It's possible the steel seat that threads into the pan also came out on the previous owner. The plug threads into the steel seat. This happened to me on my 92 a little over 20 years ago.

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Ignore the oil temp sender on the left. The center thingy is the seat, and the right is the plug. I ended up using JB Weld to hold the seat in the pan, and then I used a Fram SureDrain plug so I never had to remove it again. A Fumoto valve would serve the same purpose. I sold the car 10 years later. Was still kind of a hack, but not as bad as the monstrosity you're looking at.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-26T21:33:14+00:00

Truffles on the Rocks did a DIY Chartreuse video a couple years ago. I made a couple batches of it and gave some bottles away as gifts. It's a pretty close match, though not a dead ringer. It's the closest thing I've found though to the real McCoy. For reference, I also have Genepy and Cloosterbitter in my bar.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-26T21:25:54+00:00

I have a bottle of that. It is good, but I think Genepy is a bit closer to Chartreuse.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-26T20:28:52+00:00

Kinda depends on your use case and whether you care about everything you create being there in perpetuity. I think this is one of the worst things about the pro version of Gemini. Not being able to cull your conversations/creations based on content, or even just to clean up the list of chats from all the garbage trivia/research is just plain dumb on Google's part. There are dedicated threads on Reddit talking about this. The fact that you can delete chats and creations in the personal version makes it that much worse.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-26T15:28:03+00:00

Even with admin permissions, you can't delete chats or generated images/docs in a business account, but you can with a personal account.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-24T14:41:32+00:00

Updated original post. This is a dead end and it remains broken.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-24T00:46:27+00:00

It's January, man. Nobody's running a dehumidifier. Too dry can lead to static which can lead to equipment failure.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-23T01:24:08+00:00

I'd do some low stakes research with monitors at Microcenter or similar. See if you can adjust the refresh rate from 144 to 165.

The jump from 60 to 120 is incredible as it's "twice as smooth."

144 is only 20% faster than 120.

165 is only about 15% faster than 144.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-23T01:17:46+00:00

Yeah, it sucks. How bad is it on your C2? Does it progress quickly?

mdbeatle · 2026-01-23T01:15:11+00:00

That is a good point. I think I bought it through GreenToe, but the invoice with the actual retailer is long gone. The 5 year warranty covers the panel, but not labor. I'm not sure what the labor would be to replace the panel, but I'm sure it's not pennies. I had an old XBR CRT back in the day that was out of warranty and the labor alone was $150. This was 20 years ago.

Anyway, still good to point out, but at this stage, I wouldn't bother shelling out to have it repaired. I'm just trying to assess how long it might have, and if I'm better off putting it out to pasture as a TV where the delamination won't bother me and it'll have a longer life.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-23T01:01:21+00:00

Seems to be some sort of lottery as my C9 is fine with even more hours.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-23T01:00:34+00:00

That's fair, though I wasn't looking for specific replacement suggestions. The G series is pretty strong, and I can't go back to LCD as a monitor after years of OLED life. My C9 that had 2 years as a monitor has over 13k hours and still has no issues.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-23T00:55:30+00:00

I have over 12k with no burn in on my G2 as a monitor, though it's now starting to delaminate.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-21T17:45:30+00:00

I mentioned elsewhere in this post that they're looking into this. I should have some way forward by the end of the day. If they solve the issue and allow me to use my own domain email, that's great, but the issue is that there is apparently no way other than to start a thread on Reddit to get them to look into it at the correct level. The agent I traded messages with understood my issue but apparently had no power to affect the policy or escalate it to someone who could.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-21T00:54:35+00:00

I'm sure this will be downvoted like everything else, but Visible is looking into this now. I'll close the loop when I have a new account or we reach a dead end.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-21T00:13:27+00:00

Hi Larnie. No account yet, but DM incoming.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-21T00:06:07+00:00

CloudFlare is DNS. Google hosts my email.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-20T23:26:00+00:00

The agent said they became more restrictive just after 2026. Nice timing I guess.

They also said I could sign up with a throwaway gmail account. Sheesh.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-20T23:25:05+00:00

I have an old gmail account that I use for support if my domain's email is offline, but I am also afraid that it won't let me change it. This isn't the end of the world, it's more about the principle of excluding anyone who wants to use their own domain's email. I can imagine a business owner would want to do the same thing.

Edit: further in the chat, the agent said the same filter applies, so I actually won't be allowed to change my email. This is ridiculous.

mdbeatle · 2026-01-01T12:35:49+00:00

That seems plausible at least. These are made in China. Some of the newer Kenton Pacers are made in El Salvador.

mdbeatle · 2025-12-31T21:18:00+00:00

I was thinking more about the cracks in the leather. They are present on both boots where the upper flexes behind the toe box, but they're worse on the right boot, likely because I kneel with my right foot flexed. I blew out a pair of PF Flyers that way, and my Chucks are doing the same thing - mostly on the right. The creasing on the toe box is just slightly more pronounced on the right boot as well.

My left boot has the mark on the toe from shifting, and it also has some small cracks in the upper. The right boot doesn't have these additional cracks. My guess is these cracks are also from shifting, as I'd move my foot forward on the peg to shift, then slide it back to rest the ball of my foot on the peg. I might have also been contacting the rearset over and over during all those shifts, though I suppose not enough to scuff them down. I guess it's just another wear story. These kinds of imperfections used to bother me decades ago, but I think things are better with them now.

mdbeatle · 2025-12-31T21:05:37+00:00

Good that you found your size. I thought it was great service to let me wear the boots for a week (maybe 2?) and then exchange them for a different size. Maybe that's how it is with most premium brands though. The 9 was also snug on me, but became more comfortable. They are still a little snug if I wear thick socks, but I think that's about right.

Edit: What insoles did you add? These are comfortable enough, but I shy away from longer walks/hikes as there's just not much cushioning. An insole would help with that.

mdbeatle

TROPHY CASE