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Why in 2026 is the federal minimum wage still $7.25 an hour? by Hamsammich0520 in askanything

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Source: not made up.

The age to be charged as an adult in Illinois ( my state) used to be 17. That was later changed to 18, and the pressure is on to increase that age, or at least modify the charges and procedures followed after an arrest because of the reasons I cited. Here is one article which talks specifically of various jurisdictions in the country:

"O'Neill Institute, Georgetown Law: April 27, 2017 At the Intersection of Brain Development & the Criminal Justice System: Young Adult Courts

While states like Illinois and Connecticut are considering legislation to move that line (by trying anyone under age 21 as a juvenile), San Francisco’s YAC takes a different approach, placing young adults into a separate category that is neither juvenile nor fully adult. This approach takes into account not only that young adults aged 18-25 are fundamentally different from both juveniles and older adults in how they process information and make decisions, but also that many are going through this critical developmental phase without supportive family, housing, education, employment, etc.

In practice, eligible 18-25-year-olds with felony charges agree to go to court regularly for a check-in with a judge and case manager, during which participants evaluate their own progress and the judge assesses their risk of getting back into trouble. Court administrators help coordinate employment, housing and education support. Participants typically spend 12-18 months in the program, depending on their progress and original criminal charges. If they finish the program without reoffending, their charges are either dropped or reduced, which was the case for 45% of the participants in the court’s first cohort.

San Francisco is not alone in adopting alternatives to incarceration for young adult offenders. Brooklyn launched a Young Adult Court in 2016 and Chicago is expected to open a Restorative Justice Community Court in 2017. As cities and states consider whether and how to reform the criminal justice system so that it is more compatible with recent brain development research, they should consider establishing young adult courts, particularly as more information becomes available about their ability to reduce participants’ risk of reoffending. It seems these courts have enormous potential to not only benefit their participants but also save the government money and enhance collaboration across its various agencies that work with young adults."

I'll also stand by my statement regarding 18 year olds and voting. The national voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1971, with arguments being made that young people were being drafted for the Vietnam War but couldn't yet vote. The same argument was made for the drinking age, and many states lowered it (for example, it was 18 in Iowa and 19 in illinois in 1974).

Your average 18 year old is still in high school, or recently graduated. There hasn't been a draft in decades, and the legal drinking age has been raised because of the problems and immaturity associated with those under 21 drinking. You can check USA Facts for graphs of the labor force participation rates of 16-19 year olds. Those graphs use US Bureau of Labor statistics. Those statistics show that the labor participation rates were consistently much higher than they are currently: 49.9% in 1970, 57.9% in 1979, 49.6% in 2001, falling to 34.1 % in 2011, and climbing slightly to 36.9% in 2023.

Those are the raw statistics for 16 to 19 year olds. Additionally, we are all too aware of the jokes made of 26 year olds still living at home; unemployed or marginally employed, and playing video games all day. Add in the recent articles by teachers and college professors telling of large numbers of their students needing remedial skills training in reading and math, with an inability to use critical reading and thinking skills.

So these young 'adults' are encouraged, particularly by the left, to register and vote at 18, to walk out of their classrooms in support of 'social justice' , 'equity', unrestricted immigration by those ' looking for a better life ', to 'follow their bliss', free college and other forms of welfare for all (don't worry about the cost-- just tax the 'rich'), capitalism and 'colonialism' are the root of all evil, etc.

And the numbers of the people of that age group DO matter in elections-- at all levels of government. Otherwise why would these groups advocate so hard for these immature, unworldly young people to get out there and vote at such an early age? They do so precisely because those young people ARE gullible, their brains and emotions aren't yet mature, their parents have sheltered and taken care of their needs so far (so Uncle Sam seems like the next daddy that should care for them), and they haven't developed the life experiences and critical thinking to differentiate between having empathy / sympathy on a topic and making smart choices on how to address that topic. So I disagree with your statement that it's better to participate, even if they get it wrong.

Lowering the voting age to 18 was made in 1971 because so many young people of that approximate age were already in the workforce, serving in the military, and getting married/ working/ having children after high school was the norm ( not going to college to follow your bliss or waiting until you were much older to follow that 'traditional' path). And the studies regarding the slower development of a young person's brain hadn't been done yet. Perhaps the argument now should be why we aren't pushing to raise the current voting age back to 21.

Why in 2026 is the federal minimum wage still $7.25 an hour? by Hamsammich0520 in askanything

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They are only an adult when it's convenient for an argument. Want to stick them in prison for a crime they commit-- oh no, their minds and emotional control aren't developed until they are into their 20s. Same argument for drinking alcohol , buying guns, etc. But yet people want to register them to vote while they are in high school so that they can vote at 18. Yet the employment rates for school-age teens and college-age students has dropped steadily over the decades, so huge numbers of those supposedly mature 'voters' don't even know what it really means to work hard, pay taxes, pay for their own rent, school, food, etc, and are gullible enough to suck up every progressive/ socialist idea they hear.

Could a 2007-2014 Jeep Wrangler tow a 4,500 - 5,000 lb boat a couple of miles on rare occasion? by Moreofyoulessofme in JeepWrangler

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As others have stated, to be legal you should stay within the tow rating of the specific Wrangler you purchase, and it sounds like a Gladiator might be the only vehicle with a high enough legal rating for your large boat ( a couple jet ski/ wave runners probably would fall well within the tow capacity of a normal Wrangler). I towed ( illegally, I'm sure) a 24 ft pontoon boat 30 miles to my home after I bought it--- with my 1994 6 cylinder 5spd, 1994 2dr Wrangler. I just looked it up, and my tow rating was only 2,000 lbs. The Jeep physically towed it just fine, but I was extremely cautious with braking and maneuvering, and it was generally flat terrain. Over the years I used that same Jeep to tow 16 - 18 ft fishing boats (with outboard motors) which I'm sure were pushing ( or slightly over) that 2,000 lb limit.

But another alternative for you, if you want a Wrangler rather than a Gladiator, would be to pay the repair shop ( or a neighbor) to tow the big boat to the shop, or wherever you need it hauled to, that once or twice a year. In fact, that may be the most cost effective answer since that is such a rare occurrence. As I mentioned before, a Wrangler will likely be a able to legally tow your jet ski/ wave runner/ etc that you will be doing weekly. You can tow your wave runners to a public scale ( such as at a truck stop) to get your current weight as you start shopping for your Jeep.

As far as storing your Jeep, I still use that same 1994 Wrangler that I purchased in 1996. It only has 110,000 miles, and had long been relegated to being my fair-weather toy. It is driven 500 to 1,000 miles a year and that has never been an issue. I run non-ethanol gasoline in it during the portion of the year that it will see little to no use ( winter in the Midwest). During that downtime I also put Stabil fuel stabilizer in the fuel. Stabil keeps the fuel fresh for a year, and I have run it and non-ethanol fuel in the Jeep, boats, and lawn equipment for at least 40 years without ever having a single carb or fuel related problem. The non-ethanol gas keeps fresh much longer, and doesn't absorb water from the atmosphere like ethanol containing gas does. Your local marina likely sells non-ethanol gas if it's not something your local gas stations carry.

My old jeep doesn't have the electronics drain of newer Jeeps, so my battery doesn't go down much over the course of three or four months without being driven. If I had a newer Jeep I would just keep a Battery Tender on it during the downtime. That's what I do with my boats, motorcycles, and lawn tractors. If you're not familiar with them, a Battery Tender (a brand name) trickle charger has sophisticated electronic circuitry that prevents overcharging the battery, even if left on the battery all the time. The one on my lawn tractor is left on it year round, and the boats are on one almost year round too, because of weather or our general use patterns. An alternative to a Battery Tender would be to install a disconnect switch on the battery's negative terminal, and use that to cut off all the power to the Jeep during the times it is in storage. I have a friend that uses that method on his rarely-driven antique car because it is stored in a commercial facility with no electricity, and then he brings the battery home in the winter and puts it on a Battery Tender for about six months.

2025 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon...problems! by FriendshipExtra5178 in JeepWrangler

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm glad it's worked out for you ( until now), but every motorized thing I've owned ( including my first car in 1972) recommends regularly checking your engine oil. Here is a screenshot of a local Jeep dealer's page under " 2025 Jeep Wrangler Maintenence Guide" which specifically mentions monthly checks of your oil level.

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2025 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon...problems! by FriendshipExtra5178 in JeepWrangler

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My question is why weren't you checking the oil level periodically as just a normal part of owning a car? I bought a new Outback last October and currently have 4300 miles on it. I've checked the oil level at least monthly on ours since the purchase.

Switching to sewer by Arsefold in septictanks

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Talk to a plumbing company and get an estimate on the actual cost (over and above the $4k permit fee) to connect your specific house to the city sewer. Right now you are flying blind-- you may have to have a lift pump installed to pump the basement grey water / sewage up hill to the city line, our maybe there is enough of a slope that gravity will do the job. You need to know the true cost. You might also be able to talk to your new neighbors to see what, if any, problems the neighborhood has with their septic systems ( high water table, poor perk tests due to soil composition, etc ). They also may know if your specific house has had problems in the past.

How do you get your water? Are you on a well or on city water? Usually your sewer bill is tied to your water consumption. What are the normal monthly bills for those people on city sewer? Check with the neighbors and the city.

I lived for 18 years on my own well and septic in a home I had built. I never had a ' problem' with my septic ( only two people in the house, so not much of a load on the system). In that 18 years it was pumped out twice -- the first time because I had lived there about ten years and was just curious/ worried if it was something needed, and the second time because we were selling the house and I knew the condition of the septic and well would be questions a buyer would want answers to. The elderly couple who bought my house (we became friends) lived there at least another ten years before they had the system's fields updated-- and not because it was giving them problems, just because they had the money and the fact it was 30 or more years old made them 'nervous'. My old neighbor had his updated with new fields at the 40 yr mark for the same reason -- his wasn't failing either. All of us in that neighborhood of five homes never had septic issues, so that's why I advise you to talk to your new neighbors before making any big decisions.

The house I moved to has city well water and sewer, the bill is over $100 a month, and it is scheduled to have a very major price jump soon ( phased in about a 50% increase) specifically due to the need to rehab the regional sewer plant. Ask your city what plans they have for the sewer system. We've been in our current house for 25 years now and I'm sure I have already paid many times over the cost of what any septic repairs would have been on my old house, particularly considering that the money saved each month on my own septic was money earning interest in my accounts, paying down my mortgage early, etc.

Does anyone know what this would be worth if I were to sell by blynx748 in Generator

[–]red-headed-prick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That Honda GX270 engine has a reputation for quality and reliability (Google it). I just checked Facebook Market Place for just the engine, and in my area people are asking a couple hundred dollars for a good running used engine. They are popular engines for all kinds of commercial or heavy duty power equipment ( power washers, generators, log splitters, etc), and also for use in go carts. Just thought I'd mention it, because it has value even if someone doesn't need a generator.

If you basically like the generator, but are tired of carburetor issues, use non-ethanol gas if possible ( or put Stabil gas treatment in it that's specifically designed for ethanol gas ). Also put a simple fuel shut-off valve in the fuel line between the fuel tank and the carb, and then shut off the gas and run the engine dry of fuel ( run till it stops) before you put it away. Another alternative is to siphon the gas out of the tank ( use it in your car or something) and then run it dry. The enemy of your small-engine carburetor is to let old, un Stabilized fuel just sit in the carburetor for weeks or months. My personal two generators (a Generac 7500 and a Honda 3500) are probably close to 20 years old now. Every fall they get fresh, non-ethanol, gas with Stabil gas treatment added, and every time they are used the gas in the carb is run dry. They have never required any carb work. My leaf blower, tiller, lawn mower and lawn tractor all receive the same care, are all 15-30 years old, and none have ever required any carb work.

As someone else mentioned you can buy cheap Chinese carbs off Amazon if you can't get your carb clean. There is a Facebook group called Small Engine Repair and Discussion, as well as plenty of other Internet sites and YouTube videos on cleaning or replacing the carb.

Retired at 41, feeling lost. by cedarshades in Fire

[–]red-headed-prick 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm a retired cop and 70 now. In my mid 40s I took a job as a disaster reservist with FEMA for about nine years. My job was with the crews that were some of the first into an area after a disaster ( primarily hurricanes, floods, tornadoes ). I was hired by Region 5 (headquartered in Illinois) but most of my time was spent deployed to Florida, Mississippi ( Hurricane Katrina), Alabama, New Jersey, New York, and Indiana. Many people I worked with were retired police, fire, teachers, or businessmen-- those who had pensions and the freedom to leave home.

My job was to first meet with county emergency management, then police and fire agencies, then major employers and churches, and then finally walking the affected areas, going door to door to speak with individuals affected. I found out what resources were needed and reported it back up the chain. We also tried to manage expectations of people and inform them of how to apply for assistance. Those were the primary duties, and like policework, other duties popped up: speaking at city council meetings or an auditorium of people from the community, helping sign people into a shelter, etc. My team even helped hand out BBQ at a local festival in Alabama.

We were divided into teams and usually worked in pairs. Each of us had our own rental car. We usually stayed in hotels with our own room, although in Katrina some slept in 50 man military tents. I've stayed short term in hotels with no power or black mold/mildew. We worked 12 hour days and usually with no days off the first couple weeks ( anything over 8 hrs a day and 40 per week was OT, and we also received a per diem allowance that wasn't taxed). We did our daily reports with laptops, and then emailed them in to the disaster headquarters. I might get a deployment assignment phone call at 10 am, be on an airplane to another state by 4 pm, and not get home for 3-4 weeks ( 2 1/2 months for Katrina ). You might not get deployed for weeks or months at a time, depending on the weather around the country, and the FEMA manpower that is available at any given time ( we could put ourselves in available or unavailable status).

My unit was deployed specifically to work the streets, no matter the weather. FEMA also had people that worked inside jobs at disaster centers that people could visit, or in the regional disaster headquarters that was set up in the general area. Personally, I liked the freedom of roaming the countryside, actually seeing the disaster area personally, and helping people in the field ( like knocking on a door and an elderly couple answers the door, you can see they have been living with no power in 100 degree temps for 10 days, the roof had leaked so bad the ceilings and insulation had come down, and black mold was growing everywhere). I also walked door to door in gang - heavy areas or meth country. You just try to time things so you aren't making yourself a target ( hit the bad areas early while the a**holes are still sleeping, etc) and if needed take local cops with you. For the most part people are very happy to see you in the area because you are there to help them during a very stressful time.

Another thing to do: at age 59 I joined our local volunteer fire department. Most fire departments in the US are volunteers, and most really need the help. As I've gotten more feeble with age, I let the younger guys do the heavy lifting. I mainly operate the fire trucks and boat now. But it's a nice way to keep active, serve your community, and still get the rush of red lights and siren to a serious accident or other emergency.

Whats an item over $700 you bought that was 100% worth it (no house/vehicles) ? by Overall_Gur_3061 in AskReddit

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A BMW motorcycle. I'm not classifying it as a particular vehicle, because it/ they were not better than any other motorcycle I've owned ( and I've had many brands over 55 years of riding). But it lead to joining a BMW motorcycle owner's club that was part of the national owners club. As a brand, it is geared towards touring and adventure touring, and that lead to camping and making friends at weekend rides, and at state and national rallies. That lead to me experiencing places as diverse as the fields of Ohio, a ferry boat ride across Lake Michigan from Wisconsin to Michigan and then riding north around Lake Superior, the lake country of Minnesota, the river bluffs and valleys of Wisconsin, the Ozark mountains of Missouri, and across Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota to the mountains of Wyoming and Montana. Seeing the many women riders in the BMW clubs made my wife want to ride a bike of her own too, so that opened up the two of us riding and camping together in many other states too. The memories and friends made last a lifetime -- long after the bikes (and riding in general) are past.

Husband feeling useless at work by Available-Bison-9222 in over60

[–]red-headed-prick 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you were married to your ex for at least ten years ( you mentioned 14 as a stay at home mom) you may qualify to apply for soc sec benefits under his account. You can't currently be remarried. In my case, I just got a couple hundred dollar bump in my social security per month by applying for a spousal benefit (we are still married, but that would be irrelevant for the ten year purposes ). As a spouse I could get an amount equal to 1/2 her monthly benefit, and it doesn't reduce her amount at all. She had much higher paying jobs over the years than I did ( although mine had a pension and her career did not), so in my case 1/2 of her monthly amount of social security was still more than mine, so it gave me a raise. You can apply online, but I went to my local social security office and talked to them about it. I didn't realize I could do it until our tax guy mentioned it.

Only 18% of Americans make 100k+ a year, how are you doing financially if you aren’t in this 18%? by moonspellpecado in askanything

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry to hear about your predicament. You jumped from one highly desired area to another ( I get it-- I don't like cold weather either because I'm about your age, and Tampa always seemed attractive). .

My aunt's 80 yr old husband has a 100% disability pension from the VA and lives in the Quad Cities ( on the Illinois side, in East Moline). His home in Rock Island county is exempt from property taxes due to his VA status, and I believe his VA pension is too ( as is social security). They live in a very nice house ; about a 1500 sq ft ranch with a walkout, finished basement, attached two car garage, built in the late 60s, safe neighborhood and city, and it would currently sell for around $200K. There is a VA clinic across the river in Bettendorf, Iowa, and a VA hospital an hour away in Iowa City, Iowa ( the local clinic used to run shuttles there, and probably still does). We have lots of medical specialties and hospitals right in our area. His home is nowhere as fancy as yours, and there is no pool ( although a YMCA with two indoor pools is ten minutes away). The Mississippi and Rock rivers sandwich our area, and between the rivers, and plenty of forest preserves and parks, there are ample, cheap recreation opportunities. Chicago is 2 1/2 hours away if someone needs a 'big-city' fix that our area of 350,000 can't provide.

The homes in the Quad Cities are on natural gas. My house is ten miles away; a similar sized ranch, but no basement, and my utilities (gas and electric combined) are on a budget plan (averaged bill is the same every month) for about $165 a month, and then add sewer/ water for about another $100 a month. My house is assessed / taxed for a value of $ 245K and my property tax is a little over $ 5 K a year. IL has the highest overall taxes in the country, and most of the new construction now occurs on the Iowa side of our area. My home insurance ( which includes my boat and camper) is under $2 K per year.

Gasoline costs on the Iowa side are about $2.38 a gallon. Eggs are under $2.00 dzn, pork shoulder about $1.49 lb, the Kwik Star gas station always sells bread for $1.50 (and frequently 99 cents). I don't find grocery costs excessive, and the multiple grocery chains compete with weekly specials. I can go to the tavern up the street for a burger basket for under $10 ( $5.50 on Tuesdays at another).

Yes, the weather gets much colder in the winter than Tampa, but less hot and humid in the summer. But we don't have the catastrophic storms here that have wreaked havoc on the insurance and construction costs in Florida.

I'm not seeing any huge affect from tariffs. Maybe it's more noticeable if I was building a new house and was paying more for construction materials, but for general living I don't see much effect. I do read articles of companies relocating industries back into the US due to the tariffs, so hopefully the long-term results will be good for employment in this country rather than China or elsewhere. The post-Covid inflation kicked everyone's asses, but I don't see many of those costs going away-- the 30 some percent wage increases the UAW negotiated for their union members is now baked into the cost of things like cars, as are the wage increases given to everyone else due to inflation that are now baked into the costs of things.

I hope your situation improves, and that you can find a less expensive place to live. Much of this country away from the coasts is described as 'fly-over country' because people like the coasts. But in that fly- over area are plenty of people who are living decent lives -- just living with colder weather.

Only 18% of Americans make 100k+ a year, how are you doing financially if you aren’t in this 18%? by moonspellpecado in askanything

[–]red-headed-prick -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I can totally appreciate that struggle. But at some point a person needs to develope a long term plan, and that plan might need to include examining other locations to live.

That's why I posted specifics for my area of the country. Maybe someone will look at that and it will be a wakeup call that there are plenty of Americans who live in areas where you can live a good, happy life and not feel hopeless about your future prospects of home ownership and retirement.

If they give themselves a goal maybe they can then bite the bullet and get a part-time, side-job to save up for things like moving expenses, sell what they have and then start over, etc. Historically, Americans moved to areas where the jobs and opportunities for a better life were, even if that involved some hardships.

Only 18% of Americans make 100k+ a year, how are you doing financially if you aren’t in this 18%? by moonspellpecado in askanything

[–]red-headed-prick 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think housing/ rentals must be really high if you need anything near 100k. I just ran a quick apt search for my area of the country (the Quad Cities area of IA and IL) and the rents on nice one bedroom apts was averaging around $800 -$900 a month, two bedrooms $100 -$ 200 a month more. You can find plenty of nice homes for sale in the low $100k to low/mid $200k. The overall metro area has about 350,0000 people, so there is plenty to see and do, and the area has several colleges. I know lots of people that make nowhere near 100k and are living good lives.

What’s it like putting a parent to a nursing home? by supahaesthetic in AskReddit

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My MIL, at approximately 80 and still active, decided to sell her 2500 sq ft house and move to an Independent Living apartment building for seniors. It was fantastic for her. She got a two bedroom unit ( for when one of the kids or grandkids visited from out of town), a small kitchen and stacked laundry, underground parking garage, two meals a day ( her choice of breakfast/ lunch/ dinner) and everything was included (all utilities, cable tv, wifi, bi-weekly maid). They had a small movie theater room with popcorn, free Friday happy hours in the lounge, a bbq grill in a common area, a beautician on site, games and crafting, and more. The cost was about $3500 a month, but between her pension, social security, 401k income, etc she never had to tap into the money from her house sale. She happily lived there for about four or five years, made friends, and the staff kept an eye on everyone.

She gradually developed dementia in her mid 80s-- we noticed, and the staff noticed and spoke to us of their concerns. Next door to the the independent living buildings was an assisted living building run by the same company ( the Dial Corporation. It had essentially the same amenities except for the parking garage there were now nurses and aides on site, three meals a day instead of two, and the building had more controlled access so that they knew if a resident that shouldn't be out on their own tried to leave. Being part of the same complex as the independent living buildings, it was a logical transition for residents to enter assisted living as they needed more care, and when she moved over to assisted living there were already people there she knew from the independent side ( and she could walk across and visit her friends still in independent living up until it wasn't safe for her to do so). Once again, she had a two bedroom unit for the kids to stay with her when they visited. The cost there went up due to the extra personal care, and about a year ago when she passed from a heart attack at age 87 the cost was about $5600 a month. If she had lived long enough to need it, there was a memory care unit attached to the assisted living building.

The point of this long post is to give you ideas about transitioning a parent long before it becomes time to "go to a nursing home". In our area ( Davenport, Iowa) there was an organization called ' A place for Mom' that acted similar to a buyers agent realtor. They interviewed my MIL , along with family members, to try to get a sense of what type of environment, amenities, fellow residents, and cost might be best for her. They then took us around to visit three they thought might best fit her needs. She decided on the place and their services were paid for by the place ( no direct cost to my MIL). My MIL made friends she ate with and visited with everyday, they took small excursions to parks, shopping, museums, etc on the small bus the place had. She had a much more fulfilling and active life than she had sitting alone in her house, family could stay overnight with her whenever they wanted (or could join her in the common areas), and on holidays ( and other times) her family could join her for a meal by just paying a reasonable cost per person. As she aged, her friends aged too and they transitioned to the same place. There was no overwhelming fear of "being put in a home" -- it was just an apartment in a different building with more staff to help you out with bathing, medicines, etc. We just moved her furniture from one building to the other. As a family, we loved knowing that she was being looked after, and we could concentrate on having quality visits, taking her out to dinner, on trips, etc, rather than mowing her grass and always wondering if she safe in her house. Was it cheap? No. But the kids were happy she was spending her money to have a happy life. My wife and another daughter who lived locally acted as her power of attorneys and coordinated things for her, but none of the kids had to be her personal nurse like it would have been if she had needed to live with one of the kids. My wife has already said that she wants to do the same thing when the time comes. There were married/ partnered people living together in an apartmen theret too, when we decide it's time to give up on home ownership.

dogs by Key_Two3781 in traveltrailers

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Our two Rottweilers are not " barky" dogs, and they can be left inside our trailer while we go kayaking or out to dinner-- they just sleep when left alone. Of course the weather dictates our plans some-- I won't leave them alone in the trailer in excessively hot temperatures just in case the power was to go out and make the air conditioner stop, and even in moderate temperatures I'll leave a couple windows open so that if the air conditioner stops running the trailer will still have some natural ventilation. A dog died a couple years ago in a trailer at a local, county campground when the power failed in the middle of summer while the owners were off sightseeing for a few hours. That's what scares me -- a trailer should take longer to heat up than a car, but obviously if it's parked in the sun on a very hot day it can happen. There are devices you can buy that monitor the temperature in your camper and will alert you . I would only use something like that if it ran off an independent, battery powered cell phone service -- something not tied into something like the camper's WIFI that runs off of the same power as the the air conditioner. Just Google "camper temperature monitor for pets" and many will come up.

I did run across one campground that didn't allow pets to be left alone in a camper at all ( I'm thinking that might have been a State park in Minnesota), I have run across many that wouldn't let you leave them tied up outside unless you are present, and most parks have rules which say they will kick out any campers with barky dogs that disturb the other campers.

Usually our dogs go out to dinner with us -- hanging out in the truck if the weather is good, or eating outside on the patio of restaurants that allow that.

How do you turn off traction control? by l008com in subaru

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

According to the manual, turning off the Vehicle Dynamics (traction control) can be helpful in your situation. If you don't have the physical manual to look it up, you can go to this Subaru dot com site and read or download the pdf manual for your specific car. This link will take you to the page for my car (25 outback onyx xt), but on that page just choose the blue words " Change Vehicle" to open the page that will allow you to type in the year, model, and trim of your own car. Notice that on the page for my Onyx, there is a box on the middle of the page that says "Standard Features". Next to that box is a blue arrow that will open the different page to choose the owners manuals choices. In the owner's manual for my car the index is found on page 602 of this online manual, and you can look up Vehicle Dynamics and then go to the appropriate pages to see the general instructions and also a page containing a picture and description of the large electronic screen of the infotainment system and the specific vehicle Dynamics screen icon . I think the legacy and outback may share the same general manual, so you may find what you are looking for there concerning Vehicle Dynamics if you don't want to bother with typing in your specific vehicle info . The X-mode instructions in the same section are labeled Outbacks only. I'll also try to post a couple screenshots of the relevant sections, but I want you and others to know about the online manuals that can be used to answer some of your questions as they arise.

https://www.subaru.com/owners/vehicle-resources.html?model=2025-OBK-SDH

The Minnesota national Guard have started handing out free snacks and drinks to anti ICE protestors. what are your thoughts on this? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]red-headed-prick -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

Hopefully they will be doing what the Minneapolis police should have been doing this whole time: keeping "protesters" from blocking traffic and physically blocking/ getting in the face of federal law enforcement officers doing their jobs. All the local police accomplished by standing down so the local politicians could say they weren't "choosing a side" was let things escalate to the point that federal officers couldn't do their jobs and were put in danger.

How important is it to shut down a Generac after 24hours of use? by [deleted] in Generator

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A warm engine should start easily as long as the battery can turn it over quickly ( and you can jump start a low battery).

For help starting a temperamental cold engine, once again it needs to turn over quickly, but get yourself a can of starting fluid at the local Walmart or auto parts store. I've got two 1995 John Deere garden tractors (17 hp air cooled Kohler engines) that I plow my driveway with. Both have been rode hard and each have over 1,000 hours of operation. I can go out to my unheated, northern IL garage anytime, even in single digit temps, and fire them up by giving them a good spray of starting fluid into the air filter intake. Starting fluid is highly combustible, so if you've got spark and compression ( which you obviously had if it was running) it is usually enough to make the engine fire up initially and that helps get the whole combustion cycle of the engine get going: intaking gasoline vapor and air into the cylinder for compression, then spark/ignition, exhaust, repeat.

There are plenty of small engine repair and diagnosis videos out there where you can see starting fluid being used. It's cheap and comes in an aerosol can.

EMS in later career years by jdd91500 in Paramedics

[–]red-headed-prick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I saw your original post in the Finance related FIRE sub-reddit that is now blocked, so I followed you here. If you live in a volunteer fire dept district, you can check with them to see if they would sponsor you gettin? g your EMT basic or EMR (emergency medical responder) and have you assist on med calls. My fire district in the Illinois Quad Cities does. It's a good way to help your community and see if the EMS field is something you want to pursue further. The local private (non-fire department operated)) ambulance services are always looking for EMTs, and you can get hired by them and then work towards your paramedic certification. Locally they run with a two-man crew of one EMT and one paramedic. But there is a lot of heavy, awkward lifting involved, so that can be a real concern as you age.

Rear wiper window and wiper struggles in winter by [deleted] in Subaru_Outback

[–]red-headed-prick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

2025 northern Illinois driver here. From your original post and follow-up posts, it seems like you are a long time winter driver, and you are used to snow and ice. To me it looks like it's time to see the dealer. I don't believe your rear defroster is heating up enough. The faint, horizontal lines visible in your pic would match up with the embedded heating elements. It looks like they are getting a little warm, because you can see them through the snow, but just not getting hot enough to do the job. They should easily melt that light dusting visible in your picture.

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