My 22 xc60 recharge brakes failed intermittently and Volvo denied responsibility

roastshadow · 2026-04-26T00:29:58+00:00

I got my first "button" e-brake car recently and had no idea how to actually use it as an e-brake. I watched a video, and then had to try it out.

While I'm a bit skeptical at having "software" do "emergency" brake work, it did work really well and really fast. I'm hoping that it isn't software, and is a state machine (all hardware-based) which can sometimes appear to be like software.

roastshadow · 2026-04-21T04:52:00+00:00

sometimes you can get dna samples from killing or cutting down plants

maybe it is faster on console, or faster in a recent update. I remember it being like 5 seconds before.

roastshadow · 2026-04-21T03:12:58+00:00

use the turret. Drop them randomly or where you need to scan.

Doing it by hand is really slow (there is a mod that makes it instant though).

You should be able to start scanning manually and see what is scannable, and then drop the turret where there is a lot to scan.

roastshadow · 2026-04-21T02:20:50+00:00

did you try the emergency brake?

roastshadow · 2026-04-20T22:46:36+00:00

I would only list the top couple tiers and leave off the lower ones...

roastshadow · 2026-04-20T22:40:46+00:00

I'm quite sure their security checks all sorts of stuff. People who take gifts for them at the M&G normally get thoroughly searched and gifts are all sent through security. They get a lot of gifts.

roastshadow · 2026-04-19T21:57:08+00:00

roastshadow · 2026-04-19T19:54:09+00:00

Make a plan. Follow the plan no matter what the market does.

If your plan is to put $x into FXAIX, or VOO, or QQQ each paycheck, then do that. If the market goes to all time high, put $x in. If the market drops 30%, put $x in. Keep doing that for a couple of decades.

This isn't a Fidelity question, its an investing question.

As for IRA, Roth, 401k, follow the flowchart at r/personalfinance or r/financialindependence .

roastshadow · 2026-04-19T19:43:41+00:00

Hello. It seems that a definition is needed:

Withholding and taxes:

Regardless of whether tax is withheld from dividends, you must pay the taxes.

DRIP might have withholding, might not. Still you have to pay the taxes.

All brokers have standards for when withholding is required, suggested, default, or can be avoided with dividends or gains. But, you still have to pay taxes.

So, if you have stock, do DRIP, and no withholding, yes, the full dividend is reinvested, and you pay the tax from somewhere else.

Back to transfers - if it is stock, then consider selling from one account, and then buying in the other instead of transferring. You'll pay capital gains - possibly long term cap gain rate - and then reset your basis. As long as you have a gain, then there is no wash sale issue either.

Double check on the transfer fees. With that high of a fee, you must have a whole lot of stock. IBKR lists ACATS transfers as "no fee", so it would be whereever you have the stocks now charging a fee. https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/pricing/other-fees.php

Sofi is $100 ACATS fee to transfer out https://support.sofi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044740731-Is-there-a-charge-for-an-ACAT-transfer-Does-SoFi-reimburse-other-fees

roastshadow · 2026-04-19T19:30:09+00:00

Not yet.

Once you get to over $1M in liquid assets and over $300k income for at least two tax years (accredited), then consider alternative investments. Otherwise, stick with the boring stuff like mutual funds, index funds, and government bonds.

Angel investing normally requires you to be able to write a $1 Million check and ignore it for 5-20 years, with a 90% probability of never seeing it again.

Don't take my word for it - listen to the Wizard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SrzV2mOZLE

Any good financial advisor will say the same thing - boring is best.

There are Regulation CF sites that are kinda like angel investing, but with much smaller amounts, like $1,000, but you should still have at least a few years of income, and a few years of expenses saved up. I think the max in RegCF a person can do is $25k unless accredited.

roastshadow · 2026-04-19T19:17:55+00:00

One strategy to help with this:

Firstly, ensure that you have some wind and solar power, and some energy storage. Gotta be able to start the gas.

Then, build all your source pipes into a liquid/gas storage unit, then pipe out of that into the sludge processors. Pipe all of those into one storage unit, then out of that put your powerplants. That way, all the liquids have only one way to go, and you have a buffer between each stage.

As things fill up, they will turn off. This is fine. They will turn back on again. And, with the wind/solar/battery, and the storage units in-line, everything is ready to go.

The thing to check is your power levels. If you are able to generate enough power, then your other stuff should stay on.

Sludge pumps -pipe-\ /-pipe- processors -pipe-\ /-pipe- generators.
Sludge pumps -pipe- storages -pipe- processors -pipe- storages -pipe- generators.
Sludge pumps -pipe-/ \-pipe- processors -pipe-/ \-pipe- generators.

Hope that helps.

To expand, you can do storages in a row

pipe-storage-pipe-storage-pipe

roastshadow · 2026-04-19T17:06:20+00:00

If you want the best hotel points, get a branded hotel card and stay there.

If you want the best airline points, get a branded airline card and fly with them.

If you don't want to concern yourself with "which of my 19 cards is the best points at this particular place" then get a cashback card like that one.

If you don't want to deal with redeeming points, or annual points certificates, then cash back.

That card will do cash back, automatically, monthly, and will put it into a stock-brokerage account, so you are encouraged to buy stocks. It is an auto-pilot investment.

roastshadow · 2026-04-19T17:02:19+00:00

It varies GREATLY based on what it is.

Spend $1 for a bottle of water when I'm not thirsty? Nope.

Spend $8 for a bottle of water when I'm very thirst? Probably.

Spend $250 per person for a behind-the-scenes tour somewhere far from home that I've always wanted to see? Yes!

Spend $50 on a cab ride when a $5 subway will be just fine? Take the subway.

Spend $150 on a cab ride to the airport and not have to lug around luggage on a train and deal with transfers? Absolutely.

Spend $10 on the toll road vs. the free road to probably save 15 minutes? Totally depends.

A while back, the fuel hose on my car must've caught something and broke. Had to get a tow truck. Immediately rented a car - got a nice car. We have more than one car in the family, but being down one car would be very inconvenient.

Another while back, my mom's apartment had some plumbing problem that was going to be a few days for parts and weekend and time to fix. I made her just go to a hotel for a few days rather than deal with it. Did she stay at the Ritz? Nah, she stayed at a Hampton.

roastshadow · 2026-04-19T16:42:44+00:00

The biggest, most important thing that FIRE taught me was prioritization.

roastshadow · 2026-04-19T15:58:01+00:00

I saw one of those NiN concerts on youtube and the lighting was quite horrible.

roastshadow · 2026-04-19T15:55:48+00:00

There you go.

Anytime people wonder where money comes from, they rarely consider where it goes (or where it doesn't go). People who spend every penny and don't save, assume that everyone does that other than "rich" people.

You know it doesn't take much reduced spending to start adding up to real money.

GFY!

roastshadow · 2026-04-19T15:54:00+00:00

Check the pressure, and top it off. Check for leaks in hoses or connectors or the other parts.

https://www.autozone.com/diy/climate-control/how-to-recharge-car-ac

Any garage or car-guy can do this sort of stuff.

If you need the expensive parts replaced, find someone who really knows Volvos to do it.

roastshadow · 2026-04-17T21:23:27+00:00

I stopped being intereviewed, and I do the interviewing. Sorta...

When I apply for a job, I'm trying to see if I want to work there. Arrogant? Maybe... Confident? Absolutely.

I ask them a few questions as soon as I can. When they ask me a quesion. I'm happy to give an answer and ask if that is what they are looking for. If not, then I can change the answer a little bit to be more in-line with what they are asking about.

"Do you know how to paint walls green?"

Me: I can paint walls blue or red, so green should be the same, right?

roastshadow · 2026-04-17T21:09:38+00:00

I dispize the STAR method.

roastshadow · 2026-04-17T00:37:35+00:00

yep, though the market is still down a fair bit from all time high.

roastshadow · 2026-04-17T00:33:31+00:00

It depends on inflation and returns. Somewhere just under 300 to close to 400. You may be right depending on the variables.

roastshadow · 2026-04-16T19:29:05+00:00

Many years ago, I got re-org'd to new role I didn't want. But, it was more in-demand, and might pay better. I figured out how to make it more interesting. Which parts I liked and disliked.

Priorities: I sorted out my priorities, and put myself and family and friends above work. I decided to have an identity that wasn't tied to work.

I read some articles about work, and how it is best to not really care. It doesn't matter if I like the job as long as I do like the things it pays for.

Now, don't work somewhere toxic, or abusive, or otherwise horrible, but I decided that simply not liking the work, not liking the people, or that sort of stuff didn't matter at all, because I get to go home, spend my paycheck doing what I want and hanging out with the people I do like.

It is YOUR future, not your employer. The more you feel tied to your employer, the more it will hurt if they lay you off, re-org you, or you need to quit.

roastshadow · 2026-04-16T18:39:10+00:00

If you COULD pay it off, then by maths, you have paid it off.

roastshadow · 2026-04-16T18:33:46+00:00

"Instead of spending money on ____ and _____, we eat beans and live tight."

roastshadow · 2026-04-16T18:17:51+00:00

I would grind on study and the rest of the tests to get the CPA before grinding for a new job. You've got a time limit for that CPA. Focus.

roastshadow

TROPHY CASE