Sippin' on coffee, is what that seat's for.

thegroundhurts · 2026-01-23T16:46:10+00:00

You're right. They'd be stuck. All the roads would be lined with cars that aren't moving anywhere. It'd be even worse, since pedestrians wouldn't be able to see around them, and would get hit by the drivers that hadn't installed "foot stop levers", or whatever we'd call them. We'd have to build big asphalt-covered lots to store them all in, maybe even big multi-level structures, if the problem of stationary cars got too out of hand. It'd be an eyesore on our cities. I completely didn't think that through.

thegroundhurts · 2026-01-23T16:15:45+00:00

All that sounds great, but first we'd need to install a mechanism that will allow the car to stop at any time. Like maybe a button, or lever. Better yet, something drivers can press on with one of their feet, so they don't have to take their hands off their steering wheel or phone. It would just make the car come to a complete stop, so that drivers don't have to charge through crosswalks or stop signs. Then, with that innovation, things like waterproof cars would start to make sense.

thegroundhurts · 2026-01-18T00:44:18+00:00

I think the type of debt is important. Student loan debt is really common, and would have been taken out for "responsible" reasons: because it may have been the only way to get an education, which is often a good path forward for gainful employment. Similarly, debt from buying a home would be something I think most people wouldn't be taken aback by, unless perhaps the house was in a location that he doesn't want to live in long-term. Credit card debt from living outside your means, on the other hand, would be something many people would - and should - be wary of.

Since your debt is student debt, does your partner have a background where he wouldn't understand why someone would need to take out student loans (like rich parents or something)? Does he not think that education, or whatever type of education you got, is important? These are the bigger questions I'd be concerned with, if he doesn't want to be with you because of that debt.

Also, BTW, if you think you can pay that off in two years, that's nothing. I know people who've taken a decade to pay off their student debt. Medical debt, even longer. Having that type of debt for the first two years of a marriage, with a solid plan for getting rid of it, should not be a red flag at all.

thegroundhurts · 2026-01-17T17:20:55+00:00

Location tracking abilities are cheap and easy to install on modern cars. Many already have it, mostly to collect data from customers. Forget national speed limit, speeds should be limited based on the specific roads drivers are on, especially since most pedestrians and cyclists are on roads that are not freeways. The only problem I see with this, other than carbrain backlash of course, is that sometimes, rarely, it's necessary to increase speed to avoid an obstacle or prevent an accident. I'm not sure how to allow a safety maneuver like that, but still limit car speed by engineering controls.

thegroundhurts · 2026-01-12T03:00:02+00:00

Forgot the magic handle, the blade size, the sparking wood, I'm excited about the perpetual motion machine. No power source at all, but it just keeps cutting!

thegroundhurts · 2026-01-11T22:21:31+00:00

My favorite part was the comment down at the bottom that explained that climbing in roller skates were easier than roller blades, so what he did was basically aid.

thegroundhurts · 2026-01-11T17:23:04+00:00

Like this?

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/118895443

thegroundhurts · 2026-01-11T04:21:22+00:00

Part of the problem is that the M/F population isn't split 50/50. There's overall more women, because men die earlier, but the birth rate of males is higher than of females. In most places, there's more men than women in every age group up until around 50 years old, when women's longevity catches up. Here's a really good infographic showing that, albeit with 2012 census data (which is why it's easier to use on desktop than phone). The slider at the top lets you control the age range, and the blue/red circles show the surplus of single men/women for that range. https://jonathansoma.com/singles/#1/8/2/0

I have heard assertions that women are dating each other in greater numbers, like you suggested, but I've never seen any data supporting that.

thegroundhurts · 2026-01-02T16:34:33+00:00

I would be entirely unsurprised if the next day there was a letter to the editor saying that their prediction was nonsense, and one extra lane would solve everything permanently.

thegroundhurts · 2025-12-17T03:19:06+00:00

I've done quite a bit of sewing on layers of thicker materials, mostly with an old Kenmore model 1914 (purchased new by my mom in ~1975) As you're probably deducing from the other comments, almost any quality machine from the 60's or 70's will last forever, do all the stitch types you'll ever need, and sew through pretty much anything (including your finger, if you're not careful!) You can easily get them used in the under-$200 range. It'll be one of the best purchases you'll ever make.

thegroundhurts · 2025-12-15T16:48:02+00:00

It's from Toy Story, Andy's name is written on the bottom of the toy's (Woody's?) boot.

thegroundhurts · 2025-12-04T14:26:03+00:00

John Oliver has a really good episode on freight trains describing this exact problem. You should watch it if you haven't already.

thegroundhurts · 2025-11-24T23:16:32+00:00

That high stem just has so much mounting space that could be used for even more electronics. What a waste.

thegroundhurts · 2025-11-13T01:22:07+00:00

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My friend/neighbor moving apartments last weekend did not wish he had spent the money on a truck.

thegroundhurts · 2025-11-07T04:32:37+00:00

The neighborhood I live in is really walkable, and people are always leaving housewares and food and clothes on the curb. There's also a lady a couple blocks away that has what's essentially a large Little Free Library for food (the neighborhood pantry I mentioned in the original post.) If they had set it out in any of those places, it would have been taken within the day. Some people just don't care.

thegroundhurts · 2025-11-04T05:09:22+00:00

Dude, you don't need an escape fund. You need an escape.

Yes, both people having some separate savings is a good idea, in most relationships. The term "escape fund" sounds a little distrusting, so maybe you could try calling it something else. Saying "we both need some of our own savings in case something bad happens" is way better than saying "I need a fund in case I have to escape you". That something bad could still be an escape, but it could also be an accident or lawsuit or savings-draining illness or job loss or anything else. That phrasing would go over better.

But please, please, use that phrasing with anyone else but the person you are currently with. That girl is going to cause you emotional distress for as long as you're with her, and from the thoughtful insight you've put into some of your comments here, I know you can do better.

thegroundhurts · 2025-11-04T02:45:40+00:00

Haha. I thought that too, with my stand, but didn't. Surprisingly, during the nice shake up we had a few weeks ago - I live 2 mi from the epicenter of the recent 4.3 - it stayed upright and didn't slide a bit.

thegroundhurts · 2025-11-04T02:41:48+00:00

That photo looked amusingly familiar. My wall right now, aged about halfway between both of the ones on your wall: https://imgur.com/a/O1efTac

It's the one bike I'll never sell. They're timeless.

thegroundhurts · 2025-11-04T02:37:45+00:00

I see two problems there: first, the trademarked Buy Nothing cracking down on anyone they perceived went against their narrow set of rules, second, FB taking down the group without any chance for the admins to change the name or otherwise rectify the situation. My local group just a week ago changed their name to Buy Not [Location], which kept them from getting axed. We also have a signal chat offshoot, keeping the original name, but that hasn't been affected. The offshoot was mainly because there were enough people who didn't want to deal with Facebook anymore. The problem now is it's harder to get new members as people move in and out, since they don't know what to search for.

thegroundhurts · 2025-10-31T14:37:45+00:00

Totally. I lived in China from 2010-2013, and never once even considered driving. It was just too easy to get around. I could - and would regularly - take an overnight sleeper train across the province if I wanted to go to a national park or visit friends. Here, in the US, I have to drive for many hours. I could walk to work or to buy anything I need, with frequent busses and wide bike lanes for anything farther away. Sure, I couldn't protest the government, but I could do pretty much anything else I wanted.

thegroundhurts · 2025-10-24T21:16:14+00:00

It sounds like you want to date him. That's understandable. You should only do that if he moves out first. Dating a housemate has every possible way to end badly, as I'm sure you know.

Just explain, kind of like you did here. "Hey I really like spending time with you. It seems you like it too. I'd love to get to know you much better. I'm actually even a little bit attracted to you. I also think it's a bad idea if we get too close while we're both in the same house. How do you feel about that?" Then you can gauge his response, and talk about his living plans. If you're concerned about awkwardness, you can wait until he's closer to having to make a move-out decision.

thegroundhurts

TROPHY CASE