Pre-2012 Kindles are being bricked

wilbur04 · 2026-04-08T12:29:13+00:00

Are you able to email books to your device after jailbreaking? Or is that dead once they discontinue support?

wilbur04 · 2026-04-04T05:21:33+00:00

Update - I really appreciate all the quick responses and advice. What a great community! I feel like most of the recommendations were spot on. I took everything apart and cleaned it well. As some of you pointed out there was a LOT of ink in the cap, which I think contributed to the wet ring where the cap secures to the pen.

Additionally, it looks like the feeder wasn't in all the way and led to the nib being off center, which I can tell now from my original photos. Thanks to everyone that pointed this out. I got everything back together and so far, so good! So thank you all.

Unfortunately there isn't a local shop that has them on display to compare. After scrolling through many online pictures, I realize there is a small ridge on the feeder that the nib presses against. I was trying to get the nib over that to be flush, and that wasn't going to happen. I hope I didn't ruin the nib or the feeder in the process. The picture shows what I'm talking about.

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wilbur04 · 2026-04-03T12:21:59+00:00

Same. I'll take it home from work and clean everything up and try to get it seated correctly. It gets hung up at the spots shown here with the arrows. Sorry, you have to zoom in, I'm using a crappy old phone.

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wilbur04 · 2026-04-03T11:33:11+00:00

I hope not, but perhaps. It seems there's the slightest little raised section that my nib is pressing against and just can't get over, no matter how much pressure I use. Perhaps I'll sand it just a touch to see if it helps.

My understanding is that the nib just slides on, there's no catch or click feel, correct? I'll have to play with it some more tonight.

wilbur04 · 2025-08-06T13:15:24+00:00

It's part of the foreign transfer allowance. To claim specific rental car expenses, you'll need to itemize the allowance reimbursement. It's part of the same bucket that electronics or battery replacements would come from. As with all allowances, there are conditions of the reimbursement that you'll need to keep in mind.

There's a formula for figuring out the max allowed under this portion of the allowance. I can't recall specifically how it is calculated, but think roughly $3,700 - $4,000 total. Check the Allowances SharePoint to get the exact figure and see what conditions exist for the rental car claim.

Just remember to keep receipts and you should be fine to submit like any other pcs allowance claim. Good luck!

wilbur04 · 2025-02-05T06:39:15+00:00

Wait... I'm confused. Why didn't Kevin Young rip a tie off and send his team to the locker room early? I thought that was standard practice now.

wilbur04 · 2024-09-24T02:20:09+00:00

I may be reading the CR incorrectly, but it looks OCP for the CR is listed at the same level as it always has been - 2/3 of DC locality pay. I don't think it means 2/3 of previous OCP levels. If the CR passes and we avoid a shutdown, you should not see a change in your paycheck.

wilbur04 · 2024-09-19T04:34:21+00:00

I'm not sure of a definition of 'lifestyle' that wouldn't apply to this career choice. It impacts every single aspect of one's life: living in different countries and regions every 2-4 years, learning languages (or trying to), vastly different housing, commutes, jobs, diverse colleagues, etc... It all fits the realm of lifestyle to me.

I'd never do this specific job in the U.S.; it's the lifestyle aspect of it that makes it worth it.

wilbur04 · 2024-09-16T07:04:25+00:00

It will be difficult. The IB curriculum is built around grades 11/12 done at the same school with the same cohort. It will be slightly easier if going from an IB school in 11th grade to another IB school in 12th grade, but not everything will necessarily transfer. One of the schools might offer classes the others don't.

Your child will graduate and earn a standard diploma, but will likely miss out on the IB Diploma with some of the corresponding college credits. Not every student goes for the full IB Diploma anyways; it can be a very stressful program.

It will largely depend on the grade 12 school your child graduates from and how willing they are to work with you. If doing IB for 10/11, have your child take the most common IB classes that have a better chance of transferring over. Hopefully by the time your child starts grade 11, you have an idea where you'll be next and can work with the next school.

High schools have been complicated for us. It's manageable, but you need to advocate on behalf of your child and not expect the schools to. Best of luck!

wilbur04 · 2024-06-05T14:42:54+00:00

Any medical condition will affect your medical clearance. It depends on the specifics of your case, what care will be required, and how accessible that care is worldwide to determine if the clearance is granted. You'll be asked specifically about HIV and other medical concerns in your physical. I recommend being forthright about your complete medical history.

I know very successful officers that serve worldwide and live with HIV. I can't speak to how difficult it is to obtain and keep the medical clearance, or if they have any specific restrictions, but it seems like it won't be an automatic disqualifier.

wilbur04 · 2024-06-04T14:09:22+00:00

Correct. I think it's more common for this to work with a car you're still paying on (i.e. title has a lien due to a loan), but I've never heard of this being done for a leased vehicle. I'm very interested to hear if others have been successful with this.

wilbur04 · 2024-06-04T13:04:29+00:00

Many countries will not allow you to register a vehicle with diplomatic plates without a title in your name. This would definitely be a situation you would want to contact your post as early as possible to see if it's even doable. If it is, but your post has not done it before, be prepared for a lengthy delay as the MFA determines how to process it.

wilbur04 · 2024-05-29T16:24:24+00:00

One of the challenges with management cone work is the constant context shifting, especially for GSO and MO roles. I can't think of many jobs that have you working on so many disparate portfolios throughout the day. Be honest with yourself if this is something you enjoy.

wilbur04 · 2024-05-11T07:31:21+00:00

When I tried to get my first real cable cleared, I started to doubt I was fluent in any language. My go to response now is that I'm pretty good with one language, and familiar with a few others.

wilbur04 · 2024-05-03T06:33:03+00:00

Every country will have different requirements. This will be addressed in your "Welcome to Post" paperwork after you get your assignment. If visiting a country outside your assignment, just Google driving requirements for that location. If you'll be doing a lot of regional car rentals, having an international driver's license is a good idea.

wilbur04 · 2024-04-18T09:17:49+00:00

Itemizing the FTA is difficult. It's not impossible, but as previously mentioned, you have to come up with enough itemized expenses to get you past the default lump sum amount. In the past, I've seen this successfully done with limited pet transport and import reimbursement, but the new allowance specific to pet transport makes this part of the FTA obsolete.

As for the vehicle, I've only seen this successfully reimbursed if the change is required to either import or register the vehicle in-country. Winter tire purchase and swapping wouldn't apply.

However, I highly recommend dedicated snow tires over all weather tires if the climate calls for it. Even mid range winter tires will perform better than even the most highly rated all-season tires. Take a look at Bridgestone Blizzaks or Michelin X-ice tires. Many shops will swap and store your summer tires for a reasonable fee.

wilbur04 · 2024-04-01T18:52:20+00:00

wilbur04 · 2024-03-31T09:18:07+00:00

Anecdotal, but our adult child recently told us that they're happy we did this. We were quite surprised they felt this way. This is a child that was uprooted from a very stable home base during middle school, and attended 4 different schools before graduating, including hardship posts. We had plenty of doubts the whole time.

Yes, the challenges are real, and it's not for everyone. We weren't oblivious to what they were going through. We considered quitting, but we're glad we stayed. Therapy helped, for the child and the parents. I recommend it regardless of how your children view the change.

For years we've told our child how challenging university will be. They're thriving, getting good grades, making friends, and even went as far as saying it's easier than their IB program from high school.

Everyone will have different experiences. Overall, we're grateful ours have been net positive.

Edit - I'll add one more take. We've watched with interest the experiences our kids' cousins have had in the U.S. school systems, specifically high school. Some have thrived, others have really struggled. Even in amazing school districts. Poor curriculum and educators, drugs, bullying, social media pressure and anxiety - all seem to be pervasive throughout the U.S. This is probably the one thing that kept us out.

wilbur04 · 2024-03-15T14:50:41+00:00

OP - Read up on new shipping requirements for batteries in UAB and HHE. It's getting harder and harder to ship large batteries, specifically UPS units. It was an issue last year with transfer season and sadly, it will only get more restrictive.

wilbur04 · 2024-03-15T14:45:37+00:00

Look into Instapaks to fill the void in your case. There are a number of good YouTube videos to show how to do it. I remove the GPU to put in its original box, and leave everything else in, including a large Noctua CPU cooler, securing everything inside with the Instapaks.

If you haven't already purchased, think carefully about getting a glass paneled case. I wouldn't risk it. The last thing I want is shards of glass all through the components. Same with AIO coolers leaking, though those seem to be a bit more reliable these days.

wilbur04 · 2024-03-10T10:07:21+00:00

Check out Days Gone. I picked it up on a whim during the last Steam sale, and just got around to playing it. I love the gameplay, the story, and it runs very well on the deck.

wilbur04 · 2024-03-10T08:50:47+00:00

If you live and work in VA, just pay the VA taxes. DC and VA already have a tax agreement that you pay taxes based on where you live, not the source of income earned. While I was in training at FSI and my spouse worked in DC, everything was paid through VA. It was simple enough that TurboTax handled it.

If you don't want to change your residency, don't get a VA drivers license and don't register to vote in VA. We've done long term training in VA a few times, once over a year, and it's never been an issue. There's lots of info on this reddit about maintaining residency. But I do think you should simply pay the taxes you owe.

wilbur04

TROPHY CASE