OT: General OT MEGATHREAD (No Politics) Pt. 3 - Read OP before posting

[John Price]

Some of the smail spam gets ridiculous. Might mail slot/box is not all that big and it can get filled up pretty quick especially if get some some small packages through USPS>

usps usually drops them at my door so those packages are good. but shit... all the post marketplace ads are awful.

 

[Cush]

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Forget who was discussing this here but the fallout is starting for Florida real estate. Wish I could have shorted it!

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

 

[usiel]

Forget who was discussing this here but the fallout is starting for Florida real estate. Wish I could have shorted it!

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

Not sure if it is happening in Long Island yet but that is another place I would not want to own property.

 

[kicksavedave]

Many parts of California will follow suit. Insurers are leaving CA in droves due to the cost to insure against the fires.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Many parts of California will follow suit. Insurers are leaving VA in droves due to the cost to insure against the fires.

Assume you meant leaving CA and not VA?

Kind of funny watching the insurance companies essentially say, “Too many people want to actually use the service they pay us for so we’re out.” I imagine there will be some government intervention at some point. Can’t let insurance companies choose to either skyrocket premiums or leave entire states/sectors altogether.

 

[kicksavedave]

Assume you meant leaving CA and not VA?

Kind of funny watching the insurance companies essentially say, “Too many people want to actually use the service they pay us for so we’re out.” I imagine there will be some government intervention at some point. Can’t let insurance companies choose to either skyrocket premiums or leave entire states/sectors altogether.

Yeah, edited.

My home insurance nearly doubled recently, but I still have it. USAA isn't offering new policies but isn't leaving entirely. Many others have already left. The only solution is government regulation, and so for a good time we can all have a lovely debate about the merits of the Fed (or states) simply clipping the profits of an entire industry with forced pricing or other regulations (such as "you can't leave"). There's an entire half of the country which thinks any govt regulation is too much.

Anyway, there's no easy solution. The risks are skyrocketing, the costs as well, so insurance by definitions gets more expensive. How to manage it all is gonna be a fun debate, eh?

 

[usiel]

Yeah, edited.

My home insurance nearly doubled recently, but I still have it. USAA isn't offering new policies but isn't leaving entirely. Many others have already left. The only solution is government regulation, and so for a good time we can all have a lovely debate about the merits of the Fed (or states) simply clipping the profits of an entire industry with forced pricing or other regulations (such as "you can't leave"). There's an entire half of the country which thinks any govt regulation is too much.

Anyway, there's no easy solution. The risks are skyrocketing, the costs as well, so insurance by definitions gets more expensive. How to manage it all is gonna be a fun debate, eh?

I have usaa for both my car and home insurance and its gone up like $90 in the past six months. Need to investigate and see the what for.

 

[Neil Racki]

Just now boss comes on my phone intercom

Boss: "Neil, is client _______ yours?'
Me: "Yeah"
Boss: "You got (important thing) scheduled for the 29th."
Me: "What? today .. no"
Boss: "May 29th"
Me: "okay .. thanks for the f***ing heart attack"

wtf .. like why?

 

[Neil Racki]

I did some napkin math on whether its cheaper to make my own vodka mules or just buy cutwaters.

$37 = 175L titos (I could drive total wine for 28 buck handle)
$6 = 4 pack of fever tree ginger beer (get 8 drinks out of it .. really probably 6)
$.50 = half a lime

$1.94 = 3 oz titos
$.75 = 5 oz ginger beer
.50 = half lime

$3.19 each

-------------

$12 = 4 pack cutwater
$3 a can

-----------------------------

Conclusion: Buying a 4 pack of cutwater every week makes me look like less of an alcoholic vs keeping a handle and ginger beer around

 

[Cush]

 

[usiel]

I know we always tend to get these low humidity/wind fire warnings in March but still this is a trip. I remember one time driving down to Richmond on a Saturday and several random small brush fires along 95s. Considering the Armageddon fires in the west these were like large camp fires.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Key Bridge collapses into Patapsco River in Baltimore after vessel hits support column; state of emergency declared — Baltimore Sun

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning after a support column was struck by a vessel, sending cars and at least one tractor-trailer into the Patapsco River and prompting Gov. Wes Moore to declare a state of emergency.

apple.news

Holy crap!

 

[pman25]

 

[VaCaps Fan]

Holy shit

 

[g00n]

I know what my nightmares will be about tonight.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Looks like the ship lost power twice due to a fire. Losing power in a narrow channel is the nightmare scenario for a large ship because you lose steering as well and the only thing you can do if you can’t restore power is drop anchor. Still, even dropping anchor immediately has complications as the swing radius may be too large for it to stop you from running aground or hitting something, like a bridge. Brutal.

P.S. if your car is ever submerged in water keep calm (as best you can) and wait until the water fills the car before trying to open a door, break a window, etc. Once the car is fully submerged it will be equal pressure to the water and you can get out. 1000x easier said than done, I know.

 

[Devil Dancer]

I saw some posts about mobile posting and ads. FYI I use the Opera Android browser with its built in ad blocker and that works well.

HF does send a pop up once per session asking me to turn off my ad blocker but one click sends it away for a while.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

Evidently the freighter hailed a mayday into Port Authority when it lost power which allowed the PA to close off the bridge to traffic. They couldn’t shut it down to save everyone but those dudes are heroes. It takes a lot of mental toughness to be able to go through your EPs at 1:30 in the morning when the worst case scenario unfolds on you.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I find myself frighteningly wondering if many large bridges could be rammed like that and they would just collapse. I was surprised how it all folded so fast….scary.

 

[Neil Racki]

You know on like a really windy day and your standing outside and you fart .. and the fart lingers and smells despite the windy conditions ...

Pride .. was what I felt.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

I find myself frighteningly wondering if many large bridges could be rammed like that and they would just collapse. I was surprised how it all folded so fast….scary.

Most bridges that large have a barrier of some kind around the pillars so the ship can’t hit the columns directly, or at least would stunt the speed of the ship so the impact wouldn’t be catastrophic.

That said, your average car weighs anywhere from 1-4 tons and these things weigh about 170,000 tons of average. Not too much is going to withstand something that large hitting it head on at 7-10mph.

During the day ports normally have professional tugs that help guide massive ships in and out of the channel so if they do lose steering the tugs can immediately assist in navigating the ship. My guess is they didn’t have tugs that late at night because the volume of ships going in and out of the harbor is very low so risk of collision is low.

Its also difficult and time consuming to get ships that large into and out of these channels. Some times it takes hours for them to traverse the channel and they’re constantly being monitored by Port Authority or the Coast Guard… a random boat that large can’t just enter a channel. If a vessel went rogue and didn’t communicate with the harbor master there would be police/military boats immediately up its ass.

 

[usiel]

Where is Godzilla!

 

[usiel]

Looks like the ship lost power twice due to a fire. Losing power in a narrow channel is the nightmare scenario for a large ship because you lose steering as well and the only thing you can do if you can’t restore power is drop anchor. Still, even dropping anchor immediately has complications as the swing radius may be too large for it to stop you from running aground or hitting something, like a bridge. Brutal.

P.S. if your car is ever submerged in water keep calm (as best you can) and wait until the water fills the car before trying to open a door, break a window, etc. Once the car is fully submerged it will be equal pressure to the water and you can get out. 1000x easier said than done, I know.

Also why one should have one of edc type things within reach that can cut throw seatbelts and have the glass breaker. I think where it would get crazy if the car goes upside down as it sinks. Need to be out of that seatbelt quick.

 

[Chokingdogs]

I find myself frighteningly wondering if many large bridges could be rammed like that and they would just collapse. I was surprised how it all folded so fast….scary.

Yes, that was pretty horrifying. Altho I believe that was a cantilever style bridge, all those beams and whatnot are under tension/compression…and while I’m sure it could handle one or so failing, if enough go it simply turns into a house of cards.

I hate driving over bridges, the older I get, the more I hate. That event has increased the pucker factor 10X. I would plan my trips over the bay bridge to night time, so I wouldn’t have to see how far above the drink I was.