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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: July 2nd, 2023

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  • Oh wow, my comment made it here to c/bestoflemmy. I’m both flattered and also donning my flak helmet lol

    I do have two things I want to mention: 1) please don’t form an opinion (good or bad) on the American health care situation solely from a comment from some rando on the Internet. If you’re an American affected by the problems of the health care situation, write to your state and federal representatives, and remind them that you will vote accordingly in November, even if you’re in a state that is ardently one political color or another.

    And 2) I wouldn’t necessarily say I wrote an “objective” summary, as a fair number of the links and examples I used reference the ails caused by automobile culture, which has set up such massive-yet-impressive institutions like a well-oiled auto insurance system exactly to continue perpetuating harms upon urban environments, pedestrian and cyclist safety, municipal budgets, and energy security. All this in the pursuit of an out-modded 1960s utopic vision where private automobiles and suburban/exurban single-family homes provide quality of life for the masses. History has shown that this vision has failed, either of its own success (if it ever had any) or because it threw away the natural human settlement pattern proven over centuries.

    If you’re an American and are starting to see why maybe automobiles and single-family homes shouldn’t be placed on an undeserved pedestal, have a look at Strong Towns, the people seeking to right-size the automobile’s influence in small and middle America. Not by banishing cars, but by building the conditions for a healthy set of realistic alternatives, to strengthen municipal finances, grow deeper connections amongst the citizenry, and avoid the fate of ghost towns.

    They also have a YT channel and are comprised from local chapters, with maybe one near you.



  • All the other comments on getting comfortable with the physical operation are apt, so what I’ll add is that with old power tools, a possible concern is with electrical safety. If you’re capable with electrics, you might partially take apart the machines to verify that things are in working order. As in, no frayed or loose wires, grounding continuity exists, safety circuits are intact, etc.

    And when you’re using such equipment, making sure you’re using a properly-sized extension cord (eg 12 AWG or 4 mm^2) and a GFCI-protected outlet.





  • The original reporting by 404media is excellent in that it covers the background context, links to the actual PDF of the lawsuit, and reaches out to an outside expert to verify information presented in the lawsuit and learned from their research. It’s a worthwhile read, although it’s behind a paywall; archive.ph may be effective though.

    For folks that just want to see the lawsuit and its probably-dodgy claims, the most recent First Amended Complaint is available through RECAP here, along with most of the other legal documents in the case. As for how RECAP can store copies of these documents, see this FAQ and consider donating to their cause.

    Basically, AXS complains about nine things, generally around: copyright infringement, DMCA violations (ie hacking/reverse engineering), trademark counterfeiting and infringement, various unfair competition statutes, civil conspiracy, and breach of contract (re: terms of service).

    I find the civil conspiracy claim to be a bit weird, since it would require proof that the various other ticket websites actually made contact with each other and agreed to do the other eight things that AXS is complaining about. Why would those other websites – who are mutual competitors – do that? Of course, this is just the complaint, so it’s whatever AXS wants to claim under “information and belief”, aka it’s what they think happened, not necessarily with proof yet.



  • This might be true, although I do it mostly so I can remove the earplugs and rest them around my neck if someone needs to talk to me.

    The best PPE are the ones which have the fewest barriers toward using. Even the minor annoyance of having to set down untethered earplugs is best avoided, if it acts as a subconscious disincentive towards using PPE. Good safety policy adapts and accommodates this aspect of human behavior.

    In a home workshop, there is no OSHA, so I’m fully responsible for my own safety protocols.


  • I’m nowhere even remotely comparable to a proper furniture maker, but I can tell you some pitfalls to avoid.

    Don’t cut wood without eyes, ears, and face protection. The dust, noise, or fumes will get you one day or another, if without protection. I prefer earmuffs over earplugs, but if earplugs then use the ones which tether both ends together. For a face mask, I like low-profile half-masks like this one: https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/respirators/p100-half-mask-respirator-sm

    Resist the urge to dive into woodworking by starting with reclaimed wood. For example, pallets are a cheap/free source of material, but it’s a hodge-podge of different varieties, all riddled with nail holes, dents, and brown stains from rusty fasteners.

    That’s not to say it can’t be done, but it certainly aggravates the process if you’re just starting. I once came across a section of 2x4 recovered from a pallet, thinking that it would cut just like the pine I was used to. Instead, it wrecked two drill bits and burned a circular saw blade as well as itself. I later mailed a sample of it to the USDA Wood Identification Public Service, who informed me that it was Acer (Hard Maple). Up until then, I didn’t even know that maple came in both varieties.

    It seems hard maple is tougher than nails drill bits. I’m still learning.