Just randomly thinking about what my dad used to carry with him daily and how much I don’t. Things found in my father’s pocket on a daily basis
Wallet (rear pocket)
Comb (rear pocket with the wallet)
Folded Handkerchief (also in the rear pocket)
Change (coins)
Small pocket knife
Set of keys (key to two cars, house keys, office keys, etc.)
Lighter (cigarettes went into a shirt pocket)
I’m just a novice hockey fan, but the Stars have played well enough to beat the Golden Knights in both games.
My fellow P1s will be happy to know Bob Sturm signed a new contract with The TICKET. There are no details, but we’re thankful to know he’ll be around for a while. It’s also been great following his career as he achieves all these successes.
It seems like everybody is watching Succession. Maybe I’m missing out. I’ve watched the first two episodes and it didn’t pull me in. Also, I think I’m looking for something that’s a bit more positive and optimistic about life.
TX AG Ken Paxton Going After Hotel Chain Hidden Fees
Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Hyatt Hotels Corporation for allegedly engaging in deceptive advertising practices in violation of the state’s consumer protection laws. The lawsuit specifies the practice of charging consumers mandatory hidden fees, such as resort fees or destination and amenity fees on top of the advertised room rate.
Here’s how I used AI to clone a 60 Minutes correspondent’s voice to trick a colleague into handing over her passport number. I cloned Sharyn’s voice then manipulated the caller ID to show Sharyn’s name with a spoofing tool. The hack took 5 minutes total for me to steal the info. https://t.co/bYUooZWOiH
To my astonishment, I was able to buy a couple of tickets to the U2 show in Las Vegas this December. I did not budget for this kind of luck.
The Martian is on TV a lot. I like it. As you know, I struggle with my existence, my sense of being, my value to the world, a lot. One thing I really appreciate about the character of Mark Watney is that he’s single and his family isn’t mentioned at all. He’s not trying to survive and get back to Earth for his soulmate, kids, or any family, for that matter. That tired trope is avoided. For some reason, he chooses to live, he wants to live, despite the insane odds, money, resources, and time that will be spent on him. Maybe one day I’ll value myself just as much as Mark Watney.
Yes, I overthink. It’s not because I want to and to feel sad all the time. I just feel too much. I value things, emotions, people, and promises.
I love Star Wars, but not this much – Some Star Wars fans had complained that the cost of staying at the Starcruiser was too high. Bookings started at $4,800 for two guests.
A Russian woman living in New York City was sentenced to 21 years in jail for poisoning her similar-looking friend with sedative-laced cheesecake, then stealing her identification and other valuables.
Texas A&M is building an ungly building in Fort Worth. Man, is that ugly. I guess it’s what’s on the inside that counts?
Texas A&M-Fort Worth construction begins next month. The first 8-story building will be home to @TAMULawSchool and a research campus, with two more buildings to follow pic.twitter.com/igqKDOHwxq
— Bud Kennedy / #ReadLocal (@BudKennedy) May 18, 2023
Posted inPersonal|Comments Off on Bag of Randomness for Friday, May 19, 2023
Electric vehicle owners in Texas, such as myself, will now have to pay $200 every year when we renew our registration. We all should pay our fair share of taxes, we use the roads like everyone else. Per the Texas subreddit, the TxDOT Study on Imposing Fees on Alternatively Fueled Vehicles document provided some interesting data, and makes me wish the fee was closer to $100:
Most states already have annual flat fees in place for hybrids and EVs. (Page 35)
TxDOT considered different approaches to making up for the lost state fuel tax (ex. mileage-based) but settled on a flat fee. (Page 36)
Based on their assumptions, an equivalent conventional gas light duty vehicle produces $103 in state fuel taxes per year. (Page 27)
Instead of imposing a $100 annual fee based on those assumptions, Texas decided to double the fee to $200. This was probably chosen simply because it was the most common highest fee imposed by other states.
California and Illinois only charge an additional $100, Colorado $50, Oregon $150, and Washington $150.
One thing I have to do for my employer is ensure that our websites and products are 508 compliant. Basically, making sure our product is accessible to people with disabilities. So, I have to test them using the following tools:
ZoomText – for the vision impaired
JAWS (Job Access With Speech), also for vision impairment
Dragon Naturally Speaking – speech recognition software for those with physical impairments, so you control things with your voice.
