idiotking

I’ve got entirely too many browser tabs open so let’s review some of them:

This little QuadLock CarPlay USB dongle looks pretty slick; it’s small, it supports more than one phone, and it would remove at least one of the cords in the new Honda. I’m also considering installing an OEM wireless charging pad, but Honda is selling those for $230, so I’m holding off on that for now.
Truck nerds only: Truck Town is a 3-hour documentary on the IH plant in Fort Wayne produced by PBS. I’m only an hour in and I find it pretty fascinating.

The Autopian reported yesterday that a private equity firm bought the Pick and Pull business from LKQ, who have spent the last ten years consolidating all of the locally owned yards around the country. Private equity never means anything good.
Driven to Write is another car-based website with independent contributors. They ran a great feature on Briggs Cunningham, a wealthy motorsport enthusiast and car builder. I’m looking forward to the second half.

Here’s a video featuring Darth Haul’s first drive around the neighborhood from start to finish. I swapped the EFI out for the original carburetor just so that I could get the damn thing on the road. It’s running poorly right now, so I pulled the carb apart, cleared it out with brake cleaner, and re-assembled everything. Next up, I have to tune the engine properly and then I’ll swap carbs back out to properly set up the EFI.

Robert Reich, national treasure, details five things we can do to stand up to fascism.

Call your representatives. 5calls.org is a resource he suggests.
Attend town halls. (bring people with you).
Join resistance groups. Indivisible.org | ACLU | fiftyfiftyone
Boycott companies that support this regime.
Protect the most vulnerable in your community.

“Democracy is not a spectator sport.” Truer words could not be spoken.

Phillip Bump was until recently a journalist working for the Washington Post who decided to leave. He wrote thoughtfully about what institution he wanted to write for next, in his words, “…directing their accrued power responsibly.” He talks about not publishing on Substack due to that platform’s position on supporting white nationalists, but finding an institution that does good work and using his voice to build that power. See also: How to Read This Chart.

(via onfocus)

We’ve been buying renewable energy for over fifteen years through a program Maryland’s legislature put together, which allows for consumers to choose who their provider is (as long as that provider is part of the program). I just got a letter from our longtime supplier saying they’re withdrawing from the program based on Maryland Senate Bill 1, which imposes stricter regulations on retail energy suppliers to protect consumers from misleading practices in the competitive energy market. So I have to go shopping to see if there’s someone else we can buy clean energy from.

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We’ve also gotten several notices from the Johns Hopkins Medicine group, which informed us that as of today they are no longer in UnitedHealthcare’s network, because they “have been unable to get United to agree to a contract that puts patients ahead of profits.” Johns Hopkins took absolutely world-class care of my family and I when I had cancer, and UnitedHealthcare’s coverage came through for us. But that was almost eight years ago, and the world has changed a lot since then. I’ve only got one more checkup scheduled with Hopkins before they cut me loose, but now I’m considering skipping that because I don’t have the money to pay for all of those tests out of pocket. Greatest healthcare in the world, etc. etc.

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Tired of dealing with a pair of wired headphones for my work computer, and unwilling to use my AirPods with that machine, I bought a pair of Anker Soundcore P20i headphones from Amazon for $20 a few weeks ago, and I’ve been very happy with their performance. I’ve got a handful of Anker products here, and I have to say I haven’t been disappointed with any of them. As far as inexpensive Chinese brands go, they have had the highest consistent quality.

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