around the traps
- Sam spent several months and thousands of dollars to get an EV charger installed in his apartment - ABC News. People don't talk enough about this aspect of EV adoption. Most apartment buildings can barely get broadband into the place, let alone EV chargers in every space. Most apartment buildings don't even have a standard power point in each space, so trickle charging isn't an option.
- Controversial social media personality Andrew Tate arrested in Romania on human trafficking, rape charges after posting pizza box video - ABC News:
Internet sleuths believe the pizza box, from a well-known chain in Romania, helped police confirm Tate was in the country and played a crucial role in his arrest.
- Elon Musk Becomes First Person In History To Lose $200 Billion: Report | HuffPost Impact:
Musk's fortune to date peaked in November 2021 at $340 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index. He's now worth a not-too-shabby $137 billion, per Bloomberg, but that's still a steep dive from 2021.
- Rally driver Ken Block dies in Utah snowmobile accident, aged 55, his Hoonigan Racing team says - ABC News
- Behind-The-Scenes Polaroids from the set of Hackers | Dazed
- Riddle solved: Why was Roman concrete so durable? | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology:
Previously disregarded as merely evidence of sloppy mixing practices, or poor-quality raw materials, the new study suggests that these tiny lime clasts gave the concrete a previously unrecognized self-healing capability. [...] Through the extended functional lifespan and the development of lighter-weight concrete forms, he hopes that these efforts could help reduce the environmental impact of cement production, which currently accounts for about 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
- The pub with no town: How a lurid pink hotel kept Dulacca on the map and its regulars connected - ABC News
- 'You will get it wrong … but you can't make it worse': 16 ways to talk to people who are grieving | Death and dying | The Guardian:
You don't have to be in the club to know that we aren't great at talking about death. The mere mention of the word makes shoulders tense, stomachs gurgle and palms sweat. I have seen people tie themselves in physical knots to avoid grief coming up in light conversation.
- John Deere will let US farmers repair their own equipment | Engadget:
John Deere has been one of the stauncher opponents of right to repair regulation, but it's now willing to make some concessions. Deere & Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) that lets US farmers and independent repair shops fix equipment, rather than requiring the use of authorized parts and service centers. Users will have access to official diagnostics, manuals, tools and training. Deere will let owners disable electronic locks, and won't bar people from legally obtaining repair resources even if the company no longer offers them. [...] The memorandum is effective as of January 8th, although John Deere didn't detail exactly how or when it would alter its practices.
So much wiggle room you could drive a combine harvester through the gaps. Still needs real law, the MOU is a pretty obvious play to head off real requirements. -
MCM behind-the-scenes: