The privatized "DMV"s in Missourri are amazing. You have a question? Call your local "License Office" and you don't have to go through a robo call router, it rings and a person picks up. Go into the office and you get served almost immediately (depending on volume/time/location). In MO, vehicle registration is every second year (even year cars in even years, odd in odd). I am in every y ear for one vehicle or another. Last year I registered three cars in under five minutes. No papers to fill out, just showed them my tax invoice, my insurance card, and my inspection cards. They checked a few boxes, and told me to have a nice day.
Readit Newspard68 commented on Like Diogenes Across the Atlantic (2018) floatmagazin.de/en/people... · Posted by u/bryanrasmussen
Follow-up on the results of his barrel adventure https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48222707
pard68 commented on Google releases smart watch for kids store.google.com/US/produ... · Posted by u/goeldhru
I'm sorry for your loss. What I meant was that it used to be so common that it was something majority of parents (or large enough fraction) expeirienced so those that didn't experience it might have been seen as not experiencing full range of parenthood. One might say that modern medicine that vastly reduced child mortality somehow keeps most of modern parents from "growing up" in that sense that they never experience full range of parenthood from 200 years ago.
Ah, I see. I guess that's possibly true. On the other hand, the loss of someone close to you is practically inevitable. Eventually almost everyone will experience a devastating death (unless the person is the devastating death).
In my observation, the inability to let a child off on their own without any form of supervision or in this case tracking, means that the parent is not ready to let go of that child when they are an adult and need to be given the freedom to succeed or fail on their own.
I am admittedly biased. My sister was tracked from about 12 until this day and she's now 26, I believe. She gets upset when my mother isn't checking in on her. Likewise, my mother can't go more than a few hours without calling my sister. She will regularly check her phone to see where my sister is and then comment on her whereabouts and call or text her to ask why she's where ever.
Likely there are parents who are going to be able to handle these tools responsibly, but I am not sure there is a responsible way to use these.
But I am also biased against them, hopefully I am wrong. I saw how my sister has turned out from having a late-blooming helicopter parent and my wife (one of a dozen kids, so very hands off parents) and I have tried to give our own kids age appropriate freedoms.
I have been amazed by historic accounts of children. One example that sticks out to me is a letter a man in Texas wrote to his brother. The man's wife had died and he had to take care of some affairs in Texas. The man's brother lived in Kansas and he was writing because he'd sent his two children (12 & 13) to Kansas with his herd of cattle to sell. I don't think I'd ever be there, but I do think children are more capable and trustworthy than we give them credit for and we don't give children enough room and as a result we have some extremely childish adults who have never been given the chance to fail and get back up.
pard68 commented on I love my wife. My wife is dead (1946) lettersofnote.com/2012/02... · Posted by u/tu7001
I sometimes think about what my life would be like if my wife passed away. I'm also a father, and sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I lost my entire family. I think I'd have a hard time finding purpose and would either spiral or would become hyper focused in my career.
It is amazing. I had the same "best friend" for 20 years, from age 3 until 23, but almost as soon as I set eyes on my wife she became my best friend and became a much deeper and beloved one. I find that much of my motivation in life is because I want the best for her and our children.
pard68 commented on I love my wife. My wife is dead (1946) lettersofnote.com/2012/02... · Posted by u/tu7001
Not a knock on Feynman, but he did re-marry in '52, which ended in divorce a few years later and then married a third time in '60, and stayed married until his death.
pard68 commented on Google releases smart watch for kids store.google.com/US/produ... · Posted by u/goeldhru
Times change. Two hundred years ago growing up as a parent might have meant accepting one of your kids dying. Things don't stay the same.
I'm not sure I follow your meaning, kids still die. I have lost a child and a tracker that ruins their confidence and privacy wouldn't have done anything. Not that much changes.
pard68 commented on Google releases smart watch for kids store.google.com/US/produ... · Posted by u/goeldhru
Ugh, I threw up a little in my mouth just from the headline.
This constant tracking of kids is unnecessary and dangerous. Generations of kids survived without their parents needing to know their location at all times.
And yes, I totally admit, some kids (very few actually depending on the locale) didn't survive. But we've traded this false sense of "safety" for kids that are so risk averse it is seriously negatively affecting their development. I highly recommend the writings of Jonathan Haidt - he not only has great arguments but also has a lot of data to back up his conclusions.
Kids don't need more tech, they need less of it (and FWIW, most adults, too).
My sister is in her twenties. About the time she was in high school these tracking apps became available. My mother used it to keep an eye on her. Fast forward almost a decade, she freaks out if my mother isn't checking in on her now. It's quite disgusting.
I am glad to be about 10 years older and have entirely missed this plague.
pard68 commented on Google releases smart watch for kids store.google.com/US/produ... · Posted by u/goeldhru
This is a bit of projection. I have a child younger than yours and I feel exactly like OP.
I’m really sorry about your son’s experience. Getting lost can be terrifying for a kid.
But being lost happens (eg I was lost in hunting woods at 8yo), and many commenters have shared their experiences. Being scared and eventually overcoming the fear is a quintessential growing experience.
Obviously there are countless caveats because each kid is different, and depends on the level of danger etc
Ditto I have four kids between 8 and 1. These things keep children AND parents from growing up.
pard68 commented on Stellantis CEO confirms $25k Jeep EV teslarati.com/jeep-stella... · Posted by u/belter
American here without a super expensive vehicle, but still a pretty normal life.
There are plenty of adequate cars for $5-10k, even with the current used car price insanity.
I agree that dealerships are parasites, but so far it seems like it's pretty easy to avoid dealing with them.
Also an American and the same story. I have owned six "modern" (post 2000) vehicles and none cost more than $5000 and all have had very long and problem free lives with me. The only two vehicles I don't still own is a Dodge van that had an engine issue (owner fault) and a Mitsubishi that my wife's friend wrapped around a pole.
For those of us not in the US, can you explain what this means? And why it necessitates a physical visit to an office?
I have owned vehicles in the UK and Norway for fifty years and never had to visit such a place for the purpose of registering a vehicle. Even before it was done online all that was needed to register change of ownership was to send in the registration document. And we don't have to do it again. We have to pay an annual fee to the roads authority but that is now collected by the insurance company automatically in Norway so it cost money but not time or effort.