Hacker News: CapitalistCartr

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "I hated writing until I learned there’s a science to it (2024)"

CapitalistCartr — Thu, 28 May 2026 22:40:26 +0000

I'm an industrial electrician. I'm also skinny; people often undrestimate me. Once I had two non-electrician coworkers helping me pull some large wire and make up splices in a trough. One beefy guy was struggling with the wire, so I grabbed it, twisted it around into place. The other guy says, surprised, "You're stronger than you look." I just said, "Sure".

Because of the way the strands are laid, wire has a direction and way it "wants" to go. I'd been an electrician twenty years by that point and knew how to work it. Not strength. Not that I said any of that.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Hindenburg’s Smoking Room"

CapitalistCartr — Sun, 17 May 2026 15:31:38 +0000

When I was a kid, back eons ago, smoking was everywhere. People who didn't smoke had ashtrays for guests. Telling people to not smoke was simply not a thing. When I was about 16, some family friends put a small sign on their front door requesting people not smoke inside their house. I was shocked. I liked the idea, but I'd never seen that before, never even considered it. I recall wondering how many people would be offended enough to stop visiting.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Casio S100X Japanese Lacquer Edition (JP Page Only)"

CapitalistCartr — Sun, 10 May 2026 16:36:36 +0000

So it's about $630 USD and sold out.

"Limited to 650 units worldwide (production units)."

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "New statue in London, attributed to Banksy, of a suited man, blinded by a flag"

CapitalistCartr — Sun, 03 May 2026 23:07:36 +0000

I have a hardhat, high viz vest, lanyard, and $600 toolbelt because I'm an industrial electrician, but they get me into a lot. My face becomes invisible; I become "The Electrician".

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Show HN: Brutalist Concrete Laptop Stand (2024)"

CapitalistCartr — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 20:17:30 +0000

The professionals actually use a tool that looks about like a big (BIG) vibrator, along with various other vibrating tools.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "US private credit defaults hit record 9.2% in 2025, Fitch says"

CapitalistCartr — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 20:10:53 +0000

The usual arrangement for an LBO is to saddle the bought company, the vet in this example, with the debt,or spin off a secondary company from the vet with the poorest assets and most to all of the debt. It's all a scummy business.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Florida judge rules red light camera tickets are unconstitutional"

CapitalistCartr — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:53:48 +0000

We have red light cameras here in Tampa. I don't know all the details of what it takes to make a right on red and not get a ticket, so I do exaggerated stops to be sure. I know what the law claims but that doesn't matter. The real law is the actual (proprietary) code rumning in the machine. Not what the law says. Not what the contract says. Not what the requirements say. Not what the programmer thinks the code does.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "How to talk to anyone and why you should"

CapitalistCartr — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 01:08:09 +0000

While I don't agree about population either way, in my lifetime it's grown from about 3 billion to over 8 billion. This has been quite a ride. Also, there's a world of a difference between global carrying capacity with responsible aliens managing, and our current management.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Workers at Redmond SpaceX lab exposed to toxic chemicals"

CapitalistCartr — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 12:39:32 +0000

This is the answer to most of professional life. Unionize! If you don't manage people, join a union. If you think where you work is fine so you don't need a union, that's when you need one, before something like this happens.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "BYD Sells 4.6M Vehicles in 2025, Meets Revised Sales Goal"

CapitalistCartr — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 22:04:36 +0000

I could make a good case for the United States fitting that description, especially the bits about trade and agression.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Toys with the highest play-time and lowest clean-up-time"

CapitalistCartr — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 13:42:24 +0000

We found the Minecraft magnet tiles the same as the author did. Looked good, not much play, not much fun, basically a dud. Generic blocks seem better.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Three ways to solve problems"

CapitalistCartr — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 15:27:26 +0000

Two methods I have found useful. If it seems an intractable problem, you've made two goals equal. Figure out the conflicting goals and decide which will give way, such as once I think about it I realize the unspoken goal is I don't want to challenge Mom, M-I-L, Boss, etc.

Second method is 6 steps: Intel, intel, intel, always be gathering intel. Clear mind, set aside emotions. Clear vision of what I want, the more clear and detailed, the more likely I'll get the result I want. Detailed plan to get from current reality to vision. Execute plan. Debrief: what worked, what mistakes, etc.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Over fifty new hallucinations in ICLR 2026 submissions"

CapitalistCartr — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 15:29:18 +0000

I'm an industrial electrician. A lot of poor electrical work is visible only to a fellow electrician, and sometimes only another industrial electrician. Bad technical work requires technical inspectors to criticize. Sometimes highly skilled ones.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Iran begins cloud seeding operations as drought bites"

CapitalistCartr — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 16:14:11 +0000

Operation Popeye

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Popeye

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Ticker: Don't die of heart disease"

CapitalistCartr — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 17:35:11 +0000

You're almost certainly going to die by or before 110, anyway. (Ir)Regardless of your efforts, or lack thereof, our bodies typically give out in the 100-110 year range with very few exceptions.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Computer science courses that don't exist, but should (2015)"

CapitalistCartr — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 11:28:31 +0000

"Dogmatism, superstition, toxicity"

You must not know any electricians. These behaviors are far from unique to one field.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Greenland is a beautiful nightmare"

CapitalistCartr — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 18:02:56 +0000

The people wanting to buy your house don't have the World's most powerful military and a penchant for abusing others with it. The store selling cookies or belts want to sell these things, as opposed to being coerced. If I buy your car at gunpoint, the money I leave you with doesn't make my actions legal or ethical.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "World emissions hit record high, but the EU leads trend reversal"

CapitalistCartr — Sun, 14 Sep 2025 17:28:57 +0000

The USA, China, and India are the leaders on Climate Change emmisions, and have to make real changes for global results. Until us three get serious, progress is nil.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Blue-collar jobs are gaining popularity as AI threatens office work"

CapitalistCartr — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 13:55:22 +0000

I'm an industrial electrician. I have zero fears of being replaced by any any sort of AI. Maybe by someone younger and smarter, but I have 38 years experience. The trades are a decent living, and lots of people could do worse.

New comment by CapitalistCartr in "Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge"

CapitalistCartr — Tue, 20 May 2025 10:51:36 +0000

Train tracks are normally not precise to within 4mm anyway, and wheels are wide enough to tolerate that.