Hacker News: chrisdhoover

New comment by chrisdhoover in "Making the most of a dumb fax switcher box in the old days"

chrisdhoover — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 13:21:36 +0000

She describes exactly why networks are star configured and feature IDFs and MDFs. Even in analog phone days, commercial installations had telco closets where circuits were distributed. Residential not so much. My condo built in 2004 has the lovely feature of daisy chained network jacks. The only way to make the last jack in the chain work is to patch through all of the other ones. Fortunately wireless is a thing

New comment by chrisdhoover in "How to Build a Medieval Castle"

chrisdhoover — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 13:06:09 +0000

Is that the one where he moved large stones with small stones?

New comment by chrisdhoover in "The Italian towns selling houses for €1"

chrisdhoover — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 16:22:02 +0000

Weird, I saw a movie about the buck houses last night. The lead actors were horrible but the supporting actors weren’t half bad

New comment by chrisdhoover in ""English Translators of Homer": A Review"

chrisdhoover — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 16:48:42 +0000

I enjoyed The Return with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche

New comment by chrisdhoover in "Brad Lander detained by masked federal agents inside immigration court"

chrisdhoover — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 10:16:00 +0000

What other forum is there to voice your disapproval?

New comment by chrisdhoover in "Why does Switzerland have so many bunkers?"

chrisdhoover — Tue, 06 May 2025 22:45:58 +0000

The US had civil defense, air raid sirens and fallout shelters. Students practiced duck and cover. The paranoia was real. It led to the star wars defense program and out spending the Soviet union until they collapsed.

Switzerland is surrounded by belligerents who have historically been at war with each other. France vs Italy. Italy versus Austria and Germany against everyone.

Your take ignores the history of accomplishment in the US. The founding, the constitution, settling the continent , building great cities, industrialization, defeating Nazis, building the Interstate highway system, landing on the moon and placing satellites in space, creating world changing technology to name but a few.

New comment by chrisdhoover in "Stoop Coffee: A simple idea transformed my neighborhood"

chrisdhoover — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 00:26:00 +0000

I went to school in Richmond Va. Our flats had big covered porches. Summers there were brutal. The buildings were brick. While sturdy, bricks are excellent. Storing heat and releasing it slowly. None of us had AC. Porch life dominated. Everyone would sit out. Some folk had gliders. I once sat on porch as Dave Brockie strummed away on guitar working out some of his songs

It struck me that no one really did that in San Francisco. For one there are few if any big front porches. For two the damn cold evening fog chases the women inside. It took me a minute to realize the social life was at the corner boozer.

New comment by chrisdhoover in "Monster Cables picked the wrong guy to threaten (2008)"

chrisdhoover — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 17:25:50 +0000

If you travel back im time you’ll find audio connectors corroded. It was standard practice to use an eraser to polish the jacks. Monster offered gold plated connectors. It really made difference. Any benefits beyond non corrosive is questionable.

New comment by chrisdhoover in "How many artists' careers did the Beatles kill?"

chrisdhoover — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 19:15:38 +0000

By 65 the neighborhood teens were all atwitter with the Beatles. Its one of my earliest memories. The girls laying claim to one Beatle or another. “I like Paul” “I like George!” I hadn’t heard any of the Beatles songs. My limited musical exposure was from church and The Wonderful World of Disney. By the late 60’s I listened to WPGC and Kasey Kasims countdown. Growing older this all became so annoying. The overt loudness. The repetition. Seeking solace in alternatives I embraced punk and new wave. The thing that cracks me up is hearing the clash sing about Supermarkets while in the supermarket. Oh man oh man the 2020s are a great time to be alive

New comment by chrisdhoover in "San Francisco homelessness: Park ranger helps one person at a time"

chrisdhoover — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 01:42:34 +0000

Getting? It has been for years. Frank Jordan was the last mayor that tried a real plan.

New comment by chrisdhoover in "Yemeni Coffee Shops in Texas"

chrisdhoover — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 19:41:32 +0000

The office is dehumanizing. Not only bench seating and cube farms but offices too. Before Facebook gutted the long corridors of offices at the old Sun Micro, it was affectionately called Sun Quentin

New comment by chrisdhoover in "NYC wants you to stop taking traffic cam selfies, but here's how to do it anyway"

chrisdhoover — Sun, 15 Dec 2024 18:22:42 +0000

They may or may not be. Most traffic light mounted cameras video presence detectors

New comment by chrisdhoover in "Performance improvement plans are on the rise"

chrisdhoover — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 17:30:48 +0000

One should realize life is temporary. You probably will leave very little legacy. You should aspire to have a large attendance at a remembrance. My father’s funeral filled the church. An in-law’s had less than 10 people. Best you can do is have and rear good children. If hard work helps that, it will be a net benefit.

New comment by chrisdhoover in "The Most Hated Way of Firing Someone, the PIP, Is More Popular Than Ever"

chrisdhoover — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 17:20:56 +0000

Yes. Some at will states support lawsuits

New comment by chrisdhoover in "Performance improvement plans are on the rise"

chrisdhoover — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 17:19:49 +0000

Most of life is subjective. Objectivity is very difficult. You are dealing with people who are mostly wacky. I suppose a weighted decision calculation could be used. How do you measure grumpy gus, chatty cathy, or mean marvin? How do handle the unsober?

New comment by chrisdhoover in "Performance improvement plans are on the rise"

chrisdhoover — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 17:13:18 +0000

I think .20 is an underestimate. Under performers are likely in the .25 to .35 percent range. It is hard to find the right people and so there is an acceptance of good enough. The PIPs start with the most egregious or if cash flow is tight. An owner I worked for called it trimming the dead wood. From the business side it is best to get rid of some people. Its best for the remaining people too.

New comment by chrisdhoover in "Performance improvement plans are on the rise"

chrisdhoover — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 16:57:41 +0000

I have known serial PIPites.

New comment by chrisdhoover in "The capacitor that Apple soldered incorrectly at the factory"

chrisdhoover — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 13:34:29 +0000

Way back when a co worker was powering up a fire alarm control panel. Poof, capacitor popped and damaged his eye

New comment by chrisdhoover in "Quincy Jones has died"

chrisdhoover — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 23:08:55 +0000

Effort will get one far even without natural talent Effort and talent cannot be surpassed.

New comment by chrisdhoover in "The Rise and Fall of Matchbox's Toy-Car Empire"

chrisdhoover — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 15:00:53 +0000

My 4th grade teacher used the orange track to swat hands and backsides. The worst offender in class was taken to the book room and disciplined. I swear the both liked it. She also brought a refrigerator card board box in and set over him and his desk.