tmyakal

@tmyakal@infosec.pub

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Don’t you lie to me⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  The case would be thrown out if it made it to a judge with that evidence. But the stings were often a pretense to initiate a stop-and-frisk where additional charges are going to get trumped up. Then they’ll lock you in a room where they just need to convince you that any one of those charges might stick, you’ll have a criminal record, and your life is over. Now you’re plea-bargaining down to a misdemeanor because the cops lied and intimidated you into avoiding a trial where your evidence would be presented.

  The obvious answer is “lawyer up immediately,” but many people can’t afford lawyers. So now you’re getting an overworked, underpaid public defender who wants to spend as little time on your case as possible. You know what they’ll tell you? “Take the deal.”

  The system as it is right now is designed to favor the state. Judges and prosecutors have been trying to reduce the number of jury trials for decades, often arguing that they’re cumbersome and time consuming. Fewer and fewer people get their day in court. Around 95% of US criminal convictions these days come from plea deals where no one had to present evidence. Instead of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury, the police and the DA just need to convince the accused that the state is too tough to fight.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Don’t you lie to me⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  The article is from a site called “Police Mag” and quotes NYPD representatives. I would take what they say about how successful, fair, and justly enforced these stings were with a grain of salt.

  It literally says they stop-and-frisk if the “perpetrator” didn’t immediately return the wallet to the officer. On a crowded street or subway, it’s very possible to see a wallet on the ground and not see who dropped it, and now you’re getting pulled into one of the most bullshit warrantless search practices of modern policing?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Don’t you lie to me⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  …what? Where do you live that cops get fired? Certainly not the US.

  And, yes, people have sued the NYPD. Often and repeatedly. That has only changed how they define their practices, not what those practices are. For example, NYPD officially stopped having quotas for stop-and-frisks after the lawsuit ~15 years ago, but everyone inside the department knows that if you have the fewest stops, you’ll get worse assignments and are more likely to be passed over for promotion.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Don’t you lie to me⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  Thanks. I should just stop using lemmy on my phone. Autocorrect continues to make me look stupid.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Don’t you lie to me⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  Theft. Pickpocketing. You’ve got a wallet that isn’t yours, so you must have stolen it. Nevermind that the office arresting you put it there and watched you pick it up, because it’s your word against there’s.

  It was a quick and easy way for cops to hit their quota, even if the DA didn’t end up prosecuting. Although usually they’d at least try to threaten you into a plea just to help their conviction rate.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Don’t you lie to me⁩ ⁨⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  Absolutely this. NYPD used to set up “stings” where they’d place a wallet like this down and then arrest the first person to pick it up. Doesn’t matter if you were going to take it to the police station to turn it in or not, they just arrest you on the spot.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The most unrealistic part of Odyssey is the journey taking 20 years⁩ ⁨⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  Hi neighbor! I love seeing other locals on lemmy.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The most unrealistic part of Odyssey is the journey taking 20 years⁩ ⁨⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  It’s a hell of a lot better than it used to be. I remember being scared to be there in the '90s. They’ve put a lot of money into cleaning up downtown and the waterfront. Crime has plummeted through the floor. New construction and new restaurants have moved in. These days, it’s nearly the hipster Brooklyn scene of the Capital Region.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The most unrealistic part of Odyssey is the journey taking 20 years⁩ ⁨⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  Pretty sure you can still take Rt 13 and Rt 20 most of the way. Going through each town and hitting lights will add some time, sure, but we’re talking an hour, maybe 90 minutes. Odysseus has no excuse.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Anon orders food⁩ ⁨⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  sales tax would be less than a dollar

  Entirely locality dependent. Where I live, tax on a $20 tab would be a little under $2. I know there’s some municipalities where it’d be as high as $2.40.

  So, sure, technically still not $25, but once you need more than a $20 bill, it’s not obscene to round up to the nearest $5.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨*landbastard intensifies at the right of replacing a 2 dollar light switch".⁩ ⁨⁨23⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  … did you even read the thread your responding to? The whole premise is a landlord making a value judgement on the additional 8 hours per day that may incur wear and tear on the property.

  And to be clear, I’m not arguing the validity of that position. I’m arguing the legality of that clause. It’s difficult to prove and likely prohibitively expensive to enforce, but not fundamentally illegal in much of the US. If the landlord puts it in the lease, and the tenant signs that lease, then the tenant better be prepared for argumentative bullshit from their landlord.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Three developers' different philosophies on difficulty for their games⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩:

  Someone told me they didn’t like the Soulslike aspects of Expedition 33. I was baffled, could not understand what they meant. The entirety of E33’s gameplay is practically stolen wholesale from Super Mario RPG.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨*landbastard intensifies at the right of replacing a 2 dollar light switch".⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩:

  Not exclusively. There are plenty that are run privately and/or partner with rehab clinics as the next step after in-patient detox.

  Yes, a lot of people can end up there as part of a sentencing agreement, but not all. I would be surprised if it was even most. And regardless of inciting circumstances, it’s still a living situation that is contingent on strict rules and guidelines that the tenant must agree to or face eviction. Which is exactly what we’re talking about: can a landlord dictate the conditions under which you’re allowed to stay? Yes, as long as it’s in writing, agreed to by both parties, and doesn’t violate any local, state, or federal laws.

  If you want a less extreme example, we can talk about a lease that stipulates no smoking inside. That’s a pretty standard clause these days in localities that allow it. Would we give it the same scrutiny and pushback? Probably not, because most people don’t smoke these days and that expectation has been normalized. Just because landlords haven’t gotten to normalize limited usage hours for a property yet doesn’t mean it’s illegal for them to try.

  TL;DR: If it’s not illegal, a lease can require anything both parties agree to. Not saying that is right, common, or economical to enforce, but it’s a thing that is true.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨What’s a reasonable tip for a barber? (America)⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩:

  workers will finally ask for livable wages from their employers

  Most states allow booth renting, which means that the barber or stylist is paying the salon/shop owner for the privilege of working there. They can be expected to help keep the place clean, only sell products the shop owner authorizes, be available for walk-ins a certain number of hours per week, and keep pricing in line with that shop’s policies, but otherwise they’re “their own boss.” Whatever that means at that point.

  So many barbers and stylists are not making wages. They’ve effectively got a landlord who sets their prices for them. The only power they have is to change shops and hope for a less abusive landlord, but that also risks alienating reliable and repeating customers.

  It’s an absolutely fucked and predatory system. It requires a legislative fix, but just like the other big tip-dependent sector of food service, the people in these jobs are overwhelmingly overworked women struggling to make ends meet. Many people find it difficult to engage in political advocacy when they’re struggling to survive.

  Basically, I hate this “ask for livable wages” rhetoric because at-risk people have the hardest time self-advocating. Don’t blame poor people for being poor. See that there’s a problem and advocate on for them.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨*landbastard intensifies at the right of replacing a 2 dollar light switch".⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩:

  Agreed, I said exactly as much:

  enforceable as long as they don’t explicitly conflict with local laws.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨*landbastard intensifies at the right of replacing a 2 dollar light switch".⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩:

  Oh yeah, as I said, it’s a very difficult thing to prove and absolutely not worth the money wasted trying to enforce it. But there’s no rule saying dogs can’t play basketball. If a landlord wants to put it in, and a tenant knowingly signs it, the tenant needs to be prepared for the possibility of this turning into a huge pain in the ass.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨*landbastard intensifies at the right of replacing a 2 dollar light switch".⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩:

  I guess it depends on what freedoms you associate with being a domicile. Plenty of leases have specific restrictions in the agreement that are enforceable as long as they don’t explicitly conflict with local laws. No smoking, no pets, etc are all valid and enforceable clauses to put in a lease. I’ve signed leases saying “guests can’t stay longer than 24 hours” without batting an eye.

  Requiring a tenant to be out of the house 8 hours per day is odd and difficult to prove, but if you sign a lease that says it, I don’t see how you wouldn’t be accountable to it.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨*landbastard intensifies at the right of replacing a 2 dollar light switch".⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩:

  The principle already exists. Halfway-houses often have curfews: if you’re out of the house after X time without a valid excuse, you are in violation of your lease. There’s also 55+ communities: if you’re letting your 20-something kid crash with you, you’re in violation of your lease.

  As long as it’s not a protected status or violates local renting laws explicitly, a landlord can put just about anything they want in the lease agreement. If the tenant signed the agreement with those clauses, they’re obliged to abide by those clauses.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨*landbastard intensifies at the right of replacing a 2 dollar light switch".⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩:

  “Where you work” is not a protected characteristic in the US. Plenty of places where a landlord could throw this clause into the lease, and if they can prove you violated it, they can start eviction proceedings.

  It would be very difficult to prove, and the ensuing legal battle may cost more than the “additional maintenance” that may be required, but in theory these bastards can do pretty much whatever they want.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨What games did you sleep on for too long?⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩:

  I got it shortly after it came out because everyone was saying how great it was, and I immediately bounced off of it. Every few years, I’ll go back and try again hoping I can find what people loved about it, but it’s just not my taste. I forced myself as far as Skellige one time, but only because I kept reminding myself, “If you get to a new area, you might get to play more Gwent.”

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨US problems require US solutions⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  I used to be buddies with a retired NYPD patrolman. He said it was overwhelmingly common to have your service piece in your hip-holster and an unregistered “drop gun” in an ankle-holster. The idea being, if you need to shoot someone, you can cover your ass by dropping the spare on the body and saying they brandished it at you.

  He wasn’t the type to exaggerate or make shit up, so I tend to believe him on this. Just further proof, though: ACAB.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Three developers' different philosophies on difficulty for their games⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  The Souls games actually do have difficulty settings; they’re just a bit esoteric. I think of it like the Mario games: almost anyone can “beat” a Mario, but there are secrets and collectibles all over those games that are only pursued by players who want more of a challenge. It’s the same game, but the player is opting to increase difficulty.

  Souls games start at a higher skill floor than the average Mario, but you can unlock tools to make the game easier if you choose. There’s co-op summons, overpowered weapons and equipment, places to easily farm huge numbers of levels. Plus plenty of cheesy strategies for most of the toughest bosses. It’s all optional in-game choices you can make to tweak the difficulty to your taste without the devs putting in a menu slider that just gives every enemy double-HP or something. And they’ve gotten better at implementing these tools every time they’ve iterated. The few people who dunked on Elden Ring often criticized how easy it was relative to earlier FromSoft games. It’s not inherently easier, there are just many more ways to scale down the challenge if you want.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Me_irl⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  1Gbit is standard

  Fucking where? The “premium” service my ISP offers only promises 100Mbit, and I’m not exactly in the boonies.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Nintendo Responds To Tariff Refunds Lawsuit, Tells Customers They "Got What They Bargained For"⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  Nintendo should have made this right for PR.

  Ha! Hahaha! Haha! When the fuck has Nintendo ever worried about PR? They’ve got their place in the market completely on lock and will open litigation against anyone and everyone who even looks at their IP in a way they don’t like. Nintendo could release a console that required a pint of blood every time you boot it up, and as long as a Zelda comes out on it, they’ll still sell out.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨[deleted]⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  “Hmm… yes, inevitable…” I mutter to myself as I zip-tie roman candles to my bicycle and eye my homemade building-to-building ramp. “Literally nothing I can do” I say as I lift my thumb in the air, signaling my compatriot to release the wrecking ball.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Finally HR does something right⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  I can only speak from my US perspective, but here OP is correct. If you complain to HR, they will say whatever they legally can to placate you in the moment, but they will also start a file and collaborate with your manager to begin building a case for dismissal. In the US, you’re always better off applying for a new job than talking to HR about a problem.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨My Local Public Tennis Court Requires Online Registration⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Honestly? Yes. Most people aren’t visiting a library with malicious intent. There’s no profit in stealing and selling things that are already given for free. So who is fucking this system up? Hoarders and antisocials? I think the system can outpace and forgive them.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨My Local Public Tennis Court Requires Online Registration⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  I understand your point, but even in a crowded city, this isn’t the solution. If your city’s courts are booked out, whether through online booking or people sitting outside and calling dibs, the solution is always “build more capacity.” The problem exists because more people want to use the area than the area allows. Forcing online registration shifts the problem: there’s more capacity because there’s less tolerance for bullshit, not because there’s less interest in using the space.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨My Local Public Tennis Court Requires Online Registration⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  I disagree with the premise of ensuring it’s only accessible to people who are “supposed to be using it.” This is a public park. The public is supposed to be using it. By forcing registration, they’re limiting access to just people who have smart phones and are savvy enough to navigate the registration hoops. Children and old people aren’t allowed to play tennis, I guess?

  If the big tangible benefit is resolving scheduling disputes, this is an over-engineered solution. There could be a sign-up board or book right by the entrance. Hell, they could station a park worker there during peak hours, just like they do for the swimming pool there.

  And data collection absolutely is an issue on its own. Especially when it’s tied to a random QR code on a sign. A malicious actor could make their own copycat portal and start stealing IDs with the amount of information these guys are asking for. And that’s to say nothing of what the actual company may be doing with it.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨My Local Public Tennis Court Requires Online Registration⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Our high-school courts aren’t open to the public. Every few months some unwitting adults go over to try to play outside of school hours, and the cops come and kick them out.

  There’s a smaller park in a suburb nearby, but there’s only three courts and they always seem occupied. My in-laws live near a park with a few more courts that is actually open to the public, but it’s a 15-minute drive to get there. Part of the initial appeal was that the park with all the new courts was barely a mile from our apartment. All the extra hoops to use it are frustrating.