I live in Japan where bicycles are registered with the police.

Is that mandatory registration for all bicycles, or voluntary?

I have encountered cities, and even universities, in North America that offer voluntary bicycle registration. Very few bike owners here actually register their bikes, though. And I assume the different registration systems do not sync up, so a thief simply needs to move the bicycle elsewhere when they sell it.

If you have any suspicion the bike might be stolen, then assume it is stolen.

lol, good video.

Sousa said she did not know what conduct the employee was referring to.

“We’ve done nothing transphobic,” Sousa said. “We literally brought the code of conduct with us and have followed it to the letter.”

Brought the code of conduct with you, eh? Typical trolls looking for a fight and feigning innocence when they get called out.

I bet they’re a fun couple.

Project Orion

Imagine a ship full of nuclear bombs. The ship has a blast shield at its back end. The ship poops out a series of bombs, each of which explode and push the craft forward.

This was a seriously funded research project. They launched functional (non-nuclear) prototypes and penciled out a Mars mission using this technology. The project was thankfully cancelled due to the signing of the 1963 partial nuclear test ban treaty. Because maybe detonating a bunch of nukes in the atmosphere isn’t such a good idea, when most of us still need that atmosphere after the rocket is gone.

Your trip looks awesome, too! The Catskills are great. I hope you get a lot more ski trips there, and up in the Adirondacks!

At my son’s scout camping trip in 2025, sleeping in snow shelters we built. I put a plastic sled over the entrance to keep in a little heat while I slept. The nighttime low was around 7F (-13C).

Last winter we didn’t have enough snow to build shelters. I have high hopes for this coming January!

Be careful of the details. My area got rid of their Flock cameras, only to quietly switch to Axon cameras instead. Same shit, different name.

In Washington he managed to do this before his legal window of opportunity closed.

Washington state started regulating use of ALPRS by law enforcement this year. A new law that went into effect in March limits the use of ALPR data to investigate felonies and gross misdemeanors, exempts the data from public records requests and closes loopholes that could previously be exploited by immigration enforcement agencies outside the state.

1/3 of the country thinks he’s the best thing to ever happen to America. They eat this stuff up.

1/3 of the country thinks he’s somewhere between a national embarrassment and an existential threat to our constitutional democracy.

1/3 of the country is apathetic about politics and cannot be bothered to give a shit over way or the other.

Shh, don’t give 'em any ideas.

File format: .webp
PNG or JPEG might work, but Lemmy seems to like .webp.

Dimensions: The image may be scaled differently by various Lemmy UIs, so there is no exact size requirement. Here are some current instance sidebar image sizes for reference:
sh.itjust.works: 1792 x 672
lemmy.world: 1863 x 713
lemmy.blahaj.zone: 1400 x 650
lemmy.dbzer0.com: 2048 x 640

Careful what you wish for. Neil Young and Van Morrison are 80, too.

Yes, it’s AI. A bit over 3 years ago we accepted community submissions and had a public vote. The submissions were all AI-generated.

We can certainly open up a search for new banner artwork. I propose we start with a discussion post in the Agora to collect submissions for a week or two, and then hold a vote, same as last time. I can make the discussion post later today.

Old banner discussion: https://sh.itjust.works/post/1022097

Old banner vote: https://sh.itjust.works/post/1432783
(Unfortunately, some of the image links are broken.)

Just the cost of doing business.

Edit: The settlement will be paid out over 10 years. If Meta pays a steady $1.8B every year that’s <1% of annual revenue. Damnit!

Dolly belongs on the $100.

And while we’re at it, put Harriet Tubman on the $20. And maybe John Brown on the $10.

Cycling: Get a bicycle and start exploring your area. It doesn’t need to be a nice bike; check garage sales and Craigslist and get whatever fits comfortably. Wander off your usual routes and you will encounter new corners of your town that you never knew existed.

Music: Pick up a used acoustic guitar, electric keyboard, banjo, or whatever you can find. The world is full of inexpensive books and free YouTube videos to teach new students.

Drawing: Make doodles, little comics, or sketches of whatever is around you. A pencil and paper are all you need. Look up YouTube videos for daily sketching practice exercises.

Amateur radio: An entry-level license involves a basic quiz and a nominal fee. Cheap radios can be had for less than US$100. If you meet an old timer with a garage full of gear they might hand you a pile of old equipment for free.

Of course, any of these can become expensive and time-consuming hobbies if you go down the rabbit hole. But that just means you have found something you love.

The risk of harm to my kids.

Most common fear by far.

Studies have shown that a life imprisonment costs less overall than seeking the death penalty (in the US at least). So in addition to the ethical issues of execution, and the clear risk of convicting and executing the wrong person, we have a financial incentive to abolish execution. Getting rid of capitol punishment is a win-win-win proposition.

I mean, it saved them from famine at the time. But today I’m thinking it’s about time to change direction and return to the old homeland.