Taking a different approach of starting simple and working up,

100.0 works

{{100.0}} does not work

“{{100.0}}” also does not work

Combining this with similar comments, plus adding in the math to convert to a percent, I tried this:

brightness_pct: "{{state_attr('light.kitchen_sink_ceiling', 'brightness') | float(0) /255*100}}"

Still getting the same message

Message malformed: expected float for dictionary value @ data['brightness_pct']

For what it’s worth, if I try to set brightness instead of brightness_pct, I get a different message

Message malformed: extra keys not allowed @ data['brightness']

(I’m assuming that device just doesn’t accept a brightness attribute - not a big deal to math it out though)

Do you happen to remember the name of that documentary? I saw the Vice specials from a really long time ago, but they seem to have gone through a much more controlled experience that wouldn’t see what you describe. Heck, I think what I saw predates smartphones taking over the world.

It’s a solution in search of a problem. And boy are they searching.

Hmmm. Do pineapple and anchovies go together?

Speaking of doing research, thoughts?

https://www.npr.org/2024/09/23/nx-s1-5074064/ev-gas-cars-environment-skepticism

The big question is if you can charge at home. Depending on the car, it’s feasible to do so on a normal outlet if you drive ~30 miles or less per day. A 240 volt outlet can be a game changer on top of that though. My setup charges my car 0-100 in about 6 hours (you know, overnight, when I’m not doing anything and electricity is cheapest). But if I were in an apartment and had no access to overnight charging I’d consider other options.

(Chevy Bolt EUV)

This is a thing? My wife texted me some wonderful legendary nonsense when she took some Benadryl for a cold several years ago!

I absolutely do think RCV should be used! Or at least runoff voting or SOMETHING other than FPTP. But the other commenter was suggesting that because I’m in favor of it, and because I pointed out the potential consequence of voting third party under FPTP, I must prove my allegiance (or something) by starting a movement. As if I can’t simply have an opinion without dedicating my life to it.

Cool. Am I supposed to do that for every cause I believe in or just the ones you say I should?

I see lots of problems in the world. Our voting system is flawed, income inequality is bananas, people still think Donald Trump won the election 4 years ago, our cities are very car-dependent, and plenty more. If I built a grassroots program for every issue I point out to every yahoo on the Internet, I wouldn’t have time to change my toddler’s diaper. If my posting online tells people to keep the cart behind the horse or reconsider their points of view (glad you seem to agree with me what the problem is!) I’ll call that a win on a smaller scale.

Cripes. My point was our current system means your vote for the perfect candidate can put the candidate you disagree with most into office when one with much closer views to yours could have been elected instead. It has happened, and in a place where it really shouldn’t have.

That system should be changed for that reason, and until it is you should be very aware of unintended consequences of that vote.

Regardless of outcome, you’re playing with fire in our current voting system. Even if a few states did actually elect a third party, you could see no candidate reach 270 electoral votes and then it goes to the even more arcane vote done in the house of representatives (which each state gets a vote)

A very blue district in Hawaii sent a Republican (Charles Djou) to Washington in a special election with less than half the vote, because the two Democrats in the race refused to back down. If there were a ranked choice or other voting system than “plurality takes all”, he wouldn’t have won

My friends (one of whom was vegetarian until fairly recently) went to Iceland recently and said that puffin was absolutely delicious

Please elaborate. Better yet, don’t.

By the way, you do understand that itineraries with layovers exist, and that stopping all international flights in and out of the world’s most populous country is unrealistic?

At will*

Right to work is about not having to join a union. At will employment means you can quit/get fired for any reason* or no reason at all

* there are a few exceptions to this, like you can’t be fired over membership of a protected class (being a certain race, sex, etc) and there are limited whistleblower protections in certain areas. Not sure if not showing up to work applies when there’s an evacuation order, especially considering one may live inside an evacuation area and work outside (or vice versa)

Machine learning has some pretty cool potential in certain areas, especially in the medical field. Unfortunately the predominant use of it now is slop produced by copyright laundering shoved down our throats by every techbro hoping they’ll be the next big thing.

That’s cool, and I’d love to see it. “wage” means hourly payment for time worked. Anything else is a benefit or whatever - but not wage. Wage theft is not getting paid wages due.

Vacation time is not the same as hourly wage.

I don’t think we really disagree here. You’re focusing on what people are. I’m focusing on how they see themselves. They’re not necessarily the same things.