JillyB

If you do want to go the belt-drive and igh route, you'll need to have your frame modified. You'll need to have a belt split added to the seat stay and the rear triangle modified for 135mm dropout spacing (probable you don't have 135mm dropouts). You would need the rear derailleur replaced with a belt tensioner.

Since you use drop-bars, that would limit your options as most IGH shifting uses unique cable-pull. Microshift makes drop-bars brake/shifters for Shimano alfine IGHs. I have this setup on my belt-drive bike. You could also have dedicated brake levers and a bar-end friction shifter which will work with any gear system. That would be a super cool setup but it isn't for everyone. A more clean setup would be something like the Gevanalle which has an indexed shifter built into the brake lever. Keep in mind that your IGH would need to be disc brake compatible unless you want to switch the rear to rim-brake.

None of this is impossible and you would have a super cool whip at the end of it but it's not going to be cheap compared to a frame built for belt-drive from the start.

A less committal option is a chain drive with IGH. You would still need the rear triangle modified to 135mm spacing but you wouldn't need a belt split. As long as your frame is steel, this can probably be bent by a frame builder/mechanic for cheaper than adding a belt split. This could use a single-speed chain which would be much more robust than most higher gear chains. It would also be more tolerant of misalignment since belts really need a good belt-line while chains can absorb a couple mm of misalignment.

Certainly many governments including the US, Israel, and Russia have been caught with troll farms, funding radical influencers, etc. I don't think it's far fetched to believe that a state actor is sowing discord within their own people. Just look at COINTELPRO for a good example of the FBI infiltrating and dividing leftist movements.

My main gripe is the jump from skepticism to conspiracy. Through a host of conspiracies, the right has eroded the concept of truth to the point that people only look to right-wing leaders for guidance. This is intentionally done to grab power from those that are more willing to deliberate evidence. I'm worried the left could fall victim to a similar fate if they get too ready to assume conspiracies must be true. If we assume without evidence, we could easily get swept up by a charismatic leader looking to tell us what we want to hear.

Definitely not a coincidence. Epstein and Steve Bannon were working on a project to turn kids to the right. Even if you concede that the CIA is involved in the creation, that doesn't mean the CIA was behind the Charlie Kirk murder.

I don't understand why you think this. These online echo chambers already exist. Why would it have to be the CIA that pushed him to do it? IMO, that's just conspiratorial thinking with no evidence.

Anna's Archive offers a paid service for large dowbloads specifically for AI training. Maybe they're concerned the Internet Archive will offer a similar service.

Btw, there's no reason human consumers need to be involved for an economy to sustain itself. Some people have the belief that humans being poorer will mitigate some bad behavior from companies. The idea is that companies at least need us to be able to spend money in order for the economy to function at all. That's not true. An economy could work that is entirely business to business. We don't need to be involved at all.

Just to be clear, this "truck" is absolutely tiny. It's several inches shorter than a Toyota Corolla. I think it's pretty great for a city dweller that occasionally has a need for a bit more carrying capacity.

Edit: with the one big caveat that a lot of city dwellers don't have access to charging at home.

Sony is godawful at naming anything that isn't a PlayStation. Look at their headphones or phones. I used to use the Sony Xperia 5 III. Which was the midrange model. The top shelf one was the Xperia 1 III.

Thanks for the thorough perspective! The specific space I was thinking of was a gay bar/gay club. There have been a few times when I've partied with a group that included a bunch of gay men. Then that group wanted to continue the night at a gay bar and invited me. Even with an invitation, it would feel like invading. I had no idea there was an ally flag. I'll look into repping that.

Thanks for all the tips.

Queer people: I'm a cis straight man. Would it be ok for me to show some rainbow iconography to show support? I try not to put myself in gay spaces since that's not for me. Idk if it would come across as like...stolen gay valor or something.

Side question: is it ok for me to refer to lgbtq+ people as queer? The acronym feels clunky but I'm not sure if this is a "we can say it but not you" situation.

I understand that the answers may not have broad agreement one way or another but I wanted to do at least a little bit of a temperature check.

A pedestrian and a bike don't require rules for flow control. Unlike cars and pedestrians, bikes and pedestrians are pretty compatible in the same spaces. It's trivial to roll through a stop sign and go around a pedestrian crossing the street.

I understand that's the law. I just think it doesn't make sense. Like much of traffic infrastructure and rules, they are designed for the smooth flow and convenience of car traffic and don't consider safety or convenience of bike traffic at all. The reason the Idaho stop was first implemented was due to safety issues when a bike did follow stop sign rules.