Hacker News Reader

Ajay-pon Canadian Renters Now Required to Collect Foreign Landlord's Taxes, Withhold Rent

This is bizarre but maybe I see the reason why. If it's to restrain foreign ownership of rental properties, I don't think it's going to have much impact. Renters who want to live there bad enough will pay it, and I would not be surprised if some foreign owners will help with that process.

On the other page.. If foreign landlords are suspected of not paying their full taxes, this is one way to increase a guarantee that the taxes will be paid.

Ajay-pon Justice Department formally moves to reclassify marijuana

I don't like when politicians only respond to overwhelming public discontent or desires in an election year. This reclassification is a good thing, absolutely, but it angers me that policymakers wait and treat us like baying kittens eager for a morsel of acknowledgement from our elected leaders.

Ajay-pon When children become caregivers, who cares for them?

I think we have a duty to care for our parents the way they cared for us, but not to be their servant. I take my mother to all of her doctors appointments, get her groceries, and help around her house. I would do more if only she would let me.

She cared for her mother, but it was a bit of a strain as her mother succumbed to dementia. She cared for my father as he withered away from cancer, until she could no longer physically do it. Then he was admitted to the hospital and then hospice. She was very sad that she was not able to live up to what she saw was her duty, to care for him.

I feel it is my duty to care for my parents, but there is a line for everyone that is reality. There are many factors such as a person's behavior, now or in the past, and the relationship that may not be there. My parents have treated me very well, so it is the least I can do to return this to them. I think we should strive towards that if we can.

Ajay-pon Hertz Charged Member $277 for Not Filling Gas Tank on a Tesla, Won't Remove Fees

The rental car market needs more regulation. I remember car rental companies erroneously calling the police on renters for stealing cars, and billing for "wear and tear." The fuel surcharges and everything else is just a continuation of the same anti-consumer practices.

Car rental agencies are King's when it comes to BS fees and practices.

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/06/1140998674/hertz-false-accusa...

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/Dinged-for-normal-wear...

Ajay-pon Hertz Charged Member $277 for Not Filling Gas Tank on a Tesla, Won't Remove Fees

As it has been said before, Hertz Hurts. It used to be a dominant market player but over time, declines in customer service and quality has damaged its brand. Its disastrous experiment with Tesla might have been viable had the company not been Hertz.

Ajay-pon The legalization of sports gambling in the US was a mistake

It’s no surprise that young people are suffering the most from legalization. According to a St Bonaventure/Siena Research survey, 39% of men and 20% of women aged 18 to 49 years old bet on sporting events. Among young men, 38% say they’re betting more than they should, 19% have lied about the extent of their betting, and 18% have bet and lost money meant for meeting their financial obligations.

I am sorry but I do not accept this argument. Sports betting is different than gambling in a casino. Casinos are engineers to make people become addicted and bet everything they have. With sports, there are so many random variables at play that it turns the responsibility squarely onto the shoulders of the person placing the bet. The chance is greater, and the chance of winning is greater.

All gambling should have tight regulatory control, but sports betting is better than casinos, or even the lottery.

Ajay-pon Iran quickens path towards the atomic bomb

That you know of. Israel has never confirmed its nuclear weapons. I think it's more likely than not that other Arab nations have tactical nuclear weapons.

For that matter, I bet Japan has them. If the conflict between Iran and Israel goes nuclear I could see Taiwan also developing their own. The proliferation is only restricted by time, money, and expertise.

Ajay-pon Iran quickens path towards the atomic bomb

Osama Bin Laden lived one mile from the Pakistani military academy, and appears to have been supported by the ISI, their intelligence service. It's a tremendous assumption of faith that Pakistani nuclear warheads are somehow safe.

Ajay-pon Iran quickens path towards the atomic bomb

It feels inevitable that one day Iran or Israel will conduct a nuclear strike upon one, the other, or both. There is no deescalation and it seems like everyone in the middle is cheering them on, hoping they both eliminate one another. Iran does not seem to be content until Israel is removed from the face of the earth.

Ajay-pon Jonathan Haidt blames teenage depression, anxiety on smartphones, social media

It's because of Columbine. Parents demanded to be allowed to reach their children anytime.

Ajay-pon How did customer service get so bad?

Turn off your VPN.

Ajay-pon The psychology of getting high a lot

I used marijuana for a short time at university as a means of relieving stress. It made me feel wonderful; relaxed, less anxious in social settings, able to focus without stressful thinking, etc. No paranoia, no drawbacks at all.. except one. Stopping was like suddenly ending a really good conversation with a friend.

I stopped because I realized that I was enjoying this too much, and to continue could have harmful ramifications for myself. Something that felt that good, something I don't really know everything in it (chemicals, pesticides, etc.,) did not feel like a good thing in the long run.

It will be fascinating to see what pharmaceutical companies will do with it, which could be good or really awful for humans. Nothing is quite as addicting as happiness, especially in a pill.

Ajay-pon US Senate renews FISA law moments after it expires

Once government takes power they very rarely give it back.

Ajay-pon Some potential Tesla buyers couldn't stomach a purchase amid the CEO's outbursts

The contra-positive is also interesting: Some Tesla buyers are eagerly buying because of the CEO.

Ajay-pon I spoke with a Google worker fired for protesting $1.2B Israel contract

Has it, and which Overton window are you thinking? The public tolerance for (disruptive) protest, corporate tolerance for political activism in the workplace, or.. ?

If I had to venture a guess, I would say the window has shifted towards political burnout. People may be more comfortable shutting down disruptions like these because they are burned out, and feel the disruption/protests/activism has gone too far.

Ajay-pon I spoke with a Google worker fired for protesting $1.2B Israel contract

For reference, since this is a private company, I work for a federal agency. My department is roughly 80 people. No one wears a mask.

Ajay-pon I spoke with a Google worker fired for protesting $1.2B Israel contract

IMHO because of lot of HN supports social justice and protesting, and they are supportive of employees taking action against any company that is doing something that goes against their principles.

Ajay-pon All-cash offers, wealthy buyers push Southern California home prices to a record

It doesn't have the same clickbait punch to say "homeowners with greater liquidity and access to loans." The title is supposed to convey rich people using their hoards of cash to push up housing prices.

Ajay-pon Google Fires 28 Employees After Multi-City Protests

Possibly. There are two ways one can look at the response. When Cloudflare decided to stop working with a company it could be assumed the CEO made a decision that the revenue from that relationship was no longer as important as the social mission or reason to cease doing business.

It is possible that the CEO of Google may have considered the economic impact cessation of the service to Israel might cause, and weighed that against employee fallout.

It would have been incredible to have been a fly on the wall as Sundar Pichai came to the decision to have the protestors fired/arrested.

Ajay-pon Google Fires 28 Employees After Multi-City Protests

What disturbs me about these types of protests is that the people involved forget that working for a company is a two-way street. An employee has no more the right or place to dictate to an employer what it can do, as an employer can dictate what its employees do. That's because in America at least, you can leave, you can work some place else. The employer can choose not to work with someone. Protesting employees seem to think they have this pedestal of social justice which gives them some authority over how a company can act.

If you don't like it, leave, and when the company can no longer find employees they will change or go out of business.

Ajay-pon Logitech mouse and keyboard users are getting a free AI upgrade

You were reading my thoughts! I was going to say something about my LG remote having three absolutely useless streaming buttons I cannot change.

Ajay-pon The invisible seafaring industry that keeps the internet afloat

The article is fascinating but the website is a disaster.

This makes it marginally easier to read: https://archive.is/IpfNq

Ajay-pon Logitech mouse and keyboard users are getting a free AI upgrade

Please don't. I don't want my peripherals with hard-coded shortcuts to other services.

Ajay-pon Europe gives TikTok 24 hours to explain 'addictive and toxic' new app

I think apps like TikTok are designed and built like gambling apps to manipulate behavior - particularly young people - into staying engaged with the platform. That type of psychological manipulation should be regulated when children are involved, or at the very least transparent about it. TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, all of them should be closely examined.

Ajay-pon Amazon HQ2 was supposed to add jobs last year. It shed them instead

..And theoretically that somewhere could be anywhere, even outside of the country.

Ajay-pon Phone conversations with law enforcement can be recorded without their consent

An old neighbor of mine has a webcam mounted in his front window to record license plates of people driving through his neighborhood. When I asked him why he told me that it was because the government and other people are recording his movements, why can't he?

Ajay-pon Phone conversations with law enforcement can be recorded without their consent

Yes. Not just with a warrant, but often without a warrant or just cause. The police can lie to you, violate your rights, and do almost anything they want to you, but if you don't have body cam or other video/audio evidence, as so many, many people have found, you are screwed.

There is an excellent shortcut called "Hey Siri, I'm being pulled over" that "will dim your phone, pause any music being played, and start recording video from your front-facing camera."

Not all cops are bad, but the power imbalance makes these issues necessary for citizens to protect themselves.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/17/21293996/siri-iphone-shor...

Ajay-pon Phone conversations with law enforcement can be recorded without their consent

I think this is a good thing. The government could record you without your consent, the citizen should be allowed to as well. I understand police need warrants, but what is the citizen to do? Especially when so many courts, judges, and juries take the word of police over the citizen.

Seems very fair to me.

Ajay-pon Roku makes 2FA mandatory for all after nearly 600K accounts pwned

This is becoming the norm: A company gets hacked so they immediately put the responsibility on their customers, and then them off at the knees with arbitration demands for any recourse.

A reason to NOT buy a Roku.

Ajay-pon Iran said to begin attack on Israel, launching drones

In general, or through terrorist organizations? I would say your statement should be expanded: Iran has a history of targeting civilians.