My wife is from Italy, so I printed out a topo of the valley where she grew up. It took me a long time to figure out how to change to the European projection in the software I was using, and I didn’t write down how I did it; unfortunately I’m not sure I can figure out it again! There’s a digital elevation TIFF of the whole EU available online, even Czechia! If you want to make it a project, I can point you in the right direction and give you some pointers on converting to a obj file to print. I found a couple websites that went through the process, but I didn’t find their directions very complete and had to figure a lot out myself.

I got addicted to converting USGS and European digital elevation data to 3d topo map prints; I just think they’re neat!

I’m so happy to see someone else hate Discovery and love lower decks and SNW. I have no idea why people like Discovery, so many plot holes in my opinion, I hate it.

I agree. I’m a later born Gen Xer (mid 70s) and generally like Bill Burr; this trailer looks painfully tedious.

Yes, for me the whole free navy plot line could have been way more concise; seemed like it dragged on for much too long. There is a similar show down, or whatever the right word is, in wheel of time.

Regarding the ending, I think I’ve been so upset with endings of other stories so many times that my standard is “satisfied” or “not satisfied”; I would say I’m satisfied with the expanse. I liked the ending, but it didn’t spark joy in me.

I finished shortly after I posted. I’m satisfied with how they ended it; it was a strong finish. I’m reading the faded sun trilogy now; it’s pretty good so far.

Good luck on the wheel of time! I finished that a little less than a year ago. There are some GREAT books, but there are a couple that are stinkers. The fourth book, shadow rising, is so so so good. It’s slows down I think in books six and seven, or maybe seven and eight, then the last few pickup again. Have fun, it will be a journey!

SAY OUR NAME, SAY OUR NAME!

I like neighborhoods and cities with mid or low rise housing. I spent a lot of time in Turin, Italy (I’m American) and most that city (and other European cities) have mid rise apartments. They’re in the 6 to 8 story range a lot of times, but still no high rises. It makes for a great walkable city. The street I lived on in Turin was this huge wide boulevard that probably could have accommodated six to eight lanes of traffic with a turn lane in the middle. Instead there was a two-lane road in the middle with turn lanes, followed by streetcar rails further out, then a line of gorgeous trees, then parking for local businesses, then a side street to access the local parking and finally a nice wide sidewalk in front of the shops and apartments.

It’s a great looking city for anyone who happens to be in Northwest Italy!

Thanks for the vids. I’m not sure “water is good for concrete, or doesn’t care” is accurate. In a controlled environment that may be true, however with corrosion from polluted rain (the lime in concrete is dissolved with acid rain), expansion and contraction (especially with freeze thaw cycles), and biological processes that may be encouraged to grow in damp conditions, water is pretty bad for concrete; these are examples of what I’ve encountered that caused degrading concrete structures.

That said, I was thinking about it more and things like dams and drilled t shaft concrete piles are obviously exposed to constant water. I’m wondering if what I experienced has to do more with exposure to aerobic and temperature fluctuating environments as opposed to drilled shafts and dams which would be more isolated from those conditions I described above.

Even if water itself isn’t the primary mode of failure, I guess my point still remains regarding the vegetation of "green"buildings; roots and what not definitely will start to degrade concrete.

Thanks for the comment, it gave me some points to think about.

I thought “chat” with a hard “t” in French meant “piss”, cat is pronounced “cha”. I was told this by a French speaker when I was talking about a “chat noir” poster, using a hard “t” and they said “you’re sayong black piss! The “t” is silent for cat”.

Can anyone confirm? I feel this is important for this post, “chat gpt” could mean “piss, I farted”

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I had no idea this existed, thank you so much!

That’s a good idea. I should do that. Also, thanks for being someone who understands wanting to search stuff while in the turn by turn mode. It’s hard to explain WHY I would need this, but it seems like something I experience at least once a week.

I think we agree on that point, as I started.

Well, unfortunately I don’t have wireless AA, so the cable can sometimes be an issue. Beyond that, they aren’t huge issues, but if I need to look something up in maps it won’t let me. I know, I’m not supposed to use while driving, but if I’m at a light and I want to do a quick detour search I can’t use the handheld (dash interface isn’t as easy to use as handheld). The contact search\phone app doesn’t work as easily for me and I find the voice search to be spotty.

Like I said not big issues, but mostly just preference; I’d rather have my phone separate and free from restriction as I only use the maps through AA. My phone calls and audiobooks\podcasts we’re always fine through Bluetooth.

I’m not sure a lot of you are reading that they are replacing ACP and AA with built in Google apps, including Google maps for navigation; they aren’t eliminating the functionality, they are replacing it.

I think I would prefer this over slaving my phone to the car because there are some real annoying things about AA when I try to use it while connected to my car. The only big question is: do they require separate Internet connection or can I use my unlimited data plan phone as a hotspot. Having to pay for more connection services would piss me off, however I read somewhere a few weeks back that connecting to the Internet via a hotspot was supported.

Yes my Gboard swipe is definitely worse than before. It won’t remember custom words anymore, sometimes decides to not recognize my swipe and just adds the first letter, and gives wrong suggestions more and more, even when I know my swipe pattern is correct.

Swipe was by far the best. Why did they discontinue development? To much competition?

I randomly chose this to listen to on audible a couple months back; I loved it! So fun, so thought provoking, such a good book.

Book 7 was a bit of a drag for me, more so than book 6. Books 8 and 9 are really fast paced and good. It’s all proto molecule stuff. I remember not caring about the free navy and just wanting to get on with the larger series plot during 6 and 7. You may have to trudge through those to get to the good stuff though.

I’m half way through leviathan falls. Super excited to get to the end, sad because I don’t know what to read after.