You get what you pay for, though. I’ve had nothing but good experiences as an Amex card holder. You need to live a lifestyle that gives you opportunities to use the system, but you can offset the cost of even the Platinum charge card if you sign up for, and then use, all the perks.

For how I use it, I’d say it pays for itself.

edit to add: their customer service is always stellar, and their disputes department are really effective.

I’ve been happy with the GE Enbrighten series, though they do require a neutral wire. I use the Z-Wave models, but I can’t imagine the ZigBee models would work any differently.

Neat feature of the Enbrighten line is they recognize several gestures including short tap, long press, double tap, and I think even triple tap. I configured mine so that short taps on/off toggle the lights between off and 100% on, long press on/off brightens/dims, and double tap on activates the preferred evening lighting scene.

I think Minoston are also a GE product line? Again, Z-Wave, but rated for higher wattage in my case. They also require a neutral wire.

I had a pair of no-neutral ZigBee switches sold as ‘Martin Jerry’ brand, but they were super dodgy. Terrible feel to them, and they made a sort of electrical whine when the fixture was on. I pulled them right out and sent them back.

I don’t know this for sure, but if you installed the mobile companion app thru the Store for your platform, then the integration is probably using its push API to reach your device remotely.

I’m >90% sure notification workflows find me even when I am remote and untethered from home when I notify the app on my mobile devices.

Seems It was actually 2024.6.1 that introduced the change. Not sure where in this release notes it said it was a breaking change, but

I’m all turned around. I updated the main post with the link to the PR and I had the right version from the get-go.

Oops! Good eyes, and thanks! Typing yaml on mobile is squinty business. Fixed in the main post

I said chicharrón, I meant chicarrón.

Senorita Chicharrónes rolls across the tongue better.

Smashing Pumpkins 1979 was released on their 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Its already much longer between 2024 and 1995 than it is between 1995 and 1979. Almost by twice!

I remember the actual 1979. Egads, I’m old.

That’s a darn tasty lookin’ Pasta Carbonara.

Not great, he’s kind of a Meathead.

Every animal?

I think the humans lose. I can’t even keep mice out of my garage.

Putin can get fucked.

Shouldn’t that be a default position in the West?

Bet?

What’s different this time?

Sad trombone is always a favorite.

I love the ambiguity in this GIF. It’s both judgy, and still castigates both sides of an argument for being stupid. Its coming into vogue.

It’s also not mine. Lol.

Hey, do you need a new GIF? Seems relevant tonight.

The American Bible Belt are Evangelical Baptists, and an odd offshoot of Presbyterian. They’re… special. I know them to be reactive, xenophobic and downright ornery.

They are also absolutely, rabidly devout.

There’s a whole order of Jesuits who are basically the Pope’s scientists, and who curated the ancient knowledge through the Dark and Middle Ages.

In fact, the current Pope is a Jesuit.

The three sources familiar with the matter told CNN that a senior Egyptian intelligence official named Ahmed Abdel Khalek was responsible for making the changes. Abdel Khalek is a senior deputy to the Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, who has been Burns’ counterpart in leading Egypt’s mediation in the ceasefire talks.

One source familiar with the negotiations said Abdel Khalek told the Israelis one thing and Hamas another. More of Hamas’ demands were inserted into the original framework that Israel had tacitly agreed to in order to secure Hamas’ approval, the source said. But the other mediators were not informed; nor, critically, were the Israelis.

Oops?

GenX’ers be dusting off those duck & cover drills.

Nuclear Armageddon? It’s whatever.

Seeing the numbers of testes cited here as being an odd number makes me feel uncomfortable.