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Joined 12 days ago
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Cake day: March 5th, 2025

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  • It is a somewhat bulky solution, but I’ve gotten me some RFID card envelopes (sleeves). Very cheap and solved my problem.

    I didn’t realize how easy it is to scan the card, until I accidentally paid my gasoline with the wrong card. I’ve had my gasoline card in my right hand and was going for the card terminal, but at the same time i placed my left hand, in which I’ve had the wallet, next to the terminal. And before I even did anything… ding… ‘‘You have already paid, thank you.’’.

    Some of my colleagues have RFID wallets and I think that is a great solution, too.


  • I believe 2 things happened in Munich:

    1. Germans are rather incompetent and a people of leisure habbits (this is so much true), so getting people to accept the alternative was met with: ‘‘Oh, this button does this now? Well, I guess this is not good then.’’. (Yes, I am aware that nation sensible german teenagers will downvote me here… as soon as they are done with their Tik-Tok and 'gram, but truth is brutal here.)

    2. I cannot, for Batman’s sake, imagine that Microsoft had nothing to do with failure of the Munich project. I mean, for one such company, it is literally cheaper to bribe every single employee of Munich administration, than to deal with the loss of contract worth hundreds of millions… and the rise of the movement to stray away from their halfproducts.

    But I guess there is moment for everything so… I wish S-H good luck. Getting rid of MS can bring only good things. It’s not like they are gaming during the working hours. For everything else, MS is really not worth the money.



  • I urge you all to do your homework. All these devices are dependable on GPS (which is EXCLUSIVELY US system and a present/gift to the world) and/or your Android/iOS phone (again, EXCLUSIVELY US Systems).

    So… replacing those products, just because they are associated with US companies, does nothing. They are produced in Asia, anyway.

    It is like refusing to use american spoon to eat american eggs. The eggs are still american.

    Don’t get me wrong, I am proEU and domestic production, but ditching companies like Garmin has nothing to do with empowering EU production and everything to do with spite. Same goes for Tesla (which, quite honestly, really IS a crappy car).



  • Yes, the tech on board is as cheap as it can possibly get. These are no state of the art ships. Nobody builds that for commercial transport. Some parts are even from dismantled ships… salvaged. I once, personally, took apart a 30 years old switch on a brand new ship (we were the second crew… ever).

    However, crew shortages are DISASTEROUS today.

    Let us take clear example of one crew complement of 14 people (this is just illustrative):

    14 people / 2 departments (deck + engine) = 7 people per department.

    Deck: 1 captain + 1 officer + 1 cargo guy + 3 crewmembers + 1 cook

    Engine: 1 chief engineer + 1 engineer + 5 crewmembers

    And this complement means that Captain/officer and chief engineer/engineer are keeping 6 hours on-6 hours off watch… that is already A KILLER job. Imagine having 3-6 months contract on that regime… IF you come back home you are malnourished, destroyed, exhausted and deranged. Lack of rest and sleep literally drives you mad. Even when you can sleep, these small ships are rocking like the rolercoaster, so you are again f…d.

    Then, for any mooring operation, you need all crew… so, no sleep again…

    Cargo operation is a nightmare from hell.

    I’m not even going to go into maintenance area… with this crew complement, one guy goes to the toilet, you are left without 30% of the manpower and anything that even could be done - is delayed (not that much can be done with 3-4 men).

    Whoever allowed such a small crew complement (looking at you IMO and classification societies) has NEVER EVER been at sea and I wish them all nothing but sea service until the end of their miserable lives.

    Terrible tragedy that one man got lost (crews are today mostly asian and many cannot swim).

    It is a global crime that cargo freights are on the rise (constantly), but the crews and their salaries are reduced.