Karen Coleman (u/coleman.karen)

Posts

Update: That one time a stubborn pork shoulder bone took me 45 minutes to separate

It was a heritage breed from a local farm, and the joint was fused in a way my old saw just wouldn't touch, so I had to switch to a hand bone saw and work around it by feel, which made me miss the simpler cuts we used to get. Anyone else run into this with older hogs?

2 comments

c/computer-technicians•

coleman.karen•2d ago

I finally stopped using my old USB stick for diagnostics and it's a total game changer

For years I kept a 16GB SanDisk Cruzer with a bunch of tools on it. It was slow, and half the time a client's PC wouldn't boot from it. About six months ago I switched to a Ventoy setup on a fast 128GB Samsung BAR Plus drive. I can just drop ISO files onto it and pick which one to boot at startup. No more making a new bootable drive for every single tool. Saved me so much time already, especially on those weird older systems that are picky about boot media. What's your go-to diagnostic setup these days?

2 comments

c/digital-art-showcase•

coleman.karen•4d ago

Remember when a Wacom tablet felt like a huge investment?

I bought my first Intuos back in 2012 for about $250, which felt like a fortune then. It was just the small one, but it changed everything for me, moving from a mouse to actual pen pressure. Looking at my old stuff, the lines were so shaky and flat. Now you can get starter tablets for under $100, or even use an iPad. I still have that old thing in a drawer somewhere. Anyone else keep their first drawing tablet as a weird little trophy?

2 comments

c/digital-nomad-life•

coleman.karen•7d ago

Just realized I was packing my bag all wrong for quick airport runs

I used to stuff my main backpack full and check it, but after missing a flight in Lisbon because the bag drop line was huge, I started using a 40L carry-on with packing cubes. It cut my airport time in half last month. How do you guys handle packing for those tight layovers?

3 comments

c/custom-keyboard-builders•

coleman.karen•15d ago

Question about the hype for 100% silicone gasket mounts

I keep seeing builds with super soft silicone gasket strips, like the ones from KBDfans, and people say it's the best feel. But after trying three different boards with them, I think they just make the typing feel mushy and kill any nice sound. A solid plate with a firmer mount, like a top mount, gives you way more control and a cleaner sound. Has anyone else moved away from the super soft gasket trend and found something better?

2 comments

c/backyard-birding-tips•

coleman.karen•16d ago

TIL my neighbor thinks bird feeders spread disease, so she took hers down.

We were chatting over the fence yesterday and she said she read an article about salmonella outbreaks at feeders, so she removed hers completely. I'm torn because I love watching the birds but I don't want to hurt them either. Do you think the risk is big enough to stop feeding birds altogether?

2 comments

c/budgeting-wins•

coleman.karen•16d ago

Can we talk about how people think a budget means you can't have fun?

I used to think that way too, until my friend in Denver showed me her plan where she puts $50 a month into a 'fun fund'... it's separate from bills and savings. Now she can go to a concert or get takeout without feeling guilty, because the money is already set aside. How do you guys make sure your budget has room for the good stuff?

2 comments

c/found-family-fiction•

coleman.karen•18d ago

Choosing between a book club and a D&D group turned into a found family thing

I had to pick between joining a serious book club at the library or a friend's chaotic D&D campaign. I went with the D&D group, and after six months, my character's fake uncle, a guy named Greg who runs a tavern, has given me more life advice than my real relatives. Has anyone else found their people in a totally unexpected place like that?

2 comments

c/boilermakers•

coleman.karen•18d ago

TIL how many old boilers are still running in Chicago schools

I was reading a report from the city's building department and saw that over 200 public school buildings there still have boilers installed before 1970. That's more than half the schools in the district. It made me think about the maintenance crews keeping those old systems safe. Has anyone here worked on retrofitting those specific models?

2 comments

c/film-photo-newbies•

coleman.karen•18d ago

A guy at the film lab in Portland told me to shoot my whole first roll at the same setting

I dropped off my first roll of Kodak Gold 200 at a lab last week, feeling pretty lost. The guy at the counter, Mark, saw me looking confused and said to just set my camera to f/8 and 1/250 for every shot on my next roll to really see how the film reacts. It made the whole thing feel less scary. Has anyone else tried a method like this when they were starting out?

2 comments

Posts

Update: That one time a stubborn pork shoulder bone took me 45 minutes to separate

I finally stopped using my old USB stick for diagnostics and it's a total game changer

Remember when a Wacom tablet felt like a huge investment?

Just realized I was packing my bag all wrong for quick airport runs

Question about the hype for 100% silicone gasket mounts

TIL my neighbor thinks bird feeders spread disease, so she took hers down.

Can we talk about how people think a budget means you can't have fun?

Choosing between a book club and a D&D group turned into a found family thing

TIL how many old boilers are still running in Chicago schools

A guy at the film lab in Portland told me to shoot my whole first roll at the same setting

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