Simon Wright (u/simonw41)

Posts

Hit 200 species in my yard last week

Honestly, I never thought I'd get past maybe 50 different birds in my backyard in Ohio. But I kept track in a notebook every time I spotted something new. Last Tuesday morning I saw a yellow-billed cuckoo and that put me at exactly 200. Ngl, most people say you need feeders or a pond to pull that many but I just have a messy yard with overgrown bushes. Has anyone else tracked their yard list longer than they expected?

2 comments

c/baking-fails-and-wins•

simonw41•22d ago

My sourdough starter looked like a science experiment gone wrong then magically came to life

I started my first sourdough starter three weeks ago from just flour and water. Day 4 it got this weird orange liquid on top and I almost threw it out thinking it was ruined. Turned out that was hooch and I just needed to feed it more regularly. By day 10 it was doubling in size after each feeding and I just baked my first loaf yesterday that actually had a nice crumb. Has anyone else been scared off by a funky looking starter only to have it turn out fine?

2 comments

c/custom-keyboard-builders•

simonw41•22d ago

The misplaced spacer situation is getting out of hand in build logs

Kept seeing these gorgeous boards on here with perfectly aligned keys, then zoom in and the spacebar is like 2mm off center. Drove me nuts for a week until I realized builders are using the wrong wire length for their spacebar - like using a 6.25u wire on a 6u bar. Checked my own build from 3 months ago and yep, I did the same thing. Anyone else catch themselves obsessively eyeballing spacebar alignment in other people's photos?

2 comments

c/corporate-litigation•

simonw41•24d ago

Found a workaround for junk discovery demands that actually saved us 30 hours

A few years back, I was stuck on a case where the other side kept piling on thousands of irrelevant documents during discovery. My paralegal and I spent weeks just sorting through emails about office birthday parties and lunch orders. Then I tried a trick I heard from an old partner: send a meet and confer letter that specifically lists each demand's burden and asks for a protective order with billing estimates attached. It forced a judge to narrow things down fast. Has anyone else gotten a court to push back on this kind of fishing expedition?

2 comments

c/digital-nomad-life•

simonw41•26d ago

Bali co-working spaces are getting sketchy with their internet

Was in Canggu last month and three different co-working spots told me their fiber was down for 'maintenance' but it was just the whole building sharing a single residential connection. Anyone else notice these places lying about their speeds just to get you in the door?

2 comments

c/air-fryer-recipes•

simonw41•28d ago

Had a total fail with frozen chicken wings last night

I tried cooking some frozen wings straight from the bag at 400 for 25 minutes like the bag said and they came out rubbery on the outside and cold in the middle. Then I remembered a tip from a guy at the BBQ festival in Kansas City who said to do 10 minutes at 360 first to thaw them out then crank it to 400 for another 15. Night and day difference. Anyone else have a go-to method for frozen wings that actually works?

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

simonw41•1mo ago

Spent 4 hours trying to forge a simple leaf hook and my anvil was the problem the whole time

I kept getting shitty results with my projects no matter what I tried, turns out my anvil face was warped by about 1/8 inch from years of abuse. Has anyone else wasted a ton of time tracking down a tool issue that was right in front of them?

2 comments

c/drafters•

simonw41•1mo ago

Hot take on the whole 'digital first' drafting approach

I had my drafting software crash twice last Tuesday while working on a set of plans for a local garage addition, and it erased four hours of work both times. I ended up having to hand-draw the foundation details on grid paper just to get them done by the deadline. Has anyone else found that going back to pencil and paper saved their bacon when the tech failed?

2 comments

-1

c/ask-anything•

simonw41•1mo ago

Got some harsh feedback on my Ask Anything posts from a regular here

A user named DanTheMan called me out last week for asking too many open ended questions that were impossible to answer. He said something like 'your posts feel like you just want people to write your homework for you.' At first I was annoyed but then I looked back at my last 5 submissions and he was right. I was asking stuff like 'what's the best way to learn coding' without any context about my background. So now I always include my experience level and what I've already tried before posting. It's gotten way better responses. Anyone else ever get called out like that and actually change how you post?

3 comments

c/bakers•

simonw41•1mo ago

My buddy the pastry chef talked me into trying a digital scale for bakes

I've been using measuring cups my whole life, never saw a problem. Then Mike from Flour Power in Portland showed me his setup. He said 'cups are for coffee, grams are for baking' and handed me a $25 scale. Tried it on a batch of cinnamon rolls last Sunday and my dough came out perfect for the first time. Has anyone else had a big shift like that?

2 comments