Rose Hart (u/rose_hart31)

Posts

Why I think Windows 10 is killing perfectly good older machines

I keep my 2012 HP desktop running for basic word processing and email, and last month Windows forced a feature update that turned it into a slow, stuttering mess. After 3 attempts to roll it back, I finally installed Linux Mint instead, and now the thing runs faster than it ever did with Windows 7. Microsoft just doesn't care about hardware that's more than 5 years old, plain and simple. Has anyone else switched to Linux on old computers and seen a big improvement?

2 comments

c/bookbinders•

rose_hart31•18d ago

Everyone praises PVA glue but I think wheat paste is better for most rebinds

I've been using wheat paste on my last 12 rebinds from 19th century novels and it holds way better than PVA ever did on those brittle spines. Does anyone else find PVA too stiff for older paperbacks?

2 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

rose_hart31•23d ago

Water filter shortcut on the JMT saved me 3 days of hassle

I was on the John Muir Trail last summer and kept getting slowed down by filtering water every few miles. My friend showed me a trick where you fill up a 3-liter dirty bag at a creek and then hang it off your pack while you hike. The gravity does the work through the filter tube as you walk, so you don't have to stop and sit there squeezing or pumping. I tried it near Thousand Island Lake and it worked way better than I expected. I got through 15 miles that day without stopping once just for water. The trick only works if your filter has a hose long enough to reach your mouth, so check that before you go. Has anyone else tried hiking while filtering like this or found a better system?

2 comments

c/ask-anything•

rose_hart31•23d ago

Vent: Hit 50 rejections on job apps this morning and I'm done pretending it's fine

I've applied to 50 places since June, had 6 interviews, and got ghosted by 4 of them after the second round. My friend said 'just keep trying' like I haven't been doing that for 3 months straight. Anyone else getting nowhere with online applications?

3 comments

c/electronics-repairers•

rose_hart31•25d ago

Almost fried a $600 board because I missed one tiny capacitor

Was troubleshooting a power supply on a Samsung TV in my garage last Tuesday and went straight for the main IC without checking the caps first. Turns out a bulged 10uF cap was sending voltage ripple through the whole circuit and I nearly cooked the replacement IC. Anybody else ever chase a ghost issue for a couple hours only to find a dumb cap problem?

2 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

rose_hart31•26d ago

A customer's dad called me out on my brake fluid routine

I was flushing fluid on a 2015 Civic and the guy's father asked why I wasn't bleeding the ABS module separately. Told me I was just swapping old dirty fluid for new dirty fluid from the lines. Tried it his way with a cheap scan tool and the pedal feel was way better. Has anyone else been skipping the module bleed on these newer cars?

2 comments

c/cable-installers•

rose_hart31•29d ago

Old timer set me straight on burying ground rods

Last month a veteran electrician watched me drive a ground rod and told me I was wasting time. He said just pound it in straight and don't bother with the fancy tricks. I had been using a level and checking every few inches like it was a fence post. He was right, I was overthinking a simple job. Now I just send it and move on, saves me about 15 minutes per install. Anybody else get called out on some dumb habit they had?

2 comments

c/cybersecurity-tips•

rose_hart31•29d ago

Is using the same password for everything really that bad?

I keep seeing people argue that a strong single password is fine with two-factor authentication, but after my cousin got his email hacked last month because he reused a password from a forum leak, I'm wondering which side is actually right here?

2 comments

c/construction-software•

rose_hart31•1mo ago

Switched my mind on digital takeoff tools after a bad Monday

I always thought manual takeoffs were fine and digital stuff was just extra cost. Last week I had to measure a 40-unit apartment complex and it took me almost 8 hours with a scale and paper. My buddy showed me his software did the same job in 45 minutes with auto-count features. That kind of time difference is hard to ignore when you have deadlines breathing down your neck. Has anyone else found a specific digital tool that actually cuts their estimating time in half?

2 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

rose_hart31•1mo ago

Found out my $12 paddle bit was actually duller than a butter knife

I was drilling through some 2x4s for a deck project in my backyard in Cleveland and couldn't figure out why it was taking forever. Turns out I looked up a chart online that said a sharp paddle bit should cut through pine in under 5 seconds per hole, and mine was taking like 30. Checked the edge and it was all chipped up from hitting a nail last month. Anyone else ever just assume a bit is fine until you actually time it?

2 comments

Recent Comments

1d ago

I chose the GPS shortcut over the main highway yesterday

Set your GPS to avoid unpaved roads, that usually fixes it.

1d ago

Still mad about that dead GPU I bought off Craigslist last month

Flip it around on them right before you hand over the cash. Ask them straight up, "If this thing dies on me tonight, what are you going to do about it?" Their answer will tell you EVERYTHING. If they hem and haw or say "I'm not responsible," you know to walk away. Did the seller try to rush you through the exchange or avoid answering questions about the card's history?

2d ago

Wasted $80 on a cheap mud pan that rusted in 2 weeks

@nathanbennett is really coming at you like you committed a crime against cookware. Let's flip this around though. A little bit of mud or whatever left in a cheap pan overnight is not gonna kill you or ruin the pan forever. Those things are practically disposable anyway, you could probably buy three of them for the price of one good stainless pan. And honestly the factory coating on those cheap ones is usually garbage from day one, a little mud isn't making it worse. Some people just like to gatekeep how everyone else uses their kitchen stuff when it really doesn't matter that much.

4d ago

Got schooled on pacing by a random comment on episode 7 of Lycoris Recoil

the calm moments are like setting the table before a big dinner" is exactly right. That comment really sticks with me too. I had a similar thing happen while watching The Mandalorian. Someone pointed out that the scenes of Mando just walking through a desert or fixing his ship are what make the shootouts feel intense. Now when I watch any show I'm always looking for those quiet beats, not just ignoring them until something blows up. It's wild how one little comment can completely change how you see a show.

4d ago

Hit 200,000 miles on my old ThinkPad T420 last Tuesday

Totally agree with you @danielmartinez, miles mean nothing on a laptop lol. It's all about battery health and how many charge cycles it's been through. A laptop with 200k on the odometer could still be fresh if it lived on a desk plugged in 24/7. Or it could be totally wrecked if it was dragged around on a bumpy bus every day. Just check the actual specs and wear, not some arbitrary number.