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    1. What wiring decisions do you wish you made when building a house?

      I’m building a house and will have ample opportunity to walk with the builder to specify outlets, cat 6, and coax runs and locations. What sorts of little things do you wish you had done in your...

      I’m building a house and will have ample opportunity to walk with the builder to specify outlets, cat 6, and coax runs and locations. What sorts of little things do you wish you had done in your house or would be useful?

      I plan to run cat 6 from mostly every room (some in multiple locations) to the office where my servers will be. I will also be running a few runs of cat 6 out to the shop for future connectivity out there. Anything else that might be useful?

      36 votes
    2. What, in your opinion, are the best true wireless earbuds for the price?

      My Soundcore earbuds recently kicked the bucket a bit too quickly for my taste, so I'm looking to spend more than $40 on my next pair. However, I'm not enough of an audiophile to get top of the...

      My Soundcore earbuds recently kicked the bucket a bit too quickly for my taste, so I'm looking to spend more than $40 on my next pair. However, I'm not enough of an audiophile to get top of the line Bose/Sony ones. What is the best mix of good price and quality you've found out there?

      41 votes
    3. What are your thoughts or suggestions for a strong "breakfast" cocktail?

      Years ago, circa 2017, I spent a few weeks in Portland, OR for work. Naturally, I ended up at Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Clyde Common regularly. On one of the weekends, I went to Common for brunch and...

      Years ago, circa 2017, I spent a few weeks in Portland, OR for work. Naturally, I ended up at Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Clyde Common regularly. On one of the weekends, I went to Common for brunch and they served a "breakfast" cocktail in glass coke bottles. From memory it was sweet, earthy, rich with slight chocolate hints, mildly carbonated, and strong. It was totally different from most breakfast cocktails that opt for bright and citrus flavors (i.e. mimosas, bloody Marys) and I think the carbonation definitely helped soften the otherwise heavy design of this drink.

      Unfortunately, I didn't have the foresight to ask about the cocktail's construction and Common closed shortly after. Recently, I've been trying to recreate it from memory, or more generously, recreate the idea of it (short of Morgenthaler himself identifying the cocktail, there's no way I'll be able to reproduce it). My best guess is that he made something close to a black Russian and ran it through a carbonator.

      Here are my thoughts to riff off of that type of drink for a strong breakfast cocktail:
      2 oz Bourbon, 1 oz Mr. Black, .5 oz Amaretto, .5 oz Maple Syrup, topped with carbonated water, built neat in a highball glass. I'm still tweaking the proportions, but given that Mr. Black is less sweet than other coffee liqueurs, and considering the dilution from carbonated water, I think a half/half mix of Amaretto and Maple Syrup is sweet without being cloying. I also went with Amaretto instead of another syrup like orgeat to keep the alcohol content higher.

      Any thoughts? Other ideas in a similar vein?

      9 votes
    4. Japanese karaoke song recommendations

      Every now and then, my Japanese class and I head out to sing karaoke. I've never really been a fan of karaoke, but perhaps that's because most karaoke libraries don't really have any of the songs...

      Every now and then, my Japanese class and I head out to sing karaoke. I've never really been a fan of karaoke, but perhaps that's because most karaoke libraries don't really have any of the songs I've learned and/or want to sing.

      So does anyone have any recommendations for Japanese karaoke songs? I'm not mentioning my personal music taste to keep the topic general, but feel free to ask if you're interested in helping me in particular.

      10 votes
    5. Small kitchen appliances; does quality exist?

      I am moving apartments soon and will likely not have as much space in my kitchen. Specifically, I am most concerned about an oven, as I doubt I'll be able to get a full sized one. Has anyone...

      I am moving apartments soon and will likely not have as much space in my kitchen. Specifically, I am most concerned about an oven, as I doubt I'll be able to get a full sized one.

      Has anyone solved this issue? Know of any good, reliable brands (ideally with global shipping)? The last janky toaster oven I ordered from Amazon could barely get a good brownie out, so I hope to make a more solid investment this time that can actually bake things, if it even exists. That said, any compact, high-quality appliance is appreciated.

      36 votes
    6. Shopping for induction ranges

      With all that's been coming out in recent years about the negative health impacts of burning gas indoors even with good ventilation, I've been looking into replacing the cheap gas range that came...

      With all that's been coming out in recent years about the negative health impacts of burning gas indoors even with good ventilation, I've been looking into replacing the cheap gas range that came with my house which had been less than amazing to use anyway with a nice induction range.

      I have no experience with induction ranges however and have no idea what idea what to look for. I grew up with traditional coiled-eye electric ranges where even "bad" models are still functional, but slow to heat up.

      What models have those here had good experiences with, and what are the gotchas? I've done some looking around already and it seems like it's not as simple for going for a high-end option… even top of the line Bosch units seem to have a surprising number of "it ate my dog and insulted my grandmother" types of 1-star negative reviews, and it's hard to tell if that's just noise or something that should be paid attention to.

      EDIT: Specifically, I'm looking for standard 30" oven combo slide-in unit. Storage drawer is preferred over second oven.

      Thanks!

      26 votes
    7. How do you keep track of your medication refills?

      Every person in my household takes a daily regimen of prescription medication and/or supplements. We keep ending up in situations where we run out of something because we don’t have a good way to...

      Every person in my household takes a daily regimen of prescription medication and/or supplements. We keep ending up in situations where we run out of something because we don’t have a good way to keep track of our remaining supply of each thing. We need a better system for managing this!

      We each use a 28-day (4 week) pill dispenser box which helps somewhat. I refill the dispensers when they are empty. The problem is, some of the medications run out in the last week of the dispenser. At the time I fill it, it’s way too early to call the pharmacy for a refill. But by the time the supply runs out I’ve forgotten about it and have to scramble to get more. I hope I’m explaining that clearly. It’s complicated because every medication runs out on a different schedule.

      If you’ve got a solution to this problem please share it!

      15 votes
    8. GMs: What do you do when a player doesn't show up?

      I think this has to be one of the oldest questions there is in the TTRPG world, but I wanted to see if the general consensus has changed with the rise of virtual tabletops. When you have a player...

      I think this has to be one of the oldest questions there is in the TTRPG world, but I wanted to see if the general consensus has changed with the rise of virtual tabletops.

      When you have a player cancel on you, do you skip the session, or play without them?

      What is your reasoning behind your decision?

      Personally, I always play without them. This is a change from when I first started DM'ing, as back then I wanted to be 'fair' to my players. As I left University and went into work however, waiting until everyone was able to play became such a rare thing that it would mean hardly ever playing.

      34 votes
    9. Under what group would, for example, cars or motorcycles go?

      For many they are considered ~hobbies so ~hobbies.cars and ~hobbies.motorcycles would be a logical place. I don't know if ~transport would be a suitable main category for this since then trucks,...

      For many they are considered ~hobbies so ~hobbies.cars and ~hobbies.motorcycles would be a logical place. I don't know if ~transport would be a suitable main category for this since then trucks, tractors, trains and boats could also go there without bloating hobbies' sub-groups too much.

      I'd like to hear your input on this, cheers.

      23 votes
    10. Resources on amount of noon sun for sufficient vitamin D production

      I have taken supplements, but they are not very effective. Honestly, I don't want to rely on medication when our bodies are perfectly suitable with enough sunlight exposure. I've been researching...

      I have taken supplements, but they are not very effective. Honestly, I don't want to rely on medication when our bodies are perfectly suitable with enough sunlight exposure.

      I've been researching this for a while and can't find sources that show the difference according to latitude. I stupidly didn't bookmark what I read so what I say is based on what I've read but can't link to any of it :(.

      • I gather there is research that around noon time sun exposure (e.g. 11am-3pm) results in greater production. The skin's processes are optimised for that time.
      • I am very aware of the risks of skin cancer.
      • I read in the UK about 13 minutes for 3 days a week, just between April and September is adequate for vitamin D levels year round.
      • I live on the tropic of cancer so I'm expecting perhaps 7-10 minutes. Anything specific to that sub-tropical latitude would be greatly appreciated.

      All advice is welcome, but links that I can read, compare and digest myself especially for different latitudes round the world would be perfect.

      18 votes
    11. LGBT people who have had to run away from home, how did you do it and how is life now?

      I am a trans lesbian and plan on running away from my enviroment when i am prepared (mostly due to unrelated matter, but it does have a impact on everything). I wanted to see your experiences with...

      I am a trans lesbian and plan on running away from my enviroment when i am prepared (mostly due to unrelated matter, but it does have a impact on everything). I wanted to see your experiences with it and how you are now, to help get a perspective on my future.

      27 votes
    12. How many ten-year-olds can you beat in a fight?

      Just wondering how many average 10 year olds you think you can fight off before being overwhelmed. Here are the basic terms of fighting: the kids are very angry at you, each one will fight you...

      Just wondering how many average 10 year olds you think you can fight off before being overwhelmed. Here are the basic terms of fighting: the kids are very angry at you, each one will fight you until they get hurt enough to quit or become unconscious, you are unarmed, and you are in a gated school playground as the battle arena. The playground is about 50 feet around, closed gate around in an octagon and closes up top like a dome. First one kid comes at you, then it adds one each time you defeat a group. Defeat 1 and 2 come, defeat the 2 then 3 come, and so on. Each group arrives by sliding down a pole into the middle playground and sliding down the slide. From there, they rush at you full force.

      I feel confident in my abilities to fight. I'm pretty sure I can get to group 13, so that would be roughly give or take 70 kids if I can take a few out in that round.

      What do you think?

      58 votes
    13. High quality USB-C in-ear monitors or good aux-to-USB-C adapters?

      I recently upgraded my phone and to my dismay everyone followed apples moronic choice to remove aux ports. I want to keep using my KZ in ears, and while they have bluetooth adapters I rarely like...

      I recently upgraded my phone and to my dismay everyone followed apples moronic choice to remove aux ports.

      I want to keep using my KZ in ears, and while they have bluetooth adapters I rarely like how bluetooth sounds and also don't want to worry about having to charge them either.

      Both adapters I've bought either buzz like crazy or my phone is convinced is constantly disconnecting and pausing my music. Anyone know of anything in the budget range thats as good as KZ or good adapters?

      14 votes