ach's recent activity

  1. Comment on Dropkick Murphys feat Violent Femmes - Gotta Get to Peekskill (2023) - More solidarity and anti-fascist recommendation? in ~music

  2. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

    ach
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    I've been listening to the new Bon Iver EP, SABLE, this morning. I'm still digesting it all, but the EP is a bit of a return to some of their earlier work, more acoustic than their recent...

    I've been listening to the new Bon Iver EP, SABLE, this morning. I'm still digesting it all, but the EP is a bit of a return to some of their earlier work, more acoustic than their recent releases. Emotional and complex lyrics from Justin, as usual. S P E Y S I D E is an early standout for me.

    2 votes

  3. Comment on Seasonal hobbies: What are your summer/winter hobbies? in ~hobbies

    ach
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    I try to make biking a year-round thing. Summer leans more towards mountain biking and winter more towards gravel rides. But I'll do either anytime of year, mainly depends on precipitation and...

    I try to make biking a year-round thing. Summer leans more towards mountain biking and winter more towards gravel rides. But I'll do either anytime of year, mainly depends on precipitation and trail conditions.

    Gardening/landscaping projects usual happen in spring and fall with summer just being maintenance and harvesting.

    Probably the only hobby that I do mainly in the winter is sim racing. I refuse to be holed up in my basement on the PC when the days and long and weather is relatively nice.

    7 votes

  4. Comment on Taskmaster Series 17, Episode 1 - 'Grappling with my life' | Full episode in ~tv

    ach
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    Really enjoyed the first episode - this lineup seems pretty fun. Steve Pemberton is so quick! His task with the egg was really clever.

    Really enjoyed the first episode - this lineup seems pretty fun. Steve Pemberton is so quick! His task with the egg was really clever.

    4 votes

  5. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~life

    ach
    Link
    Three things that I learned from our wedding day. Don't be afraid to delegate. You and your spouse should be enjoying the day and each other as much as possible, so don't worry about doing little...

    Three things that I learned from our wedding day.

    1. Don't be afraid to delegate. You and your spouse should be enjoying the day and each other as much as possible, so don't worry about doing little stuff yourself. We needed our car moved between wedding and reception, so we asked a good friend to do it. SIL and mothers set up the centerpieces at the reception. FIL was in charge of directing people in the reception venue. If you have an event planner, they should handle this, but if it's more DIY, just ask for help.

    2. Hire a professional photographer. I've had a few friends use an acquaintance or someone "just starting out" and they were very disappointed with their pictures. We hired a pro and have some wonderful photos that we often look back at. It was our biggest expense after the venue/food but totally worth it.

    3. Enjoy the process. Hopefully, you only plan one wedding, so make sure to enjoy all the little things leading up. I'm one to always rush to get things finished and focus on the end result. But I really made an effort to slow down and enjoy the planning process. I have fond memories of choosing tie colors, picking invitations, listening to first dance songs, etc. To quote Dawes, "it's not some stupid little ring, I'm getting a little bit of everything".

    2 votes

  6. Comment on First time homebuyer who just closed on a house, does anyone have any general advice? in ~life.home_improvement

    ach
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    Pay attention to water around your home. Are your gutters and downspouts flowing properly? Is there standing water anywhere near the foundation or in the yard after it rains? During heavy rains,...

    Pay attention to water around your home. Are your gutters and downspouts flowing properly? Is there standing water anywhere near the foundation or in the yard after it rains? During heavy rains, where does the water from the downspouts go? Unaddressed drainage problems in and around your home can cause major damage over time.

    Case in point, our back patio has sunk over the years and is now collecting water right next to our foundation. Hydrostatic pressure can cause foundation issues and water intrusion if you have a basement.

    We also had a downspout that was dumping water right onto the driveway for years. This eventually eroded a trench underneath the driveway causing some major cracks and setting in the concrete. We've since redirected the downspout into the yard, well away from the house and driveway.

    8 votes

  7. Comment on Any woodworkers here? in ~hobbies

    ach
    Link Parent
    Tell me more about your desk. I'm currently collecting ideas for my own. I'm leaning towards something like Adrian Preda's cherry desk at the moment.

    Tell me more about your desk. I'm currently collecting ideas for my own. I'm leaning towards something like Adrian Preda's cherry desk at the moment.

  8. Comment on Any woodworkers here? in ~hobbies

    ach
    Link
    Been woodworking on and off for many years, but I've been getting more serious about it recently. Mostly hand tools, but still use power tools for milling (I'm not a complete masochist lol). Built...

    Been woodworking on and off for many years, but I've been getting more serious about it recently. Mostly hand tools, but still use power tools for milling (I'm not a complete masochist lol). Built a Nicholson bench two years ago and currently working on a moxon bench-on-bench to compliment it. Also slowly working on replacing most of our furniture with pieces I've made, but that's a slow and expensive process.

    I've been missing /r/woodworking since RIF died. Would love a new source for discussion and inspiration.

    9 votes

  9. Comment on Help me build my “woke” Fourth of July playlist in ~music

    ach
    Link
    IDLES - Danny Nedelko Written by a British band about the UK, but I think the message applies to America as well. It's also an absolute banger.

    IDLES - Danny Nedelko

    Written by a British band about the UK, but I think the message applies to America as well. It's also an absolute banger.

  10. Comment on Are there any other simracing enthusiasts? in ~games

    ach
    Link Parent
    I think the endurance events are more rewarding too. Seems like more of an accomplishment than grinding out weekly races. iRacing does nickle-and-dime you. If you run one or two series, it's not...

    I think the endurance events are more rewarding too. Seems like more of an accomplishment than grinding out weekly races.

    iRacing does nickle-and-dime you. If you run one or two series, it's not terrible, but the costs add up. They do develop the sim very actively and are pretty responsive to fixing bugs, so it does feel like the money is put to good use.

  11. Comment on Are there any other simracing enthusiasts? in ~games

    ach
    Link
    I play iRacing in VR almost exclusively. I used to race in a weekly Porsche Cup league (Season 3 Am Champion!), but the practice requirements are too much now. I've pivoted to doing mainly...

    I play iRacing in VR almost exclusively. I used to race in a weekly Porsche Cup league (Season 3 Am Champion!), but the practice requirements are too much now. I've pivoted to doing mainly endurance events. The occasional solo two-hour event and the bigger races every few months. I just did a 24 hour of Le Mans (P3 in GT Am) and 6 hour of Watkins Glen. I find it much easier to casually practice in the few weeks leading up to the event and then commit one day every few months to a race versus practicing a new track every week.

    Setup is mid/high end, I guess.
    Simucube 2 base
    Gomez GXL wheel
    Heusinkveld Sprints
    8020 rig
    HP Reverb G2

    1 vote

  12. Comment on What are the summer activities you are looking forward to? in ~health

    ach
    Link Parent
    I love a good hardtail. I find riding a full-suspension too much makes me lazy and skills like line choice get dull. Obviously full-suspension is almost necessary for downhill type stuff. Used...

    I love a good hardtail. I find riding a full-suspension too much makes me lazy and skills like line choice get dull. Obviously full-suspension is almost necessary for downhill type stuff.

    Used market can be great. I haven't looked in a while, but my full-suspension and first hardtail both came from FB marketplace, basically unused and 40% off from new.

    1 vote

  13. Comment on What are the summer activities you are looking forward to? in ~health

    ach
    Link Parent
    I consider mountain biking my main physical activity. I do some road or gravel rides occasionally too, but like you, I find riding on the road too dangerous. Mountain biking brings its own risks,...

    I consider mountain biking my main physical activity. I do some road or gravel rides occasionally too, but like you, I find riding on the road too dangerous. Mountain biking brings its own risks, but I think it's not too hard to ride within your limits and slowly work up to harder trails. My most frequented trail is actually a green, multiuse trail not far from my house. I know it so well, I can rip around it pretty quick and make it more interesting than it should be lol.

    Do you have a bike already or looking to get one?

    1 vote

  14. Comment on What were your gardening adventures this weekend? in ~hobbies

    ach
    Link Parent
    Thank you! They are cedar, so that's the natural color. I did put on some teak oil on and will do so annually to hopefully slow the greying process. But eventually they will turn grey.

    Thank you! They are cedar, so that's the natural color. I did put on some teak oil on and will do so annually to hopefully slow the greying process. But eventually they will turn grey.

    1 vote

  15. Comment on What were your gardening adventures this weekend? in ~hobbies

    ach
    Link
    For a while we'd been wanting to build some raised planters for our backyard. With two dogs, anything ground level gets run over pretty frequently. So I built these planters a couple weeks ago and...

    For a while we'd been wanting to build some raised planters for our backyard. With two dogs, anything ground level gets run over pretty frequently. So I built these planters a couple weeks ago and we installed them this weekend. Had to do a small retaining wall as well. Really happy with how they turned out and the plants should love the fresh soil and not getting trampled.

    Before/after: https://imgur.com/a/CrpxjHg

    3 votes

  16. Comment on What are your thoughts on qualifying/provisional grid for the Canadian F1 Grand Prix? in ~sports.motorsports

    ach
    Link Parent
    In my opinion, if you impede someone in qualifying, you shouldn't be allowed to advanced to the next session. Yes Sainz got a grid drop, but he should be starting P15 or lower, not P11. The...

    In my opinion, if you impede someone in qualifying, you shouldn't be allowed to advanced to the next session. Yes Sainz got a grid drop, but he should be starting P15 or lower, not P11. The stewards are so slow with these decisions and always hand out penalties after the session when they have minimal effect.

    2 votes

  17. Comment on What are the greatest TV intro songs of all time? in ~tv

    ach
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    MASH is pretty high up there for me. The lyrics to the full song are heavy.

    MASH is pretty high up there for me. The lyrics to the full song are heavy.

    28 votes

  18. Comment on Sitting with boredom in ~talk

    ach
    Link Parent
    I've been to a couple of the annual events for the US club. They actually used to be pretty local to us. I'd like to go to some more. It's amazing to see what these dogs can do!

    I've been to a couple of the annual events for the US club. They actually used to be pretty local to us. I'd like to go to some more. It's amazing to see what these dogs can do!

    2 votes

  19. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    ach
    Link Parent
    Oh man, you're about to go down a rabbit hole lol. The sim is pretty great. They're always improving things and some cars are better than others, but overall it's fairly realistic. The laser...

    Oh man, you're about to go down a rabbit hole lol. The sim is pretty great. They're always improving things and some cars are better than others, but overall it's fairly realistic. The laser scanned tracks are excellent. Also their match making system is superb and is what really sets it apart from other sims.

    1 vote

  20. Comment on Sitting with boredom in ~talk

    ach
    Link Parent
    Midwestern US. Are you familiar with the trainer Sara Brueske? She had a Koolie that needed a pet home and it worked out for us to take one in. She's been a fantastic dog and it's been really fun...

    Midwestern US. Are you familiar with the trainer Sara Brueske? She had a Koolie that needed a pet home and it worked out for us to take one in. She's been a fantastic dog and it's been really fun to learn about the breed. I would definitely want to get another in the future.

    2 votes