Jackie's Fridge

First thought: now I want grilled cheese and tomato soup Second and all-consuming thought: holy carp that is my exact stove

I was going to advocate machines, specifically the vintage Singer machines (the black, all-metal dudes). They are very simple, there’s tonnes of information online for repairing & maintaining them, and you can usually find people just trying to get rid of them. Find one that isn’t rusty and moves freely and you’ll probably just need to oil it and mess with the tension.

If space is a concern, you don’t need to keep it in the sewing table (though it’s more comfortable). Those vintage machines are simple and tough to kill.

Found a brand new (still with original tags) Duluth Trading Co. “flannel jacket” for $7. It’s an oversized, fleece-lined flannel shirt. Nice quality, very warm & soft. The retail tags read $59.99, discontinued/clearance $29.95 with a date of 2013. Discontinued over a decade ago and it finally has a home (and I love it).

They do still sell these, with a few design improvements (side pockets), but they’re around $80 now I believe.

Millions of people not voting because it would take millions of people voting to elicit positive change and nobody is doing that is one of the most frustrating things.

• USB power bank
• multi-tip charging/data cable (C/micro-B/Lightning)
• bandages
• ibuprofen
• nail trimmer
• small Maglite
• tiny tin of petroleum jelly (I dont like chap-skick)
• reusable silverware + chopsticks
• iPad Pro 10.5 & pencil
• Samsung Note 8 +512GB card (for music, podcasts, notes, OTG storage)
• headphones (Moondrop Chu2)
• pen & pencil
• sewing kit in a tiny mint tin
• Dirtywave M8 music tracker (my current obsession)
• Leatherman Juice Pro + Victorinox eyeglass screwdriver
• Leatherman Squirt S4
• cotton bandana & eyeglass cloth
• combination USB-A/C microSD card reader
• elastic band(s)
• OM System LS-P5 field recorder
• aux cable

I’m sure there’s more I’ve forgotten but there is a cat on me so I am unable to move until he leaves. Sorry, I dont make the rules.

Ah the Koss PortaPros! Excellent choice.

I’m a member of a Discord that is the primary source of discussion and information about a piece of hardware, including technical & usage tips, firmware announcements, etc. It’s a terrible way to track this stuff.

That said, the only other forums that have decent communities around it are Reddit, Facebook, and Elektronauts - none of which are even close to as active, but in which many of us will post important info & tips to get the news out. Over 3 years into the project (which is not open source) it would be ridiculous to try shifting the whole community to a new platform. We’re kinda stuck.

Luckily the community as a whole seems to realise this, so we happily answer noob questions over and over and provide links to the appropriate resources, discussions, and pinned posts without snark or judgement. We’ve all been there. It’s the nature of the beast, it’s not efficient, and it’s not the end of the world.

Finally, with the state of search engines in decline due to monetisation, encroachment of AI bloat, and general enshittification, it’s a matter of time before very little real information will be easily searchable. Insular communities who decide to withdraw and do everything their own, better way will likely become the norm. The internet needs a reset anyway.

What company? I know a number of them have been bought out and ruined over the years.

You may be able to find a replacement by asking after similar styles on an enthusiast forum (like Head-Fi).

Crap quality bluetooth headphones that hurt your ears cost twice as much as wired, but go on

I’ve got plenty of vacuum tubes to test…if it still works. Who tests the tester?

Found an EMC Model 213 tube tester at a thrift shop this summer. It’s a cute little portable unit in a fabric covered hard case, from about the early 60s. Useless without the chart (typeset on a literal typewriter) that tells you how to set the row of 12 switches & three knobs that dial in the proper test for each type of tube. Luckily I found a scan online!

Looks like an exploding moon in every sci Fi anime

What about “hello I’m your customer and I’m not installing your app.” End of argument.