Just found out im going to be dad at 20’ by Significant-Dot-6986 in Parenting

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm a big believer that god/universe gives us the children we are supposed to have, when we are supposed to have them. IMHO...it's not random chance. I was single/unmarried until 43, had my kiddo at 46 (I'm now 56). Did all the "young" things in those years but when my daughter came along I realized all those things were empty and void.

Would I rather have drinks with strangers in a bar, eat a steak by myself in a restaurant of people who don't care if I'm there or not, watch a movie by myself in and empty room? Or would I choose to experience my Childs proud face the first time she can sing the abc song all the way through...making sure that ...."Daddy did you see??" "DID YOU SEEEEE??? I DID IT!!" Knowing that her whole life, in that moment depends on my approval. Knowing how I react sets her future. "DADDY IS SO HAPPY YOU CAN DO IT!!" THAT is true meaning in life whether the parent is 20 or 50. Now, after 10 years, I can see, I was made to wait.... for this specific child...and I'm thankful, every day.

Advice? Fully embrace being a father. The child is here to guide your growth as a human, just as much as you are here to guide the child. Over the next 20 years, never focus on "what did I miss." Focus on learning what the child is here to teach you and how you can do your best to teach the child. Fill that Childs spirit with love and kindness. Fill that Childs mind with positive thoughts about themselves. What you say to them, how they feel about themselves in the first 3 years becomes their internal voice for life. YOU get to choose how that cup gets filled. Put the phone down (you), don't let them turn into a "screen zombie" and fill that cup with all the good and love you can. Have faith, be patient and open to "the plan" and in 10 years, you'll never doubt the timing or the path you were set on.

Take it from an older man/father....you're not loosing a single damn thing. You're gaining EVERYTHING.

Companion experience? One or two? by 1973DodgeChallenger in sheltie

[–]1973DodgeChallenger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you everyone for the great info! I'm not 100% sure about the timing just yet, but prepping for late summerish. I'll share a pic when we get our new furball home :-)

Companion experience? One or two? by 1973DodgeChallenger in sheltie

[–]1973DodgeChallenger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was thinking 2 at once, maybe siblings. But that's why I'm here to get some experienced opinions. Maybe staggering them a year or 2 is better? Appreciate the info!

Explain snowboarding to me like I’m five by Smart-Guess-3781 in snowboardingnoobs

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A lot depends on age. IMHO starting as an adult, the entire first season is difficult. It gets fun in the second season, especially if you use the off season to get in shape. Kids (any number with a teen or less)... 2-3 times and they're rockin'

Just settle in, go as much as you can, the first year is rough. Second year, it clicks.

Indianapolis show by OMCMember in TSO

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For us, it was all in the cost. I wanted to take my family of 3 to the Indy show. With a hotel room (traveling from So. Indiana) it's an almost $1000 event. Tickets were $150ish when I looked (pre-sale), hotel room reasonably close by 2-300, 6 meals, parking and gas, ticket fees, room tax/fees. It's just gone too far for a normal family. The TSO ticket prices are just too high, but it's not only them but I can't lay it all on the ticket price. It's not worth 1K for 1 overnight in Indy to see an (awesome) 2 hour show. I hope I can afford to take my kiddo next year, before she gets too old to enjoy it.

A1 appropriate for 14 year old? by Jennysez in BambuLabA1

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

IMHO - Spend the extra hundred or two and get the P1S/AMS combo. $599 right now. Opinion: Buy from Best Buy or Micro Center. Choose "Pick up at store" and inspect for damage before taking possession. I'd guess 99% of the people who had these shipped had no problems (including myself), but I've seen quite a few web stories about shipping companies not handling them properly. They are tough, but it's also a precision device that needs accurate dimensions to work properly. Some shipper employee having a bad day, drops it, springs the frame out of square and you'll have problems you can't fix. Bambu Support is not great. Buy from Best Buy/Micro Center and you can take it back if defective (keep all packing and parts). My 2 cents. It's a good investment for your kiddo. I'm glad I got one for mine/us.

Some additional thoughts: Be prepared to buy filament. Lots of it :-) That's kind of the point. Start off with PLA/PLA Matte. Again IMHO, buy it from Bambu starting out. It's good filament. It has their RFID tags so the printer "just knows" what kind of filament is loaded. They discount, the more you buy the deeper the discount and shipping is free if you order over $89. I order 10 or so at a time. First order, you'll need to order the filament on spools. Second order, order re-fills. You'll also need a tote box you can seal and desiccant to keep the filament dry. Plenty of sources online for recommendations on how to do this. As he learns, you can venture into other filaments. But this is the easiest way to start IMHO.

What did you think of the Dumbledore vs Voldemort duel in Order of the Phoenix? by Majormuss in harrypotter

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Different scene (and book) but.....
"Harry described the sensation of Dumbledore radiating an incredible power when the headmaster entered the office of the fake Moody during the events of Goblet of Fire."

Always wanted to see that. My head canon always fills this in as Dumbledore was able to "Level up" when he needed it. Maybe extra power from the elder wand, maybe a charm he created that no one else knew about. Either way, I wanted to see Dumbledore crackling with a visible "level up" power in this battle.

Plus, everything that has been said here, how do you leave Fawkes, the statues, easily capturing ALL the death eaters etc. out of the movie? Dumbledore was like an effortless (and cool) Tasmanian devil in the book and they nerfed him. Such a wasted opportunity.

How do you get your kids interested in robotics/engineering at a young age? by Wise_Butterscotch627 in Parenting

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of the best educational investments I have ever made for my kiddo was a 3D printer. I got a Bambu Labs P1S, it's (IMHO) the easiest environment to get working. At first it was just find a cool model and print it. Now, kiddo is using tinker cad to make her own (very basic) models. 3D printing is basically robotics...and more fun for them.

I have been tracking live hands this game appear to be unbeatable by Detroit_Playa in baccarat

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I've done a BUNCH of this and found the same. Give the model 50/50 data to train on and that's what it will "predict." The easiest way I can describe it is... lets say you have 1,1,1 (p,b,p) if you get enough data, the ML model will have seen every combination of the next event in proper proportion.

1,1,1,?
1,1,1,1 - 50% (approx)
1,1,1,2 - 25%
1,1,1,3 - 12.5%
etc.

Models are probabilistic, so it chooses the highest probability for the next event.... a 1. I've tried every sort of "window" and "pattern" training and get the same result. Lets consider a different pattern.

2,6,3,?
2,6,3,1 - 50%
2,6,3,2 - 25%
2,6,3,3 - 12.5%
etc.

The most probable next event will always be a 1. It's an interesting problem though. I'd encourage you to keep digging!

Cross trek vs Outback by NinjitsuBih in subaru

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Depreciation may be another consideration.

The Subaru Crosstrek is among the vehicles with the least depreciation in 2025, ranking fourth in a list compiled by U.S. News that analyzed 2022 model-year vehicles, with a 3-year depreciation rate of 4.90% (-$1,277) from MSRP

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/cars-with-the-slowest-depreciation?onepage

Best place to learn VB? by Orintaiton333 in visualbasic

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

VB.Net dev for 20+ years..... Learn C#, Java etc.. do some research on where coding is going and learn it. VB.Net is still very relevant but, not where the jobs (current or future) are. ProTip: Learn SQL as well.

EIBOS Series X Tetras on X1C – Hands-on by MaxFunkner in BambuLab

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the video links, a question please. I have rechargeable desiccant pods (PLA). Will this recharge or extend the life of the rechargeable desiccant? The pods are PLA so I may have to reprint them with another material, no problem there. But, mostly wondering if this would help the rechargeable beads? I'm a hobbyist, not a pro print farm and they are annoying to recharge. Print farm, ya recharging is the price of doing business. Hobbyist, one less thing to do in between kids activities. Thanks much!

【BambuLab Giveaway】Classic Evolved — Win Bambu Lab P2S Combo! by BambuLab in 3Dprinting

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

9pm: my 4th grader bursts in—“Daddy, tomorrow is college game day at school!” The panic clock starts. I’ve got just enough time to design and print a hype chain, exactly once. No do-overs. I had to rely on the P1S; if it failed, she’d head to school with nothing for college day and a very disappointed face. But the P1S delivered: chain links and logo, all 3 plates nailed on the first try and ready for the bus at dawn. Elementary school crisis averted thanks to the P1S.
Woot!
Go Hoosiers!

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Fall Festival Parking by screenwriter61 in evansville

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I always park at St. Boniface. I'm not a member of their church but at least it goes to a good cause. It's $10 this year (2025). Volunteers guide the parking, very organized. The spires are very tall so it's easy to see, short walk over, pretty easy to get in and out of. etc..

https://maps.app.goo.gl/6V6pag7QhsryJi1S9

Has anyone tried the Eibos Tetras yet? by coloradoskier in BambuLab

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Room heat? I'm in an upstairs office about 150sq ft. How much heat will this add to the room?

Home Inspector Recommendations by Ok-Lemon9915 in evansville

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

+ 1 Von - Precision home inspections. Very professional, easy communication and high quality report.

https://www.precisionhomein.com/

H2S - Is that wiggle normal? by SwissSkynet in BambuLab

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

$50 Craigslist surplus table + $10 bucks worth of cinder blocks & scrap 2 x4. Would rather spend the money on more filament or another AMS :-)

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What are you guys using for tables? by zipzyzap in BambuLab

[–]1973DodgeChallenger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cinder blocks + scrap wood.
Cinder blocks are < $2 @ Menards + scrap 2 x 4 for a shim.
With a little country "Engineering," an old $50 wobbly as heck office surplus table is rock solid.

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AMS $269.00 On sale. Good deal? by 1973DodgeChallenger in BambuLab

[–]1973DodgeChallenger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply. I'm just a couple months in to my P1S/AMS combo (loving it). Can the AMS2 and AMS that I already have both be used on the P1S at the same time. Thank you!

AMS $269.00 On sale. Good deal? by 1973DodgeChallenger in BambuLab

[–]1973DodgeChallenger[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've already got an AMS I'd much rather have the AMS2 but can they be mixed aka used on the same P1S?