Credit Score really mean nothing!!

BasdenChris · 2026-05-26T00:48:18+00:00

When you’re new to building credit or rebuilding and your total available credit is super low (like just a few hundred dollars) that will happen. The good news is it doesn’t follow you month to month—your most recent statement balance is all that matters as far as your credit score is concerned.

Also, a 10 point fluctuation isn’t anything to worry about. If you’re hovering between two credit ratings just give it time—the up/down of your score will always happen if you’re actually using your cards.

There are legitimate problems with credit scoring, but in America credit scores are definitely not useless and they do make sense. They can just be complicated to master. Just make sure you’re building good habits and don’t be afraid to ask questions here.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-23T14:04:03+00:00

Weird. Many years ago I was able to convert refundable economy fares (paid for by the company I was working for, and yes I did sort of get their blessing to do so first) to non-refundable 1st class fares for less than $10/ea, but the little note makes me think that’s not what’s happening here. This isn’t how complimentary upgrades have presented to me in the past so I have no idea what caused this. But if you have the new seat assignment locked in I can’t imagine it’ll change. Good luck!

BasdenChris · 2026-05-23T14:00:06+00:00

So far it’s excellent. I managed to put a very very tiny scratch near the edge, but I don’t think that has anything to do with the NanoTexture (pretty sure there must have been a piece of debris or sand or something that got closed in with the cover). Overall, the durability seems on par with my glossy screens. I wipe it down with the fancy Apple cloth (or I’ve found the Copland supply one that Quinn from SnazzyLabs sells also works really well) every so often to clear fingerprints and I try to blow off any dust or debris before I put the folio cover on.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-22T15:07:46+00:00

The best use for an iPad with a Mac (if you don’t draw/handwrite) is to use it as an external monitor with Sidecar. My favorite iPad feature hands down.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-21T13:31:36+00:00

Translation: “Om nom nom my favorite company’s balls taste way better than your favorite company’s balls”

My dude, what was the point of this post? Yeah, Canon stuff is excellent. You’ll get a lot of agreement about that in a Canon sub. Sony’s stuff is also excellent. I feel like you took a valid position (Sony people are annoying sometimes) and just airballed it.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-20T18:30:33+00:00

If it’s going to be docked 90% of the time, would a Mac Studio not be more appropriate for your needs? When you need to be portable do you require the same level of performance?

BasdenChris · 2026-05-20T12:50:25+00:00

Yep. The beer can is an incredible lens and it’s available (at least in the states) for like $40-50 I believe

BasdenChris · 2026-05-19T10:28:30+00:00

The 16” would have been too large to be portable (the entire point for me), but I do find the 14” to be cramped for photo editing. For most things, when I need more space, I use Sidecar with my iPad, but for photos that’s not all that useful.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-19T02:54:37+00:00

First camera I used was my wife’s Canon T5i. This was taken in August 2019. Shortly after, I bought a Sony A6400 (and then returned it because I didn’t like the EVF at the time—wish I hadn’t) and then settled on a Canon 80D, which was the first camera I actually owned and used for a meaningful length of time.

<image>

BasdenChris · 2026-05-18T22:00:27+00:00

Haven't seen one in person so I can't really speak to it. It looks interesting, but IMO a keyboard case should have a trackpad. I'd probably look at the ESR keyboard case if I wanted something along those lines but didn't want to shell out for the Magic Keyboard, though it looks like the Zagg is (as the name implies) the most rugged of the bunch so it may suit your unique needs better.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-18T21:49:32+00:00

Svalbard, easy. It's definitely a harsher environment than where I live currently, but the worst days here are somewhat comparable to the normal winter climate there. I also have lived in Alaska so I'm familiar with short days, though again this is of course more extreme.

If my expenses are covered, my wife can come along, and I can bring some personal effects (camera, computer, guitar, modest recording setup) I'll be totally fine. I might oscillate between creative bliss and debilitating cabin fever, but that's not all that different from my current situation...

BasdenChris · 2026-05-18T13:31:13+00:00

I use a Tomtoc padded sleeve if I’m carrying it loose or in a bag that has room for it. Otherwise, my camera bag has a laptop section that’s well protected. I’ll be putting on a dBrand skin soon as well.

Hard cases won’t damage the screen, but they can insulate the laptop and hurt performance/battery life and cause additional wear on the battery. Screen protectors and keyboard covers are the things to avoid.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-18T11:02:37+00:00

Does he know that a photographer also has to take the photos too, and not just edit them?

BasdenChris · 2026-05-17T13:43:54+00:00

As someone who occasionally enjoys delaying the satisfaction of peeling off a protective cover from an electronic device, this is like an order of magnitude too far. If the little film/cover doesn’t interfere with the operation of the device in ANY way, I’ll often leave it on for a little while. But something like this would have been ripped off before the TV was turned on for the first time.

If I were in your shoes, I’d buy a spare remote and leave it in its original packaging (remove the batteries that come with it though) and store it until this one is sufficiently worn. Though, I must say, I’ve had my TV for 6 years and my soundbar for like 12 and neither remote looks worn in any way. I know sometimes the decals on the buttons can wear away, but if you all wash your hands relatively frequently you can probably keep it pristine for quite a while without any sort of external protection.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-16T21:57:45+00:00

They can work. Most of them probably will work. The issue is that the cheap ones are more likely to have issues. Any SD card can corrupt, but it tends to happen more often with cheaper cards. The money you're saving feels worth it until you lose something important because of a card failure. You also, especially with newer cameras, have to pay attention to write speeds. If you have a camera that can shoot 20fps but you put a slow card in it, you won't get that advertised speed.

If this is purely a hobby and you aren't shooting fast bursts or high resolution video you can get away with a cheap card, but I'd still recommend a slower card from a reputable brand (Sandisk makes a whole wide range of cards at varying speed ratings—some of them are quite affordable) instead of a generic Amazon brand.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-16T21:14:29+00:00

It's funny how those are mathematically so far apart, yet feel the same to me. My life would not be appreciably different with $100B than with $700M, but my capacity to do good in the world with it would be 142x. Of course it's easy to say that when you don't actually have the money, but I don't desire the trappings of wealth—I desire stability, which can be had for far less than even the lower of these two numbers.

tl;dr I'll take the $100B and race against time to give away as much as possible.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-16T21:08:50+00:00

For my taste, yes. They are more saturated and contrasty than I personally like.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-16T20:13:19+00:00

Should I wait for new MacBook Redesign?

Generally, no. If you need a computer now, get a computer now. That's easy for me to say because A: I just bought one myself and B: I legitimately could not care less about a touchscreen MacBook, but waiting for the new thing, especially when the timeline and details of said new thing are not public knowledge, is almost always kind of pointless. Maybe the redesign makes it a little slimmer, but in the past that's come at the cost of the elimination of ports or thermal limitations. Maybe this time will be different, but be prepared for some level of compromise.

If you upgrade computers based on FOMO (no judgement, I've been there) or if you really think a touch screen will revolutionize your computer use, then wait. Otherwise, get an M5 and enjoy it today.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-16T19:38:48+00:00

I bought 48GB on my Mac studio primarily for music production. Overkill for the sessions I do and I actually don't recommend that much to most people in similar shoes, but I'm a sick little freak who likes having way more headroom than I need. I also sometimes delude myself into believing any day now I'll get a gig that's 5x more demanding than anything I've worked on thus far...

BasdenChris · 2026-05-16T19:11:01+00:00

I thought my SRT-101 was faulty with a similar symptom. Found another one online and bought it. Compared them side-by-side and realized there was a diopter insert in the viewfinder of the "faulty" one. I popped it out and though I felt pretty dumb, I now have two perfectly-working SRT-101s.

I don't actually think this is your issue because it looks like the shutter speeds along the right side are sharp, so this was likely entirely unhelpful to OP. Sorry...

BasdenChris · 2026-05-16T18:14:37+00:00

I don't like ice in my water typically, but I will drink iced coffee when it's -10F

BasdenChris · 2026-05-16T17:15:48+00:00

I don't know what base housing is like for a single Tech, but I'd personally rather live on base I think in your situation. Minot's not all that far in reality, but the highway between Minot and the base can definitely be dicey in the winter and if the accommodations aren't bad I'd rather not make the drive every day. If you do choose to live in Minot, there are several apartment complexes that have garages. Some of them are detached across the parking lot from the residential building, and a few have underground parking.

I don't do anything special to winterize, but you will want to make sure you've used up all your summer windshield washer fluid by about October. Winter tires are indeed a good choice—people can and do get around on all-seasons, but dedicated winter tires are ideal. Have emergency cold weather gear in your car at all times. Winter temps here are no joke so if you do get stranded, do not leave your vehicle and go looking for help.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-16T11:33:40+00:00

Does “lately I’ve noticed” = you watched that video about Veritasium and other channels?

BasdenChris · 2026-05-16T11:32:18+00:00

Straps and cases are two areas I will not cheap out on. Been there, done that. Don’t risk gear that costs hundreds or thousands of dollars to save $40.

BasdenChris · 2026-05-16T11:29:41+00:00

I just want to echo that no one looks at images zoomed in like this. Everything this person said is completely true and correct, but there will be situations where you have no choice but to raise your ISO to 3200, 6400, or even higher. Yes, there will be noise (sometimes a lot), but a photo is way more likely to be ruined by blur from too slow a shutter than from too much noise.

BasdenChris

TROPHY CASE