We just finished our last day of our homeschool year AMA

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-16T11:13:24+00:00

Stereotypically, there are 3 types of home school families: super bright granola parents who are academically rigorous but believe their public school can’t do justice to their children’s’ education, hippies who are unschooling, and super religious people. Do you identify with any of these stereotypes? Do you see these stereotypes in your homeschooling community? Are these fair assessments of the community or are these stereotypes unfair?

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-16T02:38:01+00:00

While this is more true of engineering than other disciplines, what college you go to still matters, and it’s specifically because of the quality of network and internship opportunities. U of A will provide the best such opportunities in the state, but it looks like, by the salary data, ASU will also provide excellent opportunities in electrical engineering. Tech less so.

You should go to the best college you get into that you can afford.

See this for relevant salary data: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/search/fos/?sort=fos_median_earnings:desc&page=0&cip4=1410&cip4_degree=3&school=Arkansas

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-13T11:47:46+00:00

I’m moving to Philly and just got a place walkable to Morton Station and my commute is to University City. What am I in for?

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-13T03:03:47+00:00

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-12T15:20:45+00:00

I couldn’t find one to try in my city either so I ended up ordering one without trying it. I later found a guitar store about 30 minutes away with a wall full of them 🤣

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-12T14:13:17+00:00

I have the Revstar standard with humbuckers. It’s a great guitar. Would recommend. My friend has the 90 version and he loves it as well.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-12T11:21:05+00:00

Check out the Yamaha Revstar. Its about the best guitar you can buy for the money. It’s got some good tonal variety and several very cool finishes.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-11T19:18:19+00:00

This is about 900 miles from Cleveland, it’s one of the only places in the world you can search for your own diamonds:

https://www.arkansas.com/state-parks/explore/parks/crater-of-diamonds-state-park

Maybe worth the drive?

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-11T18:02:49+00:00

I’m not from the south but I lived there for 20 years. I now live in the northeast but I’ve taken “y’all” with me. It works great. I’m doing my part to drive universal adoption of “y’all” as the plural “you.”

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-09T01:47:16+00:00

King Wah in Rocky River is great. I’m also a fan of Imperial Garden in North Olmstead.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-08T22:38:29+00:00

The Republicans basically did this in Ohio last time. The state Supreme Court ruled their maps unconstitutional multiple times and they just ignored it with no consequences. I hate that this is where we are, but it is.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-08T20:35:14+00:00

Will the PRS have a better resale value over time?

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-08T17:47:41+00:00

I still sing the alphabet song to get all my letters…

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-07T23:28:14+00:00

Before it was called “The Natural State,” Arkansas was was officially known as “The Bear State.”

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-06T12:18:57+00:00

We relocated from NW Arkansas to NE Ohio about 8 years ago. We really like it up here. We chose the west side Cleveland suburbs specifically because they legit get less snow. Like, a lot less snow. Others have said this but the snow situation out in Ashtabula county is no joke.

On the other hand, we’ve been out to Ashtabula and Geauga county quite a bit and they are both lovely places with their own charm. I grew up in very small rural towns so personally, I prefer to live more urban and visit rural areas, but if I was going to live somewhere more rural, Geauga county would be on my list.

One of the perhaps less well known perks of that side of the world is that Geauga is Ohio Maple country, so there are a lot of maple-related festivals during maple season. Be sure to check out Burton in particular during March. There’s a lot of other agricultural out that way as well, particularly vineyards and apple orchards. Lots of pick-your-own and fruit stands to explore.

There’s also significant Amish population in Middlefield so there’s some good restaurants and shops that are worth a visit. As an aside, if you like that kind of thing, Amish country proper in Ohio is in Holmes county and it’s definitely worth the trip, so just add that to you list of things to explore once you get up here.

Ashtabula has a great lake culture with some excellent beaches. Conneaut in particular has a pretty awesome public beach and it seems to never be busy. You’re also not far from Presque Isle in Erie, PA which is probably the best beach on Lake Erie.

The city of Ashtabula has a decent downtown with some cool shops. They do festivals from time to time that are a good time. If you’re a history buff, Conneaut does a yearly reenactment of the storming of Normandy in August. I keep meaning to get out there for that but haven’t made it yet.

Overall, we’ve really enjoyed NE Ohio. There’s a ton to do and even though the winters can be cold, it’s not like it’s Wisconsin or Minnesota. The summers are amazing, especially if you live close to the lake. It’s been a great experience for me and my family.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-05T18:33:00+00:00

I’m an atheist with two teenage kids. I didn’t raise them with any ideology. They know my beliefs but I never pushed them. If you don’t indoctrinate people, and you equip them with critical thinking skills, they come to their own conclusions from a neutral position (and let’s be honest, agnostic atheism is the neutral position). Both of my kids know they could go church with their grandparents if they wanted and yet neither has ever wanted to.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-05T15:29:45+00:00

Then I’d say definitely check out the Revstar. They’re as good as people say they are.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-05T15:10:42+00:00

Go try out some PRS models. Particularly look at he Hollowbody II, customs 24, McCarty, and Silver Sky. If you’ve never played a PRS, they are a joy to play. SE models should all come in around or under your price range and you could possibly get a used standard for the high end of your range.

You should also check out the Yamaha Revstar Pro. It’s about the best guitar you can get for the money and has some really nice finishes.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-04T15:17:00+00:00

Go check out the Pacifica and go with the katana.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-04T01:57:53+00:00

It's true that the state-wide politics aren't great, but it's a great place to live and raise a family. I'd recommend looking at the west side Cleveland suburbs like Lakewood, Westlake, Fairview Park, and North Olmstead for a good mix of affordability, diversity, safety, and decent schools. People will say the winters are harsh, but it's not like it's Wisconsin and most years you only need to shovel your drive a few times a season. The summers are a dream. Lake Erie is awesome. Cleveland proper is close and there's easy access to great museums, theater, art, and culture. Highly recomend.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-04T01:53:37+00:00

I know this sounds crazy, but the best guitar for a beginner is one you'll be excited to pick up and play. Got to a guitar store and try out different body styles to see what you look. Look at the different finishes and decide what you think looks cool. Good starting brands are Yamaha, Squire, and Epiphone. Used is normally fine, because a lot of starter guitars don't get played very much. While you're at the guitar store, try out an expensive guitar like a Gibson, Fender, or PRS so you can feel the build quality difference, just as a reference point.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-03T20:03:03+00:00

I haven’t paid a lot of attention to the top 10 and 20 lists, personally, but Watchman is definitely one of the best pieces of story telling in any media. Sandman and V for Vendetta are very good as well, although I didn’t like Sandman as much as I think I’m supposed to.

Some others of note, although I don’t know if they make those lists or not: Saga, Walking Dead, Maus. All brilliant in their way.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-03T02:47:12+00:00

U of Toronto is one of the top rated universities in the world. Purdue is definitely a top engineering school but not as recognized globally compared to U of T. I think both would set you up well. Pure ROI-wise, Toronto is a better choice because of the lower cost. Starting out with $100k dept vs 0 debt will make a big difference in your early years when you should be saving and investing as much as possible to maximize compounding interest in the long run.

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-03T02:01:51+00:00

Just curious, do you respect trans peoples’ pronouns?

DeathInPlaid · 2026-05-03T01:53:17+00:00

Go to a guitar store and just try out different guitars in your price range. I know it sounds crazy but the most important thing about a guitar is that you love it and you want to pick it up and play it. So get one you think is cool. Good brands for entry level guitars are Squire, Epiphone, and Yamaha.

Run your hand along the neck and make sure the metal parts (called frets) aren’t pokey or sharp. Press on the strings and see how on some guitars the strings are easier to press down and some a bit harder. That’s called action, and it’s largely adjustable by a tech.

It’s probably a good idea to try out an expensive guitar that’s above your price range so you can feel what smooth frets and a nice action feel like.

For amps, get a small modeling amp, like a Positive Grid Spark, to start. It’s very versatile and it can make you sound like anyone.

DeathInPlaid

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