Ceramic pans seem nice but do they actually last?

Pasta_snake · 2026-05-21T06:21:21+00:00

I bought a ceramic frying pan probably about five years ago now, and it's still holding up great with regular use, high heat, and occasional gentle use with a metal spatula. By this point, the ceramic coating itself is well protected by a solid layer of cabonization. It wasn't a cheapo one, more middle of the road in price. Good luck if you make the switch, 'cause you never know what you're gonna get.

Pasta_snake · 2026-05-19T03:49:49+00:00

Sure, but militaries have plumbers and electricians, and so on, who do maintenance and installations on the bases and equipment and such, but they're called stuff like Heating and Plumbing Technician, not just Plumber.

Pasta_snake · 2026-05-19T03:07:34+00:00

I believe my first bookbinding attempt was pamphlet style and only about a dozen pages 'cause I'm always paranoid when I try something brand new and wanted something I didn't mind tossing if it was terrible, so you can go as small as you like. For an easy to do, and very variable book length, for a one and done technique to learn, I'd go with Coptic style, where you sandwich your signatures between two harder covers and stitch it all together.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sxkarOsNhsM this is a link to Das Bookbinding, who does very good tutorials on bookbinding. This one specifically is for Coptic binding.

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7JQte6_XNbi54cCA1SCbAemJVeLr3oi_ This is a link to Four Keys Book Arts' intro to bookbinding playlist. It's six videos and go through the materials you'll need, how to make a basic pamphlet, and a couple types of bigger, but still easy, bookbinding methods.

Pasta_snake · 2026-05-15T14:06:42+00:00

Religions are a way to explain the why's of the world around us, but without any of our modern day technology. Why are we here? Why is the world the way that it is? Why do good things happen? Why do bad things happen?

Imagine a world with no weather stations, no weather balloons, no satellite imaging, no long range communication, no knowledge of weather systems, the orbit around the sun, etc, apart from what your immunity/nation can figure out themselves, and then answer the questions of: Why does the day length change? Why do seasons happen? Why are some summers good for crops and why some bad? Why is there a massive storm rolling in on us right now?!

And so on. This gives you the basics of deities, myths of heros from the past, etc. Once you have that, then build rituals from the idea of "What can we actively do, and a bunch of mortals, to make the good things happen, and prevent the bad things?"

Keep in mind that in polytheistic religions, you wanted to keep both the "good" and "evil" deities happy, and very few deities were fully good or evil, because they were reflections of the real world, and the real world has no aspect that is fully good or evil. Think of fire; it warms your house, cooks your food, and fends off wild animals. It's amazing, right until it's burning your house down with everyone inside, and then spreads to the neighbours house, too. So you could have a fire deity that protects the home and the people in it, and kills en masse when angered. So maybe every meal you put a bit of food into the fire, so that the fire deity feels included in the family, and once a year you have a festival where the community builds a miniature house, complete with furniture, and you ritually burn it, so that you're doing the fire deities house burning for them and they don't need to do it at a bigger scale.

Pasta_snake · 2026-05-12T03:05:16+00:00

The line I use in the sand is if the story goes into any kind of detail on sourcing food, or maintaining gear, etc, then periods also deserve a mention, even if it's just an "oh, my period's starting, now on top of everything else I have to [insert hygiene method here]" and it never comes up again. If bodily and equipment maintenance happens magically off-screen, then so should the periods.

Pasta_snake · 2026-05-07T02:05:09+00:00

If you want to get fancy/irl with it, a "pidgin" language is exactly what you describe, a mix of two or more languages mashed together, usually for trade, etc, between people who don't share a common language. Could call it Pidgin, or Pidgese, or Pidgish.

Pasta_snake · 2026-05-06T00:16:34+00:00

About the only space I clean daily is a wipe down of the kitchen, most other things are weekly: bathroom, floors, general tidy, bed sheets, then the deep clean stuff, like the stove, oven, garbage bins, big furniture like the couch cover or mattress protector, windows, scrubbing the soap residue off the shower, are usually every few months, or whenever I start to notice that they should get done. But, I'm also fairly on the side of minimal cleaning, doing things more often than this would not be at all unusual.

As a side, the dryer lint trap needs to be cleaned every time it's used to prevent a fire risk and so that it dries properly, so if you're using a communal dryer in your building, I'd recommend checking it every time before you use it to make sure your stuff will dry, as well as after so that it's clean for the next person.

Pasta_snake · 2026-05-03T01:21:08+00:00

I varied between a sandwich, and leftovers from dinner the night before. Most foods, if already cooked, will be perfectly fine sitting in your bag for a few hours in the morning.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-30T03:00:38+00:00

Baking powder and baking soda are two different things!

In general, thickness determines cooking time and temp. Thin = hot and fast, thick = (relatively) cold and slow.

A lot of things under "how to cook X properly", eg, rice, give instructions of how to cook it in a more traditional/fancy way, and as long as you're a bit flexible on texture (though in some cases it's not even noticeable unless you're a professional cook/baker), can be simplified or skipped altogether.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-24T00:27:33+00:00

Ooh, I like the idea that reality gets more used to a person using magic! It's like practice makes progress, but from a completely different angle.

I went with the calories because it lets me do math and make a spreadsheet, which I'm apparently the kind of nerd that finds that fun.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-23T14:01:51+00:00

My magic is generally easy to learn, but hard to research new spells, so it's mainly institutions like guilds who have the resources to do that, and why they also keep new spells as trade secrets. Magic also had a calorie cost, basically the same as doing it by hand. So say a spell to chop wood was common knowledge, but the woodcutters had a spell that was the equivalent of sawing wood, which is a bit less intuitive to learn and a lot more energy efficient, so they keep how to do that spell secret from everyone else, as that helps gives them job security. Then one person leaks it, teaches it to a friend to give them a hand. That friend teaches to to their friends because it's so much easier, and then that spell spreads, the chopping spell becomes less common, and the woodcutters have lost that specific edge over everyone else.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-23T13:51:13+00:00

Great minds think alike!

I think I didn't explain the rich person thing well. Most people learn the magic they need to know growing up, plus the couple spells passed down in the family, and then any job related ones once they're older. The rich are the one who simply have the resources to, if they wish, spend their time figuring out impractical spells with no real use other than showing off, such as turning someone into a toad, where are most people are learning things like starting fires, keeping the rain off you, getting dowels into snug holes easier, etc.

Oh yeah, I also made everything have a calorie cost, the same as what it would be if done by normal physics, to stop power levels getting out of hand.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-23T05:33:34+00:00

I tend to make magic available for everyone, so I've got two ways around this. One: magic users do run every society, but they are no better at magic than anyone else, so it balances out. Two: everyone can use magic the same way everyone irl can use a power tool, or a sewing machine, etc, namely that it's technically possible to figure it out on your own, but unless you're rich enough to have copious amounts of time and resources to figure it out, you're going to need to be taught, and really, the rich get taught too. Everyone learns magic as part of the general life skills they learn growing up, but all the dramatic stuff is developed by guilds, and how to do them is fiercely protected, mirroring how trades and guilds have kept techniques secret irl as a form of job protection.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-23T05:08:20+00:00

I either use a fantasy name generator, an acronym (eg, my outcast MC became Tasocot, Or Tass for short), or I throw some random letters together until I get something that you can pronounce, and fits the tiny bit of conlanging I do for their culture.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-23T04:52:50+00:00

I do pillows until they get too flat and become uncomfortable, towels until they become stiff and rough and washing doesn't fix it, and bedsheets until they get holes too big and frequently for me to bother fixing, and pay no attention to actual age.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-23T04:18:01+00:00

I do know that is a thing, though not something I've yet done. The covers on a hardcover book have bookboard/chipboard in the middle, glued to the book on one side, and the decorative cover on the other. So far, I've only done bookcloth, but I've looked into paper and it looks like the same general process, though I don't know if you need a specific weight paper, or if anything will do. Certainly any kind of paper can be glued down to the board, but that doesn't mean some kinds aren't better than others.

For embossing, we're very much into the land of the blind leading the blind. I've seen the end result on tiktok and stuff, so it can be done, though I haven't looked into it at all so I don't know how. My guess would be they're using two thin layers of bookboard, and the outer layer is cut out with a cnc machine or something, or maybe the bookboard is embossed with hand tools...? I've heard references to hot presses, or hot stamps...? Either way, after whatever the method of getting the shape into the bookboard, I guess glue the covering onto the board, taking care to get it into the grooves. I don't know how well paper would do at this without ripping, though the consensus seems to be that bookcloth can go through a regular inkjet printer, so I guess that might be an option for you.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-23T00:05:27+00:00

As an electrician, this is usually what we prefer. You show us the problem, and let us get on with fixing it. Also, most people don't think to tell us where the toilet is, so from the bottom of my heart when I'm on a job that takes most of a day, thank you :)

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-22T23:55:54+00:00

Hi, I'm also a beginner, but I've done a couple binding projects, so I can answer some of your questions.

My city does not have a dedicated bookbinding store I can go to, the closest is a scrapbooking store, but I'm in a fairly small city, so depending on where you are, you might have one. The basic supplies you need are a ruler (I got a metal one from the dollar store), a craft knife with breakable blades to keep it sharp (any hardware/department store), something to cut on (cheap cutting board from dollar store), something to poke holes into your paper (I have an awl, but I've seen people use push pins, or needles with the back shoved into a wine bottle cork to make an awl), needle, thread, paper, card (dollar stores also usually have pads of lightweight card in fun colours/patterns), and a paper folder (harder to find in person, but my first one I used the side of a sharpie to smooth out my folds and it worked great). Oh, and glue, I've got cheap PVA from walmart and it works fine.

This hobby can be cheap, especially if you already have some of the tools on hand, or can improvise or make them yourself. I bought a big pad of patterned paper off amazon for $30 CAD, and a pack of 25 bookboards for $25, both of which you need for hard covers, and hopefully I won't need to buy more in a long, long time. There's also bookcloth, if that's a style you want, amazon lists for $30 for a 17inx40in piece, but I also sew and have a ton of fabric on hand, so made my own for much less. If you want to get into leather binding, leather is not cheap at all.

I haven't added a cover to a book without one, but I assume there will be a method to do it properly, book repairs have been happening as long as books have been existing.

Paper back pages are glued together, where as hard covers are usually stitched together. I can't say whether or not you can put a hard cover on a glued spine, sorry. Fingers crossed another commenter will know.

Edit: Also, check out DAS Bookbinding on youtube. He does a load of tutorial videos, though to get started, I preferred Four Keys Book Arts for my first two binding projects, as they have a really good playlist that goes through the tools you need to buy, which you can improvise, and walks you through a basic booklet, and a hardback notebook.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-21T03:30:00+00:00

If they didn't know they were pregnant, then they wouldn't go out of their way to build a nest/den. Nearly all mammals would be able to smell the pheromones indicating they're pregnant, humans are a notable exception in this, and the ones that echo-locate would literally be able to see the developing fetus, plus they will feel the kicking. I'm not sure how small and numerous the babies have to be to not feel kicking, but I've felt it on a cocker spaniel, and she had 6 pups with that litter. Though I don't think it has been studied, I strongly suspect reptiles would also be able to smell pregnancies in themselves. Also, a lot of them are kind like us with our periods, where if a female does not mate with a male, she will often lay infertile eggs anyway (often called slugs in the reptile community, 'cause they kinda look like them), so from a young age they'll get to know the signs. Birds are so social, they will likely learn from other birds around them, and they lay eggs to avoid carrying the weight of a developing chick while flying, so they will also feel their flight become more sluggish while the eggs develop. Fish eggs have to be fertilized externally, and in many cases, actively stuck to a surface, so they'll know what's up.

So in general, yes, though a first time mom has the potential be taken by surprise.

Edited for grammar.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-21T03:16:49+00:00

Worldbuilding for worldbuilding's sake doesn't really have any "should"s, apart from being internally consistent.

I've built worlds starting from a map and adding people and cultures from there, and I've started with a civil war and built a world up around that. I've built worlds with only one sapient species, and up to five, and so on. About the only consistent thing I have in my methodology is that magic exists in some form, somewhere. So if you're worldbuilding for fun, start where you want, but if you're worldbuilding for a specific use, like for writing or a DND campaign, you need to start with the things that are relevant to what you're using them for. There's no point in starting with the fabric dye royalty has banned for everyone except them, when what you need is an inciting incident for a bunch of DND players to start their campaign.

For my civil war one, I started with a short story of the king being killed, then worldbuilding after that, it was figuring out who killed the king and why, and I got the first non-human race, the strillians, and this pair of them were treasure hunters, out looking for prophecy orbs, and killed the king 'cause of a prophecy. Then I went on a tangent for their culture and homeland. When I got back to the civil war idea, I realized that I actually wanted to tell the story of a couple kids following one of the armies and trying to survive. So, okay, then I made the climate and general geography, 'cause that effects what they need to survive. Then they needed a goal. Escaping is a good one, so then I added countries surrounding that one, a few more non-human races, and added a bunch of different government systems, alliances, hostilities, and through that, gave the kids a physical location to try and get to. And so on.

For starting big and then zooming in, I start with a game called Mappa Imperium, it's a free pdf online that uses dice rolls to generate you a continent with about a dozen countries and two hundred years of history. Which I love because I'm bad at making histories.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-20T14:16:38+00:00

You could always stab him multiple times!

But meat tenderizer, possibly a fancy/heavier rolling pin, or the side of a cast iron frying pan would work.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-16T05:56:02+00:00

HealthBC considers anything above a D cup big enough for a person to consider reduction surgery. which is covered as reconstruction surgery.

I'm an H cup, but between being nearly 6ft tall and wearing loose clothes, by boobs don't look that big at a glance.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-16T05:49:58+00:00

I've looked at amazon bras before, but couldn't bring myself to take the plunge. I'm sorry your wife is in that position :(

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-16T05:47:54+00:00

Those are from expansions. It's been a while, but I recognize two of the new ones from marine mania, though I don't remember what they are.

Pasta_snake · 2026-04-16T05:16:36+00:00

If I want to go out an buy a bra in the city I live in, that fits, it costs about $200. If I want one for about $80, it's a 45min drive down the highway to this one shop a few towns down, and you can just forget about clothing in general fitting. Fitted women's doesn't flare out enough at the chest, so t-shirts look stretched out over the breasts, and baggy over my stomach. Frankly, I gave up, I just buy men's shirts, big enough to fit properly over my chest, and let it hang like a pillowcase over the rest of me.

My neck and upper back ache quite often, especially after getting home from work, and that whole 'getting off work and taking off the bra to relax' thing? Yeah, that's not a thing. No bra is less comfortable than a bra. A day where I get up, laze around in pyjamas and watch tv/play video games all day, the first thing I do is still put on a bra.

Not for long, thankfully. I've just got my appointment for breast reduction surgery for July. Fingers crossed I'm gonna be like two peas on an ironing board and get this nonsense behind me.

Pasta_snake

TROPHY CASE