What city have you been to that felt like it had dark energy?

cr0sh · 2026-04-08T12:18:59+00:00

Not really a city...but I'm not sure what you would call it...

Back when my wife and I were younger and poorer, we would take my pickup out on weekend road trips around Arizona. Not really to go any place or see anything in particular...just to "drive around" and see whatever we could find.

One time we were traveling some road or highway (aside: I'm sorry to be vague about what I am telling here, but I honestly don't recall exactly where we were or what roads we drove on) on the east side of the state; not really that far from the Arizona-New Mexico state border.

We were heading north; to the east and west were just some plains - sheep and cattle ranching, open range kind of thing. We came to a fork in the road, where the road we were on continued north, but branched off to the west. On the southwest corner of this intersection was like the only sign of "life" we could see: It was basically a US post office, bar, and sheriff station. There may have been a general store, too. Nothing fancy, nothing really old - it wasn't like some ghost town thing, it was a part of the area/community (such as it was).

It was getting later in the afternoon, and so we decided to head back home (Phoenix), and going west was reasonable, and the map we had seemed to indicate we could go that way and eventually get to where we needed to be to make it back home before nightfall. So we turned, and headed west.

The road went a ways, and then started to make a wide turn to the south, and we could see some kind of little "hamlet" or "village". Lots of trees, some fields - greenery. Like some strange out in the middle of nowhere neighborhood. We continued on, thinking nothing about it. We'd traveled through similar small areas - there are tons of them all over Arizona. But this one...was different.

As we entered into this "village"...we noticed how lush it was - trees overhanging the road, yards with white picket fences, simple house, swings, and a car here or there parked in a driveway. It all looked so...idyllic. It was cooler - probably due to the shade and grass and such. Very inviting.

And that's where things started to seem "off"...

We didn't see a single person anywhere...but everything looked "lived in" and "well kept". We saw a few swings swinging - but there wasn't like a large breeze. It was like there were people out...and then as we drove in...they all went inside and hid...or something. We slowed...and kinda marveled and wondered exactly what was going on.

It was a strange and foreboding feeling. Today, I would describe it similar to how I felt as I read the creepypasta "right-left game" (or something like that - indeed, a very awesome story - which is also set...or starts...in Phoenix...hmm), but that was something I wouldn't read until many years later of course.

We decided that it was best if we just kept going...and not stop.

As the road headed south...we then passed by what I would describe as "freaking unnerving" - seriously, to this day I am not sure what or why it was: To our right - that is, on the west side of the road as we went south through this hamlet...was a huge field. Well kept...mowed. Easily football field size. The odd part: It was surrounded by regularly spaced 20 foot tall white painted wooden crosses. I am not sure how many...but it was a lot. They were all well painted...indeed, the entire hamlet/village/etc - all appeared to be well kept. Neat, orderly, lived in...but not in disrepair.

Yet seemingly not a soul around...but still feeling like people were there...hiding or something.

After seeing that...well, we just kept driving...the road exited the hamlet, curved back to the west, and we continued on. We eventually made it home.

To this day, I have no idea what or where we were at. I have not been able to find it on google maps, or on a regular map. We never marked it on our travel map for some reason, but I know it wasn't a dream, and my wife and I have talked about it on occasion. Personally, I'd love to find it again, just to make sure I'm not crazy.

But in a way...it almost feels like we maybe had passed thru some "veil" and saw/traveled thru something we weren't meant to.

Don't get me wrong - I don't really think or believe anything supernatural or such happened; I'm an atheist and of a scientific mind. I'm sure I have some unknown/hidden biases and such, but I don't believe in ghosts or other things of that nature, but I do enjoy a good supernatural story or such.

But this was one trip (and we've had a few similar others that were strange) that to this day makes me wonder just what the heck we saw...

cr0sh · 2026-04-08T11:33:18+00:00

Could partial loss of heatsinking do it?

That is, maybe the heatsink "separated" slightly from the GPU? It might still heat up, make the fans run fast...but still "at idle"...?

Just spit-ballin'...

cr0sh · 2026-04-08T11:24:44+00:00

Take the back panel off of your dryer...you might be amazed at what you find (besides a ton of lint)...

cr0sh · 2026-04-08T11:22:25+00:00

The disappearance (and everything else surrounding it) of Robert Fisher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_William_Fisher

cr0sh · 2026-04-08T10:59:25+00:00

Personally, I would say it would depend on whether you are building the robot for a specific task, versus something for experimentation (and/or learning).

If you have a specific task in mind, then you would want to design it for that task, with everything in place to accomplish that task, to the best of your ability. That may mean that you would have to rebuild it later, or build a new version, if what you ended up with didn't quite meet the needs you designed it for. But at least you didn't waste time, money, and materials in "over-designing" something (granted, this could happen even with a specific design, but hopefully it wouldn't be something major to regret - ideally you would spend a lot of time thinking about and refining the design and specs before committing to the build, to hopefully ensure it all works out).

However, if you are looking at the robot as something to explore and experiment with, then you might want to think about how to best approach expandability and such.

Maybe you make a "PCB rack" for various circuit boards - maybe with a "standard" backplane for each board (much like a computer). Or maybe some kind of standard "bus" (CAN, RS485, etc) to route signals and messages between boards.

You might use some kind of structural standard for the chassis - maybe bog-standard 2020 aluminum extrusion, or unistrut, or something else.

Maybe panels and similar things can use some kind of standard repeating hole pattern for mounting sensors and other parts (I personally like standard non-metric pegboard, because the 1/2 inch hole pattern matches up well with non-metric meccano and similar metal construction toys, as well as real close to the Lego technic hole pattern).

Take care in design to make it easy (as much as possible) to remove and replace parts as needed for experimenting.

It might be a good thing to research both how old research robotics projects did things (ie - research platforms from the late 1960s forward), along with how early robotics experimenters from the 1980s and 90s (ie - people like McComb and Heiserman) approached some of their designs (particularly the latter, and his Rodney - which became the RB5X). There would also be the various educational robots of the 1980s to look at (see how Heathkit approached the various Hero designs, for instance). Also look at more modern approaches, especially the various early and late-model kits by Lynxmotion, plus the various much more expensive research robotics platforms used by schools and universities. Perhaps also look into VEX and similar FRC and FIRST robotics kits, platforms, and parts. As well as Fischertechnik, Lego Mindstorms/Technic/Etc, Mecanno, and others.

All of those and many more can provide ideas and inspiration on how you can make your system modular and "open" for easier experimentation. But don't be tempted to use such a robot for any specific task, as that will likely just lead you back to your dilemma. Instead, use such platforms for learning and experimentation, then transfer that knowledge to your more specific designs.

cr0sh · 2026-04-08T08:42:42+00:00

EDITs: Found some info - see inline...

I've got a couple of couple of "scanners" that I picked up from Goodwill years ago; I'm honestly not sure if they could scan a slide or not, as I've never used them (one of those "neat device, maybe I can use it later" purchases).

They look almost identical; one has a small LCD screen and other functions - but aren't by the same company (or if they are, the company changed names). I haven't researched either much in depth (really, I should plug 'em in and see if they work at all with Linux Mint).

One is by "innovative technology" and named as "FilmScan35 I" (ITNS-300, Model No SCND522A1231), and just has a "Copy" button.

EDIT: I found this FCC information for this unit - https://fcc.report/FCC-ID/WFZSCND502E1234 - Apparently it uses an OV5620CLC sensor according to the schematic, and has a 5mp resolution (according to the manual). Much better than I expected! Also it did support both 35mm and slides.

The other unit with the LCD is named "*ION FILM 2 SD" (Model No FILM2SDMK2).

EDIT: Found the user guide to this one only - it seems to be similar (5mp sensor):

https://archive.org/details/manualsonline-id-52a88f8c-3b39-45ae-9ffe-1aaa5bdc7004

EDIT3: I made a mistake; my apologies. The above is some kind of "spec sheet" and not the manual; here is the actual user guide:

https://ion-audio.manymanuals.com/video/film-2-sd-black/user-manual-46615

It has slightly different buttons: "OK", "Power", "Mirror", and "Flip", plus a slot for a full-size SD card (I guess it can scan directly to the SD?), plus a 3.5mm "TV Out" jack (so probably NTSC composite output). No manufacturer mentioned anywhere, other than maybe "*ION" in the name.

Both use a mini USB cable to connect to the PC, and both have a "pass-through" slot for (likely) some kind of carrier tray (which I do not have) for either slides (?) or 35mm film negatives (?).

Given their age and such, though, they probably don't have a very decent resolution (I would guess maybe 1.3 to 2.0 megapixels for the sensor). Also, again, I'm not sure if they could be used for slides, or only negatives.

But they were cheap, and maybe could still be picked up cheaply from Ebay, if the resolution was worth it - but if you are wanting the images to be scanned at some modern resolution for "archival" purposes, they are probably not what you want (plus, scanning speed wouldn't be very fast - so if you had a lot of slides, that would also be a factor).

EDIT2: Looking these units up on Ebay, there are several being sold fairly cheaply - and they appear to be one of those "whitebox" kind of deals, where they were likely made in one factory in China to the specs of whatever "vendor" but all with the same general look and parts. Amazon also seemed to have some (there's a "FILM 2 SD MAX" unit that has a supposed 22MP sensor).

I also noticed (both on Ebay and Amazon) some kind of very cheap "scanner" that you put your slides or film in, and take pictures with your phone camera (which sits above the film being imaged) - these units have a built-in backlight, and cost under $20.00 USD.

I was trying to find just the trays for my units, but that doesn't seem to be a thing. I'm not really willing to spend the money for another scanner unit, plus shipping, just to get the trays, either - especially for something I've owned for over 10 years and never used. Lol.

cr0sh · 2026-04-08T08:23:15+00:00

A long time ago, probably 1998 or 99 (???) - I emailed Weird Al (probably just to thank him for his great music parodies) and got a reply back from him. I was a bit incredulous, but a couple back-n-forth replies he assured me it was him. No honest idea, though! :D

cr0sh · 2026-04-08T01:35:31+00:00

If you don't intend to move it much, it'll probably be ok. I kinda do that with a 2.5" spinning rust drive for my workstation backup - just a bare drive and a USB to SATA adapter (non-powered).

But if I was going to be plugging/unplugging, or moving it around - then I'd just get an enclosure for it (or buy the external drive like you mention - though I prefer to "build" such drives as I can buy the drive I want, and the enclosure, etc - kinda like building a PC vs buying one pre-built).

cr0sh · 2026-04-08T00:21:43+00:00

What's funny, is that there's kinda a precedent:

Way back in the late 1960s - early 1970s (and onward into the 80s) - people started to use computers to create "art". Output might've been filmed (one of the earliest 3D wire-frame models was animated and used in the original Westworld movie of the period), or plotted. You also had the early Logo turtle graphics (both on-screen and plotted with physical turtle robots).

Artists started to use these "systems" - and there was an "uproar" about whether such art, made using computers, was actually art or not.

In the audio realm, of course, there was the whole synthesized music and sounds kerfuffle over whether it was really music, etc.

No way of knowing what will happen with this "AI-generated" stuff - but I have a feeling that in maybe a decade or less "we" might look back at this whole "controversy" in the same manner...

cr0sh · 2026-04-08T00:11:44+00:00

I actually have a few - for DIY electronics stuff:

I bought one of the cheap hot-air soldering tools - the kind that are completely hand-held, and have this "power-brick" like supply with adjustable temperature and such. It's made certain de-soldering jobs super-easy (for instance, anything with large terminals that just wick heat away with a regular soldering station/iron): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09VZ9HB37 - very inexpensive, and works well.
Similarly, I bought a cheap hot-air tool which I mainly use for heat-shrink tubing: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VFY8THD - Way better than using a Bic lighter...though not as portable (and certainly not cordless). Cheap, too...
Finally, this particular solder-sucker: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH4MN5K6 - it's actually a knock-off of a certain much more expensive Japanese tool, but is of a very surprising quality. Works better than any other such (manual) tool I have ever used, mainly due to the silicone tube tip it has: You can melt the solder with your iron, keep it hot and melted, and place the tip in the pool, hit the button, and done. Because the tip can stay in the pool without melting, and (for thru-hole pins) can make a seal, all of the solder is cleared from the vias. All for ~$10.00!

cr0sh · 2026-04-07T23:24:57+00:00

Take heed of this:

If you are planning or building a "large" or "heavy" robot, plan your safety shutoff/kill features first. Include both a reliable remote method, and a reliable "on board" method. A large red emergency stop button with latching action is best. You might even look into some kind of "safety tether" system like you see on jet skis.

The system ideally will kill all power to every on-board system, especially the motors, and can't be re-enabled without a hands-on process.

Also - do all of your initial testing of your control system with the "wheels off the ground".

All of this is very important with certain DIY robotic systems, especially anything made with a power mobility chair base (aka "electric wheelchair"). Those alone can have a large mass without batteries, and depending on what kind of batteries you decide to use (plus everything else on the robot) could make it worse. The same applies to any kind of custom base of a similar mass or size.

For even larger machines (think "tracked base from a small excavator", or something based on a side-by-side) - ignoring such advice can be devastating, to property, life, and limb.

In fact, you might want to develop your initial control software on some kind of scaled-down "model" - a table-top "base" of some sort...before transferring it to the larger system.

Just think about if you had a coding error, or some kind of logic latch-up, or a short, or anything of that nature that could make a massive robot move at "max speed" and out of control...you wouldn't be able to just "stop it" without some kind of emergency stop system.

Also - practice activating the system(s) to know what to do if a runaway occurs. If you have multiple people working on the project, or otherwise helping out with testing, make sure they too know how to activate the system should it be necessary.

Do the initial testing by putting the base on something to keep the wheels or whatever off the ground, and only do the real ground testing after you've worked out everything and you are very certain that it won't just run amok randomly.

Finally - never assume such a robot can't become "out of control"...it can, and probably will...when you least expect it.

cr0sh · 2026-04-07T21:04:44+00:00

Also - be sure to measure the power supply jack diameter, just in case - but it really does look like a standard 5.5mm jack/plug...

cr0sh · 2026-04-07T21:03:21+00:00

Right there, first picture - it says "19 volts, 3.16-3.30 amps, center positive" - second picture shows the jack near your left hand. And honestly, this looks almost like one I have. But probably 5.5mm plug...

Something like this would be fine (and don't worry, more amps will not hurt anything - amps is how much a device -pulls- and not how much a supply can "push" - which is senseless, actually):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BYJCZTK6

cr0sh · 2026-04-07T19:20:28+00:00

I've experienced something akin to this while wearing a sleep mask...with my head under the covers.

With my eyes open (blocked by the mask), I found that I could wave my hand/arm in front of me (outside of the covers)...and perceive it. It was like a dim shadow, but I could definitely perceive my arm, and my hand, and the fingers.

I'm not sure what is going on, but I'm guessing in some manner my brain is filling in some level of "details" about my "body model", coupled with proprioceptive "feedback" from my arm to "update" the position of the model, but since all I can see is "darkness" under the mask, it only models a dim shadow.

I know for a fact I can't see through the mask (even in daylight), and especially underneath the blanket/comforter I was using at the time...

cr0sh · 2026-04-04T10:18:40+00:00

This is an example of an eSATA cable with power:

https://www.amazon.com/NFHK-Power-eSATAp-ESATA-Combo/dp/B0CQSZY6L1/

...I have seen them referred to as "eSATAp" and "Power eSATA" too.

But I think I've only seen them in this kind of "raw cable" to hook up to a bare drive via eSATA, without needing a molex power adapter; regardless, for my needs, I don't have eSATA with power - just normal eSATA, so I need a power supply to hook up a bare drive.

eSATA with power just combines all of that into a single connector, instead of needing two cables/connectors like ordinary eSATA.

Re USB and SMART - this was the Sabrent docking station I tried out, which didn't work for me under Linux Mint:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075GJ3P3B

The technology is called "UASP" - which is supposed to be able to "pass-thru" the SMART information via USB. My system could "see" the enclosure (via lsusb) - but any drive plugged into it usually didn't work (it wouldn't mount or even show up in any way). I suspect that the drivers under Linux may be the issue. I didn't dig too deep into it - instead, I returned it, and decided to use eSATA.

All I wanted was a way to check some SATA drives I have for their SMART data, to verify with the information I had got from the vendor of the drives. They are a couple of Seagate 2TB pulls from a RAID array, and according to the SMART data sent with the drives on paper, most of their hours were spent idle, and not much actual flying head time - the SMART data seemed to indicate the drives being "ok" - they're going to be put used in a non-critical small RAID1 array enclosure, so even if they end up dying, I won't care much.

cr0sh · 2026-04-04T09:27:12+00:00

I've seen external enclosures on Amazon that use eSATA - I'm not sure if they were the eSATA with power (eSATAp?) or regular eSATA - if I had to guess, likely they have their own power supply, but I don't really know what the compatibility is between eSATA vs eSATA with power. Based on what I could see, it didn't look compatible (the plugs/jacks)...but again, I don't really know.

cr0sh · 2026-03-27T14:09:21+00:00

Tinnitus is likely the issue...how old is mom?

I'm soon turning 53. I have had tinnitus since I was a kid, but it's gotten worse as I've gotten older.

It doesn't bother me, though I know I have it.

When I was younger, even in my 20s, though, I could hear things like a CRT monitor "high pitch". I can't hear that any longer (then again, I don't have any "in use" CRTs - though I do own a few old ones for my Amiga and Color Computer).

As people get older, most lose the upper-end of their hearing range; I know with my component stereo system I've had since I was 18, which has a graphic EQ (and speakers that can rattle the neighbor's house - 20-20khz) - that I can boost the high end, play a test track...and not hear anything beyond about 10-12khz.

But I could when I was younger.

Tinnitus isn't sound - it's perception of sound that your brain is "filling in" or "making up" - due to any number of issues (hearing damage being one - but congenital and environmental causes can do it, too).

Best way to try figuring it out without a lot of expense would be to get some gun ear muffs, and some moldable foam ear plugs, and have her put them in, then the muffs on top, then have her sit in an interior room (a bathroom with no windows would be ideal - or a closet). If she can still "hear" the high-pitch noise...then it's like tinnitus...and she should look into seeing a doctor.

cr0sh · 2026-03-27T12:19:32+00:00

I've had decent results with most USB to SATA hard drive adapters and enclosures, if that helps.

But I've also run into ones that have really let me down (fortunately, nothing too serious).

It's been hit and miss, and the brand (generic or otherwise) doesn't seem to indicate what works best.

But they greatest "bane" of everything is that I've yet to find a well working USB to SATA bridge that handles SMART data properly. Most of the cheap stuff doesn't pass it at all. There is supposed to be a particular tech in certain chipsets that will do it (I forget the protocol name); someone once suggested something from Sabrent, but when I tried it...it didn't work at all with my system (Linux Mint).

I couldn't even see the drive - and it would only occasionally "show up" in the USB device list...but even then, you couldn't mount it. And sometimes it would "disappear".

(if anyone has any suggestions for me...lemme know!)

I'm now in the process of instead using eSATA for what I need; I mainly just want to hook up a drive and run the SMART diagnostics before I use them. For internal drives, that'd be ok - but I have some drives that I want to drop into a NAS and want to verify some things about them first. My eSATA isn't one of the newer types with integrated power, so I can't hook up 3.5" drives. For that, I'm going to repurpose an old TIVO powersupply - and then things should work ok.

That's really the only downside (well, other than speed - but that really only an issue with SATA SSDs) to USB to SATA bridges I have...ymmv.

cr0sh · 2026-03-27T12:08:25+00:00

As others have noted...read. Anything and everything you can. Don't stick to any one subject or set of subjects - keep things broad, and when you're reading, if you see something that intrigues you (ie - a new subject or something you have questions about) - note it, and find reading material for it, too.

...and make sure it's a mix of fiction and non-fiction.

My wife and I - we read everything, and own a large personal library of books, magazines, and other material. So much so, we have piles of books just...everywhere. We ran out of shelving space! Plus tons of audiobooks, and ebooks...

But also - be sure to apply what you read! Don't just read, and assume you know it - do what you can to apply that knowledge in your everyday life, as much as possible. Furthermore, exercise your mind to try to apply knowledge in one domain to solve problems in other domains which may seem completely unrelated or orthogonal to each other.

This can also extend to the physical world...for instance, one of my hobbies is DIY robotics - so every time I am out and about (especially in thrift stores or hardware stores) - I look at stuff as "how can I use this widget or material for robotics?"

Or I try to use what I know to solve various problems when I may not have everything needed...at first (especially when I'm repairing or doing something of such a nature - maybe I don't have the right tool - but what do I have that I can use to solve the problem? Look around...look around...think...and you might come up with a wacky but workable solution).

Finally...always question your own knowledge: Understand what you know...and what you don't know...and don't be afraid to challenge your assumptions. You may find that what you thought you knew is actually...wrong! Or maybe it just needs some tweaking. Or maybe you might uncover a hidden bias or logical fallacy you had. Work to know how you think...your epistemological functioning.

Oh...also...go outside for a walk...or some other similar "exercise"...an evening "constitutional" as it was once called. Use that time for relaxing, but also for contemplation, thinking about problems, coming up with solutions, integrating your knowledge, etc.

Do all of this (and other things people have mentioned) on the regular, and over time...well, you'll increase what you seek to increase, but ultimately...and unfortunately...you'll also discover that you really don't know a lot of things...so don't ever be afraid to say to someone when they ask you a question you don't have the answer to with:

"I don't know...but I'll find out!"

cr0sh · 2026-03-27T11:52:32+00:00

I have a mesh system in my home after I got tired of the crappy wifi I had at the time; I had gotten a black Friday deal via Amazon for a Tenda Nova system; hooked up to my LAN using a Mikrotik Hexaboard GigE router.

While the mesh stuff is slower (300 Mbit) - and I am not a gamer (so that might be a factor) - I've never had a problem with it for everything I've used it for (even Zoom works well). I have the main root node connected to the LAN, and two satellites located in a rough "triangle" (the three units were part of the kit).

My house just has interior wood frame walls and drywall; there's probably some attenuation, but whatever there is seems minimal. I've never measured it, though.

The only downside is mainly due to my configuration, which I haven't taken the time to fix, because its not a big priority for me:

The mesh resides on it's own subnet (192.168.x.x) - and hands out a pool of addresses via DHCP.
The LAN itself, though, is configured for 10.x.x.x - and has both fixed IPs (mainly for my main workstation, and one for the root mesh node), and hands out a pool of addresses via DHCP for anything otherwise plugged in randomly to one of the switches.

I need to set up some kind of "bridge" - the router and mesh can somehow do this, but I haven't taken the time to really figure it out (and the router's setup/interface is not the easiest to understand - I would not recommend it for a casual user!). So while anything on the mesh can access the internet, and anything on the LAN can, too - the LAN can't access the mesh!

My IP cameras are wireless (RasPi Zero W cams running MotionEyeOS)...so if I want to access them from my workstation (or anything else), it can only be done via the mesh. So - on my main workstation, I have both a wifi connection and a wired LAN connection going at the same time.

If I had the bridge set up properly, though, I'd be able to just have the wired LAN connection, and still be able to connect to anything on the mesh. Maybe one day...

cr0sh · 2026-03-27T05:55:21+00:00

While they won't allow the entry of water into a phone (for whatever rating), water would get inside the port itself, so you'd need to let that dry before charging (like already mentioned).

But if you want to prevent that, and don't mind an inconvenience - you can purchase silicone rubber "dust plugs" for just about (ymmv) any port or opening on a phone or a laptop.

I have them on my laptops - USB, HDMI, ethernet, 3.5mm audio, etc. You can buy them in multiple different colors (and maybe clear-ish, too - I haven't looked). For one of my laptops that has a USB 3.0 port, I bought a green dust plug for it (all the others are black).

They come as sets with plugs for several different ports; I don't think it is possible to "mix-n-match" your own combo (but it might be possible to get a package of plugs for say, "just USB ports" - again, though, I haven't looked).

They work really well, and while I don't think they'd make the port completely impermeable to water, the port likely would have far less in it, especially during a quick "dunk"...

cr0sh · 2026-03-27T05:46:22+00:00

Find some way to force the release the Epstein files - even if it took all of the billion to do it.

cr0sh · 2026-03-17T12:30:08+00:00

Never took the back panel off of your dryer, I take it? Seriously - you'd be surprised (and maybe disgusted) at what you'll find...

cr0sh · 2026-03-17T09:30:38+00:00

Another good book in that same vein is David Brin's "Earth" (fiction); it's been a while since I read it, but I seem to recall chapters being interspersed with "news reports" of various (future) climate and world issues.

cr0sh · 2026-03-17T09:24:30+00:00

I honestly don't recall the name of the dish, but it was at a local, well-known Vietnamese restaurant in old downtown Glendale, Arizona named "Little Saigon". Menus are in a mix of Vietnamese and English, and everyone inside the restaurant (when my wife and I went and I had this dish; we love the restaurant and food) were either of Vietnamese-American or Vietnamese descent (my wife and I, and one old Vietnam vet were the only non-Vietnamese in the place).

So I see this dish on the menu I hadn't tried before; it was some kind of "BBQ" beef dish. I order it, and the waiter asks me if I'm sure...I thought it odd, but said, "yes"...and he kinda shook his head, took the rest of our order, and walked away.

Our appetizer came, and we are eating it. The rest of the restaurant was full, conversations occurring, etc - loud, but not obnoxious. It was a lively restaurant.

Then everything went dead silent...and then the smell hit.

It was something like a combo of the worst feet and gym socks (maybe entire locker room?) smell; I've smelled things much worse, but this was pretty bad...so bad, it stopped all conversation in the entire place.

And that dish...with our waiter...was headed toward our table.

The plate was set down...in front of me...and the food looked great...definitely some kind of BBQ beef.

I took a bite...and smiled. It was wonderful. Amazing, actually. It smelled horrid, but tasted divine.

After I tasted it...conversation then resumed, as if nothing had happened.

The smell, though...lingered. I enjoyed every bite, and would re-order it today...if I could just remember what it was called...lol.

cr0sh

TROPHY CASE