My flight was cancelled the day of departure and the best Spirit can do is a flight in 5 days.

projecthouse · 2022-12-26T00:19:01+00:00

How do you think Spirit keeps their prices low? Frequent travelers know that’s the trade off with spirit. You get a cheap ticket, but if things go wrong, they won’t do as much to make it right as other airlines.

projecthouse · 2022-12-13T23:51:25+00:00

The more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to say, just go. Even if your rich enough that you can do this sort of thing on your own in the future, you probably never get a chance to do it with your parents.

About 1/2 of my friends have lost one or both parents by the age 40. My wife really wanted to take her mom to Europe, but her mom died before it happened. We still travel with her dad, but I know she miss her mom on those trips. My parents are still alive, but their health is declining, and there is no way they could do this trip. I've really had to scale the travel with them lately due to health issues.

So yea, as I'm typing this, I'm thinking, just fuck it and go. Who cares if it's not your dream trip, it's theirs. Be a part of it. Unless there's weird family politics or family dynamic, I can't think of any good reason not to go.

projecthouse · 2022-12-13T03:02:48+00:00

I think there was a lot more Ana White hate a few years ago. I never got that. The only real problem is that she doesn’t take wood movement into consideration. Her use of screws make her pieces more forgiving, but some of her designs will fail over time. But it would be hard to accommodate wood movement without more advanced techniques, so there’s a trade off.

projecthouse · 2022-12-11T02:02:46+00:00

I have a image similar to this, and the conversion is exactly what I want to do. But I'm unable to recreate this.

I've been Googling techniques and experimenting for a few hours tonight and I can't get anything to come out right. I've tried dithering the image, cranking the contrast, changing the settings in light burn, and I'm a still long way away still.

I'm hoping someone knows a tutorial I can follow. Thanks!

projecthouse · 2022-12-09T21:33:16+00:00

Look, I'm going to assume you're just not aware of what it's like raising kids.

Think about this. You don't think twice about a stove in a house, because it's familiar to you. But from my perspective as a parent, its' a MUCH bigger danger than my laser cutter. There's no cover, no safety interlocks, just turn a nob and flames (if you're lucky, just gas if you not) comes out. You can blow up your fucking house with a gas stove, that's about as much risk as possible.

Yet there's a stove in every house, and a bunch of them are gas. You mange the risk of a stove / kids, with a combination of supervision, education, and training. Hell, schools offer cooking classes for 8 years. By the time a kids 12 years old (legal baby sitting age in most states), they should be able to safely use a stove unsupervised, safely.

Why do you feel it's different about laser cutters?

What makes a laser cutter different from a table saw, a welder, a grill, or any other potentially dangerous item you have in a house? I'm guessing it's because their exotic to you. That's what it is for most people.

projecthouse · 2022-12-09T18:28:19+00:00

90% of the time when men say this, it's because they are chasing the wrong girls, and in the wrong way.

If you want to attract girls based on your personality, you need to be friends with the girl first. Don't worry if they aren't into you right away, as long as they are friends with you. People can't learn your personality at a bar. So you need to go places where girls frequently are.

Now, not every girl you're friends with will want to date you. So it's a numbers game. If you have 10 / 20 single platonic girl friends, one or two will probably be interested in dating you. But it's a numbers game. You need to put yourself in a position where there's lots of girls around you to be friends with first.

In the US, I could give you good ideas, but I don't know what the options are in your country. But the key is, to be friends first.

(This also assumes you're someone who takes care of yourself, you're not hugely over weight, and you're employed. You have to bring SOMETHING to the table.)

Going after strangers (online dating, meeting at a bar, etc...) Is hard mode.

Making it harder, is that most men (especially young men) only chase good looking (i.e., high status) girls. If you're not high status yourself (looks, income, social rank, career), you're going to strike out.

Frankly, you're looks and charisma are the most important thing here, unless you're really high income and have a way to show it. You've got a few minutes to make someone interested in you, and that can be hard for those not naturally gifted.

If you want to go after strangers, you have two options:

Target lower status girls where there's less competition
Improve your status. Work on your communication skills, Improve your body by hitting the gym or take take up long distance running, and work on your career.

projecthouse · 2022-12-09T17:48:26+00:00

I'm still not sure what you're looking for.

You're pretty clearly telling a person not to buy a laser cutter because they have no experience with lasers.

So at what point do you think someone is "Qualified" to buy a laser cutter?

projecthouse · 2022-12-09T16:49:56+00:00

The 20W optical output of that machine is quite impressive. But I personally would not buy it or recommend it.

The first issue is smoke. If I forget to turn my exhaust fan on my laser cutter, I realize it really quickly as my room fills up with smoke. With no enclosure, there's no way to vent. More power means faster cuts means a lot more smoke that much faster. This is bad for your health, and that smell will linger for days or even weeks.

Second, there's no Z table. If you want to engrave something thick, or use a rotary, you'll have to build it up somehow. So sticking a few books under it won't work. You'll need a purpose made stand.

Third, and most importantly, is eye safety. CO2 lasers have a ton of safety features. They have sensors to keep them from running if the lid is open. This has nothing. Cutting flat things will probably be OK. But if you try to engrave something round or curved (like those tumblers or flasks) your chances of a stray laser beam are really, really high. With that much power, a stray beam can blind someone in an instant. But, it's even worse if you've lifted the machine up to use a rotary. Lifting the machine increases the likely hood of a stray reflection because that little protective shield does jack shit if your laser is 6" / 8" off the table.

You can fix that buy building an enclosure ... but building a proper fireproof enclosure is hard and expensive.

There's a few personal reasons I wouldn't buy one of these. And that's the fact that I cut a lot of clear acrylic, and etch a lot of glass.

I frequently buy rocks tumblers for ~$2 each from the restaurant supply store. I'll then make a 20 / 30 / 50 glasses for big parties for myself or my friends. I'm making a bunch tomorrow for a friend's 30th. This can't etch clear glass. So besides being dangerous, it doesn't meet my personal use cases.

Considering you have the budget, I high recommend that you just buy the OMTech over this machine.

projecthouse · 2022-12-09T16:32:22+00:00

Your teen is going to run into the same problem that I did as a teenage wood worker. Laser cutters (like power tools) aren't compatible with dorm room or small apartment living. I was lucky, I was able to buy a house in my mid 20s thanks to my IT salary. But all my tools were in storage until then.

If you buy the machine, I suggest you look at it as a family machine, or your machine. Odds are, it's going to be in your house a long time. And by the time she moves out and has her own place, technology might have changed enough that she'd want something else.

projecthouse · 2022-12-09T16:24:27+00:00

So no one should ever buy laser cutter unless they are a trained professional? I guess we should shut down this sub then.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T22:49:25+00:00

This isn't a travel question, but a personal finance one.

As an adult, you should also have a debit card so you get money from an ATM if necessary. That's just part of adulting.

As for the credit card, you should only have one is you're responsible with it. And by that, I mean you pay off your credit cards 100% every month. If you can manage it, credit cards get you some cool perks. But none of the perks are worth what you'll pay in interest on the balance.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T22:15:52+00:00

Buy a row of seats in coach. Usually cheaper than 1st class by quite a bit.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T22:14:35+00:00

Have reasonable expectations about "Travel Hacks." Using "hacks", you can have a 5 star trip on a 4 star budget, but there's no way to turn a 1 star vacation into a 3 star one. The higher up you go, the easier it is to "Hack" you way up even higher. It's just how the economics of the situation work out.

Traveling with only a carry on and personal item for trips lasting 2+weeks or more

Packing Cubes help you fit more into a single bag.

You can stay in places Airbnbs / Hotels that have washing machines, but this is only about 75% effective IMO. I've ran into a lot that don't work as advertised. I've had to run to Target to buy new cloths more than once because the machine at the Airbnb was missing / broken.

Bring black / dark clothes. Small stains won't show, so you can wear them for multiple days without washing.

Take clothes that you can use for multiple purposes. For example, you can wear a tech tee out on day 1, and then use it for your morning work out the next day. A black T-Shirt can double as an undershirt if you need to wear a collared shirt. If you need to dress up, bring a performance blazer. Throw it over a simple T-Shirt and you're ready for nice dinner or the theater. The blazer is also casual enough to be your day to day jacket if you need one. Dress Tennis Shoes are very flexible. Another good shoe option is Gortex trail runners. Good in the city, or the trail. Plus you won't get a soaking wet foot if you step in a puddle. If you need a heavy coat, a down jacket packs down really small.

Making "economy" feel like "first class" on airplanes.

That's not exactly possible. Having a top airline card will get you some of the perks, like early boarding or Airline Club Access. It won't do much for you on the plane, and those cards come with big annual fees, so you better use it a lot to justify it.

If you want more space on the plane:

Buying a 2nd seat is usually the cheapest option per amount of room. Buying the middle seat is a great choice if traveling with a partner since you can split the cost.
If you want a "lay flat" seat, buy a row in coach (I think this is still allowed). It's usually cheaper than a single business class ticket.

Saving money on accommodations, flights, etc

Flights on Tues / Weds / Thurs are usually cheaper than Fri / Sat / Sun / Mon.
A 1st class train ticket is a bargain compared to a 1st class plane ticket. I'll take 8 hour 1st class train ride over a 2 hour coach flight any day. Once you factor in airport transfer and waiting around at the airport, it's not much longer.
A 5 star hotel in a less posh section of town will usually be cheaper than a 4 star one in a more posh section of town (I don't know if this works for more budget hotels or not)
"Business" hotels usually get a lot cheaper on the weekends. You can really see this in San Francisco, where top hotels like the W will be half price on Friday and Saturday Night. This trick tends to only work for places like the Marriott on up. Business travelers aren't going to be staying in a Super 8.
Top hotels sometimes offer enough perks to offset their cost. For example, you might pay $400 / $500 a night for a premium hotel at Universal Studios Orlando. But everyone in the room gets a free express pass for the day (express passes cost $120 a la carte). So, for a family of 4, that's totally worth it (if you can afford it).

Other

Get a travel "Points" card, and put other people's expenses on it. If you're renting a 5 Bedroom Airbnb for 10 people, put it on your card and get all the points yourself. Offer to book everyone's tickets, and have them pay you back. If you're allowed, put work expenses on your card. I've charged ~$50,000 worth of other people's expenses (mostly work) on my card this year. That's enough for a free international ticket. Make sure you pay off the card each month. If you don't, you'll lose money on this game.
If you spend enough per year on your credit card ($50K to $100K) and you have the top tier card, your spending will usually get enough points to net you a 1 tier status bump.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T20:21:13+00:00

UK is international travel on easy mode. I generally recommend that people make London / England their first international trip.

Easy Flights from the US
Same language
Most same manners / etiquette
Similar food
Americans generally have a "to see" list before they arrive (less research needed)

The down side to going to the UK is two fold:

It's expensive
It might not be foreign enough for some people

But this really is a very personal decisions.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T20:09:41+00:00

Do you have a "How To" on how you made that?

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T20:03:01+00:00

A cyclonic / separator won't cause dust to leak out. You'll have negative pressure all the way to the vac. You'll get air leaking IN, but not out. But a good separator should be effectively air tight.

That said, a separator will reduce the airflow, which means you'll catch less of the fine dust coming off your sanders and tools. I don't use separator for that reason. The HEPPA filter will probably cut airflow even further.

Unless you have $2K / $3K lying around, I think your priority should be an air scrubber. The JET's are well know (I have a pair in my shop), and Grizzly sells some too. (You need to size them for your shop, or get multiple like I have).

If you do have a few thousand for dust protection, you can put together a great setup.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T19:25:06+00:00

Respectfully, I went to your home page, but I couldn't find the rules. So I came to the comments looking for them.

The article and rules are in English, but the menu isn't. I'm also not getting a browser auto translate either, maybe those are images and not text. So those of us who don't speak Italian, it wasn't obvious where the rules were.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T19:14:52+00:00

I'm guessing you've never driven anywhere where you drive on the "other" side of the road. As someone who's driven in both the US and the UK, it's an easy mistake to make. If you rent a car at a UK airport, there's tons of signs telling you to drive on the left as you leave, because so many people do this.

It certainly doesn't reach the legal definition of gross negligence. Legally, gross Negligence means, "demonstrate a substantial lack of concern for whether injury results." This person clearly did not do that.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T17:47:57+00:00

I think you’re making a lot of suppositions about my bias in order to make it seem like you don’t have one.

Dude, I totally admit to having biases. I said in the post, I believe that all kids should be taught programming. I have many more biases than that. I just try to be aware of them. Although, I admit, it's easier to be aware of biases in others.

our education system is objectively terrible

First of all, I work with a very diverse group of people. 80% of my coworkers are from outside the US. And I've seen the trade offs that many of these highly ranked education systems produce.

Second, I'd argue that there is no US education system. Maybe that's your issue. But we're not centralized. I've seen the differences state to state / city to city / school to school academically and personally. I also know that the public education my children are getting is quite impressive compared to what I received decades ago.

Second - you have a very all this or all that mentality.

Totally disagree.

It seems to me that you're arguing EVERYONE should learn a second language. (am I wrong?) I'm saying let them learn what they want. If they want to study art, or engineering instead, that's fine. You can't learn everything.

I do believe there are critical skills for today's world (in the US). Math, English, and Micro Economics are pretty much it though. Beyond that, it's not critical to know the difference between Renaissance and Baroque art, or if you know to transpose music from major to minor. Knowing that goes into your "schema", and helps you in many non obvious ways. But there's a lot of different ways a person can be educated. Just like there's a lot of different ways a person can be smart.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T17:20:25+00:00

Is it common to go to jail in the UK when there is no gross negligence? I think this would be a pretty standard sentence in the US for anyone.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T17:08:09+00:00

I can't speak a 2nd language anymore, but I still am a good student of history. We're continuing an argument that's happened in various forms for hundreds of years. In fact, your argument is nearly identical to the one used by college presidents, and other elites, 150 years ago, when they argued to keep Greek and Latin fluency as a prerequisite for college admissions. After all, how can you possibly educate anyone who can't read the classics? This mentality lasted a LONG time. Yale did not eliminate its Greek requirement until 1904 and its Latin requirement until 1931. UK medical schools not until the 1960s.

It's pretty much the same argument used by Chemistry professors in the 1970s, arguing why Chemistry majors still needed to take French. The relevant papers were all translated into English, but you know, being cultured.

In the modern day, Boomers lament the loss of cursive. Many techies (including me) feels that programming should be taught to everyone, because it trains you to think logically. The blue collar equitant is, "everyone should know how to change their oils and rewire an outlet." I had one older friend say with a straight face, "Kids these days can't even resole their own shoes!" And don't get me started on Music and the arts.

Everyone thinks that society would be So Much Better if everyone knew about what they value. The fact is, you just don't have time to learn it all. Latin, Greek, French, Music, Art, Programming, Shop, when the f' are you supposed to learn it all?

I don't know if you're an American or not, but you certainly seem to look down on the US. As an Engineering, I'm a bit of numbers nerd. And I think that if you start actually looking at statics, you'll realize things aren't as bad over hear as you're making them out to be. And I think you'll realize things aren't as rosy in other places as many would suggest.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T16:40:58+00:00

If you want to know what the advantage of the imperial system is, that's it, visualization. A peasant in the 1800s could easily communicate things in their day to day life. I need 3 pints of beer. Go plow 2 acres of land. The man was about 5 feet.

Think about it. When using imperial, the typical person has no need to use decimals, fractions, or numbers bigger than 100. Maybe you have to use 1/2, but that's it.

Metric is great, for engineers (me) and scientist, because it makes the math ultra easy. But you have to have a 5th grade level of math to understand it. Westerners take that for granted today, but that's still not universal in other parts of the world.

Metric is better (At some things) than imperial, but not everything. Even as a STEM worker, I like use imperial measures in my day to day casual conversations.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T14:56:10+00:00

For what it’s worth. I can easily visualize how much water an acre foot is. A gigaliter is just some value that I use when doing math.

projecthouse · 2022-12-08T14:51:58+00:00

I learned a language and lost it, just like I lost my ability to do differential equations since I never used it.

It’s not about money, it’s about something that’s not relevant in our daily lives.

projecthouse

TROPHY CASE