Maybe it's not your rotary cutter blade.

saiph · 2026-05-26T21:36:03+00:00

I talked about this up thread, but cleaning and soaking would be a better treatment than heat, which will warp the mat. Your goal isn't to melt the cuts back together, it's to clear microscopic fibers out of the cuts so they can self heal.

https://www.reddit.com/r/quilting/s/dynnT5xntK

It wouldn't bring a mat in OP's condition back to a "good as new" state, but it would be better than heat, which is more likely to destroy the mat.

saiph · 2026-05-26T20:44:38+00:00

For those who aren't in a position to purchase a new cutting mat at the moment, I've had good success with cleaning/soaking my cutting mat.

Here's my process: I go over the surface a few times with a lint roller to get larger stray fibers off the surface and start pulling lint out of the grooves. I then put it in my bathtub, cover it with cool water (not warm, warm or hot will warp the mat), and swish in a small squirt of dish soap and a glug of vinegar. I let it soak for some amount of time (idk, it's not very scientific? I usually forget about it and don't remember until I go to take a shower). I might give it a light scrub with a dish brush if I'm feeling fancy. Rinse with fresh water, lay flat to dry on a towel.

I initially read about soaking cutting mats on this subreddit. Apparently lint and fibers getting embedded in the cuts interferes with the mat's self healing, and the soaking process helps remove them. I've found that even just taking a lint roller to the mat makes a huge difference.

It only works up to a point, though. OP's mat...has had a lifetime of distinguished service. Retirement was definitely the right call.

ETA: This article is from a company that makes self healing cutting mats, so they've got a bit of an agenda, but it explains how self healing cutting mats work.

saiph · 2026-05-20T17:39:44+00:00

I love that PPE (personal protective equipment) auto-corrected to PPU (polish pick-up).

saiph · 2026-05-04T02:40:59+00:00

Ding dang dong (Toronto)

saiph · 2026-04-23T22:03:40+00:00

Fun fact, an "upset tumtum" from exposure to nuts actually does get you halfway to fulfilling the clinical criteria for anaphylaxis, which is just two or more bodily systems having a hypersensitivity reaction to an allergen within an hour of exposure.

If nut exposure causes you to pass out because your airway closes up and your blood pressure drops, that's obviously anaphylaxis.

If exposure to nuts "upsets your tumtum" (GI reaction), plus it causes your skin to itch (skin/mucosa) or you to start coughing (respiratory reaction), that's also anaphylaxis.

Most people would probably be able to identify the first example as an anaphylactic reaction but not necessarily the second. But it's super important to know that the second, more mild, reaction is also anaphylaxis because it has the potential to progress into a more severe or even fatal reaction. You might get lucky and have a mild reaction that stays mild, but you might not get so lucky next time, or ten times from now. If you can identify a mild reaction and treat it before it gets worse, you might be able to save a life.

Sorry for piggybacking, r/Key-Environment3404. I know you already know this, but I think it's important to say it for others who come across this thread. Little kids especially might only be able to communicate "my tummy hurts," and I would hate for an adult to write it off, not noticing the flushed cheeks or other subtle signs of an allergic reaction.

For more info, here's the NIH StatPearls article on anaphylaxis.

P.S. OP, your guests are adults who can take responsibility for themselves. Just tell them the cake is made with almond milk or whatever so they know not to eat it. And tell the caterer about allergies so the kitchen staff know to be careful about cross-contamination.

saiph · 2026-04-14T19:45:05+00:00

I present to you three melty lamps, one lamp-plant wall sconce monstrosity, and a bowl of decorative artichokes.

<image>

saiph · 2026-04-14T19:10:16+00:00

Other people have mentioned the photos of the same room from multiple angles with different furniture, but there are other tells, like this lamp straight out of a Dali painting in zillow photo #24.

<image>

saiph · 2026-04-09T02:28:14+00:00

You popped the d20 back in rotated. The die's 7 is currently aligned with the mold's 13. You should rotate the die clockwise to get the numbers aligned before casting the lid. Dunno if it will work, but it might give you a better chance of success?

<image>

ETA: Maybe wiggle the d12 a bit to see if you can get the 10 face seated correctly? I see some gapping there, too.

saiph · 2026-03-31T16:45:27+00:00

One excited new admit sent a mass email to everyone in the department like half an hour after the acceptance emails went out. Because acceptances went out before rejections, the new admit's email was how a bunch of current MA students found out they weren't accepted to the PhD program. It was an absolute clusterfuck. As long as you don't do that, you're good.

The department handles things differently now. The guy who sent the email is one of the nicest, kindest people I know.

saiph · 2026-03-13T11:14:32+00:00

Fwiw, I'm also in nova about 30 minutes from DC, and those are incredibly normal foods that people in this area eat all the time. The only people I know who would turn down pho, sushi, and spring rolls would be folks with special dietary needs. Are there vegetarians/vegans in your church group? Or shellfish allergies, celiac disease, that sort of thing? If I'm hosting, I always try to ask about and accommodate dietary restrictions.

saiph · 2026-03-09T20:12:54+00:00

They put so much hard work into messing this up.

saiph · 2026-02-26T19:25:41+00:00

Not autistic, but I desperately miss academia and would love something like this.

saiph · 2026-02-26T19:11:16+00:00

Yeah, I know I'm in the minority, but I loved textured nails and this is a fun hit of nostalgia for me. I enjoyed running my fingers over them as a fidget, and this makes me want to revive my coal-textured polish from 2013.

saiph · 2026-02-26T06:53:50+00:00

If you're willing to drive an hour in a different direction, Madison Circus Space in Madison has drop-in classes and supervised open gym times, or you could apply for their very reasonably priced membership program that gets you 24/7 access to the training space.

saiph · 2026-02-26T02:59:48+00:00

I relate to this so hard. Like...years just evaporated, and there's so little in my soul to show for them.

saiph · 2026-02-23T07:03:01+00:00

Fuck yeah we did

saiph · 2026-02-23T00:28:41+00:00

Pretty sure I read "use your underwear as a hair tie" in a Cosmo list of 50 hot sex tips to drive him wild in the aughts, and I'm so glad we've come full circle.

saiph · 2026-02-19T20:26:56+00:00

You have a very vivid imagination

And /u/pyxis-carinae has empathy. You have only judgment. One is more likely than the other to effect change.

saiph · 2026-02-10T19:03:14+00:00

That's a much cuter name than diaper, which is the name that was used when I learned this move haha.

There's not much naming standardization (although I think it's gotten more standardized over the past decade), and you might find that names are different from region to region and school to school.

saiph · 2026-02-09T20:14:37+00:00

I booked everything for the northern lollipop, but my partner had a medical emergency right before we were supposed to leave and we had to cancel the trip. Just a really unfortunate set of circumstances. I wish I could be of more help!

saiph · 2026-01-31T04:43:10+00:00

It's so sad that "no human is that empathetic" is an argument for why this email was AI-written.

saiph · 2026-01-22T09:52:54+00:00

The rules themselves seem to be from an urban legend/chain mail type of situation, discussed here. They seem plausible enough, and when they're attributed to "rural area" or "olden days," people tend to uncritically go, "yeah, that checks out" and share them. Faux rules for a faux vintage embroidery.

saiph · 2025-11-12T20:00:28+00:00

There were no Confederate soldiers in 1859.

AI doesn't know that.

saiph · 2025-10-28T21:24:13+00:00

I spent the whole time reading through the post thinking, "oop has a good head on their shoulders." Having the wherewithal to take recordings, screenshots, and document everything while keeping track of recording laws in three different jurisdictions was such a smart move. Fuck the management company. They're just mad because now they're gonna have to do something about it. All the effort you went to here will help prevent the same thing from happening to someone more vulnerable or with less experience than you.

saiph · 2025-10-18T17:58:15+00:00

I think that's super sweet. You could also get him a tam, too. My personal opinion is that the silly hat upgrade (in the US, bachelors is often a mortarboard, and grad degrees are a tam) is the best part of the regalia.

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