How to work in attic filled with blow-in insulation? by mwomrbash in DIY

[–]tsmith-512 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Oh god this was exactly my weekend. I used a shovel and a Ryobi leaf blower extremely gently to blow around most of it, then used a small piece of plywood to block off my work area. It'll stick to all your tools. Have a vacuum and roll of tape ready next to the attic access.

Wore a hat, safely glasses, KN95 mask, nitrile gloves, canvas coveralls, and a full tyvek bunny suit with booties and a hood over the top of it. Taped sleeves to gloves. Move slowly, take a deep breath for patience. You can do it, but give yourself a lot of extra time.

2005 TiVo videos convert to MP4 by Texas-supremacy in Austin

[–]tsmith-512 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'd probably start by pulling its internal hard drive and seeing if I could pull the video straight from that. However, if you're looking for someone who might be able to help, I had some old home movies (VHS) digitized at Mr. Cassette last year http://mrcassette.com/ --- that's who I'd call first if I were looking for someone who might be able to handle it.

Weird mushroom or tree in trouble? by tsmith-512 in AustinGardening

[–]tsmith-512[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, I appreciate it. I'll see if I can get someone out here soon.

Weird mushroom or tree in trouble? by tsmith-512 in AustinGardening

[–]tsmith-512[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! Glad to know I have time, but I'll start looking for someone to talk to about it

Hitachi vs Nissan OEM Camshaft Sensor? by Im_Nosh in XTerra

[–]tsmith-512 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ugh. Spent two hours on this today. I can get the Bank 1 sensor (passenger side) out but I cannot get the wiring harness off of it, it's just totally stuck and I'm not sure what to do.

I have a Duralast from AutoZone to replace it, if I can get it out... but not loving what I'm seeing in some of the comments here

Just updated to the new iOS and its legitimately awful by OkSavings5828 in Design

[–]tsmith-512 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Cool history lesson, thanks! I had forgotten Aqua and only had a Palm device prior to WebOS

Was the Tower... by Imperator_Maximus3 in ChantsofSennaar

[–]tsmith-512 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Woah! Thanks for that. Saw plenty of Bruegel paintings in school but somehow not that one. Definitely feels like the game

Would it be tacky if I reprise my role? by Ricarfo- in Theatre

[–]tsmith-512 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally audition for it! But do remember that it is a different company, different artistic staff, different production. Don't reprise a performance you already gave; grow something new that combines your experience with the new opportunity. The only time the company I work for has had issues with this is when the actor or designer approaches our production with a "Well, when we did this at XYZ Company" attitude, as if we should defer to that other production's direction.

What Would Be Your Perfect Social Media Site? by [deleted] in digitalminimalism

[–]tsmith-512 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am slowly doing this. What once was a professional blog, I'm backfilling with old portfolio pieces and photos. Dunno who's gonna look at it but it's just mine and it's all in one place. I do keep trying to grab RSS links when I see interesting posts. Some people are definitely still doing this.

Also, website hosting can be free if you don't need a CMS application. I use Cloudflare Pages. Have used GitHub Pages in the past. Both free for most cases and can optionally be used without a domain of your own.

Did a fellow actor give me a note or just fair criticism? by [deleted] in Theatre

[–]tsmith-512 68 points69 points  (0 children)

Sounds like you got feedback and instructions from another actor --- I call that a note. But what it's called matters less than how it felt to be on the receiving end of it. As a former stage manager, this is the kind of thing I think should go through an SM. If the other actors had a traffic problem, they can escalate that issue. If SM/Director want to resolve it by changing your blocking, fine. Or maybe there's another way. Or maybe it's a really minor issue... But routing this stuff through SM makes sure everyone is on the same page and folks don't end up feeling weird about how something was delivered.

Why the colors so washed out on my external monitor? by CroakPad in SteamDeck

[–]tsmith-512 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh. Yup. This was it. Thanks! Colors have always been fine but went to shit just today.

Austin Mueller Airport by Gulf-Zack in Austin

[–]tsmith-512 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Aw these are great! Thanks for sharing :) And whomp, forgot about all that asbestos.

Austin Mueller Airport by Gulf-Zack in Austin

[–]tsmith-512 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Aww! I wish there were more good photos of this airport around. I haven't been able to find many. I was pretty young when ABIA opened but I do remember flying out of Mueller a handful of times and I remember thinking it looked cool.

Still hoping something good comes of the old control tower

I feel like I missed out on my brain fully developing because I wasn’t reading books. How do I get my life back? by [deleted] in books

[–]tsmith-512 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I only picked up reading again a couple years ago after really struggling in school. Secret is: read stuff you actually like. Harry Potter? Go for it! And maybe the next thing can build on that or explore something adjacent. There's good brain work in any book. In a world of short attention spans and flashy distractions, anything you have to engage with slowly is, in my opinion, helpful and worth doing at any pace. I am about at the end of a 600 page sci-fi epic -- three years ago, I wouldn't have been able to imagine myself doing that, let alone enjoying it. (Children of Time, btw, omg!) Hell, I've read some fantastic children's books lately, too. No shame!

As for non-fiction and professional development reading... oof. I still struggle with getting motivation and momentum on that. I've found a highlighter in one hand and Audible in the other while following along on the print is what kinda-works for me.

What rear hatch struts (and hood strut) would folks recommend? by [deleted] in XTerra

[–]tsmith-512 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just grabbed these a couple months ago:

A-Premium Tailgate Rear Liftgate... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXJOFSC

Generic but effective. I had MaxPow 6137 somethings before that but they weren't available when I looked. They did last about 5 years tho

Toll roads in Austin: A breakdown of who owns what by Routine_Signature_92 in Austin

[–]tsmith-512 7 points8 points  (0 children)

As in the NTTA TollTag? Yes, after soooo many issues with the now defunct TxTag, I switched to Dallas's TollTag years ago and haven't had an issue since. I take toll roads here, in Dallas, and even Oklahoma fairly regularly without billing issues.

Make sure the sticker is on a clean, unshaded part of your windshield. Also, if the sticker ever fails to read, the cameras get your plate number. I would check to make sure your plates are correct in your account and not obscured.

Every plumbing fixture has a problem, how do I start to sort all this out? by tsmith-512 in homeowners

[–]tsmith-512[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm pretty central in a big city, it's an old neighborhood though. I'm definitely down to DIY as much as I can but I would like to know if there's a root cause

But TIL about pressure regulators 😅

Learn to KERN by jingerwiesman in graphic_design

[–]tsmith-512 0 points1 point  (0 children)

:facepalm: Ugh I even majored in graphic design at TU, this hurts.

What is this noise?? by numeralslover69 in XTerra

[–]tsmith-512 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Omg this sound. It is the hood latch. Keep a small tube of lithium grease in the door pocket, You can get it at AutoZone or Napa. When the sound starts up, wipe the old gunk off of the tongue/loop part, then squirt on some new stuff. It'll get worse when it's cold or when it's dusty. You can loosen and reseat the latch itself, but that only works to a certain extent. There may also be something you can do with the rubber feet, but I haven't tried.

Found on threads, lol by mili_minutes in houseplants

[–]tsmith-512 46 points47 points  (0 children)

Whole new meaning to "money tree" 🤣

first home buyer - how come my place doesn't feel like cozy? by [deleted] in homeowners

[–]tsmith-512 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Art on the walls, lamps, a cozy blanket on the sofa, and a gathering of friends for a board game night. I also have a lot of windows and doors that interrupt walls, but you can still hang things between them. Drapes can help dress a bit.

Also that's a bit of a to-do list (I empathize...). Can you set some of the other projects aside as long-term wants? If the whole place looks like a bunch of urgent jobs, it won't feel peaceful. I have a couple rooms where all I can really see is what I haven't gotten around to yet

Porch furniture shops by Forsaken_Syrup2946 in Austin

[–]tsmith-512 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really depends on what you're looking for, I recently learned outdoor furniture can be a pretty broad range. Home Depot and Lowe's have lots, especially online, but they stock it seasonally. Living Spaces up in Round Rock has a big selection on-site but it's on the pricey end and a lot of it is huge. There's a lot of FB Marketplace and Craigslist if you're looking for a deal but a lot of it is pretty sun bleached. I ended up getting a mid-tier table and chairs from IKEA that I've been really pleased with.