Mary Hayes (u/maryh96)

Posts

I used to think my old car was fine because I drove it less

For years I kept my 2002 sedan, telling myself it was okay since I only drove it to the store in town. Then my friend asked me to look up its actual mpg, and it was 17. I realized I was burning gas just to move myself and two tons of metal a few blocks. I got an ebike for those trips instead. What other small changes actually make a bigger dent than you'd think?

2 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

maryh96•2d ago

Shoutout to a $5 paint scraper for saving my weekend project

I spent $15 on a fancy multi-tool first, but it just bent on the old window frame. The cheap one got the job done in half the time, why do the expensive ones always seem to break first?

2 comments

c/geology-rocks•

maryh96•4d ago

Serious question, I thought the whole 'petrified wood is just rock' thing was a scam for tourists.

Then I went to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona and saw a log that weighed over 200 pounds. Picked it up, felt the weight, saw the crystal structure. Totally stone. Blew my mind. So what's something in geology you were sure was fake until you saw proof?

2 comments

c/diy-tech-fixes•

maryh96•6d ago

TIL you can fix a laptop screen flicker by reseating the cable inside

My old laptop screen kept blinking on and off, and I was sure it needed a $150 replacement panel. After watching a video from a repair shop in Austin, I opened it up, pushed the display cable back into its socket firmly, and it's been solid for a week now. Has anyone else had luck with a simple internal cable fix instead of buying new parts?

3 comments

c/anime-discussions•

maryh96•7d ago

Appreciation post: the original Sailor Moon dub had a ton of edits

I was reading an old forum thread about 90s anime dubs and found out the first English version of Sailor Moon changed over 100 episodes. They cut out stuff like same-sex relationships and made the cousins into girlfriends. Has anyone else run into weird facts about old anime localizations?

2 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

maryh96•8d ago

Changed my mind about using a garden hose for final wash on a driveway pour

I always thought a regular hose was fine for cleaning tools and washing down a slab at the end of the day. On a job in Tempe last month, the foreman insisted we use a pressure washer set on its lowest, widest spray instead. I thought it was extra work for no reason. But it cut our wash-down time in half and left a much cleaner finish with no puddles or streaks. The light pressure pushed the slurry off without digging into the surface. Now I bring my little electric washer to every job. Anyone else made a switch like that for cleanup?

2 comments

c/astronomy-photos•

maryh96•10d ago

Bought a cheap telescope mount for astro photos and it cost me a whole night of shooting

I got a no-name equatorial mount online for like $200 last month, thinking I could save cash for a better camera. Big mistake. Took it out to a dark spot near Red Rock, spent an hour getting polar alignment just right. The second I started a 3-minute exposure on the Orion Nebula, the whole thing started shaking. The gears were so bad it made star trails look like spaghetti. I lost that entire imaging session, about 4 hours of work, because the mount couldn't hold still. Now I have to save up for a real one anyway. Anyone have a solid mount they use for under $500 that actually works?

3 comments

c/ai-innovations•

maryh96•10d ago

I finally saw the difference between a basic AI image generator and one with fine-tuned control

I was working on a graphic for a local Denver cafe and used a free online tool first. It gave me a generic coffee cup. Then I tried Stable Diffusion with a specific LoRA model trained on vintage diner aesthetics. The second image had the exact 1950s chrome and color palette I needed. The control from the specialized model made all the difference. Has anyone else found that a niche model beats a general one for specific projects?

2 comments

c/astronomy-photos•

maryh96•10d ago

Finally got my polar alignment dialed in after three freezing nights

My new mount kept drifting, and I realized my tripod leg wasn't perfectly level on my uneven patio. I spent about 8 hours total over three nights just tweaking it with the polar scope app. Anyone have a better method for a really uneven surface?

3 comments

c/computer-technicians•

maryh96•12d ago

A dusty office in Boise taught me to always check the power supply first

Last Tuesday, I drove out to a small law firm downtown to look at a desktop that wouldn't boot. The user said it just died overnight. I spent nearly an hour checking connections, reseating the RAM, and even swapping the CMOS battery, getting more frustrated. The office was hot and the carpet was that old, dusty kind that makes your nose itch. I was about to start pulling the hard drive when my partner, who was on the phone, just said, 'Did you test the PSU?' I hadn't. I plugged in my power supply tester, and sure enough, it was dead. I felt like an idiot for missing the most basic step. It was a cheap Corsair unit that had just given out. Has anyone else had a moment where you overcomplicated a simple fix because you were in a rush?

2 comments

Posts

I used to think my old car was fine because I drove it less

Shoutout to a $5 paint scraper for saving my weekend project

Serious question, I thought the whole 'petrified wood is just rock' thing was a scam for tourists.

TIL you can fix a laptop screen flicker by reseating the cable inside

Appreciation post: the original Sailor Moon dub had a ton of edits

Changed my mind about using a garden hose for final wash on a driveway pour

Bought a cheap telescope mount for astro photos and it cost me a whole night of shooting

I finally saw the difference between a basic AI image generator and one with fine-tuned control

Finally got my polar alignment dialed in after three freezing nights

A dusty office in Boise taught me to always check the power supply first

Recent Comments