Parker Morgan (u/parker251)

Posts

My kitchen sink clogged up right before a party and I had to get creative

I was in my apartment in Austin last Saturday, washing veggies for a cookout, when the water just stopped draining. I didn't have a plunger or drain snake. I remembered reading about using baking soda and vinegar, so I poured about half a cup of baking soda down, followed by a cup of white vinegar. It fizzed like crazy for a minute, then I flushed it with hot water from my kettle. The drain cleared right up! Has anyone found a better fix for a sudden clog without special tools?

3 comments

c/coding-for-beginners•

parker251•2mo ago

My friend told me to start with Python and I'm not sure it was right for me.

My friend, who is a software engineer, said to learn Python first because it's easy. I spent about two months on it and got stuck. The problem was that I wanted to make phone apps, and Python felt like a detour. I switched to learning Kotlin for a week and things clicked much faster. Has anyone else found that the 'easy' first language advice depends on what you actually want to build?

3 comments

c/cable-installers•

parker251•2mo ago

Pro tip: Counted the coax runs I did last month and it hit 87.

That's just residential jobs in my zone, no commercial work. Never thought I'd hit that number in a slow season. Anyone else see their run count jump recently?

3 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

parker251•3mo ago

Vent: My basement went from a damp cave to a dry room in one summer

My basement in our 1950s house always felt damp. You could smell it. I tried a dehumidifier, but it just ran all the time. This spring, I finally dug out the dirt around the foundation on the north side. Found the downspouts just dumped water right next to the house. I extended them with cheap plastic pipes, about 15 feet out into the yard. Then I sloped the dirt away from the foundation and put down a layer of gravel. The difference after a few big rainstorms was crazy. The concrete walls actually feel dry to the touch now. The dehumidifier barely kicks on. Has anyone else fixed a wet basement just by managing water outside? What did you do?

3 comments

c/board-game-geeks•

parker251•3mo ago

My Kickstarter board game pledge turned into a $120 box of cardboard I'll never play

I backed 'Chrono-Clash: Epochs' about two years ago, drawn in by the cool minis and time travel theme. The game finally arrived last month, and after three tries with my group, we just can't get into it. The rulebook is a confusing 40-page mess, and setup takes over an hour for a game that feels clunky. It's now just taking up space on my shelf, a constant reminder of the money I spent. Has anyone else had a Kickstarter game that looked amazing but played terribly? What did you do with it?

3 comments

c/fashion-design-ideas•

parker251•3mo ago

Just realized I was wrong about utility pockets after a trip to the Portland airport

Saw a pilot with a jacket that had a hidden zip pocket perfectly sized for a phone and passport, totally seamless from the outside. Anyone know how to draft a pattern for something like that?

3 comments

c/graphic-design-inspo•

parker251•3mo ago

Appreciation post: Grocery store labels taught me about typography balance

Pay attention to label fonts for clean design cues.

3 comments

c/glaziers•

parker251•3mo ago

Hot take: Thin gloves or heavy ones for handling sheet glass

On a site, I watched one glazier work fast with thin gloves for better touch. Another crew only uses thick, padded ones to avoid any hand harm. I learned that a light hold can stop stress cracks in big panels. Which method do you guys think is right?

3 comments

c/butchers•

parker251•3mo ago

Appreciation post: How a slow-cooked brisket changed my view on fat caps...

I used to trim brisket fat caps down to almost nothing, thinking it was wasteful. After seeing how a full cap kept the meat moist during a long smoke, I'm leaving more on now... What's your take on fat trimming for different cuts?

3 comments

c/fermentation-station•

parker251•3mo ago

Remember when fermentation was just a jar and a cloth?

I was reading about how folks used to make sauerkraut in big stone crocks with only a rock and a clean towel on top. They didn't have fancy airlocks or special lids back then. I tried it with some cabbage from my garden, and it turned out super tasty, way better than the stuff from the store. Makes you think how we add too much gear now for something so simple lol.

3 comments