Michael Butler (u/the_michael)

Posts

Appreciation post: The cafe owner in Chiang Mai who changed how I see slow travel

I met a man named Anan at his small coffee shop near the old city wall last month. He told me, 'You people come here for two weeks and try to see everything. I have lived here forty years and still find new corners.' That simple line made me cancel my next flight and book a place for three months instead. Has anyone else had a local person give you advice that really shifted your plans?

2 comments

c/electronics-repairers•

the_michael•1mo ago

I finally asked my friend who runs a shop in Portland about his board repair success rate.

He told me he stopped trying to fix every single board and now just swaps them if he sees more than 3 bad components. He said it saves hours of labor and the customer gets a faster fix. I've been stubborn about fixing everything myself, but maybe he's right. How do you decide when a board is too far gone to be worth the time?

3 comments

c/farriers•

the_michael•1mo ago

Showerthought: That guy at the Ohio clinic who said we should never use pads on laminitic cases

He was dead set on just trimming and said pads trap heat, but I had a mare last year where a soft pad with a cutout was the only thing that got her walking. Anyone else run into this kind of hardline view?

3 comments

c/flea-market-finds•

the_michael•1mo ago

Appreciation post: The old guy at the Canton flea market who told me to 'look for the ugly'

I was digging through a box of junk glass last Saturday, passing over some chipped brown vases. This older guy next to me, wearing a faded trucker hat, picked one up and said, 'Kid, you're looking for pretty. Look for the ugly. That's where the good stuff hides.' He pointed out a thick, lumpy green vase I'd ignored. I bought it for $5, took it home, and it's a 1940s Blenko piece I just sold online for $180. Has anyone else had a stranger give you a tip that completely flipped how you hunt?

3 comments

c/family-recipe-swap•

the_michael•1mo ago

Rant: My cousin keeps telling people to add baking soda to my grandma's chili recipe

She swears it 'cuts the acid' and adds a pinch every time, but it totally messes up the flavor and makes it taste flat. I found out because my aunt made a batch for a family thing and asked why it tasted so weird. How do you politely tell someone to stop fixing a recipe that isn't broken?

3 comments

c/furniture-finishers•

the_michael•1mo ago

My wife's cousin swore by using mayonnaise to fix a water ring on a table

He said to just slather it on, leave it overnight, and wipe it off. I thought he was nuts, but the ring was on a cheap side table so I gave it a shot. The next morning, the white mark was totally gone, like magic. I still have no idea why it works, something about the oil filling the dried out wood. Has anyone else had a weird home fix like that actually pan out?

3 comments

c/cable-installers•

the_michael•1mo ago

Why does nobody talk about how many people still use the wrong compression on RG6 fittings?

I've seen at least three jobs this month where someone crimped a fitting meant for solid core onto a braided cable, and the signal drop was obvious once I checked it with my meter.

3 comments

Posts

Appreciation post: The cafe owner in Chiang Mai who changed how I see slow travel

I finally asked my friend who runs a shop in Portland about his board repair success rate.

Showerthought: That guy at the Ohio clinic who said we should never use pads on laminitic cases

Appreciation post: The old guy at the Canton flea market who told me to 'look for the ugly'

Rant: My cousin keeps telling people to add baking soda to my grandma's chili recipe

My wife's cousin swore by using mayonnaise to fix a water ring on a table

Why does nobody talk about how many people still use the wrong compression on RG6 fittings?

Recent Comments