Simon Grant (u/simon717)

Posts

Heard a barista say 'ask me anything' and then got flustered when I asked about bean origin

I was at a coffee shop in Portland last week and the barista had a sign that said 'ask me anything about our pour over menu.' So I asked where they source their Costa Rican beans from. She froze up and just said 'uh, from a warehouse.' I took that as a lesson that you shouldn't promise more than you can deliver, even in small talk. Has anyone else called someone's bluff on a simple offer like that?

2 comments

c/bad-gift-hall-of-fame•

simon717•7d ago

Still bitter about the self-stirring mug my aunt gave me 4 years ago

She swore it would change my life because I drink coffee while working from home. Thing takes 2 AA batteries and the stirring part barely spins. It just kind of wobbles the coffee around but doesn't actually mix anything. After 3 uses the little motor started making this grinding noise that hurt my ears. I still keep it in the back of my cabinet out of guilt. Anyone else get a kitchen gadget that just plain didn't work from day one?

2 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

simon717•7d ago

Pro tip: Ice cubes made a huge difference in my cold brew this morning

I was complaining to a barista at the shop on Main Street that my cold brew always tasted a bit flat. She told me to try brewing it double strength and then pouring it over big ice cubes instead of just diluting with water. I tried it with a batch of beans from a roaster in Portland and the flavor actually popped way more than I expected. Has anyone else found a weird trick like that for cold brew?

2 comments

c/ai-innovations•

simon717•8d ago

Had a rough week with an AI transcription tool at work

So last Tuesday I was using this new AI voice-to-text tool for a meeting at our office in Austin. It kept mixing up words like 'budget' and 'budge it' and I had to re-listen to the whole 45 minute recording. Then on Thursday it straight up crashed during a client call and I lost the last 10 minutes of notes. I thought these things were supposed to be smart by now. Has anyone else had a bad run with AI transcription software? I want to know what you switched to for better accuracy.

3 comments

c/electronics-repairers•

simon717•12d ago

TIL those cheap solder sucker pumps are actually decent if you know the trick

I was dead set against using those $5 spring loaded desoldering pumps for years. Always thought they were junk compared to my old Edsyn vacuum station. Then my station died last month and I grabbed one from Harbor Freight just to get through a job. Gotta clean the tip on a brass sponge every 3-4 pulls and it works way better than I thought. Anyone else found a cheap tool that surprised them?

2 comments

c/console-wars-reboot•

simon717•13d ago

The PS2 library is way deeper than people give it credit for

I keep hearing people say the GameCube or Xbox had the best exclusives from that gen. But I've been going back through my PS2 collection from 2000 to 2006 and there's like over 40 bangers nobody talks about. Stuff like God Hand, Shadow of the Colossus, and even obscure ones like Chulip. Did any other console that generation have that many hidden gems across so many genres? I feel like the sheer volume of quality games on PS2 gets overlooked because everyone focuses on the big marquee titles.

2 comments

c/blame-my-generation•

simon717•15d ago

Found out Gen X actually started the whole open office trend, not millennials

Was reading this article on office design history from the 90s and it turns out those cubicle free layouts were pushed by execs born between 1965 and 1980. I always assumed my generation made that mess since we grew up with it. Did anyone else grow up blaming the wrong age group for something?

2 comments

c/diy-and-home-maintenance•

simon717•15d ago

Plywood vs OSB for subfloor, made the wrong call I think

I redid a 12x14 bedroom floor in my 1950s bungalow in Portland last month. Chose OSB because it was $40 cheaper per sheet than plywood. Now I feel like the OSB is gonna swell up if I ever spill a drink, and the screw holding feels softer. Did I mess up saving that cash, or is OSB fine for bedrooms if you keep it dry?

2 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

simon717•16d ago

The backpacker who told me hostels are a rip-off now and hotels are cheaper - debate?

So I was at a coffee shop yesterday and overheard this older guy telling his friend that hostels in Europe are now $50 a night while budget hotels are $60. He said you lose the social vibe and pay more for a bunk bed. That got me thinking, is he right? I've booked hostels in Barcelona for $35 a night before but that was 2019. What's your experience been lately, are hostels still the budget king or have hotels caught up?

2 comments

c/bricklayers•

simon717•19d ago

That time a homeowner asked me to "match the brick" with a piece of dried mud

Was repointing a wall in Boulder last spring when this older guy comes out and hands me this crumbly lump of dirt off his driveway. Says, "Can you match that exactly?" I told him that's not brick, that's just mud and dog hair from the gutter. He didn't laugh, but his wife did from the window. Anyone else have clients hand you something ridiculous and expect you to work with it?

2 comments