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spthorn60

38 karma · joined August 9, 2016

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spthorn60··on I’ve Spent $60k to Pay Back Student Loans and Owe More Than Before I Began
LOL, I half-expected commenters to rail on how unfair student debt is, and how debt forgiveness would solve problems like this (which it would, but create new ones for generations to come), but I was surprised and pleased that there are others like me who are taking what I think is a more common sense approach.

Parents and educators should be teaching young people fiscal responsibility from a young age, so among other things, they don't get caught in debt traps, and they understand the evil of "minimum payments".

Fortunately, the author is only 38, and has the opportunity to change her financial situation. Not an easy task, not without a lot of sacrifices and discipline, but hey, that's what I'd call real adulting.

spthorn60··on How to Stay Productive All Day – Coding and Scheduling Tips for Programmers
Is it just me, or are too many of these articles targeted toward the self-employed, who have the luxury of working 6.5hours a day, or seriously disabling all interactions while working, go to no meetings, etc.? How about the 8-5 dev in an office environment, along with it's expectations of interruptions, meetings and teammate interactions?
spthorn60··on St. Benedict’s Rule for Monasteries (516)
And too, the recommended "hemina" portion is apparently just over a half a US pint. Certainly not enough to replace potentially bad water in a diet.
spthorn60··on The Urgent vs. the Important
Good reminder for 2021 planning. Also known as the Tyranny of the Urgent (Chas. Hummel). See also the Eisenhower Decision Matrix (Stephen Covey). Important stuff.
spthorn60··on Ask HN: What's a side project you built to make money that hasn't?
Lol, I love your sense of humor, Stavros. Just riding the ragged edge of believability.
spthorn60··on Why Is There a Bucatini Shortage in America?
In much the same way that the Alameda-Weehawken Burrito Tunnel is not actually a tunnel made of burritos.
spthorn60··on The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance
Somewhat depending on your perspective on the source of our wealth, this article reinforces the idea that what we produce out of the earth is a gift - not solely a result of our labor - and as such, should not be hoarded or exclusively sold. Call it what you like - sharing, gifting, tithing, relationship-building, valuing people over things - it's a practice that's much in need today.
spthorn60··on On the Many Mysteries of the European Eel
These and other obscure but fascinating facts are yours for the taking in The Book of Eels. Well written, great read, even if you're not interested in eels to begin with. Why not jog your brain and try something outside of the box this holiday?
spthorn60··on Experiments on a $50 DIY air purifier that takes 30s to assemble
Right the heavy stuff falls pretty quickly. The light particles will take quite a long time, and in the meantime, you're potentially breathing all that. I use a large cyclone for the machinery, a filter-on-a-fan, and a mask. My shop is a lot cleaner than it used to be, and I'm sure my lungs are too.
spthorn60··on Experiments on a $50 DIY air purifier that takes 30s to assemble
As most home woodworkers could confirm, a filter-on-a-box-fan works wonders in a (saw)dusty garage. Even after sanding or sawing MDF, the air is clean after about 10-15 minutes. From personal observation, I'd suggest that non-taped is a good idea, as any non-filtered air is routed through the fan to help overall circulation; ideally you want to displace all the air in the room quickly.
spthorn60··on Cheap Router Table and Lift
Neither did I, so I just built a small box (maybe 1.5' x 2') with a couple small drawers for bits and all, adjustable fence, and a hinged top for easy adjustments. Fits underneath my bench. The Samurai's jig looks like a very useful addition to the shop, though, and it's now on my TODO list.
spthorn60··on Why I am building permapeople.org
Ditto
spthorn60··on US Treasury is now urging people not to pay ransomware ransoms
Am I missing something here? So the guy in the middle - the victim - has to choose between saving his corporate computer systems or paying a fine if his ransom gets into the wrong hands? Harsh.
spthorn60··on What vertical farming and ag startups don't understand about agriculture, part 2
The kicker for me was reading the very consumable Dirt to Soil [1], written by a farmer who's applying regenerative ag techniques on a large scale, and very profitably. Transitioning from input-dependent, technology-sucking financially-overextended traditional monocropping IS POSSIBLE. This isn't just your backyard garden anymore. Something needs to change in mainstream ag. I'm moving onto a small farm to do something about it, in my small corner of the world.
spthorn60··on Woodworking for Engineers
This guy https://www.facebook.com/warnermachinery/ reconditions and sells used industrial wood- and metal-working machines. Fascinating to see some of the tools he's restored.
spthorn60··on Woodworking for Engineers
I'm of the same mind, and tire of the noisy power tools. I'm more likely to reach for my pull saw than unbox and set up the circular saw. I _think_ I've learned how to do it right; online instruction, Jacques?
spthorn60··on JCPenney Paid Top Execs Huge Bonuses Before Firing Workers
"...necessary to retain the management team and keep them motivated..."

CEO Soltau currently earns $5,877,000 a year... isn't that enough motivation?

spthorn60··on What did people do before toilet paper?
My boredom-induced curiousity doesn't overcome my resistance to provide NatGeo with my email address. Sigh.
spthorn60··on My Updated Plan to Address the Coronavirus Crisis
Sure would like to know what the real price is of being able to borrow "for free" $750 billion. Actually, my kids and grandkids want to know.
spthorn60··on USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
See also https://www.instagram.com/pomme_queen/ for some true color photographs of heirloom apple varieties.
spthorn60··on Australia's temperature record broken again. National average 41.9C
Now more than ever a change in the way large-scale agriculture is done in Australia needs to be rethought, as this, in large part, is responsible for the inability of the land to respond to climate change. cf Charles Massy
spthorn60··on The case for working with your hands (2009)
Dittos. Rather philosophical, but definitely worth working through.
spthorn60··on Rules for Writing Detective Stories by S.S. Van Dine (1928)
"Come off it, sweetheart," I challenged, knowing that the list was just a façade, all crumbly and worse for wear. "What's the real story?"

The list shrank back. "I'll not be questioned from the likes of you, why, you... reader!"

The moll knew. Decades of fanatical typing but declining sales had forced the list to put on airs, to rise above the common man. But chumps like me could see right through it, and she knew it. Oh, she knew it.

I leaned back in my chair, and took the last drag on my stub of a cigarette. Exhaling, I blew smoke toward the open door. She turned, and followed it out into the dark night. Into the city that knows how to keep its secrets.

spthorn60··on HAVING a Blunderful Time (or Wish You Were WHERE) (2007)
But he has a valid point in HAVING not being able to reference an aggregate column by the AS name in the SELECT.
spthorn60··on General Mills to buy pet food maker Blue Buffalo for $8B
As do we. True story - our kids always called C.O.B. "cat food".
spthorn60··on I Should Never Have Trusted HR to Keep My Secret
HR is not on your side; they're present to protect the interests of the company, however ineffectively.
spthorn60··on SQL Operations Studio
It seems like that's the direction they're taking. But there is a lot of SSMS functionality I can't do without (replication, sql agent, RedGate SQL Prompt!, etc). This is a good start, but still a ways from a solid DBA tool. Pretty dashboard, so maybe I can keep it on a 3rd monitor but do all the heavy lifting in SSMS.
spthorn60··on Japan's zero-gravity space drone sends first pictures from ISS
Why is the astronaut wearing a belt?
spthorn60··on A Cyberattack 'the World Isn’t Ready For'
This 16-yt NYT veteran would agree.

https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/2016-election-demise-journali...

spthorn60··on Designing and 3D-printing a garage remote motorcycle mount
Nice, Stavros. I've been thinking about the same thing; having my current remote inside a jacket pocket and attempting to poke through the fabric to the button is distracting.
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