John Sullivan (u/john_sullivan2)

Posts

Bought those bulk spices from the discount bin and regretted it after 3 meals

I had to pick between spending $8 on a tiny jar of cumin at the grocery store or $2 for a big bag from the bulk bin at a place called Spice House in Portland. The cheap stuff tasted like dusty cardboard and made my chili taste flat, plus it went stale in like two weeks. Anyone else get burned by bulk bin spices or am I just too picky about my seasonings?

2 comments

c/avionics-technicians•

john_sullivan2•1mo ago

The senior avionics guy who told me to trust my gut on a wire bundle

I was troubleshooting a radio issue on a King Air in a hangar near Wichita about 5 years ago. This older tech, maybe 30 years in the game, walked over and saw me staring at the schematics for 20 minutes. He just said "put the paper down and go touch the wires." I was confused but I actually reached into the bundle and found a chafed wire hidden behind a clamp that wasn't even on the diagram. He didn't give me a lecture, he just nodded and walked off. That moment stuck with me more than any training class I ever took. Has anyone else had a veteran tech give you advice that seemed simple but turned out to be gold?

2 comments

c/drafters•

john_sullivan2•1mo ago

Three years drafting and I just caught a subfloor layer ignoring the expansion gap

I was checking a set of prints for a commercial build in Austin last Tuesday and noticed the subfloor crew left zero gap around the perimeter of a 40-foot room. The GC told me it's fine, but I know that's going to buckle when the humidity shifts in July. Has anyone else had to fight a crew on this, or am I being too picky?

2 comments

c/creative-writing-prompts•

john_sullivan2•1mo ago

Shoutout to the person who pointed out my "said" problem

I had a beta reader tell me every single dialogue tag in my first chapter was something other than "said" and I thought they were being picky, but after changing them all it reads way smoother now. Anybody else fight with overusing fancy tags like "exclaimed" or "retorted"?

2 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

john_sullivan2•1mo ago

Told my route was too ambitious for a 3 day trip, totally changed how I pack now

Some guy on a PCT forum straight up said my planned 45 miles in 3 days was 'stupid for a beginner' and I got defensive at first, but he was right. I cut it to 25 miles and actually enjoyed the views instead of just staring at my boots. Anybody else ever get called out on a route plan and actually benefit from it?

2 comments

c/fermenting-foods-at-home•

john_sullivan2•1mo ago

Compare glass weights vs plastic weights for kraut...

I used a ziplock bag full of brine as a weight for my first few batches of sauerkraut, but switched to a glass fermentation weight 3 weeks ago... the glass one keeps things submerged way better and I haven't had any mold on top at all. Have you noticed a big difference between using plastic bags and glass weights for your ferments?

2 comments

c/fermenting-foods-at-home•

john_sullivan2•1mo ago

Tried fermentation weights vs plastic bag method for kraut and the winner was obvious

I spent 6 months using those expensive glass weights and kept getting mold on top anyway. Switched to the ziploc bag filled with brine trick my grandma taught me and haven't seen a speck of mold since. The bag just seals everything off way better than any weight ever could. Anyone else ditch the fancy tools for the old school methods?

2 comments

c/arborists•

john_sullivan2•2mo ago

Warning: Just overheard a guy say he's been using the same climbing rope for 8 years

I was grabbing supplies at the local tree supply shop in Portland yesterday and heard a guy telling his buddy he's still climbing on the same rope he bought back in 2017. He said he just washes it and it's fine. That scared me man. Rope degrades from UV, sap, and all that dirt even if it looks okay on the outside. I had a piece of line snap on me 3 years ago that looked fine but had a hidden core damage spot. About broke my back when I fell 6 feet onto a lower branch. The shop guy even chimed in saying they see ropes fail at about 5 years max if you use them weekly. Has anyone else run into older climbers who just refuse to replace their gear? What do you even say to them?

2 comments

c/ai-innovations•

john_sullivan2•2mo ago

Am I the only one who thinks AI tools are getting worse at basic math?

Last week I asked three different AI chatbots to calculate a 15% tip on a $47.34 bill and got three different answers, one was off by almost 2 bucks. Three years ago these models could handle simple arithmetic no problem, but now they seem to overcomplicate things with nonsense logic. Has anyone else noticed this drop in reliability for basic number crunching?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

john_sullivan2•2mo ago

Been using a 6 inch knife for 8 years, finally tried a 10 inch

I always figured bigger knives were for guys who couldn't handle detail work. Stuck with my 6 inch for taping and never questioned it. Last week I grabbed a 10 inch on a whim from the supply house. First coat on a long hallway took half the time. The mud laid down way flatter too, less sanding later. I still use the 6 inch for tight corners around windows and doors. But for big open walls, I'm converted. Anyone else fight switching to a bigger knife for years?

2 comments