I'm thinkin' 'bout the upside. What's your best COVID-19 purchase/hack/personal betterment?

Discussion in 'Random Thoughts' started by yotacowboy, May 8, 2020.

  1. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    I basically like this, except I used whatever scrap wood I had, and I covered it with some scrap Berber carpet.
    https://www.girljustdiy.com/easy-wooden-diy-footrest/
     
  2. Josh Schor

    Josh Schor Friend

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    I reconnected with Marv when I could no longer have a 2 channel system, started small and basic headphone set up now have Studio b, Utopia and Yggdrasil Iim. using Norne cables. All within a year so have jumped into headphones while learning a lot from the site and enjoying music again, I love it.
     
  3. fastfwd

    fastfwd Friend

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    Urban living was rendered instantly pointless for me when the pandemic lockdown started, and then as the months passed it became progressively more unpleasant. So a year ago, I moved to the hills (they call them mountains here, but I grew up in Colorado) outside the city.

    Should have done it ages ago. Before & after views from my home office:

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
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    Last edited: Nov 8, 2021
  4. Metro

    Metro Friend

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    I worked on cracking open an egg with one hand.
    [​IMG]
    I always thought it was badass seeing cooks and chefs do it. It was time to try it myself. There are plenty of tutorials on the web and YouTube. The technique is simple and easy to pick up with some practice.

    There are some caveats because the motion of pulling open the shell is not as well controlled as opening with two hands.
    • I usually cook my eggs sunny side up and want the yolk to stay intact. Due to less control with one hand, the yolk has a higher risk of catching an edge on the way out and breaking open.
    • Also because of less control with one hand, there is more chance for the liquid egg to pick up pieces of shell on the way out.
    • There's a good chance of getting egg goop on my fingers as I pull open the egg.
    A good clean initial crack makes the one hand technique easy. However the egg is not always cooperative. Not a problem, except that you don't feel like a badass professional.
    • Sometimes the membrane under the shell is especially thick and tough. The shell cracks but the membrane doesn't tear open and I couldn't do it with one hand without crushing the egg, so I resort to two hands.
    • Other times the shell is strong and the initial crack may be small and I have to hit it a second time for a larger crack.
    After getting the hang of one hand egg cracking, two handed feels so amateurish.
     
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  5. supertransformingdhruv

    supertransformingdhruv Almost "Made"

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    Over the last year and some, we started buying nicer eggs from the local farmers market. While they're typically better tasting and have excellent rich yolks, I have noticed this phenomenon: the membranes on these "better" eggs can be so thick that I very frequently work so hard to break into the egg that I've also broken the yolk. I've also noticed that the (vitelline?) membrane separating the yolk from the whites can be more delicate, and sometimes the egg breaks on impact as it falls into the pan or bowl.

    I've had to refine my omelette skills as I can't always proceed with sunny-side up under these conditions.
     
  6. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Becoming part of the furniture at my favourite classical music hall.

    Public concerts are off, but recordings for YouTube are on and I get invited. Nearly 200 concerts so far.

    Has it done wonders for my photography? No, I've got used to photographing people on the same stage under the same lights. But it has done wonders for my life during these tough times.

    Nb: carnatic, South-indian, classical
     
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  7. Jinxy245

    Jinxy245 Vegan Puss

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    I'd love to see some pictures if possible (and I doubt that I'm the only one)
     
  8. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    SHOW-and-tell, @Thad E Ginathom!!!
     
  9. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    My best C19 hack purchase for personal betterment?

    This by a friggin nautical mile.

    [​IMG]

    1. I get to go out because riding that thing is a blast.
    2. I get to learn new shit, because otherwise you kill yourself on it.
    3. I get to free my mind from shit when I'm riding, otherwise you eat poopoo and get street face.

    Bonus point - my daily commute avoids public transport plague boxes, so C19 has to work harder to get me.
     
  10. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

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    I've had the opposite. My eggs from the local farmers have strong enough yolk membranes that I can almost pick them up from it. The shells are also noticeably thicker.
     
  11. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    While I technically started experimenting before lockdown, I have gotten so heavy into leatherwork as a hobby that early next year when construction on the building is done, I will begin renting some space for a full leathercraft studio (still small, but at least dedicated). Since I still work more than fulltime, I am not sure what the end game looks like, but once I get a few more commitments out of the way, I will start selling pieces to help pay for it all.
     
  12. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    I'm so lazy about posting my own work! Well, what I am actually lazy about is choosing which ones to post.

    I do it all for pleasure and for free, and give to the artists and organisers to use as they wish. Of course, I like it if the credit me, but shrug if they don't: it's still a compliment that that they've even used the pics.

    A few have been published in media. One writer warned me that one particular newspaper never credits anyone, however much she insists. On magazine paid me Rs300 for one pic! (about 65 to the USD?)

    We are facing a dangerous weather situation here just now. I'll try to put some pics in a while, if we haven't been washed away. Some are on Instagram, thad_e_ginathom. I don't know how one can find the pics posted by others tagged @thad_e_ginathom
     

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