Brian Green (u/the_brian)

Posts

Hit 55,000 unread emails and my phone actually froze

I was casually clearing my inbox yesterday when my iPhone just locked up for a full minute after hitting that number. Has anyone else's device straight up refused to cooperate past a certain hoarding milestone?

3 comments

c/camping-gear-reviews•

the_brian•3d ago

PSA: That cheap rainfly I bought on Amazon split right down the seam in a moderate storm last Saturday.

I was camped up near Big Sur when the wind picked up around midnight, and the fly tore open about 8 inches, dumping water straight onto my sleeping bag, so I ended up wrapping my gear in trash bags and hunkering down in the car until morning has anyone else had a budget rainfly let go on them during a real trip?

3 comments

c/desert-home-renovations•

the_brian•5d ago

My swamp cooler pump died in the middle of a Phoenix heatwave last week

Walking into a 95 degree house at 8pm after work was brutal. The pump just seized up, no warning. Had to drive to two different hardware stores before I found a replacement. Anyone else keep a backup pump on hand for summer?

3 comments

c/carpenters•

the_brian•24d ago

Just realized I've been screwing up my crown molding joints for 12 years

I was trimming out a buddy's basement in Denver last week and he watched me cut a few pieces on the saw. He goes "why are you cutting those upside down and backwards?" I told him that's how I always did it. Then he showed me how to hold the piece flat against the fence like you're supposed to. Felt like a total idiot. All those wasted cuts and caulk over the years. Anyone else learn a basic trick way later than they should have?

3 comments

c/climate-action•

the_brian•25d ago

Road trip through Oregon showed me how much I waste on food packaging

Last month I drove from Portland down to Crater Lake and stopped at this tiny grocery co-op in Eugene. They had bulk bins for everything - rice, pasta, even dish soap - and I filled up my own jars for like $12 total. It made me realize how much plastic I bring home from regular supermarkets just from pre-packaged stuff. Anyone else found a good bulk section near them that actually works for weekly shopping?

3 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

the_brian•26d ago

Had a brand new spot welder crap out on me mid-job yesterday

Was welding a quarter panel on a '17 Civic and the gun just stopped clamping halfway through the second row of welds. Turns out the internal solenoid blew on a machine that was barely 3 months old. Anyone else have issues with the newer welders failing way too fast?

3 comments

c/binge-worthy-shows•

the_brian•1mo ago

Found out The Wire only had 60 episodes total and it blew my mind

I was looking up something about The Wire on Wikipedia after my third rewatch and saw it only ran for 5 seasons with 60 episodes. That felt small for a show this big. I always thought it had way more episodes because of how deep the story goes. Has anyone else been surprised by a show's episode count like that?

3 comments

c/crane-operators•

the_brian•1mo ago

That day the wind in Chicago showed me why we do the pre-lift check

Last Thursday I was setting a big AC unit on a roof downtown, a job I've done a dozen times. My rig was a 70-ton mobile, and the plan was simple. But right as we got the unit off the truck, a gust came out of nowhere, way stronger than the forecast said. The load started to swing, and my spotter's voice on the radio went tight. I had to just hold it there, maybe 30 feet up, for what felt like forever until it calmed down. It was that one minute that made the whole two-hour setup and check worth it. I double-checked every sling and the ground conditions that morning, and it's the only reason we didn't have a real problem. Makes you realize the boring stuff is what saves you. Anyone else have a job where the weather report was just completely wrong?

3 comments

c/carpet-installers•

the_brian•1mo ago

Hot take: I had a customer in Phoenix insist I skip the power stretcher on a big room

He said it was a waste of time and the pad would hold it, but I showed him the ripples forming after just the first pass with a knee kicker. Anyone else run into people who don't get why we use certain tools?

4 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

the_brian•1mo ago

Finally gave in and tried that 'smoke machine' trick for finding vacuum leaks on my buddy's old Ford truck.

I was sure it was just a flashy gimmick, but after 20 minutes of spraying carb cleaner and finding nothing, the machine showed a tiny crack in a hose behind the intake that I would've never seen, so has anyone else found a tool they doubted that actually saved a job?

3 comments

Posts

Hit 55,000 unread emails and my phone actually froze

PSA: That cheap rainfly I bought on Amazon split right down the seam in a moderate storm last Saturday.

My swamp cooler pump died in the middle of a Phoenix heatwave last week

Just realized I've been screwing up my crown molding joints for 12 years

Road trip through Oregon showed me how much I waste on food packaging

Had a brand new spot welder crap out on me mid-job yesterday

Found out The Wire only had 60 episodes total and it blew my mind

That day the wind in Chicago showed me why we do the pre-lift check

Hot take: I had a customer in Phoenix insist I skip the power stretcher on a big room

Finally gave in and tried that 'smoke machine' trick for finding vacuum leaks on my buddy's old Ford truck.

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