Nathan Webb (u/nathan_webb)

Posts

The $12 linen tablecloth that looked perfect but never stopped shedding lint

I bought a cheap linen tablecloth for our kitchen table about 3 months back. It was on clearance for 12 bucks and had that perfect wrinkled, old-timey look I wanted for Sunday dinners. Problem is, every time I wash it, it leaves lint all over the place. Like little blue fuzz balls stuck to everything. I have to pick them off the butter dish and my glasses. It looks nice in photos but I'm sweeping up lint twice a week. Has anyone else found a linen that doesn't shed like a golden retriever in summer?

2 comments

c/conspiracy-debates•

nathan_webb•5d ago

Had a chat with my dad's old mechanic buddy and it made me rethink the whole chemtrail thing

My mom's neighbor, guy named Dave who worked on jets in the air force for 20 years, was over fixing her lawnmower. I made some joke about chemtrails being obvious and he just looked at me and said "Son, you ever actually watch a vapor trail form from the ground at 35,000 feet? The temperature difference alone..." He went on for 10 minutes about atmospheric conditions and fuel composition. Didn't convince me of anything official but made me realize I'd never once looked into the actual science behind how contrails work. Anyone else have a conversation with someone who actually knows the technical side that made you question your assumptions?

2 comments

c/carpet-installers•

nathan_webb•8d ago

Old timer told me to never stretch carpet across a doorway

Guy I learned from back in 2005 said you always stop and seam at doorways. Took me a few jobs where the carpet buckled after a season to figure out he was right. Anyone else have a mentor whose advice you ignored at first?

2 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

nathan_webb•9d ago

I switched from buying canned beans to cooking dry ones a few years back

For years I grabbed store brand canned black beans at $1.29 a can, but last year I did the math on a 2 pound bag of dry beans for $2.50 and it makes over 6 cans worth. I soak them overnight on Sunday and they take about 2 hours to simmer, which is way more time upfront than opening a can. Has anyone else found it's worth the extra work to save money on staples like rice or beans?

2 comments

c/camera-repairers•

nathan_webb•11d ago

Wasted $80 on a lens cleaning kit that ruined my vintage 50mm

Picked up this fancy cleaning kit with all these different solutions and swabs from a camera shop downtown. Figured I'd clean some haze off an old Takumar I got at a swap meet. Ended up using their recommended solution and it stripped some coating off the front element in like 30 seconds. Now the lens has this weird rainbow stain that won't come off no matter what. Anyone else had bad luck with those all-in-one cleaning kits or is there a specific brand that actually works without wrecking stuff?

3 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

nathan_webb•11d ago

Unpopular opinion: that $1.50 ramen hack everyone raves about is actually more expensive per meal

My coworker Dave cornered me by the break room microwave last Tuesday and went on about his 'gourmet' ramen upgrades. He adds eggs, frozen veggies, and sesame oil. I did the math while he was talking. Eggs are like 30 cents each now, frozen veggies another 50 cents, the oil adds up. His 'budget' bowl was probably close to $2.75. I pointed out that a simple bean and rice burrito from scratch is about 80 cents and just as filling. He got defensive and said it's about 'taste'. Has anyone else done the actual math on these so called budget hacks or am I being too picky?

2 comments

c/backyard-stargazing-club•

nathan_webb•11d ago

My buddy's offhand comment about cheap binoculars got me thinking

I was out in Sacramento last weekend with my friend Mike, just looking at the moon with my old 10x50s, and he goes 'man, you ever think about how much light you're missing with those $30 lenses?' He's not even a big stargazer, just a curious dude, but it hit different because I've been using the same pair for 5 years and never questioned if better glass would actually show more. Anyone else upgrade their binoculars and notice a big difference, or is it mostly hype?

2 comments

c/dad-joke-workshop•

nathan_webb•14d ago

Used to write dad jokes on napkins, now I test them in front of my kids first

I used to just jot down puns on whatever scrap paper I had, like at lunch or during meetings at work in Chicago. Then I tried a pun about toast at the dinner table last Tuesday and my 8 year old groaned so hard he fell off his chair. Now I always run my jokes by him first, because if he doesn't cringe then I know it's not ready for the public. Anyone else have a kid who gives brutal feedback on your jokes?

2 comments

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c/backyard-chicken-keepers•

nathan_webb•16d ago

Old timer at the feed store told me to stop cleaning my waterers with bleach

I used to scrub my chicken waterers with bleach every week for like 2 years straight. Nothing bad happened but this guy named Carl who runs the feed store in Grove City said I was killing the good bacteria my birds need for digestion. He told me to switch to white vinegar instead. I tried it for a month and honestly I didn't notice a difference at first but then my hens started eating their feed way more consistently. Also the water stays clearer longer because vinegar stops algae better than bleach from what I can tell. Plus no more breathing in bleach fumes when I'm cleaning the coop. Has anyone else made the switch or found another cleaner that works even better?

2 comments

c/chefs•

nathan_webb•18d ago

Changed my mind about using a meat thermometer after a shift at that steakhouse in Omaha

Ngl I always thought meat thermometers were just for beginners or people who cant cook by feel. Then I worked a Friday night at this place in Omaha called The Cattle Exchange and the head chef showed me how he temp checks every single ribeye that comes off the grill. He pulled one that read 128 and let it rest for exactly 4 minutes and it came out medium rare perfect every time. Now I bring my own Thermapen to gigs and use it for thicker cuts. Any other chefs here feel like temping is worth the extra step or am I overthinking this?

2 comments