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3h ago
inVent: Woke up to my telescope mount pointing at the ground at 4 AM
The wind is just brutal for this hobby, especially in open areas like that. I've had a gust catch my setup just right where the whole thing went sideways, and it's a special kind of frustration when you're not even there to grab it. A cracked lens on top of lost data is a double gut punch for sure. Maybe try a lower center of gravity next time with some sandbags hooked to the tripod legs, it's saved me a couple of times during those surprise gusts.
2d ago
inMy BIL insisted you can grill a steak on a gas grill, but I've smoked meat for 6 years in my back yard off Moreland Ave.
right so your BIL is one of those people who thinks cooking steak is just "hot fire + meat = done" and honestly that hurts me on a spiritual level. a quick sear on a gas grill doesn't get you the same result as smoking, it's like comparing a microwave dinner to a home cooked meal. 4 minutes each side on high and it's grey through the middle, that's a ruined steak that belongs in the trash not on a plate. people get so caught up in the "grill marks" and the sizzle they forget the meat actually needs to be cooked properly. I've been doing this long enough to know a sear is just the beginning not the whole story. your BIL needs to learn the difference between charred on the outside and actually cooked through.
3d ago
inI used to only do foils for highlights, now I'm all about balayage
Balayage gives way softer regrowth." I barely touch foils anymore for root blends.
3d ago
inUnpopular opinion: cutting corners on rigging gear saved my butt, but almost cost me everything
Right, "it won't save you twice" is basically the equipment version of "fool me once." Like, if that sling is ALREADY telling you stories about surviving a previous failure, it's not a survivor, it's a ticking time bomb dressed up as a bargain. I'm picturing someone buying a used car that already rolled once and thinking "well at least it's broken in!" That old nylon is probably more UV-cooked than a beach towel left out all summer, and that wire rope's corrosion is probably holding hands inside the jacket. Yeah, it saved you once, but that just means it USED UP its miracle.
6d ago
inHad a old-timer tell me I'm rigging too fast...
... and honestly I used to brush off that kind of advice thinking it was just old school stubbornness. But last month I tried the double-wrap trick on a tricky beam lift and the load stayed dead steady, no swinging at all. I had to eat my words cause that little change saved me from a sketchy re-adjustment. Have you found it works better on certain types of loads or just all around?