u/Dima030

been subscribed to a few beauty boxes for like 2 years now. every month I get new stuff. cleansers, serums, moisturizers, masks. some of its great. some of its just okay.

but here's the thing. I have so many samples and minis now that I can't even keep track of what I have. my drawer is just full of tiny bottles and sachets. and I keep getting more. I used to love trying new things. now it just feels like clutter. I keep thinking I'll use everything but honestly I don't even need half of it.

I've been thinking about unsubscribing. but every month I'm like what if there's something amazing in the next box? and I don't do it. someone was talking about how beauty boxes create this illusion of value and I think they were right. it's not saving money if you're buying things you don't need.

idk. maybe I just need to actually use what I have before I buy more. anyone else in this cycle of accumulation and guilt?

So my current phone is on its last legs and I've decided to finally make the switch to Android. I've been an iPhone user for years but I'm ready to try something different.

I've been looking at the Samsung Galaxy S24, the Pixel 8a, and maybe the OnePlus 12. Budget is around $500700. I mostly use my phone for email, calendar, the occasional spreadsheet on the go, and calls. Nothing too heavy.

I found a site called Phone Exchange that sells used and refurbished devices, so I'm considering going that route to stretch the budget a bit. Might let me get a higherend model for less.

My plan is to transfer contacts and set up Google Workspace sync right away, then slowly move my apps over the first week.

Which of those three would you go with for mostly professional use? And is buying refurbished generally worth it for Android?

walk into any local venue and you’ll see the same mistakes. Some mix engineer cranking 250Hz on vocals to make it "thicker," or a graphic EQ carved into a comb filter because "that’s how you ring out a room."

what’s a piece of common advice or a go-to move that you think actually makes things worse? The one that makes you cringe every time you see it.

i know i know they pay the bills or whatever. but it's march and i'm already over it

can't even walk down lincoln road without bumping into 15 people taking photos. some dude almost walked into me yesterday cause he was staring at his phone trying to find the perfect angle of a palm tree. a palm tree. they're everywhere my guy

restaurants are packed. waits are ridiculous. i tried to get a table at this place i used to go to all the time and they said 45 minutes on a tuesday. tuesday. not even the weekend

my building had some issues with people sneaking into the pool area too. management had to put up signs and enforce it cause it got so bad. i think they use JMK Property Management for the building and honestly they're handling it okay? at least they're doing something

i'm not actually mad at the tourists. they're just enjoying themselves. but sometimes i wish i lived in a quieter part of miami. maybe north miami beach or something. less chaos. i don't know if i'd survive the winter though cause i've gotten soft

anyway rant over. if you see me on lincoln road don't bump into me thanks

I've been mixing for a few years now and I keep rotating through the same handful of reference tracks, but lately I've been questioning whether my choices are actually serving me well or just becoming a comfort blanket.

My current gotos are stuff I know inside and out on my monitors, but I wonder if that familiarity is making me lazy. Like, am I actually hearing the translation issues or am I just confirming what I want to hear?

A few things I'm genuinely curious about from people with more mileage on this:

Do you stick to tracks from the same genre you're mixing, or do you pull from across different styles to check specific elements like low end, stereo width, vocal presence separately?

How old is too old for a reference track? I mix a lot of indie and alternative stuff and sometimes I wonder if something from 2008 is actually a useful sonic target anymore given how playback systems and streaming loudness normalization have shifted things.

Do you ever use a poorly recorded but commercially successful song as a reference just to realitycheck what the market actually accepts?

Curious what the community actually uses day to day versus what gets recommended in tutorials, because those two things seem pretty different in practice.

I've been producing for a couple of years now and I feel like I've got the basics down. My levels are balanced, I'm using EQ and compression reasonably well, things aren't clipping, and my mixes translate okay on different speakers. But when I compare my stuff to professionally released tracks, there's still this gap I can't quite name or fix.

It's not just loudness or clarity. There's something about the way professional mixes feel cohesive and intentional, like every element belongs exactly where it is. My mixes feel more like a collection of sounds sitting next to each other rather than one unified thing.

I've started wondering if this is less about individual processing decisions and more about something bigger, like arrangement choices, how space is used, the relationship between elements in the stereo field, or even just the confidence behind the decisions being made.

For producers who feel like they crossed that threshold at some point, what actually clicked for you? Was it a specific technique, a mindset shift, more experience with referencing, or something else entirely? I'm not looking for a plugin recommendation, more interested in the conceptual or workflow changes that made the difference.

Curious what this community thinks because I feel like this comes up a lot but never gets answered in a concrete way.

hello, all

planning to take a short weekend trip to visit starved rock state park in illinois. my plan is to have fun with exploring the sandstone canyons and going hiking but from what i am reading about starved rock state park campground online, it can be too crowded and noisy with lots of RVs and generators.

i would like to find some place that's much quieter and has a rustic atmosphere. preferably primitive or only tent campsites that are located by the water or among trees so we feel that we are surrounded by nature.

has anyone ever heard of any secret spots or even private campgrounds nearby? it is so cool to make a campfire next to our tent without having to worry about our neighbors!

Hey guys, I’m turning 32 this year and I've officially hit the point where I cannot stand my current industry anymore. The burnout is real and I can't imagine doing this for another twenty or thirty years.

The problem is the idea of starting from the bottom again in Adelaide is terrifying, especially with the current cost of living and how brutal the rental market has gotten here lately. I’ve been browsing some sites to see what sectors are actually hiring locally, and I've noticed a lot of talk around the Fee-Free TAFE SA courses for priority industries, or entry-level traineeships that don't require an entirely new four-year uni degree. The issue is I have no idea how to actually frame my transferable skills to get my foot in the door.

Has anyone here pulled off a major career pivot in their 30s around SA? Did you end up doing a quick retrain through TAFE, or did you manage to just network your way into a new field or a state government role? Would love some real-world advice on how you handled the initial pay cut.

I've been to a decent number of shows over the years, mostly smaller venues and local stuff, but every once in a while you go to a concert that just rewires your brain a little. You walk out and the way you listen to music is genuinely different afterward.

For me it was seeing a band I liked but didn't love on record, then watching them perform live and realizing the studio version was basically just a rough draft. The energy, the improvisation, the crowd feeding back into the performance it turned a casual interest into a full obsession.

I feel like this happens more than people talk about. It's not always your favorite artist either. Sometimes it's a random opener you knew nothing about, or a festival set you wandered into by accident.

Curious what shows did that for you and what specifically made it click. Was it the production, the crowd, the setlist, the venue size, something the artist said or did on stage? Hearing these stories helps people figure out what kinds of concerts are actually worth prioritizing when money and time are limited.

Been thinking about this a lot lately. Reels seem to be the main thing pushing accounts right now. I post pretty regularly but the reach on regular photos just doesn't compare anymore. Reels get way more eyes on them even when the content is basically the same.

I decided to actually put some time into learning how to edit them properly. Went through a course a few weeks back and it helped me tighten up my cuts and pacing a lot. Nothing crazy, just the basics done right.

Now I'm curious what other people are doing. Are you editing everything on your phone or do you use desktop software? And do you find that shorter reels under 30 seconds do better than longer ones for you?

Trying to figure out what's actually working for people right now because the algorithm feels like it shifts every few months.

Been doing live sound for a few years now, mostly midsize venues and festival stages. One thing that keeps tripping me up is managing monitor mixes when the stage is already loud before you even touch a fader. Drummers with no hearing protection, guitar amps cranked to eleven, backline that was clearly set up by someone with a grudge against FOH engineers.

The problem I keep running into is that wedges end up needing to be pushed so hard to compete that feedback becomes a real fight, and by the time everyone on stage is happy, the bleed into the mains is noticeably affecting the house mix.

I know the obvious answers are ear monitors and having a conversation with the band about stage volume before doors open, but realistically that conversation doesn't always happen or doesn't go anywhere productive.

So how are you all actually dealing with this in the moment? Are there specific techniques you use for ringing out wedges faster in a loud stage environment? Any goto EQ moves or positioning tricks that have genuinely helped you? Do you just accept a certain amount of compromise and work around it?

Curious what the community has found actually works in real world conditions, not just ideal scenarios.

Its like you cannot even casually exist outside your apartment on a weekend anymore without getting into a literal street war over a single parallel parking space. my sister was visiting earlier and we spent almost 45 minutes just circling around west avenue trying to find any spot that didn’t require a special residential permit or cost an absolute fortune on the parking apps

The city infrastructure is just so completely overloaded right now, especially with all the luxury construction happening. I was actually looking at some local zoning news on Larry Mastropieri yesterday to see if they're ever going to build more public garages for those of us living in older buildings without deeded parking spaces, but it seems like everything is just being geared toward tourists or high-rises

Im seriously considering just selling my car at this point and relying entirely on a scooter, except people drive like they’re playing gta out here. just completely exhausted by the logistical nightmare of it all tbh

I do most of my work on studio monitors in a treated room, but I keep running into situations where a mix sounds great in the room and then falls apart on earbuds, laptop speakers, or in a car. I know the classic advice is to check on multiple systems, but I'm curious about the actual workflows people have developed around this.
Do you have a specific order you go through when doing mix checks? Do you start with your reference monitors and work outward, or do you actually start on the worstcase scenario device first and work your way up? I've been experimenting with checking on phone speakers early in the process rather than at the end, and it has changed how I approach low mids significantly.
Also curious whether anyone has found certain genres or production styles to be more forgiving across systems than others. Hip hop with heavy sub bass seems like the hardest to get right universally. Would love to hear how experienced engineers have built their translation checking process over time and where the real problem areas tend to be.

For me it was a midsize venue show where the artist played a deep cut I never expected to hear live. The crowd around me clearly knew every word, and I remember thinking this is a completely different experience than listening at home. Something clicked that night.
Curious what that turning point was for other people. Was it a specific artist, a specific venue size, or just the overall atmosphere of a particular show? Did it happen at your very first concert or did it take a few before live music really grabbed you?

Hey everyone, I am finally pulling the trigger and starting my first prolonged fast today (aiming for 120 hours). Up until now, the longest I’ve ever managed was a few scattered 36-hour fasts, so jumping to 5 days feels like a massive mental hurdle.

I’ve spent the last week prepping everything so I don't screw this up. I got all my unflavored electrolytes ready-sodium, potassium, and magnesium-so I can strictly stick to the water-and-salts protocol. Quick question for the experienced tools here though. I've been taking a daily wellness and liver support routine for the last few months. Should I completely pause taking any encapsulated supplements during a clean 5-day fast to avoid breaking autophagy, or is it fine to keep taking them along with my electrolyte water? I don't want to upset my stomach on day 2.

Anyway, I’m nervous about days 3 and 4. I keep hearing that's when the ghrelin surges and the mental cravings hit the hardest before your body fully flips the switch into deep ketosis. I work a regular desk job and I'm terrified the brain fog is going to turn me into a complete zombie by Wednesday afternoon. For those who regularly do 5+ day fasts, how do you push past that specific 48-72 + hour wall? Is it purely a mind-over-matter thing, or do you have any clean hacks to keep your hands busy when the boredom-eating triggers kick in? Wish me luck ;)

This has been on my mind a lot lately. Concert tickets have gotten completely out of hand for so many artists, and it feels like the gap between musicians and their actual fan base keeps growing wider every year.

I get it, there are a lot of moving parts. Venues, promoters, Ticketmaster fees, production costs. Artists don't always have full control over the final price a fan sees at checkout. But some artists clearly do push back and find ways to make shows accessible, while others seem totally fine letting resellers and dynamic pricing run wild.

The AllAmerican Rejects recently spoke out about holding artists accountable for ticket prices, and honestly it sparked something worth talking about more. When a band builds their whole identity around connecting with regular people, then charges $300 for nosebleed seats, something feels off.

So what do you all think? Is it fair to hold artists responsible, or is the blame mostly on the industry infrastructure around them? Are there artists you think actually keep things reasonably priced? And has a ticket price ever personally stopped you from seeing someone you genuinely loved? Curious where people stand on this because it feels like the conversation is finally picking up some momentum.

been at my current job for about 7 months now, mid-size company in Seattle, around 40 people. we use NetSuite for basically everything, finance, inventory, reporting.

the problem is nobody here really knows it properly. the person who set it up left before i joined. i've been the one fielding questions from the finance team because i'm the only one who bothers to dig into it. not even my job title, i'm technically an ops coordinator.

started looking into options. NetSuite has their own ACS program but the pricing is steep for a company our size and from what i read online it's more geared toward bigger orgs. came across Nuage as netsuite acs alternative which looked more flexible, and a few others like that. didn't go deep into any of them yet.

my question is more of a career one though. does it make sense to push management to bring in external support, or is this an opportunity for me to just learn the system properly and make myself more valuable? i'm 26, been in ops for 3 years, not sure if becoming the "NetSuite person" is a good career move or a trap.

anyone been in a similar spot?

There are records you enjoy, and then there are records that genuinely rewire your brain. The kind of album where after you finish it, you go back to everything you used to love and hear it differently. A before and after moment in your listening life.

For me it was the first time I sat down with a good pair of headphones and really listened to Kind of Blue by Miles Davis from start to finish. I had always been a rock and indie person and honestly thought jazz was background music for coffee shops. That album made me realize I had been listening to music passively my whole life without actually paying attention to space, dynamics, the conversation happening between musicians.

After that I started digging into how records were made, not just what they sounded like on the surface. I became obsessed with arrangements, production choices, the decisions behind what gets left out as much as what goes in.

Curious what that album was for other people. It doesn't have to be some obscure deep cut either. Plenty of people have had that moment with something massively popular and there's nothing wrong with that. What was the record that made you a more intentional listener, and what specifically did it open up for you after that?

i have a small page in the parenting niche. around 2k followers engagement is decent but growth has been stuck for like 4 months. ive tried reels, stories, hashtag research, posting at different times nothing moves the needle.

the frustrating part is i see similar accounts posting the same type of content and they blow up overnight. i dont get it. is it just luck? am i shadowbanned? do i just suck at this?

i dont have a huge budget to throw at ads. maybe 200-300 a month max. tried running a few small campaigns but the roi was terrible. like 5 per click terrible.

a friend told me about services . she went from 3k to 10k in two months. not sure if its worth it or if i should just keep grinding.

anyone here used something similar. or am i better off just saving my money and figuring out the algorithm myself. i feel like every growth hack i try is already outdated by the time i hear about it

I've been reading about bridge engineering lately and got genuinely curious about how thermal expansion is handled in large steel bridges. I know that steel expands and contracts with temperature changes and that expansion joints exist to accommodate this movement, but I want to understand the deeper engineering tradeoffs involved.

On a longspan bridge like a suspension or cablestayed design spanning over 1000 meters, the total thermal movement can apparently reach several hundred millimeters across the full length. How do structural engineers actually spec the expansion joints and bearings to handle that range without introducing stress concentrations or fatigue issues at the connection points?

Also, how do you balance the need for thermal movement freedom against the need for lateral and longitudinal rigidity during dynamic loading from wind, traffic, or seismic events? Designing a joint that's flexible in one direction but stiff in others seems like a genuinely difficult problem.

Are there specific bearing types or joint designs considered industry standard for this, and how has the approach changed with newer materials like PTFE sliding surfaces or lead rubber bearings? I spent some time going through AASHTO LRFD bridge design specs but the interaction between thermal and dynamic load cases wasn't entirely clear to me.

Interested to hear from anyone who has worked on bridge design or infrastructure projects.