u/ganchan2019

I'm renting a room where the owner is obsessed with energy savings, meaning that he makes me use a little 700-watt microwave that looks more like a child's toy than a real cooking device. I've always used 1000-1100 watt microwaves, so I could pretty much always follow the cooking instructions verbatim. Is there any simple way to re-calculate cooking times from 1100 watts to 700s watts? (To add insult to injury, I'm at an elevation of about 4200 feet....) Any tips appreciated!

Now that D8 and other THC products are on the government's chopping block, I need to find something else I can take at bedtime to help me sleep. OTC sleep aids have been linked to dementia, and CBD doesn't seem to give results. A combo of chamomile and lavender used to work, but not anymore. Are any of you facing this challenge, and have you found a safe, legal solution?

My 2017 (3.8L) GC runs fine most of the time, but going up steep hills seems to challenge it. Either I'm not being aggressive enough with the accelerator to pop it into its top gear, or it's experiencing some sort of power deficiency. Took it in for an oil change last week, and the shop tech said it's in pretty good shape, but the service report did list the spark plugs as being in "Fair" condition. Should I suspect the plugs, am I experiencing normal behavior for this model, or am I just driving this car wrong LOL?

I've been living comfortably out of my 2017 Grand Caravan for 3 years (I have a whole cot setup in the rear cargo area), but here in the Southwest desert I really could use some overnight climate control. What's more, the highway MPG is just 25, and current gas prices are eye watering. I'd like to make the move to Prius-dwelling, but I have some questions:

-I'm 5'11," although I can take a couple inches off my prone height by propping my upper body up a bit on a wedge pillow (or maybe even the seatback of the Prius). Any chance I 'd be able to stretch out like a normal human being?

-I'm less flexible than I used to be, but even 10 years ago, when I was road-tripping in a 2000 Ford Expedition, I had a hard time contorting myself and swinging myself around to get in and out of bed. Are there any tricks for managing this maneuver in a Prius?

-If a Prius is too cramped for me but I still want the hybrid experience without breaking the back, what used alternatives should I be looking at?

I'll lead with an example for a great drinking game: Take a shot every time the phrase "Let it go" appears in a Jack McDevitt novel (no matter which character is talking).

Your turn.

I'm moving to Las Cruces soon, and in my searches for local automotive shops I'm mostly seeing places that specialize in specific things like brakes, alignment, transmissions etc. Is there a single place you'd recommend that can do it all at least competently? I've washed my hands of the big chains like Firestone after they kept misdiagnosing problems, using the wrong coolant etc.... Bonus points for places offering photo/video documentation.

I've been trying out a Vangoa EWI-100 to dip my feet into the windsynth world, and I think its finger span is too small for me. Coming from a background in oboe and alto/tenor recorder, I keep wanting to stretch out so that my third finger ends up on one or both pinky keys. (I always found soprano recorder similarly cramped.) The fact that the pinky keys feel just like the 'main" keys under my fingers isn't helping. I've ordered a Coolmusic S1 as my next step up the ladder price-wise, and I'm hoping the more traditional keywork and longer dimensions will agree with me better.

In most other respects, the Vangoa wouldn't be bad for my needs. But now I see why so many of the promotional photos show little kids playing it, LOL.

What has your experience been in dealing with the finger span and key arrangements of various windsynths? Did you ever have to return an instrument because the key or button layout felt too cramped or too wide or too whatever?

I bought the HD620S is because it isolates almost as well as IEMs while offering a bigger, broader soundscape. I got a good deal on them and purchased a hard case to protect them (so at least rain and UV can't get at them when carrying them outdoors), but I worry about constantly exposing and re-exposing them to summer heat, winter cold, and dramatic temperature changes. How much of this worry is justified, and how much is overreaction? Do you shelter your good headphones, or are you more of a "wear 'em till they break" type? (Of course I realize that most people's "good headphones" cost way more than mine....)

I could replace these if I had to, but it would be financially painful....I could also just wear IEMs everywhere, but they tend to irritate my ear canals and accelerate wax buildup.

Haven't been there since last summer, but today I checked Google Maps and it no longer shows up with a listing. Did they shut it down or something?

They closed down for major renovations a while back, with the goal of reopening by end of 2025. But Google says they're still closed? Anyone been along that stretch of I-40 lately who has noticed their status?

I have several short plays that I'd like to compile into a collection, ideally for production as well as publication. In the past I had a short play published in a paperback anthology, and the publisher included a royalty agreement page at the end of the book. I guess I would do the same for a self-published collection? Also, would it make sense to provide an ebook version, or would actors and directors insist on a physical copy that they can mark up with staging notes etc? (Maybe I should just include a statement on the back page saying that your purchase gives you the right to request emailed PDF files of any and all plays in the collection as rehearsal copies.)

I have several short plays that I'd like to compile into a collection, ideally for production as well as publication. In the past I had a short play published in a paperback anthology, and the publisher included a royalty agreement page at the end of the book. I guess I would do the same for a self-published collection? Also, would it make sense to provide an ebook version, or would actors and directors insist on a physical copy that they can mark up with staging notes etc? (Maybe I should just include a statement on the back page saying that your purchase gives you the right to request emailed PDF files of any and all plays in the collection as rehearsal copies.)

Mine is my 25-year-old Sennheiser HD590 Prestige, which is still in good shape but doesn't see much use these days.