u/marian_1971

idk if it’s just me or if they changed something in the latest update but every time I try to post a high-res photo straight from my camera roll it ends up looking like it was taken on a toaster. the compression is getting completely out of hand lol. I spent like an hour yesterday trying to fix the lighting and sharpness on a photo for my feed and the second it went live it looked super pixelated and muddy. turns out if the file size or resolution is slightly off, IG just aggressively crushes it. I actually had to run it through an editing app first to resize and tweak the export settings properly so Instagram wouldn't ruin it, which literally saved the post, but it's so annoying that we even have to do this extra step now. Like why can't a multi-billion dollar app just handle a basic upload without turning it into 240p mess? anyone else noticing their quality dropping like crazy this week?

I was carrying gear up a staircase at work and felt something pop in my left knee. Nothing dramatic, just a dull pop and then everything went sideways. Swelling the next day, couldn't fully straighten it, had to limp through my whole shift. That was 8 weeks ago and I'm still not back to normal.

Physio confirmed a partial MCL tear. I've been doing the exercises, icing, resting more than I want to. A few weeks in I started using a support brace on my physio's recommendation. I looked around and ended up ordering from support brace in Australia, which had decent info on the different compression levels. It's helped with stability during longer shifts.

What I'm not sure about is the timeline. Eight weeks feels long for a partial tear. Did your partial MCL or other ligament injuries take longer than expected to feel stable again? And did bracing actually speed things up or just manage the pain?

i’m finally getting ready to move out on my own (or possibly with a friend, still not 100% sure yet). planning to move sometime around end of august, worst case september.i’ve been saving for a while and i’ve heard a lot of different advice like having 3–4 months rent saved, plus extra for deposit, first month, moving costs, etc. trying to make sure i’m not underprepared but also not spiraling too much over it lol. i’ve been browsing apartments , apartment list, and even just random searching on apple maps, but i feel like there’s probably better ways to find places or things i’m missing.

for people who’ve already done this:

• * what are things you wish you knew before moving into your first place?
• * any websites or tools you actually found useful?
• * anything you’d avoid completely when choosing a place?
• * renters insurance recommendations?
• * stuff people don’t think about until after they move in?

i’m in austin, tx for context, so prices vary a lot depending on area (studios ~1200–1800, 1 beds ~1400–2200, 2 beds ~1800–3000 depending on location), also there’s a chance i’ll be rooming with a friend but i won’t know for sure until closer to november, so trying to plan in a way that works either way

any advice would really help, even small stuff people usually forget about

We have a work trip coming up in July and I'm already thinking about where to eat, because honestly that's half the fun of going somewhere new.

There's about eight of us, so finding places that can handle a group is a bit tricky. I've already looked into a few spots and booked us a night at Attenzione Food and Wine. The menu and vibe felt right for a group dinner, something a little special without being too stuffy.

That said, I'd love a couple more options lined up, mostly for lunches or a more casual night out. We're not picky about cuisine, just want good food and an atmosphere where a group of eight doesn't feel like a burden.

Anyone been to Sydney recently and found somewhere worth going back to? And are there any neighborhoods worth staying close to if easy access to good food is the priority?

Hello everyone, I'm going to plan a short weekend getaway to Starved Rock State Park, Illinois. I've been dreaming about some active days outdoors, to walk around the sandstone canyons and bluffs, but I hear that all paths get completely crowded on weekends.

Do you know how can I avoid being in the crowds there? Besides, I'd like to make a real weekend out of it, so maybe you could recommend me something else exciting outdoors to do in that particular area, if any. I'd like to spend as much time as possible outdoors or near water. Thank you in advance!

EDIT: A friend suggested I check out the view of the cliffs from the actual river rather than struggling to squeeze in on the trail staircases. I found a place along the riverbank-kayak starved rock state park that offers starved rock camping as well as kayak rentals. It seemed like a much better way of enjoying the site without dealing with the masses and I booked it.

Been doing some hobby casting on weekends, mostly aluminum and small bronze pours. Started looking into better raw material sources because local options here in Seattle are either overpriced or inconsistent in quality.

A friend mentioned checking international suppliers and I ended up looking at Normetals, an Australian metals supplier at normetals.com.au. Pretty solid range of nonferrous stock, better specs listed than most US distributors I've checked. Shipping internationally isn't always practical, but it got me thinking about how people here source their metal.

I mostly work with small quantities so I don't need industrial volumes. Finding consistent alloy grades is harder than it sounds when you're not buying in bulk.

Do most of you just use local scrap and recycle, or do you actually buy new stock for your pours? And if you buy new, how do you find a supplier worth trusting?

Ok so for YEARS I thought refurbished phones were basically just somebody else’s old problem phone getting cleaned up and resold. Like the kinda phone that works perfectly at first and then randomly starts overheating or the battery suddenly becomes terrible a few months later

But lately I’ve been looking into refurbished iphones more seriously and honestly some of them seem WAY closer to brand new than I expected??

I started going down this rabbit hole after seeing devices from places where you can make phone exchange and realizing how much cheaper some of them were compared to carrier prices and that's honestly amazing like why aren't we all getting refubished instead of new at this point?

I read threads and watched a lot of yt vids and a lot of people were saying their refurbished phones showed up looking almost untouched. Some even said they completely forgot the phone wasn’t technically new after a few days.

So now I’m kinda confused because if the phone looks the same, runs the same, and lasts years anyway… what exactly are people paying all the extra money for when buying brand new?

I run a small takeout lunch spot, just sandwiches, salads, and a few hot bowls. So, when I first opened maybe 5-6 years ago, nobody said a word about the containers. People cared about things like taste, portion size, and if you were friendly. The packaging was just the thing that got the food from my hands to theirs. Styrofoam clamshell, plastic cup, whateve and no one cared

So what about now?

It happens quite a lot. Not every single one, of course, but enough for me to become aware of it. For instance, one might be asking about whether the black bowl is recyclable. Or another one would inquire if the fork is compostable. Then I had one customer return a clean plastic lid with words like “I don’t think this should go in curbside…”. That sort of thing never used to happen before, a few years ago

At first, I thought it was just some of my eco friendly regulars. But soon, I realized it is actually expected by customers nowadays. They don’t necessarily speak out loud, but one knows they are looking at something. They stop for a second, turn the box around, shake their head. Something like that…

When I found myself without my usual takeout boxes last year, I tried to see what else was out there. And found WF Wholesale supplier, and two more, where I could purchase compostable utensils, along with boxes made of fiber material. They're a bit pricier, but not unaffordable

Actually, a couple of my customers complimented me on this move and someone even said that they like new boxes. Another person claimed that our food tasted better in those boxes. Obviously, they imagined it, but hey, why not take it for granted. I did notice that customers were more satisfied with their meals. Less complaining about minor details. A bit more patience while we're super busy

But let me repeat again, our customers aren't choosing us because of these takeout boxes. No matter how eco friendly they are, if the quality of our food sucks, we'd never make any money. However, the standards have changed. What was once seen as additional value, something you can appreciate but don't have to have, is now considered minimum requirement

And I'm wondering, are food entrepreneurs elsewhere feeling the same way? Or it's just us who've become extra conscious about the environment recently?

Running a small HVAC company in Texas. Follow-up on service quotes has always been a weak spot, we'd call once, leave a voicemail, and basically hope for the best. No real system after that.

Tried a few things over the past few months. Automated email sequences, SMS reminders, voicemail drops. For the voicemail side tested Dropcowboy and Slybroadcast, both do roughly the same thing, message goes straight to voicemail without ringing. Combined with a text a day or two later it worked better than any single channel alone.

Honestly the biggest issue wasn't the tools, it was that our messages were too long and too formal. Older customers in our area especially don't respond well to anything that sounds scripted. Once we shortened everything and made it sound more like a person leaving a quick note the contact rate improved a bit.

Not a perfect system but better than what we had before. What are you all doing for lead re-engagement when email just isn't converting anymore?

Not a nightmare exactly. Just something weird and unsettling that your brain served up once and never again. But you still remember every detail for some reason. What happened and why do you think it stuck?