u/ss3walkman

Hello, all!

I’ve been doing some research and I’m now ready to build my library.

I’m very excited to start. However, I’m trying to decide which device I should get. I’ve decided to go with Onn or Apple (maybe Fire Cube), but I can’t really decide which device (yes, I know about Nvidia but it’s not an option).

I’ve created my Plex account (I know of Jellyfin and others, but for my first try, I’m fine using the free version of Plex for now).

Please correct me if any of my understandings are incorrect:

Onn - what I like about Onn is not having to create a server, making it optional. I can plug my hard drive directly to the unit if I wanted. I like the idea of having the option for a program guide from NostalgiaTV.

Apple - I would have to create a server which would be ok because this allows the house to have access and use when traveling. I hear there’s alternatives to NostalgiaTV called BunnyEarsTV and Nostalex, but I’m still looking into that. I don’t know if those will actually give me what I want.

I’ve ruled out Fire Stick, but I hear there’s Fire Cube is solid.

Anyway, I don’t know much about speed and performance because I don’t own any.

So, which is the best device for my library?

Thanks!

Hello, all!

I’ve been doing some research and I’m now ready to build my library.

I’m very excited to start. However, I’m trying to decide which device I should get. I’ve decided to go with Onn or Apple (maybe Fire Cube), but I can’t really decide which device (yes, I know about Nvidia but it’s not an option).

I’ve created my Plex account (I know of Jellyfin and others, but for my first try, I’m fine using the free version of Plex for now).

Please correct me if any of my understandings are incorrect:

Onn - what I like about Onn is not having to create a server, making it optional. I can plug my hard drive directly to the unit if I wanted. I like the idea of having the option for a program guide from NostalgiaTV.

Apple - I would have to create a server which would be ok because this allows the house to have access and use when traveling. I hear there’s alternatives to NostalgiaTV called BunnyEarsTV and Nostalex, but I’m still looking into that. I don’t know if those will actually give me what I want.

I’ve ruled out Fire Stick, but I hear there’s Fire Cube is solid.

Anyway, I don’t know much about speed and performance because I don’t own any.

So, which is the best device for my library?

Thanks!

Hello, all!

I’ve been doing some research and I’m now ready to build my library.

I’m very excited to start. However, I’m trying to decide which device I should get. I’ve decided to go with Onn or Apple (maybe Fire Cube), but I can’t really decide which device (yes, I know about Nvidia but it’s not an option).

I’ve created my Plex account (I know of Jellyfin and others, but for my first try, I’m fine using the free version of Plex for now).

Please correct me if any of my understandings are incorrect:

Onn - what I like about Onn is not having to create a server, making it optional. I can plug my hard drive directly to the unit if I wanted. I like the idea of having the option for a program guide from NostalgiaTV.

Apple - I would have to create a server which would be ok because this allows the house to have access and use when traveling. I hear there’s alternatives to NostalgiaTV called BunnyEarsTV and Nostalex, but I’m still looking into that. I don’t know if those will actually give me what I want.

I’ve ruled out Fire Stick, but I hear there’s Fire Cube is solid.

Anyway, I don’t know much about speed and performance because I don’t own any.

So, which is the best device for my library?

Thanks!

I’m hoping this post can be helpful to someone.

My wife give me a lot of sh!t about having so many tents, so the hope is someone will find my experiences useful and use them to guide them as they shop for tents. 

I have/had a decent amount of tents. Some inflatable, some instant, and some traditional pole. 

I’ll start by naming all of my tents (I have a post in camping with pictures):

Camvil A Tent - pole

Camvil 4-Person Box Tent - inflatable

Naturehike 6.0 FL Tent - inflatable 

Naturehike 3.0 FL Tent - inflatable 

Mountainhiker 6.0 - inflatable 

Coody 8.0 - inflatable 

Gazelle T4 Overland - instant/pole

Shinetrip Tunnel Tent - pole

Teton 2-person instant tent - instant/pole

Coleman Pop-Up tent - instant

I’ve been through a lot of phases trying to find the perfect (for me) tent. 

One thing I’ve realized is that even when car camping, I like to save weight and room in my vehicle for packing, carrying, pitching, and takedown. 

Most inflatable tents take up a lot of space - the ones I buy at least. More recently, I’ve acquired some that pack down small, but there’s some compromise - heat retention. Canvas inflatable tents do NOT pack down small and can take some time packing down, especially if the carrying bag isn’t generous.  

Instant tents take up a lot of space, too, leading me to use my SUV and mounting the tent on my roof rack. 

My regular pole tents pack without issue,  but I spend more time with setup.

With that said, I like having options. I have pole tents, air tents, and a couple of instant tents. 

My tents range anywhere from 2-person to 6-person.

For transparency, I’ll add that I’m 6’0ft, 280lbs, so I like having a tent I can stand in, although that’s not the case for all my tents. 

If I were to rank my tents, I don’t know how I would do so. Every single one has pros and cons. Honestly, my ranking would change from hour to hour, day to day. I can share my experiences and you can understand what I mean:

Camvil A-tent - almost the most complete tent. It’s an easy setup pole tent that’s strong. It’s a canvas tent that has 4 entrances and each has a screen door, a regular canvas door, and a TPU door. It’s a do all tent for me. Despite how much I loved it, there are 2 reasons why I didn’t keep it - it’s not tall - like 4.5 feet. The other issue is where the big entrances are, there’s an opening in the tent. There’s not velcro or zipper at the bottom, so heat escapes and cold air comes in. If you want to keep heat in and the cold out, you have to close it fully, and since it’s a smaller tent, it makes it even smaller and feels a bit claustrophobic. 

Camvil 4-Person Box Tent - It’s a canvas tent and is a good winter option. It retains heat well. Its door opening splits in half so you can limit entry or have a big entry to freely move in and out. It’s not tall, but since it’s wide, I can move around pretty well for it being around 5 feet. It’s heavier, but not the heaviest. In comparison, the Naturehike is much lighter - I think 20 pounds lighter. The cons is that it doesn’t have TPU doors or windows which is a con for me - I like to be able to look outside without having to worry about letting out heat and taking in cold air. 

Naturehike 6.0 FL - as of the day of this posting, if I had to do it all again, I would buy my newest tent again. The reason why is that it’s light and waterproof. I can fit a queen size air mattress or twin mattress and my Coody sofa - I also have this same tent in the 3.0 model and although I really like it as an option for a small footprint, reality is it’s only 5-6 pounds heavier, so no real reason to keep both. There’s no cons, yet! (I also need to add that there’s the option for TPU door and an awning that’s on its way! I’ll add pictures of what that looks like.)

Naturehike 3.0 FL - it’s the smaller version of the 6.0 FL. I like it. It’s probably my favorite small tent - it’s a 2-person that (like all 2-person tents) really fits 1-person comfortably - can store your stuff inside and put a table up. Cons is that it’s a small tent. I personally don’t like that there’s no TPU. Comparable tents like Tomount’s box tent have an option for a TPU door which I like because on a rainy or snowy day, you can still look outside and enjoy scenery without compromising heat. 

Mountainhiker 6.0 - I believe they’re owned by Naturehike. Anyway, It’s lightweight, waterproof, and has a big TPU window to look out and see the stars on a clear night. I’m also a fan of having an all black setup - you’ll see this reflected in one of my pictures and most of my tents have been black. My only problem with it is that it lacks openings. It gets real stuffy and the only entrance is a regular door entrance. In comparison, the entire front of the Naturehike can come off for quick loading of items and there’s an option for a big TPU door - there’s no TPU ceiling, but it’s a compromise I can live with. 

Coody 8.0 - the total package. It checks all my boxes. It’s canvas, has TPU windows, retains heat in the cold annd reflects heat in summer, and it’s black! The con is that it’s heavy! It’s like 70lbs I think. Sure, I can carry it to a campsite without issue. However, taking it down can take some time. You have to make sure all the air is released and that you pack it correctly. It’s take a lot of real estate in any vehicle. I can only fit it in my car if I’m camping on my own - my load out is pretty crazy. a car with it.

Gazelle T4 Overland - my first premium tent. I thought this was the cream of the crop when I first got it. It’s definitely a nice tent. It’s an instant tent to setup is easy. It’s not all that heavy. There are larger versions, but this one barely fit my queen air mattress comfortably. On a night where my son didn’t pack his own tent, he had to sleep on the floor on a pad at the end of the bed and barely had room with our stuff in it. Also, I hate there isn’t a proper door - each door is weirdly shaped and it’s a struggle to get in and out with gear.

Shinetrip - I haven’t used this one just yet. I got it because I wanted an option for a small tent in the event vehicle space was a priority. Having a vestibule with a tent is a first. It packs down small. In fact, it packs the smallest. It’s the size of a nicely shaped big watermelon. It easily nests on the fool in the front or backseat even if your car is packed with people. One con I know this has is it’s lack of air circulation in the actual tent part.

Teton 2p - my second tent after the Gazelle. I like it. It’s simple. Without the rainfly on, it’s completely open to the elements. It’s an instant tent. It can be tricky to put away and lacks any other real features.

Coleman Pop-Up 2-person - just like the Teton, very simple. Just toss up and it expands. For this type of tent, the main con is lack of airflow.

If I had to rank them, as of right now, the Naturehike 6.0 FL would be first. The reasons are its weight, space, pack down size, and accessory options.

The Camvil A-tent would be my favorite or second favorite if it didn’t have that issue with the opening.

I really liked the Mountainhiker but the lack of airflow sucks. There’s a new one that solves that problem, but with the Naturehike I have now, I’m debating if I even want to get it.

The Camvil Box Tent is the one I would take camping in winter conditions. I only kept it because it was free. I ordered both the Box and A-tent, and when I tried to return the Box tent, they told me to keep it. So the A-tent went back instead. To be fair, I was going to send both back, but the A-tent was the one I would’ve kept if I had to choose, mostly because I had the Coody 8.0 at the time as my big/family tent. The Box tent fits my queen air mattress and a twin air mattress with space between them.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. 

Edit: I completely forgot about the Tesla Model Y! 

This is my primary if space and convenience is the priority. In fact, if I’m camping alone, this is the best setup. I can do everything in the Model Y without leaving it if I wanted - I have a little table and small pocket stove and pot for cooking, my fridge is in the sub trunk, and I have a mattress. I can just pop open the hatch and sit or lay and enjoy the scenery, and on an ugly day, I can just close it and watch the rain/snow fall. It’s amazing! What I normally do is bring a table and a canopy and setup for cooking and a chair for relaxing and sleep in the car at night. 

Hello, principals!

When receiving a cover letter or an email of introduction, what do you want to hear?

I have a script for both a cover letter and an email introduction to help get my application pulled, but it all feels… performative. They are 100% my words (no AI) and experiences but they say what I think principals want to hear.

I get it, we have to find a way to get the interview, but what I’m wondering is what do you actually want to hear?

Do you want to hear that how I’m trained in SEL, CRT, restorative practices, PBIS, conflict resolution, and excel in classroom management, relationship building, behavior intervention, and know how to differentiate for proficiency levels including ELLs?

Or do you want to hear how I genuinely like working with kids and how I see them for all that they are and what they can become and just want to support them through the process? How important representation and inclusion is, especially in elementary - btw, you have no idea how many White and Asian kids have cried at the sight of me entering their kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms (Black male) because they haven’t seen someone like me, then of course the children of color who don’t see themselves reflected as amongst teachers.

I know every principal is different, so responses will vary. Still, I want to know what YOU want to hear in a cover letter or email introduction. What is going to move you and decide to pull the application for interview?

Thanks!

EDIT: if I were to email you informing you that I’ve applied for a position at your school, what should I say in the email to get you interested enough to pull my application for interview?

Hi!

I’m in the Seattle area and there are 0 teaching jobs available - unless you’re in SPED.

Since April I’ve been routinely checking Seattle, Highline, Tukwila, Renton, Kent, Federal Way, and Auburn. There’s nothing.

I’ve heard rumors that August is the new status quo for external hires (not April or May anymore).

I’m a first year teacher - hopeful. In the event I can’t find a teaching position, what would be the better alternative between subbing or being a paraprofessional? Or, do you have other suggestions?

Thanks!

Hi!

I’m in the Seattle area and there are 0 teaching jobs available - unless you’re in SPED.

Since April I’ve been routinely checking Seattle, Highline, Tukwila, Renton, Kent, Federal Way, and Auburn. There’s nothing.

I’ve heard rumors that August is the new status quo for external hires (not April or May anymore).

I’m a first year teacher - hopeful. In the event I can’t find a teaching position, what would be the better alternative between subbing or being a paraprofessional? Or, do you have other suggestions?

Thanks!

Hey!

Wanting to hear from the community on which you would choose and why.

Not for carry. HD and range.

(I know there are comped variants, so pick whichever.)

Hello,

For context, I’m a Black male who aspires to be an elementary teacher in Washington state. I want to teach in elementary schools because that’s where my “fall from grace” began.

I had the worst experience imaginable. I was othered in a lot of spaces. I spent more time in the hallways at a desk than in my classroom. I remember crying for help and just being ignored. I never felt included. I never felt like I belonged. The only thing I felt was invisible. No one seemed to care about this little Black boy.

That feeling of disconnection really stuck with me throughout my adolescence. By the time I got to middle school, my educational spirit was broken. Since I couldn’t see myself as a learner, I dropped out.

After a couple of years, several community members took notice, seeing me at parks and bus stops sleeping or trying to pass the time. One day, they rallied behind me and got me back in school.

It was 10th grade when I went back to school. I got placed in a re-entry school - a place for “bad” kids who couldn’t go to regular schools. I did everything I could to keep up my grades - I went to the local Boys and Girls Club for tutoring when I needed help and stayed up late to get the work done.

My senior year, I didn’t expect to graduate, but I hoped to. Well, at the end of the year, the teacher/principal called me into his office. He put his feet up on his desk and smiled at me, not saying a word. Finally, he said, “you’ve been doing well. You’ve done a lot of work, but you won’t be graduating. In fact, you’re going to be here for a long time. You might be a dad before you leave here”.

I was broken. I left that day and never went back. Shortly after, my dad died and I jumped right into the workforce to help my mom financially. It took me a decade+ to finally go back to school to finally go back and get my high school diploma.

That’s a lot of trauma. Yes, I was able to finally get myself together where I now have a masters degree, but, damn it… it shouldn’t have. If someone just sat next to me in elementary and helped me, showed me that I did matter and told me I was capable, no telling where I would be in life.

No one should be made to feel how I felt. I don’t want that for any student.

This work, I’m committed to it. However, it’s been hard to get interviews. I feel if you sit me down in front of any principal or hiring team, I can make believers out of each and every one of them. They’ll see my passion and authenticity, but I need to get into that chair. How do I get my application pulled? How do I get interviewed?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Hello, principals!

I am an aspiring first year teacher. I acknowledge that I may have made a mistake and would like to know the process after a recommendation for hire and if I’ll still get the job.

Full disclosure: I was student teaching. On the last day of school I wrote letters to students. I tracked down two students as they were leaving whom had left class early to pick up their sibling from another class and gave them their letters.

A teacher reported me for giving them letters. Why, I don’t know - I have my suspension, but I digress.

Anyway, she went to admin who didn’t have any concerns. She then went behind their backs to the district and they opened an investigation. It was unfounded and ended in my favor.

Recently, I interviewed for my first teaching position. I was selected and the principal called my references - principal, teaching mentor, teaching coach.

My coach called me telling me the conversation was great. She told me that she mentioned the investigation in her conversation with the principal. My coach is very supportive and has shared I’m the most teacher ready student she’s had, and raised hell about the investigation, so I’m not worried about what she said.

What I’m concerned about is that I don’t think I disclosed the investigation. Not because I was hiding it because it was unfounded, but because I was unsure I was supposed to since it happened during my student teaching - no one seemed to know if I was supposed to or not.

Despite that, the hiring principal didn’t care, even emailing me in excitement for having finally connected with one of my references. The principal also spoke to my former principal and it came up. She still pushed my recommendation for hire through to HR.

I’m excited and extremely grateful, but I’m also worried. I don’t know what the recommendation for hire includes and I’m concerned I won’t get approved because I didn’t disclose the investigation.

Would the principal have to disclose that in the recommendation for hire? Part of me feels that since she still wants me, maybe that means she doesn’t.

In summary:

I applied for the job and didn’t know if I should put the investigation from student teaching, so I put “no”.

I was selected for the job.

The hiring principal knows about the investigation and that it was unfounded, hearing it from my mentor, coach, and old principal.

The hiring principal pushed my recommendation for hire to HR because she understands and still wants me.

I’m worried that the hiring principal has to disclose knowledge of the investigation to HR they will be upset it’s not on my application and not hire me.

This is my first teaching job and I want to celebrate, but I’ve been really down. I haven’t even told anyone about my potential hire because I don’t want to let anyone down.

Any experience or thoughts on this would help.

Thank you.

I am in a very unique situation . I was a both a para and a student teacher. At the end of my student teaching I was reported by a coworker for a weird reason that I’m sure had racial and sex stigmas attached. You see I wrote letters to my ELA class like my professor told us to and with permission from my mentor teacher. Another teacher found one and reported to my principal “I don’t feel comfortable with him passing out letters to students” and when she didn’t get the response she wanted she told HR and claimed it were yellow boundaries behavior. HR opened up an investigation. Parents and students were interviewed and nothing came of it. I was absolved. However, since it’s an at-will state, I was terminated - still appealing and arbitration is coming. They basically said I’m a risk and it’s better to just to let me go now. Compassionate teaching??? Anyway.

I applied for a position and I don’t think the termination or investigation is on there. See I created the account and completed the application during the spring 2025, prior to the investigation which happened that fall and didn’t finish until January 2026.

Another thing is I was terminated for my act as a student teacher - which did affect me as a para.

Honestly, I’m not sure if I updated my account and disclosed the information. Typically when I apply, it’s a one click process because my application was already filled out. I know I’ve disclosed it in recent applications for new districts, even though I’m not sure if I should’ve.

I’ve been pulled to interview (in the district I previously had a profile with) and I don’t know what do I do?

It’s a unique situation. I know I was terminated as a para, but it was for a student teaching action. I don’t even know if I’m supposed to disclose that. Isnt student teaching supposed to be a learning process?

I want to be proactive and contact HR, but I don’t know if I should or if I should wait until after I interview. Would HR understand that I just forgot to update my profile, or how it’s a unique situation and I didn’t understand how to respond? I did call a few weeks ago for clarity but never got a response.

What do you think about it? What should I do?

Edit: As someone who suffers from depression and anxiety, it is very triggering and disheartening to hear how many people doubt that I’m doing exactly what I’m saying I am. I’ve worked hard to get to the mental space to actively pursue my weigh loss goals. I have spent many days in my room looking up at the ceiling, avoiding people and doing my best to ignore the hunger because I want better for myself. I decided to be vulnerable and lay it all on the line and ask for help, and I’ll I’m doing is being met with doubt and made to feel like a liar. I don’t drink alcohol. I don’t eat at restaurants. I don’t eat candy. I don’t include gravies. I eat bare minimum because I want to look and feel better. I came here because I thought this was a supportive group. Instead I’m spending all my time trying to prove myself to you. It’s discouraging. I won’t ask for help hear anymore.

Hey, all!

I’ve been eating at a deficit for the past month.

I did not weight myself prior to my lifestyle change, but last time I went to the doctor in February I was a whopping 372 pounds. I was laid off last September and I suffer from depression which led to a lot of binge eating.

Since then I’ve been very conscious of what I eat. At the beginning of this month I got real serious and started tracking everything.

I first weight myself a week ago - I was worried about being discouraged so I tried avoiding the scale. Last week I was 364 pounds. Problem is, I don’t know where I was prior, but I’ve been tracking food for a month.

Today I stepped on the scale and I was 364 pounds again.

I’m not expecting a change overnight. However, I expected something, especially with the weight to calories differential.

I usually eat the same daily. There’s minor changes for dinner or a snack, but it’s all relatively the same:

Breakfast - 1 egg (70 cals), 2 slices of sourdough toast (80 cals each = 160 cals), 4 slices of bacon (40 cals per slice). 390 calories.

Lunch - strawberry, banana, blueberry smoothie with 1 cup Minute Maid Zero (5 cals). 200 cals.

Dinner - usually is 2 cups of rice OR a pack of ramen (400 cals), broccoli (40 cals), and a protein - thinly sliced steak, a chicken breast, or a pork chop (200-400 calories). 850.

Snack - an apple or a small bag of Quaker crisps (80 cals)

That’s about 1520 calories.

I get up and do house and yard work so i can confidently say I burn 300 calories a day minimum.

That means my net calories are 1220.

I’m not 100% certain because I don’t totally get it, but someone my weight should require anywhere between 2800-3200 calories to maintain the weight.

Lastly, I haven’t been on top of my water. I only drink about 25oz of water per day consistently. Sometimes more, but 25oz is about average.

Am I doing this right? If not, what am I doing wrong? Why am I not losing weight?

Hi,

I just finished my first year of teaching and I think I want to do something else.

I have degrees in teaching (K-8) and ECE. Also, I have 1 year of teaching under my belt, but 9 years of experience as an instructional assistant and social emotional learning coordinator.

What jobs can I get where I leverage my degrees and experience?

Hello!

I am currently applying for my first teaching job, and I am concerned that I may have tanked my application.

Back when I was an instructional assistant, I was terminated for a policy violation - not by my admin. Since then, I've completed my student teaching and received my official teaching certificate a couple of weeks ago.

When first applying to jobs a couple of months ago, I originally disclosed the termination. Shortly after, I spoke to someone in the field, and they suggested that I don't disclose the termination because I'm now going for a teaching job. I went back to the applications and removed the termination.

It's still early and I haven't seen any external teaching positions posted from local districts yet, but I'm concerned that the change will torpedo my applications. I was approved for my certification in which the termination was disclosed, and I've gone back and updated my application with the certificate. I was approved by the state just 2 weeks ago, so they don't think the termination was an issue.

Did I screw up by going back and removing the termination from my applications? If so, how do I fix things?