Harper Gonzalez (u/harpergonzalez)

Posts

Went to a repair cafe in Portland and it changed my mind about taking stuff apart

I stopped by this monthly repair cafe at a library down on Belmont last Saturday. Honestly I went in thinking it would be a bunch of hobbyists showing off their soldering skills. But this older guy fixed my broken desk lamp in about 10 minutes by just cleaning the contact points with a pencil eraser. That simple fix cost me nothing and I had been ready to toss the lamp in the trash. It made me realize I don't always need to swap out entire boards or components when half the time the problem is just dirt or a loose wire. Now I'm kicking myself for all the stuff I threw away over the years that probably just needed a good cleaning. Has anyone else had a simple fix like that make you rethink your whole approach to repairs?

2 comments

c/butchers•

harpergonzalez•2mo ago

I hit 5000 pounds of sausage made in a year and I think that's a bad sign

Everyone talks about high output like it's a good thing, but hitting that number made me stop and think. It means we're pushing volume over craft, just cranking out the same basic links day after day. I remember my first year, I made maybe 800 pounds total, but each batch had something new, like a test run with venison and juniper. Now it's just bulk pork shoulder and premixed seasoning. Has anyone else felt like they lost the art when the scale got too big?

3 comments

c/binge-worthy-shows•

harpergonzalez•2mo ago

My power went out for a full day and I finally watched that show everyone keeps talking about

I was stuck with just my laptop battery, so I started 'Severance' and finished the entire first season in one sitting. Has anyone else had a show completely hook them under weird circumstances?