biffnix

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago

Feel free to look up the TouronsOfYellowstone Instagram account for a fun follow…

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago

Precisely. I live near Yosemite National Park, and it would be an absolute disaster if there were enough hotels, campgrounds, and amenities to meet the demand. The demand FAR exceeds its capacity for tourists, but it would destroy the very reason for that demand if that actually happened.

So what did they do? Set rules for the number of tourists allowed in the park per day, and stuck to it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

I suppose you'd have to ask the horse...

 

I took this shot from my backyard. A local pack outfit was driving mules and horses behind our house (that's our backyard fence in the photo). These days, it seems that the old cowboy days are relics from a long forgotten past, but it's alive and well here in Bishop, California. Snapped this the morning of Father's Day, 2024 (June 16, 2024).

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

It’s a shame. I did pay for lifetime, and that’s always a risk. Looks like this bet didn’t pay off. The money doesn’t bother me - more the fact that there isn’t a portrait-only Lemmy app that’s a good replacement. If anyone knows of one that’s as good and will stay in portrait without having to put the whole phone in portrait lock, please let me know…

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Categories such as “education” are useful for limiting access for specific groups of devices. For example, if one class has a particularly mischievous group who keep going off task from their devices, rules can be created to whitelist certain categories, and only pass traffic that are in these more straightforward categories. Just FYI.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

I work in K12 IT, and the reason is that all manner of categories are defined for both blacklisting and whitelisting when creating content filter rules. So while “education” would not be used for blocking, it would be useful for rules to apply to specific defined groups or devices which can only access specific categories (such as education). Just FYI.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 6 months ago (6 children)

Honestly, this baffles me. I work in K12 as a CTO, and when hiring techs or network admins, I always let applicants know during the interview when I will make the hiring decision, and they will receive an official letter of regret if they are not hired. I always keep resumes on file, as you never know if other opportunities come up. Why would any organization want to burn bridges with potential hires?

Maybe it’s just me being Gen X, but not hearing one way or the other would prompt me to pick up the phone, and at the very least check back to ask if they’ve made a decision after a week (maybe two) if I’ve interviewed…

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Yes, that patented "Sure-Align" neck joint is one of the best features that drew me to the SC series initially. It's great. I also love the neck profile - it's very much like the electric guitars I'm accustomed to. It's a fantastic instrument.

 

I preordered it as soon as the made-in-Nazareth PA version was leaked in the MAP list sent to dealers back in January. It just arrived today, and I LOVE it!

Solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, spruce top, spiral "Velocity" neck, and that super cool fully adjustable neck joint that Martin patented with the SC-13E.

It plays just amazingly as an acoustic, and the LR Baggs Anthem system (TRU-MIC under-bridge microphone, combined with Element bridge pickup) makes for a very natural sounding plugged in sound. You can also blend the pickups for interesting effects as it's amplified.

Comes a form-fitting hard shell case. I did buy one for my SC-13E, so it's the same design, but does NOT come with the built-in D'addario humidity sensor, as the SC-13E case did. No big deal, but thought I'd mention it, in case anyone was expecting that.

It's a fantastic guitar, and I'm fortunate to be able to own one. If you've been waiting for a made-in-USA version of the SC-13E, and didn't want to spring $8,000 for the Custom Shop SC 2022, then maybe this one is for you. They also have an SC-18E (all solid mahogany back and sides) for $500 less.

Cheers!

 

I got a Baratza Sette 30 from my wife for Christmas. It's replacing my old faithful Baratza Virtuoso+, with which I had been grinding for my Moccamaster Cup-One just fine. I used the Virtuoso+ for espresso, but I was looking for something that could be a little more dialed in than that.

The nicest thing about the Sette series is that most of the parts are interchangeable. I upgraded my new gift with the steel adjustment ring assembly from the Sette 270/270WI, which is a direct replacement, and gives the Sette 30 fully variable micro-adjustable grind capability, just like the 270/270WI models. I did have to add a shim to it, as for some reason, I had to go down to the finest setting to get a decent espresso grind. But, the Sette 30 shipped with two different thickness shims in the box, so I just swapped that in, and now for most beans, I'm between 5 and 7 clicks on the main adjustment ring, and then fine-tune from there with the micro-adjust ring.

I also updated the large hopper with a single-dose hopper with silicone bellows. I went with this model from Cafe Fabrique in Canada. The stock hopper worked just fine, but I like the smaller single-dose hopper a little better. The bellows are nice, but not that necessary, as the Sette series is a very low-retention grinder series by default. I think the bellows pumping may be more of a placebo than a necessary upgrade... ;)

I've even read that you can replace the Sette 30 controls and portafilter holder bits to upgrade to a full 270 or 270WI from the Sette 30, but I don't know if I really need or want to go that far. It IS nice that Baratza sells pretty much any replacement part for the Sette series, though.

I've been able to nail down my espresso grinds very well with the new setup, so I'm quite happy with it so far. The only thing I haven't tried yet was a coarse enough grind for the Moccmaster or standard pourover. For now, the Sette 30 is exclusive to my espresso shots. I highly recommend it for that use, in any case.

Cheers, all.

 

If you dig the SC body style, and have been waiting for a Made-in-Nazareth version that’s not the $8,000 Custom Shop version, then this is your year! I can’t wait to order mine. I’ve been waiting for an SC body style solid wood version since I first got the SC-13E. It’s a great playing instrument. So excited!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Very nice. Did it come with those bellows, or was that aftermarket?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (8 children)

I also have the Virtuoso+, which was my first step beyond the blade grinders I had always used, and it's a big upgrade. You're going to really notice the difference in brews. Congratulations!

 

The nice thing I just learned about the Sette 30 ( which I just received as a Christmas gift) is that you can upgrade it to the micro-adjustment ring from the Sette 270/270wi model, and it's a direct replacement. This allows adjusting the grind between the "steps" on the adjustment ring.

The part is $90 (plus tax/shipping), and it does make it nice to fine-tune your grind between steps. The adjustment ring is easily removed (just press up slightly, and spin it out). The burr assembly pops right out, and you just replace it in the new assembly (press it until it clicks), and reinstall. Easy peasy, with no tools required.

The Sette 30 also came with shims to raise the burr, as it can be reset after extended use. I haven't installed the shim, since I don't need it yet, but it's nice to know that Baratza will sell parts to repair/replace over time.

Happy new year, my fellow caffeinated lemmings!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

I did see this: Baratza single dose hopper with bellows. I don't have one, but that may be something I get later. I suppose a bellows might be decent at getting the last bit of coffee out of the burrs. It's not too expensive, so perhaps I'll give it a try...

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago (1 children)

That’s the first guitar my parents ever got me - a 1983 Aria Pro IIrs “Wildcat.” Made in Japan (in the famed Matsumoku factory), it’s a Strat copy with dual humbucker pickups, and a push-pull volume knob that will coil-split either, for a good single-coil sound as well. For an inexpensive instrument (I think it was around $200 in 1983) it’s very well built. That’s why I’ve kept it all these years…

 

My wife gifted me a Baratza Sette 30 grinder this Christmas, after last year's first espresso machine, the Gaggia Classic Pro. Using the 'ol reliable Virtuoso for grinding was ok, and I could pull decent shots from the Gaggia, but the Sette 30 makes it so much easier. I love being able to put 18.5g of beans into the grinder, and get 18.5g out (usually). I did just pull the trigger on the 270 Adjustment Assembly, so I'll be able to dial in the grind even better soon.

I think I've reached my level in terms of coffee gear for now. I've got good options for a quick cup with the Moccamaster Cup-One, and when I'm in the mood for espresso or a latte, I've got the Gaggia.

I haven't tried grinding drip coffee with the Sette yet, though. I'll be giving that a try later this week. If that works well, I guess I'll have to take the Virtuoso to the office, and maybe donate it to replace their cheap blade grinder...

Happy holidays, all!

 

I've seen this phenomenon many times over the years, while walking the dog out behind our house. The cables wiggle between these two particular power poles, but NOT between the adjacent poles (or any others, along this pole line). There is no wind, no earthquakes, no herds of animals or large vehicles/machinery anywhere nearby when this is happening. I honestly have no idea why this happens sometimes. Thoughts? I mean, sure, it's probably ghosts, right? But any other explanation would be appreciated...

 

As a former Aperture fan, who switched to Adobe Lightroom when Apple abandoned Aperture, I was curious to try out Photomator.

It's a similar product to Lightroom. The big differences?

  1. It uses Photos (the Apple app) for the library. So, if you import your RAW files, it'll import them into Photos first, and you go from there.
  2. No "Dehaze" slider. It's on the roadmap, though, so I suppose we'll see. Dehaze is a great tool in Lightroom, so it's missed in Photomator.
  3. Lifetime license available. I happen to be in a place where I was able to pay for the "Lifetime" license for $99.98, so I did. You can subscribe annually for $29.98, as well. Adobe Lightroom requires a monthly subscription (with an annual option as well). Adobe did away with a "permanent" license way back in version 6 (before the "Dehaze" feature).

It does have AI-powered automatic photo adjustments. Supposedly it's been trained on a library of professional photos, so I suppose we'll see.

The interface is pretty granular, and allows for manual correction for just about anything you'll run into. The spot-repair feature works as advertised, as well.

I suppose we'll see if it pans out, and doesn't get abandoned by the developer.

Anyone else giving it a try yet?

 

I drove to Sacramento for a work conference this week, and snapped this photo as the sun rose over Mono Lake. Cheers.

 

I had to drive to Sacramento for a work conference this week, and took this photo as the sun rose over Mono Lake. I did like the haze over the tufa towers near the shoreline. Enjoy.

 

I thought I’d use some of the tips from an article I posted earlier in the sub, and used a smaller aperture to bring out the star-rays. That worked pretty well. This was shot with a 15-35mm lens, widest angle, and f/22, the smallest aperture available. It did come out darker, so I had to bring up the shadows in Lightroom. Not too bad for handheld, I thought.

Now, let’s see yours!

 

I was traveling (for our 30th anniversary) on the East Coast recently, and realized I had the opportunity to take sunrise photos from the ocean, which I could never do at home, in California.

If you'd like some simple ways to make your sunrise photography better, this is a pretty great article. Share and enjoy!

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