Jordan King (u/king.jordan)

Posts

Stumbled on a stat about how much weight a mature oak can move in a storm

I was reading through some old arborist reports from a job in Raleigh last month and found a detail that blew my mind. One red oak they measured had a root plate that shifted 4 feet during a hurricane, and the tree was still standing after. The numbers said that same tree could displace over 50 tons of soil and root mass in high winds. I had no idea the underground part could move that much without the tree falling over. How do you guys judge when a tree with a shifted root plate is safe to keep versus a removal?

2 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

king.jordan•4d ago

My aunt's trick for cheap dried beans finally paid off

She told me to soak them overnight with a piece of kombu. I thought she was crazy but tried it anyway last week. Beans came out tender in half the time, no gas either. Anyone else have a weird tip that actually works?

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c/backpacking-routes•

king.jordan•6d ago

Overheard some hikers say they never bring a paper map anymore...

Last weekend at a trailhead in Colorado, I overheard these two guys talking about how they just use their phone for everything. One guy said he got lost for like 4 hours when his battery died and the offline map didn't load right. That made me think about my own setup. I've been backpacking on the Pacific Crest Trail section for about 3 years now and I always carry a paper map plus a compass as backup. It only weighs like 3 ounces and takes no space. I still use my phone for quick checks but I feel way safer knowing I can navigate without any electronics. Has anyone else had their phone fail them on a route and had to fall back on old school navigation?

2 comments

c/book-club-debates•

king.jordan•9d ago

Hit 50 book club meetings last night without missing a single one

I realized after our meeting last night that I've been going to the same book club for 5 years now and never skipped a gathering. That's 50 meetings, 50 books, and around 150 hours of talking about fiction. The weird milestone that got me was when I counted up how many books I actually DISLIKED but ended up loving by the end because of the group conversations. There were 12 books I would have DNF'd on my own that became favorites after debate. Has anyone else tracked their attendance numbers and noticed a pattern like that?

2 comments

c/appliance-repairers•

king.jordan•10d ago

Hot take: I used to fight with every single washing machine belt install, now I just use a zip tie trick

For years I would wrestle with those drum belts on top-load washers, you know the kind where you gotta stretch them over the pulley and they just snap back? It would take me 20 minutes sometimes and my fingers would be killing me. Then about 6 months ago at a job in Medicine Hat, an older repair guy watched me struggle for a minute and showed me how to loop a zip tie around the belt to hold tension while I slid it on. Changed everything. I was so stubborn thinking I had to muscle it on like I always did. Now I keep a pack of zip ties in my pocket for every washer job. Anyone else have a dumb little trick they learned way later than they should have?

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c/comic-book-fans•

king.jordan•12d ago

PSA: Don't buy those "rare variant" covers from that online comic reseller Flashback Comics

I dropped $80 on what they claimed was a 1:100 variant of a 90s X-Men issue and it turned out to be a reprint with a fake stamp (the paper quality gave it away immediately). Has anyone else gotten burned by these third-party sellers hyping up print runs that don't actually exist?

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c/barbers•

king.jordan•13d ago

Had a chat with an old barber at 7am before my first cut that changed how I do fades

Ran into a retired barber named Sal at the diner yesterday. He told me to stop using my trimmer for the bottom line and go back to a straight razor. Tried it on my 9am client and the blend came out cleaner in half the time. Anyone else get handed advice from an old timer that totally flipped their routine?

2 comments

c/bakers•

king.jordan•15d ago

Rant: I still prefer butter over shortening in pie crust no matter what anyone says

Made 6 pies for Thanksgiving last year using butter only and they came out flaky and golden every time, while my sister's shortening crusts tasted like nothing. Am I missing something or does shortening actually make a difference besides being easier to work with?

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c/anime-discussions•

king.jordan•15d ago

Went to an anime convention and saw a guy arguing with a vending machine for 10 minutes straight

Dude was convinced the machine was judging his waifu pick and kept trying to negotiate with it before his friends finally dragged him away, has anyone else seen weird fights with inanimate objects at cons?

2 comments

c/barbers•

king.jordan•16d ago

That one Saturday where every single haircut went exactly sideways

Last month I had a day where client after client came in wanting something totally different than what they usually get. First guy who always gets a 2 on top suddenly wants a skin fade. Then a kid who usually sits still decides to wiggle every 2 seconds. Then my clipper blade starts pulling halfway through the third cut. By 2pm I had already messed up a lineup and had to buzz a whole head down to even it out. Has anyone else had one of those days where the stars just don't line up for barbering?

2 comments