Jake Owens (u/jake_owens)

Posts

Spent 6 months handing out business cards before someone called me out

I was at a Chandler chamber of commerce mixer last March and kept shoving my card at everyone without asking what they did first. This older guy just looked at me and said 'son, you're just adding to my paper pile.' Now I ask two questions before I even reach for my wallet. Anyone else had that moment where you realized you were networking all wrong?

2 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

jake_owens•8d ago

Twenty years in and I just learned I was sanding wrong the whole time

An old timer at a shop in Portland watched me sand a face frame and asked why I was going against the grain between coats. He showed me how a 320 grit with the grain knocks off nibs without scratching everything up. Anybody else discover they were doing something basic wrong after way too many years?

3 comments

c/anime-discussions•

jake_owens•15d ago

Went to an anime convention panel and nobody talked about the actual show

Sat through a 45 minute panel on some popular battle shonen. Guy just talked about his merch collection the whole time. Didn't mention a single plot point or character arc. Felt like a shopping haul video. Is this normal now? Anyone else sit through a panel that was completely off topic?

3 comments

c/conspiracy-debates•

jake_owens•1mo ago

Blew my mind when a park ranger at Yosemite said most 'alien sightings' are just drones now

I was chatting with this ranger near Glacier Point last month and he was like, people don't realize how many UFO reports are just DJI Phantoms with bright lights. Never even crossed my mind before but now I can't unsee it. Anyone else had a random conversation that made you rethink a whole conspiracy?

2 comments

c/creative-writing-prompts•

jake_owens•1mo ago

I finally gave in and wrote a scene using only dialogue, no tags or descriptions at all

I always thought those minimalist style prompts were just lazy writing, but after reading a published short story that did the same thing, I could not believe how much tension and character came through without a single 'he said' or 'she sighed', so has anyone else here been converted on a writing rule they initially hated?

3 comments

c/carpenters•

jake_owens•1mo ago

I was dead set against using those little laser levels on jobsites

For years I swore by a good old fashioned 4-foot level and a chalk line. Thought those little red dots were just for homeowners and weekend warriors. Then last month I had to frame out a basement with all sorts of weird corners and angles, and my crew was wasting time rechecking everything. Broke down and bought a basic Huepar laser, and honestly it cut our layout time by almost half on that job. Anybody else stubbornly stick to old methods for way too long before switching?

2 comments

c/air-fryer-recipes•

jake_owens•1mo ago

I went frozen wings over fresh wings for air frying and I don't get the hype

Everyone in this group seems to swear by fresh wings saying they turn out way crispier. But I tried fresh wings twice last week and they came out rubbery both times no matter what temp I used. So I grabbed a bag of frozen party wings from Aldi for like $7 and honestly they were way better. Came out crispy in 25 minutes with almost no prep. I know people say frozen ones have extra water but mine turned out just fine. Maybe my air fryer runs hot or I just suck at thawing but I'm sticking with frozen from now on. Has anyone else had way better luck with frozen over fresh?

3 comments

c/broken-social-norms•

jake_owens•1mo ago

Guy at the laundromat told me I was folding my shirts wrong

Last Tuesday I was at the 24hr laundromat on 3rd street and this older dude just walked up and grabbed a shirt out of my pile. He said I was crushing the collars by folding from the bottom up and showed me his method where you flip it from the shoulders. I stood there holding a damp sock while he demonstrated on three of my best button-ups. He didn't even say sorry for touching my stuff just kept talking about how he learned it in the army in 1985. Has anyone else had a random stranger just take over your routine like that?

3 comments

c/archaeology-discoveries•

jake_owens•1mo ago

Uncovered a 2000 year old coin in my own backyard - never expected that number

I was digging a new garden bed last Saturday in my yard near Cincinnati and my shovel hit something metal. Pulled out this tiny bronze coin, totally green and crusted. Took it to the local archaeology club and they dated it to around 50 AD, Roman Imperial. Never in a million years did I think I'd find something that old in Ohio of all places. It's wild how stuff gets moved around over the centuries. Has anyone else here stumbled on a find way older than you'd expect for your area?

3 comments

c/crane-operators•

jake_owens•1mo ago

Saw a guy try to boom up with the outriggers still half retracted yesterday...

This dude from a temp agency was lifting a load of rebar and I noticed his left rear outrigger was maybe 6 inches off the ground still. He kept cranking the boom up and the whole truck started listing to the right before the safety guy blew the horn. Has anyone else dealt with that kind of close call on a jobsite where an operator skipped the pad check?

3 comments