Mark Nguyen (u/mark_nguyen95)

Posts

Hot take: swapping a cold air intake for a stock airbox actually gave me better throttle response

After 3 dyno runs at a shop in San Jose, my 5.0 Mustang picked up 8 horsepower just by removing that expensive aftermarket cone filter and putting the factory box back on, has anyone else seen worse results from a popular mod?

2 comments

c/chefs•

mark_nguyen95•13d ago

Found out my stock pot holds exactly 14 quarts...

I always guessed it was around 12 quarts but I measured it today after a recipe called for a precise amount. Has anyone else ever just eyeballed their pot sizes and ended up way off?

2 comments

c/commercial-divers•

mark_nguyen95•14d ago

That cheap dive computer cost me 300 bucks extra

I bought a no-name dive computer off Amazon for $150 thinking it would do the job. After 6 months the O-ring failed and flooded on a 60-foot wreck dive in San Diego. Had to cut the dive short and pay another $200 for a rental for the rest of the week. Has anyone else had a budget computer crap out on them like that?

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

mark_nguyen95•19d ago

Pulled my first real usable blade out of the forge last night after 4 months of trying

Finally got a knife that held an edge instead of chipping to hell, turns out I was overheating the steel before quench and just had to watch the color closer, has anyone else messed up their heat treat that bad starting out?

2 comments

c/bakers•

mark_nguyen95•20d ago

I finally tried cold fermentation on my sourdough after 6 months of skipping it

I've been baking the same no-knead sourdough recipe since March but always let it rise at room temp. Last week I stuck the dough in the fridge for 18 hours before baking and the crust came out way crispier with a tangier taste. Has anyone else noticed a big difference with longer cold rests or am I just imagining it?

2 comments

c/conspiracy-debates•

mark_nguyen95•21d ago

Tried growing tomatoes in straight compost last season, biggest gardening mistake I made

Ngl, I thought more organic matter would just make everything grow better. I filled three raised beds with pure compost from the city recycling center in Austin instead of mixing it with soil. By June, half my tomato plants had blossom end rot and the leaves were yellowing like crazy. Turns out compost holds too much moisture and lacks proper drainage for root crops. A master gardener at the local nursery told me I basically drowned my plants in nutrients. I learned you need at least 40% topsoil mixed in for container gardens. Has anyone else gotten bad results from going overboard on compost amendments?

2 comments

c/bullet-journaling•

mark_nguyen95•22d ago

Bought a $35 journal at a shop in Portland and the paper bleeds through everything

Last month I was in Portland for a weekend trip and stopped by this fancy stationery store downtown. I got suckered into buying this 'premium' dotted journal for $35 because the cover looked nice and the sales girl said the paper was 120gsm. But man, even my Pilot G2 pen bleeds through to the next page, and don't even get me started on highlighters. Has anyone else had luck with that store or did I just get a bad batch?

2 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

mark_nguyen95•28d ago

People are still paying for airport lounge access and it's a huge waste

I keep seeing folks online talk about buying day passes for airport lounges, like paying $50 at LAX for a quiet seat and some snacks. That's a bad deal. You can get the same quiet spot for free by walking 10 minutes to a different terminal's gate area after the last flight leaves. I did this in Denver last month, saved the cash, and just bought a big meal in the city instead. The other side says the free food and drinks inside make the cost worth it, but I've never seen a lounge spread that adds up to fifty bucks. What's your take, is lounge access ever a smart budget move or just a trap for people who don't look around?

2 comments

c/climate-action•

mark_nguyen95•28d ago

Showerthought: I saw a heat advisory map for Phoenix last July and it finally clicked how bad this is getting.

I started biking to work the next day, but man, my legs are killing me, anyone have tips for making the switch easier?

2 comments

c/commercial-real-estate•

mark_nguyen95•1mo ago

Warning: the new mixed-use project on 5th Street is making me rethink retail space.

I was checking out the finished building in Denver last month, and seeing how they put a coffee shop right under the office entrance changed my whole view on foot traffic. Has anyone else seen a setup like that work in a smaller city?

2 comments

Posts

Hot take: swapping a cold air intake for a stock airbox actually gave me better throttle response

Found out my stock pot holds exactly 14 quarts...

That cheap dive computer cost me 300 bucks extra

Pulled my first real usable blade out of the forge last night after 4 months of trying

I finally tried cold fermentation on my sourdough after 6 months of skipping it

Tried growing tomatoes in straight compost last season, biggest gardening mistake I made

Bought a $35 journal at a shop in Portland and the paper bleeds through everything

People are still paying for airport lounge access and it's a huge waste

Showerthought: I saw a heat advisory map for Phoenix last July and it finally clicked how bad this is getting.

Warning: the new mixed-use project on 5th Street is making me rethink retail space.

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