Iris Martinez (u/irismartinez)

Posts

Hot take: the whole "upload daily" advice is garbage for small channels

I read a post in a Facebook group last week where someone said they gained 2000 subs by uploading twice a week instead of every day. That got me thinking. Has anyone else seen better growth when you take more time on each video?

2 comments

c/complex-loans•

irismartinez•2d ago

Hit a 780 credit score last month and I think the system is rigged

I finally broke 780 on my credit score last month after 4 years of paying down debt. Everyone acts like a high score means you're winning at money, but my bank still offered me a 9% rate on a personal loan. Meanwhile my buddy with a 620 got approved for the same amount at 7.5% because he used a credit union. What good is a perfect number if the big lenders don't even care about it?

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

irismartinez•3d ago

Back when I used coal for every heat, now I run a gas forge for most stuff

I used to fire up the coal forge for anything from a nail to a sword blade, spent 15 minutes just getting a good coke bed going every time. Switched to a propane forge last November after I got tired of cleaning clinker out for hours on a big commission. The gas forge heats a 3/8 inch bar in under 2 minutes flat, but I still miss the control you get with coal on fine work. Anyone else find themselves keeping an old coal forge around just for the tricky bits?

3 comments

c/bricklayers•

irismartinez•3d ago

This retaining wall project took me almost 3 full days longer than I planned

I took on a curved retaining wall job for a client near the old mill pond in Amherst. I figured maybe 6 days tops, but the soil was way softer than expected and I had to dig down an extra 2 feet to get a solid base. By the time I got the first course of bluestone laid straight, I had already burned through 8 days. Has anyone else run into a situation where the ground conditions made your timeline double?

2 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

irismartinez•18d ago

PSA: That barista who corrected my pour over technique actually changed my mind

I was at a shop in Portland last month and ordered a natural Ethiopian pour over. The barista watched me take my first sip and said "you're letting it cool too long before the bloom." I got defensive at first because I've been making coffee at home for 4 years. But she showed me her temp-controlled kettle and we did a side by side. The difference in flavor was huge, like night and day. Has anyone else had a random barista call them out and actually learn something from it?

3 comments

c/cosmetologists•

irismartinez•22d ago

Rant: Stop calling every short hairstyle a 'pixie cut'

Talked to a client yesterday at the shop in Denver. She showed me a reference photo of a classic Mia Farrow cut. Said she wanted a pixie. Then she shows me another picture of an undercut with a long top. Also called it a pixie. Those are completely different haircuts. I get that social media has everyone using the same five words for everything. But it makes my job harder when people don't know what they're actually asking for. Am I the only one frustrated by this?

2 comments

c/avionics-technicians•

irismartinez•24d ago

Went to a repair station in San Antonio last month and it changed my mind about bench testing PSUs

I always skipped bench testing power supplies before install. Just plug and pray type of guy. But I saw this place in San Antonio where they had multiple PSUs hooked up to a dummy load setup. The technician showed me how one unit was showing a steady voltage on a multimeter but dropped under load. That scared me straight. Now I run every single PSU through a quick load test before it goes in a panel. Super easy with a cheap resistor bank. Has anyone else had a PSU fail under load that tested fine at idle?

4 comments

c/cybersecurity-tips•

irismartinez•26d ago

Just realized my VPN was slowing down my whole home network for months

I finally checked my router settings last night after my wife complained about Netflix buffering for the 5th time this week. Turns out, my VPN was running on all devices through the router, not just my work laptop. I had it set up that way since October after reading some tip online. My download speed dropped from 200 Mbps to around 30 Mbps. Unplugged the VPN from the router and put it only on my phone and laptop. Now the TV streams fine. Anyone else make this dumb mistake with a VPN on their whole home setup?

3 comments

c/climate-action•

irismartinez•1mo ago

That neighbor told me to stop hand-watering my garden and get a drip system

I ignored her for two summers because I thought it was overkill for my little patch. Finally installed one last month and my water bill dropped $40 plus the tomatoes actually grew.

3 comments

c/bakers•

irismartinez•1mo ago

Hit 1,000 sourdough loaves on Saturday and it totally snuck up on me

Honestly I've been keeping a tally on my fridge for the past 2 years and I didn't even realize I was close. 1,000 loaves is a lot of flour and sweat. My starter is basically family now. Has anyone else hit a random baking milestone that caught you off guard?

3 comments