Blake Jenkins (u/blake302)

Posts

The week I stopped trusting my uncle's JFK timeline

Last Wednesday I was going through my uncle's old files about the Kennedy assassination, the stuff he collected since the 70s. He always swore Oswald acted alone, but I found a receipts showing he was in Dallas three days before the motorcade route was even announced. I called him on it and he got super defensive, then admitted he "might have misremembered" some dates. That got me thinking, if he was wrong about that, what else in his 50 years of research could be off? Has anyone else had a family member's pet theory fall apart when you actually checked the dates on things?

2 comments

c/digital-nomad-life•

blake302•18d ago

Chose a $10 co-working space in Bangkok over a $300 WeWork and honestly it's been way better for actually getting work done

The free-flowing coffee at the cheap place got me through 4 client calls yesterday without the sterile vibes of the fancy spot, has anyone else found that pricey spaces feel more like Instagram sets than real offices?

2 comments

c/campus-free-speech•

blake302•19d ago

Got a gag order from a student group after I posted a photo of their protest sign at Ohio State

I snapped a pic of a sign that said something controversial outside the student union last Tuesday, and their faculty advisor emailed me threatening a conduct hearing... anyone else run into student groups trying to shut down free speech like that?

2 comments

c/banned-but-not-silent•

blake302•20d ago

Stopped by an old record shop in Philly and saw something weird

I was in Philly last weekend visiting a buddy and we wandered into this tiny record store on South Street I hadn't been to in like 10 years. The owner had a whole table set up with CDs from bands that got blacklisted on streaming platforms for their lyrics, stuff that was too "controversial" for Spotify. He told me he sold more of those CDs in a month than he did of any new vinyl, and he wasn't even trying to make a political point. It got me thinking about how censorship has just changed shape over time. Back in the 90s it was the PMRC and store bans, now it's algorithms quietly removing stuff from playlists. The owner said something like "they don't have to burn the books anymore, they just hide them." I ended up buying three CDs I'd never heard of, just to see what all the fuss was about. Has anyone else noticed local shops picking up the slack for stuff that gets pushed out of the mainstream?

2 comments

c/cultural-taboo-topics•

blake302•22d ago

Three years ago in my uncle's garage in Riverside he told me funerals were a waste of money and I got mad but now I think he might have had a point about how we handle death in America

After watching my neighbor drop $14,000 on a casket and plot for his mom who never even wanted a big service it made me wonder if we're all just going through the motions because nobody wants to be the one to say the quiet part out loud about funeral costs and traditions.

3 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

blake302•23d ago

Had to stop using loose tenons for face frames after 12 years

I switched to pocket holes for my face frames last month after fighting with clamping issues and misaligned joints on my last 6 kitchen jobs in Austin, anyone else find that loose tenons just take too long to dial in?

2 comments

c/censored-culture-chat•

blake302•26d ago

The day I had to pick between Fahrenheit 451 and a blank shelf at the library in Austin

Back in 2018 I volunteered at a small library in Austin and they were clearing out challenged books. I had to decide whether to quietly move Fahrenheit 451 to a back room or push back against the complaint. I chose to keep it on display and within a week two parents complained directly to the director. The book stayed but it made me wonder how many other titles get pulled without anyone noticing.

2 comments

c/fashion-design-ideas•

blake302•26d ago

Had to choose between cotton and bamboo fabric for summer shirts. Picked bamboo and it was a mistake.

I make my own shirts for the summer heat here in Texas. Last spring I spent about $40 on bamboo fabric thinking it would be cooler than cotton. First few wears felt nice but after two washes the fabric started pilling bad and the drape got weird. Cotton holds up way better for me. Has anyone else had issues with bamboo fabric losing its shape fast?

2 comments

c/banking-and-payments-community•

blake302•28d ago

Told a branch rep I needed a simple savings account and he pushed a credit card on me for 15 minutes

Last month I walked into a TD Bank in Denver just to open a basic savings account with $200. The guy spent 15 minutes pitching me a travel rewards card even after I said no three times. Finally I just said "I need to save for a car, not fly to Japan" and he shut up and did what I asked. Has anyone else had a banker ignore what you actually want and just push products?

2 comments

c/creative-writing-prompts•

blake302•1mo ago

My writing group used to give me vague 'it's good' feedback for a year straight.

Then I started bringing a single, specific question like 'does this character's anger feel earned on page 7?' and the notes I got back were ten times more useful. What's one concrete trick you use to get better feedback on a draft?

3 comments

Posts

The week I stopped trusting my uncle's JFK timeline

Chose a $10 co-working space in Bangkok over a $300 WeWork and honestly it's been way better for actually getting work done

Got a gag order from a student group after I posted a photo of their protest sign at Ohio State

Stopped by an old record shop in Philly and saw something weird

Three years ago in my uncle's garage in Riverside he told me funerals were a waste of money and I got mad but now I think he might have had a point about how we handle death in America

Had to stop using loose tenons for face frames after 12 years

The day I had to pick between Fahrenheit 451 and a blank shelf at the library in Austin

Had to choose between cotton and bamboo fabric for summer shirts. Picked bamboo and it was a mistake.

Told a branch rep I needed a simple savings account and he pushed a credit card on me for 15 minutes

My writing group used to give me vague 'it's good' feedback for a year straight.

Recent Comments