The podcast I laughed at for months finally won me over

My daughter kept sending me links to a true crime podcast called 'Cold Cases' and I figured it was just people gossiping about old murders. After she played the first 15 minutes of an episode about a 1972 disappearance in our town, I ended up listening to all 8 episodes in three days. Has anyone else had a hobby or interest they dismissed for years only to find out it was actually pretty good?

Debate: I unplugged my smart speaker for a month and things got weirder than I expected

I pulled the plug on my Amazon Echo back in February. No more asking for weather or timers. First week was fine. But around day 10 I noticed I was checking my phone way more for basic stuff. Then my wife said she missed the random music it used to play in the morning. Now I wonder if the convenience is worth the listening. Has anyone else tried going without and found it harder than they thought?

Stopped my kitchen drawers from sticking with a bar of soap I found under the sink

Tbh I was about to rip out one of my cabinet drawers last week because it kept jamming halfway. I tried sanding the sides, even put some wax paper on the runners, nothing worked. Then my neighbor saw me cussing at it and said rub a bar of soap on the edges and the track. I grabbed this old Irish Spring that was sitting there, gave it a few swipes, and it slid smooth as new. Has anyone else used soap for this kind of thing or is there a better cheap fix?

Noticed a huge difference after switching to lithium cells in my wireless contacts

I used to swap out alkaline batteries in my wireless door contacts every 6 months like clockwork. Last year I tried a box of lithium AA's instead and I'm just now replacing the first one after 14 months. The voltage curve stays flatter too so the signal doesn't get flaky before the battery dies. A buddy in the forum said the cold weather performance is way better and he was right. Has anyone else seen big runtime gains with lithiums in their zone sensors?

Was a foil shaver snob for years... clippers won me over last week

I've been doing hot towel shaves with a straight razor for about 8 years now. Always thought foil shavers were the only way to get a close finish on bald heads without irritation. But last Tuesday I had this dude come in who's been getting his head shaved at a shop in Denver for 6 months. He told me his barber uses a cordless clipper with a zero gap blade and never touches foils. I tried it on him with my Andis Masters set to zero... and man, his head was smoother than my usual straight razor work. No bumps, no burn, and it took half the time. Now I'm thinking about offering that as an option for clients who hate the hot towel routine. Anyone else ditch foils for clippers on dome work?

That one booth at the Amarillo Flea Market that sells nothing but rubber ducks...

I stopped by the Amarillo Flea Market last Saturday and there's this one booth that only sells novelty rubber ducks, like hundreds of them all lined up... Has anyone else noticed that guy and do you know how he stays in business?

I compared coworking in Chiang Mai vs Medellin and one was clearly better for my workflow

I spent three months in Chiang Mai last year and then three months in Medellin this spring. The internet in Medellin was faster and more reliable, but the cost of living was about 40 percent higher. Coffee shops in Chiang Mai had better seating setups for working long hours, with power outlets everywhere. But the time zone difference made it hard to sync with my US clients from Asia. In the end, Medellin won out for me because I could work normal hours and still have evenings free. Has anyone else found one city just clicks better for their specific work style?

That week in March when my basement flooded right before a family reunion

I came home to 3 inches of water after a record rainfall on a Tuesday, and the sump pump had died sometime overnight. My cousin's band was supposed to crash here for the reunion, so I spent 48 hours hauling out wet carpet and old boxes instead of prepping food. Has anyone else had a planned event completely derailed by a sudden home disaster?

Chose manual rigging over the fancy new spreader beam today...

Had a job this morning lifting a 12-ton HVAC unit onto a roof in Phoenix. The site foreman wanted me to use this brand new adjustable spreader beam they just bought, but I've never used one before and didn't want to risk it on a tight rooftop. So I went with my old four-leg chain slings and a master link setup I've been using for 8 years. The lift went smooth, got it placed within an inch of the curb, took maybe 15 extra minutes on rigging but zero stress. Now I'm wondering if I'm just being stubborn about new gear... has anyone else stuck with old methods and regretted it later?

Took me 10 years to finally trust SSD drives for critical data