Warning: That $45 creative writing prompt book I bought was a total waste

I ordered this book called '1000 Writing Prompts for Fiction' off Amazon last month. It promised fresh ideas but every single prompt was stuff like 'write about a broken clock' or 'a character finds a letter.' Nothing original. I went through all 1000 and maybe found 3 that I could use. I could have gotten better stuff for free off this subreddit. Has anyone else tried one of those books and actually gotten something useful out of it?

Caught a young guy saying climbing spikes are bad for palms and it got me thinking

I was at a supply house last week and overheard a younger arborist telling his buddy you should never use climbing spikes on a palm tree. He was dead serious about it. And I get where he's coming from, it's a rule for regular trees, but palms are different. Their trunks don't heal like a hardwood does, but they also don't get that ring damage the same way. I've climbed palms with spikes for 15 years and never had one die from it. The issue is more about the fronds and the crown, not the trunk wounds. This guy probably learned from a textbook or a quick YouTube video. Has anyone else noticed newer guys getting stuck on rules that don't fit every situation?

Heads up about the returns policy at Furniture Depot on Main Street

I stopped by the Furniture Depot on Main Street yesterday to return a lamp that flickered on day two. The lady at the counter told me they changed their return window from 30 days to 15 days last month, no exceptions. They don't post this anywhere near the register, so you find out when it's too late. Anyone else get burned by a hidden policy change like that?

Switched from hand-sewing to a machine for my vintage-inspired dresses and wow, what a difference

I used to hand-sew all my 1940s style dresses because I thought it was more authentic, but after 2 years of slow progress I borrowed my aunt's old Singer. The seams are way straighter and I finished a whole dress in 3 days instead of 3 weeks. Has anyone else had this kind of turnaround when switching methods?

Just learned the Harry Potter movies cut over 40% of the book's content

Ngl I was scrolling through a fan wiki last night and found out the first Harry Potter movie only includes about 60% of what's in the book. That's like 90 pages of stuff they left out including Peeves the poltergeist and the whole backstory about the mirror of Erised. I mean I knew they cut stuff but that number surprised me. Has anyone else looked up the actual percentage for their favorite book adaptation and been shocked?

Did handwritten letters actually feel more meaningful than texts, or is that just nostalgia talking?

I finally learned why my spines kept cracking after 2 months

I've been binding books for about 3 years now, mostly for myself and a few friends. Last month I noticed 4 out of my last 6 books had cracked spines right at the hinge. I thought it was my glue or the paper type, so I wasted about $40 on different supplies. Turns out I was lining the spine too tight and not letting the book open naturally during drying. Has anyone else fixed this by just switching up their drying setup?

Just hit 15,000 cable terminations and it hit me different

I was counting up my jobs from the last 6 years for insurance and realized I've done over 15,000 terminations. Made me think about all those early days when I'd mess up a keystone and have to redo it 3 times. Anyone else keep a mental tally of their work milestones?

My grandma's cast iron vs a non-stick pan I bought 3 years ago

I grew up using my grandma's old cast iron skillet for everything. About 3 years ago I bought a fancy non-stick pan from Target for $35 thinking it would be easier. Now the non-stick is all scratched up and I'm back to scrubbing that cast iron, which still looks brand new. Anyone else find themselves going back to the old way after trying something newer?

Took me 4 hours to realize I had the wrong auger bit size for my post hole digger

Honestly, I was out on a job in Fresno last Tuesday trying to sink some 4x4 posts for a fence. I spent a whole afternoon fighting the ground, thinking I hit a rock layer or something. Turns out I was using a 6 inch auger bit when I needed a 12 inch one for the soil type. Five different trips to the rental place later and I finally got the right size. Has anyone else lost a whole day because of a simple bit swap?