Showerthought: I was sure my first batch of kimchi would be a total fail

I rushed it and only let it ferment for two days in my cool kitchen, but it turned out super tangy and good. What's the shortest time you've had a ferment actually work out?

My buddy told me to ignore the whole 'birds aren't real' thing as a joke

He said it was just a dumb meme, nothing more. So I did, for like a year. Then I saw a detailed video about drone surveillance tech. The numbers they gave for flight patterns and battery life were too close to some 'bird' behaviors I've seen. Now I'm not saying I'm fully in, but I can't just laugh it off anymore. It makes you look at every pigeon on a power line different. Anyone else have a joke theory that started to seem less funny?

Appreciation post: I finally tracked every single dollar for a month

I used a basic spreadsheet and was shocked to see I'd spent over $300 on coffee and snacks. Now I make my own cold brew at home and put that cash straight into my car repair fund. Anyone else have a small habit that added up to a big number?

I tried packing for a week in Denver with just a 28 liter backpack

I thought I could roll everything tight and fit it, but I forgot about my bulky hiking boots. I had to wear them on the plane and my feet were killing me. The lesson is to always pick shoes that you can pack flat or wear comfortably for a full travel day. Anyone have a good trick for dealing with heavy footwear on a trip?

Shoutout to the broker who left me hanging on a $15k wire transfer for three days straight

Watching the shop's old manual deburr station get replaced

We had a bench with files and stones for finishing parts for years. After a new hire struggled with consistency, the boss brought in a small automated deburring machine about three months ago. The scrap rate on aluminum housings dropped from maybe 5% to almost nothing overnight. Anyone have tips on programming one for stainless steel edges?

Got called out for a faulty transponder on a Cessna 172 in Boise last Tuesday

The pilot said the altitude readout was jumping around, so I pulled the unit and found a cracked solder joint on the main board. I fixed it with a quick reflow, but now I'm wondering if that's just a band-aid for a bigger issue. How do you guys decide when to repair a board versus just swapping the whole LRU?

Just realized the new plastic shutter gears on that popular mirrorless model are failing after about 18 months.

I've seen three come through the shop this month with the same stripped teeth. Has anyone found a good source for the metal replacement part yet?

TIL my old way of steaming a client's face for 15 minutes straight is actually too harsh for most skin types now

I switched to a 5 minute max steam after a masterclass in Chicago showed it prevents barrier damage. Anyone else cut their steam time down recently?

My friend tried to get me into One Piece three years ago and it backfired

He sat me down in his apartment in Chicago and made me watch the first 50 episodes straight. I got so burnt out on the East Blue saga I couldn't look at it for months. Ended up watching all of Demon Slayer instead that same summer. Now I'm scared to try again because of the episode count. Anyone have a good 'skip list' for the early stuff?