Bought a $40 facial steamer that turned my bathroom into a sauna

I thought it would be a nice add-on for at-home clients, but the thing put out so much steam it set off my smoke alarm. Anyone have a good brand that doesn't create a cloud you can get lost in?

Serious question, is the Colorado Trail really better than the John Muir Trail?

I did the JMT in 2021 and the CT last summer, and the difference is huge. The JMT felt like a 220-mile conga line of people, with permit stress and crowded campsites every night. The Colorado Trail, at 486 miles, gave me more solitude after the first 100 miles than the entire JMT. The resupply towns are easier to reach, and the high desert sections near Durango are a nice change from constant granite. Has anyone else felt the JMT is just overhyped now?

Just tossed $150 worth of 'gourmet' black garlic that never fermented right

I followed the recipe exactly but my humidity controller failed halfway through, leaving me with a sticky, sour mess. Anyone have a reliable brand for those temp/humidity boxes they'd actually trust?

I finally chose a granite countertop over quartz for my kitchen

Everyone in the Reno subreddit said quartz was the only way to go because it's 'maintenance free.' I picked a specific granite called 'Ubatuba' because I love the natural sparkle and no two slabs are the same. After sealing it myself with a $40 kit, it's held up perfectly for over two years with zero stains. Does anyone else think the push for engineered stone makes people miss out on cool natural geology in their own home?

Showerthought: I was paying $120 a month for a fancy co-working space in Chiang Mai for a year before I realized the best work spot was the quiet library down the street.

A local friend finally asked me why I was always in that loud, expensive place when the library had faster internet for free. Anyone else have a 'duh' moment about their work setup costs?

Can we talk about the shift from mechanical to electronic controls on washers?

I pulled a 15 year old Maytag out of a basement last week, all mechanical timers and switches. Then I installed a new model with a digital board and touchpad. The old one you could fix with a multimeter and a screwdriver... the new one needs a whole new $200 control panel if one chip goes bad. Some guys say the electronics are more reliable long term, others miss being able to actually repair the part. What's your take on this change?

Rant: My buddy insisted we watch 'The Room' and I thought it sounded awful

We watched it in his Chicago apartment last Friday and I've never laughed so hard at a movie that was trying to be serious. What's your go-to 'so bad it's good' movie for a group?

PSA: I was cutting my climbing line way too short for years

Been climbing for about eight years now. Always cut my lines with maybe two feet of tail after my termination knot. Figured less tail meant less to manage, less weight. Then I watched a guy from a big outfit in Portland do a rescue practice. His tail was a good six feet past his knot. Asked him about it after. He said it's for emergency situations, like if you need to lower someone and your system is too high. That extra line can be a life saver. Made me think about all the times I was up there with my short tail. Felt pretty dumb. How much tail do you all leave on your main climbing line?

Overheard a guy at the parts counter say 'I never check the drain pump filter first' and I just stared.

Showerthought: That time in Phoenix when a stripped screw taught me more than any manual

I was working a night shift on a 737's flap track, trying to get a panel off in 110-degree heat. The screw was seized and my driver slipped, rounding it out bad. My lead, a guy named Frank, walked over and said, 'Heat is your friend, not your enemy.' He grabbed a soldering iron, held it on the screw head for a solid minute, then tapped it with a punch. It came right out. I'd always been scared to add heat near composites. Anyone have a different trick for stuck fasteners in tight spots?