Unpopular opinion: my fancy smartwatch is a total waste now

I was at the gym in Tempe last week and my $400 watch died right in the middle of tracking my run. I had to finish the last two miles with no data, and it made me realize I don't need half the junk it tracks. What's a good, simple fitness tracker that just does the basics without all the apps?

Why does nobody talk about how many more satellites you can see now compared to just five years ago?

I read a comment online saying a string of Starlink satellites ruined their view of the Andromeda galaxy, which made me realize I'm seeing them almost every clear night from my yard in Cincinnati.

I used to think making your own bread was a total waste of time and money. My electric bill went up $15 a month when I tried it.

Just realized I've been watching anime wrong for years

Back in 2020, I started watching 'Attack on Titan' weekly as it came out. I got so caught up in the hype and fan theories online. Every week felt like a puzzle to solve. I was looking at every frame for clues. Last month, I rewatched the whole series in one go. It felt totally different. The story flowed better and the big moments hit harder. I wasn't distracted by guessing what came next. Now I'm thinking maybe binging is better for some shows. Does anyone else feel like weekly viewing ruins the experience for certain anime?

I always thought you needed a super dark sky to see the Milky Way, but a guy at the local astronomy club in Springfield said he can see it from his suburban driveway after letting his eyes adjust for 45 minutes.

Has anyone else had luck spotting it from a backyard with some light pollution, or is a trip out of town still the only real way?

Warning: people are overpaying for airport transfers in Lisbon

I keep seeing folks book those fixed-price airport taxis for 40 euros... the metro is 2 euros and takes you right to the city center in 20 minutes. How many other cities have you saved money by just using public transit from the airport?

Question about rolling tube sheets after a weld

For years on big boiler jobs, I'd just use a standard bevel and a 7018 rod, but last month in Toledo I saw an old-timer roll the sheet edge with a special die before welding. He claimed it cut his stress cracking by half on the 2-inch plate we were using. Anyone else use this method or think it's worth the extra setup time?

Switched to a new green sand mix for a big job and the cores crumbled

We had a rush order for 50 cast iron flanges and I swapped our usual bentonite blend for a 'fast-bond' type I saw online. After ramming up, the cores just fell apart when we tried to lift them... like dry cake. I learned that saving an hour on setup can cost you a full day on scrap. Has anyone found a good middle-ground mix for high-volume work that still holds shape?

Stopped by a thrift store in Spokane and saw a stack of old tube TVs

I was in Spokane last week and popped into a Value Village just to look around. In the back corner, they had a pile of maybe seven or eight old CRT TVs, the big heavy ones from the 90s. What got me was that every single one had a price tag of $15, but they all had the power cords cut off right at the back. The manager said they do it as store policy so no one tries to plug them in and start a fire. I get the safety thing, but it made me think about how many of those sets could have been a simple fuse or capacitor job for someone who knows what they're doing. Now they're basically just for parts or the tube itself. It felt like such a waste of gear that could have had a second life with a little work. Has anyone else run into stores doing this, and what's your take on it?