Rant: My brother-in-law in Dallas said 'brisket is overrated' and I actually get it now

We were at his place for the 4th, and he said he'd rather spend 14 hours on a whole hog or some beef ribs... that brisket is just a boring, uniform slab you have to babysit. He's not wrong about the work for a single cut of meat, and it made me think about all the other stuff we could be mastering. Anyone else feel like we focus on brisket too much and miss out on other great cooks?

Question about spine lining after a tough critique

A binder at a meetup in Phoenix last year told me my spine linings looked 'puffy and weak' because I was using too much paste. I was using a full brush load on each piece of mull. I switched to a much thinner paste mix and now I only dampen the cloth, not soak it. After about five books, the spines are way tighter and lay flat. What's your method for getting the right paste amount on spine linings?

My neighbor's deck is sinking because they skipped the gravel base

I was helping my neighbor look at his deck that's been leaning for a few months. He built it last spring and just set the posts right on the dirt. We dug down next to one and sure enough, it's sitting in a puddle of mud. Water pools there every time it rains. I learned the hard way on my own shed project three years ago. You need that 6 inch layer of gravel under the post to let water drain away. Otherwise, the wood rots and the ground shifts. It's a simple step that stops a big headache later. Has anyone else had to fix a sinking post after the fact, and what did you do?

Unpopular opinion: I'm torn over making sharp historical weapons for sale

A regular customer wants me to forge a working medieval mace for his collection. He claims it's just for show, but I've seen how these items can get into the wrong hands. Once, I sold a combat knife to someone who posted online about carrying it for protection. That made me question my part in it. Should I start asking for more details or just say no to such jobs? I need input from other smiths who might have faced this. How do you balance making a living with feeling responsible for what you create?

My brother-in-law's go-to password was 'password123'. Had a long chat about security. Changed my own habits too.

PSA: Buying meals at foreign supermarkets is a game changer

Was in Italy last spring. Restaurant prices were killing my wallet. Then I started grabbing premade pasta and salads from the grocery. Ate well for under five euros a day.