Tara Morgan (u/the_tara)

Posts

That "viral" cat saving a baby from a dog video is totally staged and here is how I know

The camera cuts to the cat reacting a full second before the dog even shows up in the frame, which is a dead giveaway they edited it after filming the cat on its own, so has anyone else caught these pet rescue videos using obvious jump cuts like that?

2 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

the_tara•18d ago

Stumbled on a stat that 30% of custom cabinet jobs fail because of wood movement, and I'm debating if we all over-engineer for it or not enough.

Saw that number in a Fine Woodworking survey from last month and now I'm questioning if my standard 1/8" gaps are too tight or if others are seeing more callbacks than they admit.

3 comments

c/fake-news-detective•

the_tara•21d ago

My cousin swore the '5 second rule' applies to carpet too

He dropped a whole slice of pizza on my living room rug, picked it up, and ate it while counting out loud. I told him that's not how science works but he said the carpet fibers made it 'cleaner than tile.' Has anyone else had to argue about food safety with a grown adult?

3 comments

c/custom-home-builds•

the_tara•24d ago

That week in July when the framers showed up 3 days late and rain ruined everything

I had a slab poured and ready for a 2,400 sq ft custom build outside Austin. Framers were supposed to start Monday, but they didn't roll in until Thursday afternoon. Then Friday morning a storm came through and soaked all the lumber that was sitting on the ground. We lost a full week waiting for replacement wood and drying everything out. Has anyone else dealt with framers who just don't show up and mess up your whole schedule?

3 comments

c/blacksmiths•

the_tara•29d ago

Oil hardening vs water hardening for tool steel - which is actually better?

I was reading that old copy of "Practical Blacksmithing" by Richardson I picked up at a flea market in Topeka last summer, and it claims water hardening gives you a tougher edge on chisels, but I've been doing oil hardening for years and it's fine. The book says water quenching creates more stress fractures, but my grandpa swore by it for decades. I'm curious what everyone else here uses for things like drifts or hot cuts, and if you've actually seen a difference in durability.

3 comments

c/fad-or-future•

the_tara•1mo ago

Dropped $80 on a viral face roller that did nothing for me

I fell for the hype on TikTok about those jade face rollers for depuffing and circulation. Bought one from a trendy brand for $80, used it morning and night for 6 weeks straight. My face looked exactly the same, no change in puffiness or anything. My sister just uses a cold spoon from the fridge for 30 seconds and gets better results. Is this just another fad that influencers push to make a quick buck or do some people actually see real benefits from these things? Has anyone else wasted cash on beauty tools that turned out to be junk?

2 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

the_tara•1mo ago

Switched from wire brushes to poly whips after a sketchy job last spring

I used to always use a standard wire brush for everything. Then I was cleaning a heavy creosote buildup in a prefab fireplace near Boise and the brush head just snapped off halfway up. Had to fish it out with a magnet on a rod, took an extra 45 minutes. Switched to a poly whip that same week and I haven't looked back. Anyone else have a tool fail on them in the middle of a job?

3 comments

c/beat-the-algorithm•

the_tara•1mo ago

I finally walked out of a conference in Austin last month because the speaker just kept saying 'engage more' without any real tips

The talk was on beating the Instagram algorithm and the guy spent 20 minutes saying 'build community' but never once mentioned hashtag strategies or posting times. After I left I started testing posting at 6am central vs 9am and saw a 40% jump in reach. Which side are you on - is the algorithm about real connection or just timing tricks?

3 comments

c/computer-technicians•

the_tara•1mo ago

TIL that a thermal pad can fail after just 8 months in a hot server room

I swapped out a drive in a Dell R730 last week and found the thermal pad on the chipset had basically turned to dust. Has anyone else seen these things degrade way faster than they should in high-temp environments?

3 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

the_tara•1mo ago

I finally listened to the old guy about my bull float technique

He watched me on a garage slab in Tacoma and said 'you're fighting the concrete, not floating it.' I realized I was pushing down way too hard, trying to force it flat instead of letting the tool do the work. Anyone else have a simple tip that fixed a bad habit?

3 comments