u/datboifranco

i recently realized that a lot of my online habits are completely exposed because i’ve been pretty careless with how I browse. it’s kind of alarming how easily data brokers and trackers can piece together your identity just from unencrypted traffic.

this includes my shopping history, IP locations, old search queries, and random account sign-ups i never intentionally wanted shared with corporate advertisers. i want to wipe my slate clean and lock things down moving forward.

invisalign is profitable or whatever. but why does every dentist in this town act like my slightly crooked bottom tooth is a medical emergency?

went to a place near court street last month for a cleaning. sat down opened my mouth and before the hygienist even started scraping she was like have you ever considered straightening your teeth? ma'am i am here because my gums hurt when i floss. i dont care about my bottom tooth its been like that since high school.

then the dentist comes in and does the same thing. pulls up this simulation on an ipad showing what my smile could look like. i felt like i was at a car dealership.

i just want a regular dentist. someone who looks at my xrays and says hey this filling is cracked or you need to floss more and then lets me leave.

my friend in columbus goes to a place she found through smile partners USA. said theyre pretty no frills. might try them next because im honestly exhausted from saying "no thanks" to invisalign every six months.

anyone got a normal dentist in athens? or is this just how it is here now

For most of my 30s I just ignored my body skin. Face? Sure. Body? Never thought about it. Then I started noticing dryness on my arms and legs, some rough patches on my elbows that wouldn't go away, and general dullness I'd just accepted as normal.

Started paying more attention to what people were doing and realized a decent number of guys actually have a routine for body skin. Felt like I'd missed a memo.

I tried a few different products over the past year with mixed results. Eventually switched to Leif after seeing it mentioned a couple of times and it's been the most consistent thing I've tried. The dryness has improved noticeably.

Nothing dramatic, just steady progress. Still figuring out what works long term. Anyone else start late with body care? And for the guys here, what actually made a difference for you?

i was looking into financing for investment properties and somehow ended up spending way too many nights reading old reddit threads instead of sleeping. one thing led to another and suddenly i'm reading lender sites, trying random numbers in a DSCR calculator, comparing scenarios honestly i didn't expect there to be this many little differences between lenders.

before this i thought you either qualified for a mortgage or you didn't. i had no idea there was this whole side of lending where the property's income matters more than your W2.

has anyone else gone down this rabbit hole recently? did it end up being as straightforward as it sounds once you actually applied or is there a lot more to it than people talk about online?

i swear every answer i find just gives me three more questions lol

i finally decided to build a proper welding table after years of working on the floor or on random sawhorses that kept wobbling. i wanted something sturdy with a thick top that could handle heavy projects without flexing.

i went to normetals and picked up some solid steel plate and angle iron for a fraction of what new material would have cost. cut everything to size welded the frame together and added a few cross braces for extra strength. the whole thing came out way better than i expected and only took a weekend to finish.

has anyone else built their own welding table from recycled materials? what thickness of plate did you go with and did you add any features like a lower shelf or clamp points?

bought this 24v 5.9 as a non-runner. got it running after a vp44 rebuild. now im fighting low fuel pressure at idle. like 8 psi when it should be 15. already replaced the lift pump. already checked for restrictions. already did the fuel lines.

im starting to think the vp44 itself might be worn internally. which sucks because i just put money into it. been looking at replacement injection pumps online and the prices are everywhere. some places want 1500 for a reman.

has anyone used a cheaper reman vp44? are they all the same or should i stick with bosch. also is there any way to test the pump without just throwing parts at it. im already into this thing for too much money and i dont wanna keep spending.

i have been planning a trip up to the yukon for a moose hunt next september and found some good info on outfitters in the area. my buddy and i are thinking of going for 10 days around the third week of september during the rut to have the best shot at a solid bull. we both have some experience but this will be our first time in the far north so we want to get the details right.

anyone here done a guided hunt in the yukon before? how was the weather and bug situation in september and what gear made the biggest difference for you?

This sounds ridiculously simple but it genuinely changed my morning routine. I have several bottles in the shower that are roughly the same shape and size: shampoo, conditioner, body wash. Without my glasses I am basically blind, and I was constantly lathering my hair with conditioner first or grabbing body wash when I wanted shampoo. Annoying every single time.

The fix took about five seconds. I wrapped a rubber band around my shampoo bottle. One rubber band, one bottle, problem solved. Now I just feel for the band and immediately know which one I am grabbing without squinting at the label or pulling the bottle out to check.

You can build on this too. Two rubber bands for conditioner, none for body wash. Or use a hair tie or a small sticker you can feel. Whatever you have lying around.

It works especially well for anyone who showers without contacts or glasses, which I would guess is most people. It also helps kids who are learning to do their own hair care and cannot read labels well yet.

Tiny change, zero cost, and I have not grabbed the wrong bottle in months. Curious if anyone else has a system for keeping shower bottles straight without just memorizing where they sit.

I'll go first. A few months ago I confidently set off on my longest ride yet, about 40 miles, feeling totally prepared. Halfway through I realized I had forgotten to fill my water bottles. Not just one, both of them. Completely empty. I had to knock on a stranger's door and beg for tap water like an absolute disaster of a human being. The homeowner was incredibly kind about it but I wanted to disappear into the tarmac.

Since then I have a preride checklist stuck to my door that I physically check before leaving. Water, snacks, spare tube, pump, phone charged. Basic stuff that experienced riders probably do on autopilot, but nobody really tells beginners just how easy it is to forget the fundamentals when you're excited to get out and ride.

I know from reading posts here that crashes, bonking, and all kinds of humbling moments are basically a rite of passage in cycling. But the small preventable stuff is where a lot of newer riders quietly suffer without talking about it.

So what was your most embarrassing or facepalm moment early on that ended up genuinely improving how you ride? Would love to hear the stories and any habits you built as a result.

I want to buy a tennis chain, but I'm trying to stay away of an eye-catching item. Some of the bigger ones look nice online, but when I see people wearing them in person, they are far too extravagant.

I was considering 6mm+ at first, but I'm now looking at whether something closer to 3mm or 4mm might be more appropriate for daily use. I looked at tennis chains from Leon Diamond to compare sizes, and to be honest, it made me unsure.

Which size ended up looking the most natural on you if you wear them regularly?

This one saved me from buying a new charger every few months. If you slide a binder clip onto the base of your charging cable right where it meets the connector, the metal part reinforces that stress point and stops the wire from bending and fraying over time. That spot is where almost every cable breaks first because it gets bent repeatedly at a sharp angle.

You can grab binder clips for basically nothing at any dollar store or office supply place. Just open the clip, feed the cable through one of the little metal loops, and position it so the rigid part sits right at the base of the connector. It keeps the cable from bending too sharply and adds a lot of life to it.

I started doing this after going through three iPhone cables in one year. Been using the same cable for about eight months now with no signs of wear at the base.

Works on USBC, Lightning, and basically any cable where the connector meets the wire. Also useful for headphone cables if you still use wired ones.

Anyone else have simple ways they extend the life of their cables or electronics accessories? Always looking for more tricks like this that save money without needing any special tools or products.

Was stuck in traffic on I-70 outside Kansas City for about 40 minutes because of a multi-vehicle accident ahead. Frustrating at first but at some point I just started watching how everything was being coordinated.

There was a trailer set up off the shoulder that looked like a full operations hub. Personnel going in and out, screens visible through the door, radio equipment, looked nothing like a regular emergency vehicle. The whole scene was moving way more efficiently than I expected for something that just got deployed on the side of a highway.

Started reading about this after I got home. Apparently there's a whole fabrication side to these units, companies like craftsmen, Frontline Communications, Wanco that build them fully custom for different agencies and scenarios. Power systems, communications infrastructure, all of it built into a trailer that can be on site within hours.

Never really thought about what goes into the coordination side of emergency response before. Does anyone here work in emergency management or law enforcement and actually use setups like this regularly?

my ac has been acting up lately in my new home it blows cool air in some rooms but others stay warm and humid even after running for hours. this is my first time dealing with an ac issue and it is frustrating especially with the heat.

i called sunny bliss ac who i work with and they cleaned the coils checked the refrigerant and replaced the filter but the uneven cooling is still happening.

what could cause this in a newer system and how do i check if the ducts are the real problem without calling more people out? also is it normal for ac to struggle in certain weather or should i look at upgrading the unit size?

the bathroom in our small old home has had a slow leak under the shower for months. water has caused mold along the baseboards. the floor feels soft in one corner. sealing the grout and replacing the caulk has not fixed it.

a remodel is being considered because patching is not enough and the subfloor needs replacement to prevent further damage. has anyone dealt with mold and soft floors in an old bathroom. what steps should we take to prepare for a full remodel.

I feel like I’ve collected too many products over the years.

Right now I’m trying to scale it back to something simple and consistent.

Cleanser, moisturizer, SPF are obvious, but beyond that I’m not sure what’s actually worth keeping.

If you had to keep just a few things, what made the biggest difference for you?

ive been doing my own gel nails at home for over a year but kept dealing with lifting chipping and some sensitivity on my natural nails especially after a few days of typing and housework. recently i ordered from nsi nails and their hema free builder gel applied super smooth self leveled perfectly and my latest set is still going strong after almost 3 weeks with solid shine and no reactions at all.

has anyone else tried nsi nails products here? how long do their polishes usually last for you in real life?

thanks for any feedback guys really appreciate it.

ive been doing my own gel nails at home for over a year but kept dealing with lifting chipping and some sensitivity on my natural nails especially after a few days of typing and housework. recently i ordered from nsi nails and their hema free builder gel applied super smooth self leveled perfectly and my latest set is still going strong after almost 3 weeks with solid shine and no reactions at all.

has anyone else tried nsi nails products here? how long do their polishes usually last for you in real life?

thanks for any feedback guys really appreciate it.