Shoutout to the old school stylist who showed me a pin curl trick for stubborn cowlicks

Back when I was starting out, a client with a really strong cowlick kept messing up her blunt bangs. I tried everything, even heavy gels, and it just looked stiff. An older stylist at the salon saw me struggling and said, 'Try a wet set pin curl right at the root before you blow dry.' I did it on damp hair, clipped it for about 10 minutes while I did her color, then dried it. The hair dried with memory and laid perfectly flat without any crunch. Has anyone else found a vintage technique that still solves modern problems?

That time a targeted ad actually saved me a ton of money on a truck part

Last Tuesday, my work truck's alternator went out in the middle of a job in Tacoma. I was looking at a $400 part at the local shop. While I was waiting for a tow, I got a targeted ad on my phone for the exact part, on sale for $220 from an online retailer I'd never heard of. I bought it, had it shipped overnight, and was back on the road in 48 hours. Everyone talks about data collection like it's only a bad thing, but that ad saved me $180 and a lot of downtime. I know it's creepy how they knew what I needed, but the practical help was real. Has a piece of your data ever actually worked out in your favor like that?

Heard a cashier at the grocery store say they're testing a self-checkout robot

I was in line at the Kroger on Main Street yesterday and the cashier told the person in front of me that their store is part of a test for a robot that can bag groceries and work the self-checkout area. She said they're told it can handle about 30 transactions an hour without a break. It made me think, that's one more job that might not need a person soon. Has anyone else heard about robots moving into jobs like this in their town?

Update: My bank flagged my account for fraud because I was in two countries in one day

Last month I flew from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur for a meeting, then back to Thailand the same evening. My bank's automated system saw the quick country switch and froze my card, thinking it was stolen. I was stuck at a 7-Eleven in Phuket with no way to pay for a taxi or food. Has anyone else had this happen with a specific bank that's good for fast travel?

My local shop had a 50% off sale and the line was just people arguing about the best Robin.

Spent 45 minutes listening to a guy say 'Tim Drake is the only logical choice' while someone else kept yelling 'Dick Grayson or GTFO'. Anyone else's shop get weirdly intense over discounts?

I finally went to that old missile silo museum in Kansas and the tour guide's story didn't add up

Drove out to the Minuteman Missile Museum near Abilene last weekend. The guide was showing us the old launch control room, talking about how the system was totally isolated and secure. But then he pointed to this weird, small metal plate on the floor near the main console. He said it was just a cover for some old wiring. Thing is, I've seen a lot of access panels in my line of work, and this one had fresh tool marks around the edges, like it had been opened recently. The whole place is supposed to be a sealed-up museum piece from the 60s. Why would they need to get into the floor under the main command desk now? It made me wonder what they're really keeping down there, or if they're adding something new to the display and not telling anyone. Has anyone else been there and noticed stuff that seemed off?

My climbing rope snapped on a big oak in Springfield last Tuesday

Was about 40 feet up doing a removal. Heard a pop and dropped maybe 15 feet before my secondary caught me. Rope was only 8 months old, a Sterling HTP. Checked it that morning, looked fine. Had to finish the job with my backup line, took twice as long. Anyone else have a rope fail way before its time?

I just realized I've been dominating our book club discussions for months

We were talking about 'The Vanishing Half' last Thursday, and I was going on about the themes of identity and passing. After I finished, there was this quiet moment, and then Sarah, who almost never speaks, said, 'I mean, I just kept thinking about how the town of Mallard felt like its own character, you know? The pressure it put on everyone.' It was so simple, but it was a totally different way of seeing the book than my whole analysis. It hit me then that I'd been treating our meetings like a lecture where I had to have the 'right' take, instead of a place to just share what we each got from it. I think I was trying to sound smart, but I was probably just shutting people down. Has anyone else had to step back and learn to listen more in their club?

My neighbor called his granola 'heart healthy' because of the label, but the sugar was wild

Overheard a guy at the comic shop say something that stuck with me

I was at The Dragon's Hoard in Akron last Saturday, and this older guy was talking to the clerk about how he only buys books from the 80s. He said, 'I don't read new comics, I read comic book fans.' He meant he just watches what people get excited about online to know what's 'important.' It made me think we might be the real story sometimes, not the books. Has anyone else felt like the fan chatter is its own comic universe now?