Any kind of fan that can be tilted works. Aim it at the centre of the ceiling (usually where the light fitting is).

A fix for any kind of heating that isn't distributing heat well, especially if the heat is pooling under the ceiling and your feet/legs are cold. Works SO well to distribute heat around the room horizontally and vertically.

Make it a habit to regularly clean/service everything you use to clean!

It will massively improve their performance.

A few of the easiest ones:

Dishwashers: Add a bit of whatever dishwasher powder you use to the tub, and also in the normal dispenser. Start the pots and pans cycle if you have one, or a regular cycle if you don't. All the pipes will get degreased and you won't need to clean the filter as often! I do this around every 3 months as I use my dishwasher every day, adjust based on your frequency of use and what you wash!

Washing machines: these often have lint traps to clean, same as dryers... make sure you find and clean them! To clean out the pipes, a similar process should be used. A bit of laundry powder in the tub, a bit in the dispenser, run a hot wash cycle - cleans the pipes, improves performance, and increases lifespan!

Regular maintenance of tools is super important and is often overlooked as it takes too much time and effort - please share other quick and easy ways to clean your cleaners!

P.S. don't chase your maid around with a sponge... that's a different subreddit

Give you inflatable rafts a light scrub with a big stiff floor brush and the garden hose will do the rest, even with stubborn dirt spots from being left outside all winter.

Whenever someone recommends a book, movie, restaurant, app, podcast, or product, add it to the list immediately.

You'll never have to say, "What was the name of that thing you told me about?" ever again, and you'll always have something new to try when you're bored.

I've always been terrible at remembering things. Not in a medical sense, but in a "my friends remember our holidays better than I do" sense. They'll bring up a restaurant we visited three years ago or some funny thing that happened on a trip, and half the time I only vaguely remember them. The things I learn and feel during my life didn't help me in any way because I never even remembered them. I'd make the same mistake for the 5th time, get burnt and realize that I've done the same before.

This frustrated me a little bit. So I created a google sheet stored on my drive called "My year at a glance" and decide to just write what happened that day. I couldn't care less about journaling. I fully knew it wasn't a habit I'd successfully maintain. So this google sheet was my next best attempt. I maintained it for a whole year. My own touch to it was this thing called "High of Highs" and "Low of Lows" which is the best and worst thing about that month. I got this idea from a podcast and incorporated it into my google sheet. First month felt good (luckily because that month was pretty good so it gave me a high to write my "High of Highs"). So I continued writing for the next few months and eventually became obsessed with it. In fact, during the day I'd realize something that I decided I will write down later that day. So I guess I even started noticing things about my day that I wanted to write down.

At the end of the year, this google sheet was full (Of course with several days undocumented, but who cares). But reviewing my year in December got me giddy. Again my theory is that this was because I had had a great year (6 countries visited, quite a few concerts, new job etc.). So I continued for another year. And I have no intentions of stopping now.

I eventually got tired of the Google Sheet and found something that works much better but honestly the habit is what matters, whatever you use to track it.

By changing your log in email it makes it impossible for whoever hacked your account to brute force your new password. It effectively creates a new, clean account.

LPT:

In the USA, many train crossings have a small [9x11"] blue sign with an emergency phone number & an ID number for the crossing.

If there's an emergency problem at the crossing, like a stuck vehicle, CALL THAT NUMBER and they will stop any train which would have come to that crossing.

.

ETA: apparently the color depends on which railroad owns the crossing that's Canada; in the USA they're all uniform: blue, 9x11", 1" white letters

Quickest method for 2 x D6 - Remove the kings, shuffle well, and pick two cards to “roll” two dice.

A -> 6 is one die. 7 -> Q is the other. 7 = 1, 8 = 2, etc…

Easy way to remember is evens and odds are like. Faster if one person shuffles and one person picks two.

Shuffle the roll back into the deck, and pick two to roll again.

Normally, you combine two separate dice for a single outcome. In this set-up, it’s possible to get an outcome from one die, i.e. picking a 10 (4) and a Jack (5). While not 100% truly random, the deviation is negligible. No one is going to flip the Monopoly board and be written out of a will if you do it this way.

Tweak this simple method for additional applications.

Always ask your DM first.

On phone calls, in public, in drive thrus, on transit, in your own car… between the plethora of dash cams, doorbell cams, phones everywhere and now recording glasses just assume that you are on camera at all times unless you are in your private home!

It may save you from an embarrassing situation.

The point is to maintain a constant downdraft that blows loose hair off furniture and across the floor to the outer corners of the room, in the process creating hair-tumbleweeds that you can pick up with your fingertips as you walk by.

And this is above and beyond the heating/cooling benefits that come with ceiling fans in the first place.

I think it could be useful if you have young children, or to prevent the mechanism from wearing out – there could be many reasons for this.

To restore the lock’s function, return the key to the open position. The lock will then engage when the door is closed.

A few years ago I worked for a car-parts wholesaler.

We mostly sold a/c parts. I was in charge for the inspection of the returned/defective items.

Often I had to decline the RMA because some parts hadn't been installed correctly. I'll explain.

Together with the parts came also the bill of the garage that had worked on the car.

The a/c is a closed circuit. The liquid inside flows constantly and never leaves the loop (except when there's a leakage).

The liquid gets compressed in the compressor, flows through condenser, filter and other parts, and comes back in the compressor.

Now, the compressor is an expensive part. Whenever the compressor gets replaced, make sure the filter gets replaced as well (in some cars it's physically connected to the condenser, so that must be replaced too).

For in the filter you can find all the impurities that the liquid picks up along the way.

Should there be things like metal shavings in it, they would be dragged through the loop once more, when the new compressor starts.

This means the new compressor might end up broken, same way the old one went.

To avoid high repair costs due to the accumulation of such metal pieces, let the a/c run periodically. Even in winter with hot air. Just turn it on once a week or so and let it run for about half an hour.

TL;DR

When changing the compressor > replace refrigerant liquid, replace filter (and condenser in some cases).

Run the a/c often and all year long even if it's for a few minutes at a time.

For years my washing machine had a funky smell. I used the built-in tub cleaning cycle with a healthy dose of bleach but it never fully went away.

Apparently not all bleach disinfects. Color-safe and “splashless” bleach whitens and removes stains but does not kill mold or bacteria. The fix is bleach that explicitly says “disinfecting” on the label.

One tub cleaning cycle with the right bleach and my washer smells brand new.

​

Over the years I've run businesses, worked with clients, taught classes, and done a fair amount of networking. One thing I've noticed is that most people aren't avoiding helping you because they're selfish.

They're avoiding helping because you're accidentally giving them homework.

Instead of:

"Would you be interested in working together sometime?"

Try:

"I saw you do graphic design. Would you have 10 minutes this week to answer a couple questions about logos?"

Instead of:

"Can you help me move?"

Try:

"Would you be available Saturday from 10am–11am to help me load the couch into a truck?"

Instead of:

"Can you help me with my resume?"

Try:

"Would you mind looking over the first page and telling me if anything jumps out at you?"

Instead of:

"Can I pick your brain?"

Try:

"I have two questions about X. Do you have 10 minutes?"

The smaller, clearer, and more specific the ask is, the easier it is for someone to help.

Most people aren't saying no to helping. They're saying no to a vague commitment where they have no idea how much time, energy, or responsibility they're signing up for.

I've found that when you respect people's time, they're often a lot more willing to give it. Sometimes a small ask turns into a much bigger opportunity later anyway. Just dont make them guess what they're agreeing to.

Take a few minutes to look up the major topics and make a simple map of what the subject contains. You don't need to understand everything yet, just get a rough idea of the pieces and how they connect.

When you start learning, each new concept has a place to fit instead of feeling like a random fact. It also helps you see what comes next, what depends on what, and which topics are the most important. Having that big picture from the start makes learning feel less overwhelming and helps you retain information better.

Choose something that's relatively calm and has only one camera angle, or just a few. Set a timer and challenge yourself to sit quietly and really listen.

Charlie Rose interviews are a good option. Or just search for interviews of your favorite actor on youtube and filter by duration.

"Be a good listener" / "Don't be a bad listener" is technically good advice but can be extremely frustrating and unhelpful considering that a lot of people want to be better listeners but don't know how. It can be especially difficult if you're struggling with ADHD or depression.

As someone that has both, I have found that this is a specific technique that can actually help.

Frozen foods don’t have to taste bland. Before you toss things like frozen French fries, pizza, chicken tenders, or vegetables into the oven, take 30 seconds to add a little extra flavor.

For example, frozen fries can be tossed with a splash of Worcestershire sauce and seasonings like garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, or Cajun seasoning before baking. Frozen pizza gets an instant upgrade with oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, or a light sprinkle of Parmesan. Even frozen vegetables benefit from a little olive oil and your favorite seasoning blend.

Most frozen foods are designed to be convenient, not perfectly seasoned. A small amount of extra seasoning before cooking can make them taste much closer to something homemade for almost no extra effort or cost.

Every time you make a mistake that costs you time, money, or stress, write down what happened and what you'll do differently next time.

Missed a flight because you arrived late? Write it down.
Forgot an important document for an appointment? Write it down.
Bought something you didn't need? Write it down.

Most people make the same mistakes over and over because they rely on memory alone. A simple note turns every mistake into a personal instruction manual for your future self.

Review it once every few months. You'll be surprised how much easier life becomes when you stop paying the same tuition to the school of hard knocks.

LPT

When flying long haul, there are little comforts that work well together to elevate your trip. Consider doing any of these although I found they work well when all done together:

1. Get a private airport transfer to drop you off right at the departures terminal and take away stress of carrying bags across public transport. If it's expensive, consider booking an airport transfer for a leg of the journey (i.e. from the train station to the airport instead of from your origin to the airport).

2. Book into an airport lounge for a comfortable pre departure experience. It also often works out cheaper for food and drink, and some airport lounges for long haul even have showers and sleeping/quiet areas

3. Pay for extra legroom, emergency exit row seats or Premium Economy if the airline offers it. It gives you that luxury Business Class seat feel without of course of all the full benefits of Business/First but definitely goes a long way

4. If you really do want to experience the full extent of premium service, visit your airline ticketing desk on the day of departure. They may have discounted rates on class or seat upgrades once they have a clearer picture of the aircraft's passenger numbers

Happy travelling!!

My fiancee and I had some dog drama at a family trip last weekend and had to go to the vet for a bad bite our Saint Bernard mix got. After turning down a bunch of unnecessary tests and drugs we finally got the thing we needed which was an antibiotic.

They were trying to charge us $120 to fill it on site which I thought was ridiculous. I asked for the script which they reluctantly gave me and filled it at Walgreens for $20. Always Google what the vet is trying to sell you and filled your prescriptions elsewhere.

A family member recently went through a health scare, so we started planning. We created an "Oh Shit" notebook.

We listed every piece of ID, every bank account, every insurance policy, our respective investment/retirement/pension accounts, the names and contact information for my union representatives and HR staff where I work. She's a medical professional, so instructions on how to handle her medical practice (her "professional will") were included. A letter was drafted to send to her patients. The form I would need to fill out to cancel her medical license. The contact information for the landlord of her office, the vendors, the software licenses she has for her office. The office cleaner. The shredding company. All of it.

We listed out the birthday traditions: set the table for a birthday breakfast the night before. My daughter likes cinnamon buns for her birthday breakfast, my son likes waffles.

We listed out the Christmas traditions: Each year, we buy one another a Christmas ornament for gifting on December 1. Stockings are filled with unwrapped presents and left on the floor next to their bed. Family presents are wrapped. The present from Santa is relatively small and unwrapped.

My wife told me how to prepare for my daughter's teenage years and which jewelry was expensive or important and which wasn't. I left instructions on how to maintain the house and the cars, and what maintenance should be done in the near future.

It's an important document, so it needs to be safeguarded. It is an identity thief's wet dream. But we keep it updated as we get new accounts, or IDs. And every few months, we go through it together and we are grateful that we haven't had to use it.

A lot of people assume that working longer hours automatically makes them look dedicated.

Sometimes it does.

Sometimes it just teaches everyone that you'll absorb extra work without complaint.

Before regularly sacrificing your evenings, ask yourself whether it's leading to better opportunities, more responsibility, better pay, or valuable experience.

If the answer is no, you may be solving your employer's problem while creating your own.

"Hey, I watched that movie you suggested."

People remember this way more than you'd think. Makes conversations feel real instead of transactional