Just went to an AI art gallery in Portland and walked out confused

I visited this gallery downtown last weekend that was ALL AI generated paintings. Beautiful colors and wild compositions for sure. But the thing that bugged me is every piece had a little plaque with the prompt like "photorealistic woman in a sunset" or whatever. No artist name. No process. Just a prompt and the software name. I get that it's the machine making the image but someone still had to curate those prompts and pick which ones to frame and hang. To me that's still creative work even if you didn't touch a brush. Everyone I talked to there acted like it was soulless and lazy but I kinda see it more like directing a photo shoot. You're still making choices about what looks good. Has anyone else seen this kind of exhibit and felt torn about it?

A cashier at the grocery store asked me if AI checkouts were taking jobs and I froze

It was last Saturday at the Piggly Wiggly on 3rd street. The self checkout machines were lined up and the lady ringing me up looked at them and said softly "you think i'll still have this job in 5 years?" I didn't know what to say. I mumbled something about automation but really it hit me how real this fear is for regular people. Has anyone else been put on the spot like that?

Laying LVP in a house going for sale was depressing

Spent 3 days putting LVP in a flip house near Cleveland and the realtor complained about the color because it didn't match the cabinets. Nothing like having someone nitpick your work when the old carpet had actual mouse droppings underneath. Has anyone else dealt with flippers changing their mind mid-install?

That greenhouse at the Chicago Botanic Garden has a serious air plant problem now

Went last weekend and noticed the Tillandsia collection in the tropical house is spreading like crazy onto the orchid mounts. The staff must be finding them under benches and on the paths every morning. There was one attached to a signs metal frame near the door. Anybody else see plants just taking over in unexpected spots after a wet season?

That week I tried to fix a leaky faucet and ended up flooding the kitchen

Last month I thought I'd save $150 by swapping a worn out cartridge in my bathroom sink. Turned out the shut-off valve under the counter was ancient and basically crumbled when I touched it. Water shot out everywhere for a solid 3 minutes before I found the main house shut-off in the basement. By the time I got back upstairs, there was a quarter inch of water across the whole linoleum floor. Had to rent a wet vac from Home Depot and run fans for two days straight. Has anyone else had a simple fix turn into a total disaster like this?

Saw a huge jump in portfolio quality after I stopped using AI for my backgrounds

About 3 months ago I decided to go back to hand drawing all my environmental stuff instead of letting Midjourney generate the scenery. The difference was night and day after about 6 pieces. My characters started looking like they actually belonged in the scene instead of floating on top. Anyone else notice that AI backgrounds make the whole piece look flat?

I used to defend instant mashed potatoes until I tried making them from scratch

For years I thought instant potatoes were fine. They're quick, they're consistent, what's the big deal? Then last Tuesday I peeled 5 pounds of Yukon Golds, boiled them, and mashed them with butter and cream. It took 45 minutes start to finish. The texture was actually fluffy, not gluey. Now I can't go back to the flakes. Anyone else have a food they defended forever until they actually tried the real version?

Update: I saw a museum piece in Chicago that changed how I think about shellac

I was at the Art Institute of Chicago last week and saw a 19th century French writing desk. The finish was flawless, and the card said it was original shellac. I always thought shellac was too soft for daily use, but seeing it hold up perfectly for over a hundred years made me reconsider. Has anyone else worked on a piece that old with its original finish intact?

Three years ago I started using a bone folder from a craft store for my leather work. My mentor in Portland took one look and said 'You're going to ruin that spine.' Guess who was right?

Thought my new neighbor's noise complaint was just him being fussy

He kept saying his windows rattled every time my truck started. I figured he was just sensitive until I saw a picture he took with a glass of water on his sill, sloshing over the edge. Anyone else had a neighbor prove you wrong with solid proof?