Olivia's point about the pouches is a good start, but it feels like a band-aid. The real fix needs to come from the tech companies. They should make a true theater mode that locks the screen and kills all haptics with one tap, no sneaky notifications. My old watch would still buzz for heart rate alerts even in "silent mode", which is just dumb design. It shouldn't be this hard to just watch a movie in peace.

Vinegar's a band-aid fix, it doesn't kill the root cause. That smell comes from biofilm in the hidden parts of the machine, and acid just masks it for a week. You need to hit it with actual washing machine cleaner or bleach on a hot cycle to break down the gunk. Leaving the door and soap drawer open after every wash is the only real long term fix.

Hold up, your dad actually kept a basil plant alive indoors? That's wild. Mine killed a cactus in two weeks. Every herb he touched just turned to yellow mush. A windowsill basil surviving feels like a miracle story.

Boycotting like @theasmith is smart, but we need laws to stop the training theft too.

My uncle built a 40 foot retaining wall in Coeur d'Alene without any strips. He used a lime mix too and it's been solid for ten years. Those plastic things can create a weak spot where water gets in and freezes. Your neighbor's wall cracked right where the strips end, didn't it? Good mortar and letting it dry slow is the real fix. The strips are just a band aid for bad mix or fast work.