Can we talk about how many people are still using active dry yeast without proofing it first

I've seen three separate bakers in my local guild this month skip the warm water and sugar step, which guarantees a weak rise and wasted flour because the yeast never fully activates.

Stopped at a farm auction in Iowa and saw a 1980s Mack truck with a homemade fuel system

I was at a farm sale near Des Moines last month and they had an old Mack R model for auction. When I looked under the hood, someone had put in a custom fuel line setup using clear plastic hose and hose clamps. It was feeding straight from the tank to the pump with no real filter in line. I could see bits of junk floating in the fuel. What's the worst homemade fix you've seen on a diesel engine?

Overheard a guy at the hardware store telling his friend he never asks for help because he 'doesn't want to look stupid'.

Found a quick fix for a clogged shimmer ink in my TWSBI

Had a sample of 'Emerald of Chivor' that kept clogging after a day. Mixed in a single drop of distilled water and a tiny pinch of dish soap. Flows perfectly now. Anyone else try this with other shimmer inks?

Serious question, my sourdough starter went completely flat and smelled like nail polish after I left it for a week.

I had to toss it and begin a new one from scratch with a bit of rye flour, which has me wondering if anyone has a better method for taking a break from feeding.

Met a guy on the Lost Coast Trail who swore by hiking in jeans

Ran into him at the Mattole River camp last fall, and he was wearing full denim. He said he'd hiked the entire 25 mile stretch in them for over a decade, claiming they're tougher than any hiking pants. I argued that cotton is a terrible idea for coastal fog, but he just laughed and said his legs were fine. It stuck with me because everyone online says that's a huge mistake. Has anyone else met someone with a backpacking habit that goes totally against the common advice?

My tomato plant almost fell off the balcony yesterday

I was watering my plants on my third floor balcony in Chicago when a strong gust of wind hit. My biggest cherry tomato plant, in a 5 gallon fabric pot, tipped right over the edge. I grabbed it just as it was about to go over, but the main stem snapped halfway. I quickly used some garden tape and a chopstick as a splint. It's been 24 hours and the plant looks okay, but I'm worried. Has anyone else had to splint a broken stem and did it recover?

Serious question, has anyone else had a brick saw blade just stop cutting halfway through a job?

Happened to me yesterday on a patio in Tacoma. My 14-inch diamond blade on the Stihl saw started making this high-pitched whine and wouldn't bite into the paver at all. I checked for binding, but the motor was fine. Ended up having to finish the cuts with a chisel and hammer, which added two hours. What's the usual life you get out of a blade before this happens?

Talked to a retired cutterhead operator in Galveston who said he never used a flow meter, just watched the spoil color.

We were having a beer after a long day on the bay. He said, 'Kid, all your fancy gauges just tell you what the mud already knows. If it's coming up too dark, you're cutting too deep. Too light, you're just skimming.' I've been staring at my panel for three years, and he made me feel like I was missing the whole picture. How many of you guys still go by the old 'feel' of the dredge instead of just the numbers?

I just found out how much wood a competition team can go through in a weekend

I was reading an old interview with a pitmaster from the Memphis in May contest, and he said his team used over 500 pounds of wood for a single event. That's more than I use in a whole year in my backyard. Does anyone know if that's a normal amount for the big contests?