Why does everyone say you have to use a stand mixer for bread?

I made a loaf by hand last week, just kneading it on my counter for about 8 minutes. The crumb was tight and the crust was perfect. I think people rely on the machine too much and lose the feel for the dough. Has anyone else had better results just using their hands?

Just realized my pump strainer basket was the reason for my suction headaches

On a job in Mobile last spring, my 10-inch cutterhead dredge kept losing prime every couple hours. I checked everything obvious, the lines, the seals, even thought the pump itself was going. Turns out, a tiny piece of plastic bag had gotten past the main grate and was stuck in the secondary strainer basket, flapping over the intake port with the flow. Cleared it, and she ran smooth for the next three days straight. Anyone else had a weird blockage that drove them nuts?

Vent: My calendar looked full but my bank account was empty last month.

I took on five small projects in April thinking it was smart to stay busy. Each one had its own calls and tiny edits that ate up my afternoons. By the end of the month, I'd worked every day but made less than my usual rate from two solid jobs. It showed me that being busy isn't the same as doing good work. How do you spot a project that will just waste your time?

Just blew $400 on a 'self-leveling' laser that couldn't handle a slight breeze on a driveway job.

Bought it for a big stamped concrete patio we were setting up. The specs said it was good for outdoor use, but even a little wind kept knocking it off by an eighth of an inch. Had to stop and re-level it like six times an hour. Ended up going back to my old manual level and string lines to finish the pour. Total waste of a morning and that cash. Anyone have a laser they actually trust outside?

Got called out for my corner post bracing on a job in Phoenix

The inspector said my 2x4 kickers were 'barely holding a thought' and to use 4x4s with a proper diagonal. Switched on the next job and the difference in stability was huge, especially in that sandy soil. Anyone have a favorite method for corners on loose ground?

Bought a $300 digital fabric printer that couldn't handle basic cotton

The color bled on the first test print and the company said that wasn't covered. What's a good, actually reliable printer for small-batch designs?

My weekend binge plan just fell apart when the streaming service crashed

I was three episodes into a new show on Saturday night when the whole app just stopped working. The screen went black and a weird error code popped up. I tried restarting my tablet and the router, but nothing fixed it for about 45 minutes. What do you guys do when your streaming goes down in the middle of a good series?

Warning: I thought the new tree growth regulator was just a sales pitch for a while.

A city job in Tacoma had us treat some maples on a tight street, and the reduction in pruning cycles was real, like going from every 18 months to over 3 years. I was wrong to brush it off just because it seemed fancy. Has anyone else seen results that changed their mind on a product like this?

Update: A fight over the ending of 'The Road' at my local library made me quit my book club

We were meeting in the back room of the Seattle Public Library last month, and a guy named Mark got so mad about the ambiguous ending he threw his copy on the table. He yelled, 'Cormac McCarthy owes us an answer!' It was so awkward I just packed up my stuff and left. Now I only talk books with one friend who gets that some stories just end. Anyone else bail on a group after a single bad meeting?

A friend in Denver told me to put 30% of every check in a separate account right away. It saved me come tax time.