Products I wholeheartedly endorse

[monster]

Our 16yo Briggs and Stratton didn't start on the first pull, but after a second prime, it did start. I was pretty damn impressed

[glatt]

Something like 200 million years of instinct built up over time into my DNA tells me that when my alarm goes off at around 6AM and it is absolutely pitch black outside, I should go back to sleep. The only thing awake out there is saber tooth tigers, and they will kill me because I can't see them, but they can see me. Just go back to sleep. Do it. Go back to sleep.

But the beeping alarm reminds me about the shit modern world we live in where I have to drag my ass off to work and sit at a fucking desk all day, so I eventually rouse and head to the shower.

If only it wasn't so dark!

Enter the simulated sunrise alarm clock.

You can spend a few hundred bucks or you can spend thirty. You'll get basically the same plastic crap from China either way. I spent thirty.

Last night, I set the alarm clock. This morning at 5:30 the clock lit up just ever so slightly. Then it got slowly brighter and brighter over the next 30 minutes. Finally after 30 minutes, it was at peak brightness, and gentle wave sounds started playing.

I had stirred from my sleep when the light was just a little bit bright and the alarm hadn't sounded yet. I dozed back off. Then I stirred from my sleep again and was in that awake but not quite awake state as the light got a little brighter. Then bit later, the alarm sounded and I was awake and alert. Getting up was easy.

How bright is the light? Not super bright. Kind of like a desk lamp shining in your face if you have it on your bedside table. It's probably not bright enough if you have it across the room.

[Clodfobble]

Minifob wakes up to one of those. It did wonders for his morning attitude. The crazy thing is, he sleeps with a sleep mask, but it works anyway. Like his skin can sense the change even if he can't truly see it.

[monster]

for those who like multiplayer strategy games

https://www.asmodee.us/en/games/7-wonders/

pologirl had been playing this with friends and recommended we get it as a family game. Not a day went by over the break without one or more people suggesting a game.

We haven't mastered it yet, there probably is no mastery, but regardless, it only takes about an hour to play.

Great concept, not like anything else we have played, but not too complex and yet plenty for our brains to chew on....

[Glinda]

Originally Posted by monster

for those who like multiplayer strategy games

https://www.asmodee.us/en/games/7-wonders/

pologirl had been playing this with friends and recommended we get it as a family game. Not a day went by over the break without one or more people suggesting a game.

We haven't mastered it yet, there probably is no mastery, but regardless, it only takes about an hour to play.

Great concept, not like anything else we have played, but not too complex and yet plenty for our brains to chew on....

Wow! What a cool game! Thanks for sharing.

[glatt]

When we visited family over Christmas, they had the card game Exploding Kittens (with the expansion pack of wild cards.)

This is my new favorite game. For me it's the perfect balance of everything that makes a game fun. I've been wondering what makes a game good, and am still not completely sure. You have games like chess that are pure strategy with no random chance thrown in, and they are fine, but not what I would call fun. They are serious business. Then you have games like the card game War, that are pure chance with zero strategy, and they aren't very fun either. Just something to do with your hands while hanging out with someone.

A good game will have a balance of strategy and chance. But there are other factors as well. Monopoly has a mixture of both, but can be really tedious and painful as you try to build up your wealth and you become attached to your properties and the dice go against you so you lose. The other players always roll the perfect roll to skip right over your properties. You get so invested that it hurts when you fail. I've seen many people get a little upset playing that game.

With Exploding Kittens, I think it's such a fun game because you can try to strategize, but there are so many different ways to handle each move that each move is a little leap of faith, and you know that you might fail with each move. So when you do fail, it's no big deal. You don't get invested in some long reaching plan that might fail, but at the same time, you can have a technique of playing that will tend to lead to success. Plus there are so many moves you can make, you really do feel like you hold the future in your own hands and that what you do will determine your success.

I'm rambling a little bit here. The bottom line is that I was really surprised how much I liked Exploding Kittens, especially with a handful of people playing. It kept everyone's interest and led to a bunch of laughter and comments about how the game was going.

[Glinda]

My ancient pressure cooker (at least 30 years old) wasn't holding pressure anymore, so yesterday I bought one of these for myself.



Put a corned beef brisket in it last night and omg. SOOOooooo easy. Super easy to clean too. Very pleased.
I'm sure I'll be using this thing a LOT, and not just for pressure cooking.
I think I'll try making soup in it this weekend, or maybe a yummy beef stew.

[Gravdigr]

I gotta a question for the pressure cooker lady?

I've been to the website, looked at the instruction manual and can't figger out what this is/does.



What's it? Please/Thank You

[Glinda]

Heh. I have the same question. I don't know what it is or why it's there. As you correctly note, the manual doesn't address this thingie at all. I've sent a query to the Presto people. Will keep you updated if/when I get an answer.

[Undertoad]

spoon holder!

[Gravdigr]

Thanx UT. And for your efforts, Glinda.

That's a poor design for a spoon holder, imho. Handle will get icky.

[Glinda]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

Thanx UT. And for your efforts, Glinda.

That's a poor design for a spoon holder, imho. Handle will get icky.

I sort of wondered if it was meant to hold a cooking utensil, too, but what a lame design if that's what it's for. Then I wondered if it was meant to be a hook, so you could hang the contraption from a pot rack, but it's pretty heavy for that sort of thing, and who would be weird enough to hang a big old pressure cooker from a pot rack? Then I wondered if it was designed so you could run the cord through it, but the plug doesn't fit through the hole, and why would you need to redirect the cord, anyway?

'Tis a mystery.

[Glinda]

From the Presto people:

Thanks for contacting us. This model is equipped with a utensil holder. The sizes of the utensil would be similar to a wooden paddle used for rice.

Lame.

[Gravdigr]

Exploding Kittens - Fantastic game name.

"Hey, wanna play Exploding Kittens?"

"Exploding Kittens?! Hells yeah!"

[Clodfobble]

It's a game kids enjoy a lot, too, both from a capability and a humor standpoint.