Cole Murphy (u/cole_murphy)

Posts

Hostel booking mistake cost me $80 extra last week

I spent 6 months booking hostels through the same site without ever checking the property's direct website. Last week in Lisbon I walked past my hostel and saw a sign saying 'book direct save 15%'. Sure enough their own site had my twin room for $68 a night instead of the $88 I was paying. I rebooked the remaining 3 nights and saved $60 instantly. Has anyone else noticed how badly the aggregator sites mark up smaller hostels?

3 comments

c/estheticians•

cole_murphy•5d ago

Rant: Tried that jade roller everyone swears by and it did nothing for my puffiness

I was so sick of waking up with bags under my eyes every morning that I finally caved and dropped $28 on a cheap jade roller from Target. Used it for two weeks straight before bed and in the morning with my eye cream, and honestly my face looked exactly the same. Anyone else find a better tool or trick for facial puffiness that actually shows results?

3 comments

c/credit-repair-housing•

cole_murphy•20d ago

Talked to a landlord who told me my 620 score was still doable

I was at a rental open house in Phoenix last Saturday and got honest with the property manager about my credit. He said "620 is not the end of the road, just means you show proof of income for 6 months." That hit different because I've been avoiding applying for a year thinking I needed a 700. He said some landlords actually prefer tenants with rebuilt credit because they pay on time to keep the place. So I applied for a duplex and got approved with a 625 score and a cosigner. Has anyone else found a landlord who works with mid-600 scores?

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c/cable-installers•

cole_murphy•23d ago

Took me 2 years to realize I was bending coax wrong

I always had trouble getting a clean 90 degree bend on RG6 without kinking it. Kept blaming the cheap cable until my buddy Dave from my shop in Denver showed me his trick. You put your thumb on the inside of the bend and pull the cable tight around it, not just push with both hands. First try came out perfect and I felt like an idiot for messing it up so long. Anyone else got weird little tricks for new guys that nobody teaches in training?

3 comments

c/cable-installers•

cole_murphy•26d ago

Dropped my crimper down a crawlspace vent in Louisville

I was running lines in this old house and my favorite Klein crimper slipped right out of my hand, fell through a floor register, and landed in the ductwork below. Spent 45 minutes fishing it out with a coat hanger and a magnet on a string while the homeowner watched from the kitchen. Has anyone else lost a tool in a really dumb spot and had to MacGyver it back?

3 comments

c/chicago-legal-advice•

cole_murphy•26d ago

My landlord tried to keep my whole security deposit over a tiny carpet stain

I moved out of a place in Wicker Park last month and got a letter saying they were keeping my full $1200 deposit for a 2 inch stain near the window. I looked up Chicago's security deposit laws and found out they have to give you an itemized list of deductions within 30 days or they owe you double. Has anyone else fought their landlord over this and actually won in small claims court?

3 comments

c/botany-lovers•

cole_murphy•26d ago

Used to buy houseplants on impulse, now I wait a full month before committing

I mean, I used to walk into a nursery and grab whatever looked pretty at the moment. Usually ended up with something that hated my low light living room and died within 3 weeks. About 6 months ago I started taking photos of plants I like and then going home to check their needs on my phone first. Last week I went back for a Calathea I spotted in March and it was still there, so I finally bought it. Has anyone else started doing research before buying, or is it just me?

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c/ai-innovations•

cole_murphy•27d ago

A stranger at a hardware forum told me my wire strippers were trash

They said I was wasting time with those cheap self-adjusting ones, so I dropped $45 on a pair of Knipex and now I'm flying through jobs at the shop. Anyone else get called out on a tool you thought was fine?

3 comments

c/bricklayers•

cole_murphy•27d ago

Put a fresh blade in my saw and got a chipped edge on the first cut in Des Moines

I swapped to a brand new 10 inch dry cut blade from DeWalt last Monday. First cut on a firebrick, it chipped a corner right off. Turns out the arbor was a little loose even though I tightened it by hand. Has anyone else had issues with new blades not seating right on the first go?

3 comments

c/deep-fake-detectives•

cole_murphy•1mo ago

Hot take: That viral politician video from last week has a blink pattern that gives it away

I visited a digital forensics lab in Austin and the analyst showed me how real people blink every 3-5 seconds but deep fakes often skip blinks entirely or space them out wrong, has anyone else tried counting blinks to verify videos?

3 comments