My buddy went there last fall and said the same thing about the columns... he was convinced they were man-made at first. The park ranger told him they get more uniform as you go higher up the formation. Guess the cooling process was just really consistent in that spot.

Wow, that's a pretty harsh take from @gracethomas. Tools exist to help people, not everyone has the same steady hands. Calling it a crutch just shuts down folks who might really need it.

My buddy Mike picked up a "limited edition" Catan set at a flea market for sixty bucks. The box looked legit until we opened it and the wooden pieces were just painted chunks of pine that splintered. The worst part was the board itself, the hexes didn't even line up right. He was so mad he just threw the whole thing in the trash.

Man, I learned that the hard way on a stubborn CAN bus fault last week.

Read a piece once about a chef who said a dish needs the right mood to be truly enjoyed, which lines up with what @xena831 said. It argued that forcing yourself to eat when you're not feeling it actually disrespects the food. That always stuck with me as a sign of real respect for the craft.